Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) home COVID-19 testing kit, 2020-2021

A PCR test is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. A swab applied to the throat and nose to take sample. Once placed in a test tube with solution, double bagged, barcoded and boxed there are many drop off points or can be sent through Royal Mail.

When it arrives at a testing centre, such as the Lighthouse Lab at Alderley Park, samples are unbagged in a safety cabinet which prevents particles escaping into the air. The lab staff make sure that the sample can be tested and its barcode is on. Using lab robots, the liquid is removed from the sample tube and mixed with a chemical that kills any live virus so it can be handled safely. The sample is then prepared so any genetic material can be extracted and tested.

Alderley Park in Cheshire is one of the UK’s Lighthouse Labs – a high volume COVID-19 testing facility. Over 80,000 samples are tested every day. The lab is open 24 hours, seven days a week, staffed by three teams, each working a shift. The Lighthouse Labs take their name from the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing technology which uses fluorescent light to detect the virus.