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Boots chemists are launching a COVID-19 testing service, with results available in just 12 minutes.
The high-speed test has been shown to be 97% accurate in testing and should be available in Britain within fifteen days, but it is not yet known when it will be on sale here.
CEO Sebastian James said it was the first step toward mass testing for stores and pharmacies.
Boots will initially charge £ 120 (€ 130), but this is likely to decrease if demand increases.
The tests are aimed at those who have no symptoms but are seeking reassurance. Anyone who suspects they have COVID-19 is advised to go to a health service testing station.
Meanwhile, the scientist leading the development of a vaccine at Britain’s Oxford University said it is likely to reach key healthcare workers and high-risk patients by Christmas.
Boots chemists have purchased 100 wearable devices from American diagnostic firm Lumira that can give a verdict on a swab almost immediately.
They will be distributed in stores in Great Britain in the coming weeks. Initial customers are expected to be travelers and businesses looking to bring staff back to their facilities. The tests could allow people to travel, mingle with friends and family, and return to offices that have been largely deserted.
Mr James said, ‘We don’t want to profit from it. We are only covering our costs as there is a large down payment for the entire kit. My thinking is that if the volume is large, we can lower the price. I hope a lot of people want to do it and if they do we can make the price more affordable. Once it is more accessible in terms of cost, it could be a very important weapon in the arsenal against COVID. ‘
The fees cover third-party lab tests, courier services, digital services, staff salaries and VAT, it said.
The online business is growing rapidly for Boots. James is expanding healthcare services on the web and has revamped stores, incorporating beauty brands like singer Rihanna’s Fenty.
Boots is part of a global pharmaceutical giant, Walgreens Boots Alliance, created by 79-year-old Italian billionaire Stefano Pessina.
Meanwhile, the garden center owners here were very disappointed that they weren’t allowed to stay open as the Level 5 restrictions come in what is traditionally a busy time for gardeners across the country.
It is the time of year for the fruit tree plantation and cover plants to start growing next spring.
It is also the time for flower bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, to come in.
The Paraic Horkan Garden Center in Castlebar, Co Mayo, said that people should be able to buy plants and tools to encourage them to be active and garden at home, especially now during the Level 5 lockdown, when we are warned not to travel more than 5 km. of our homes and not have visitors.
He said closing his businesses was a “mistake” that will have a particularly negative impact on the health of older people.
He explained that garden centers should be seen as an essential service at a time like this, as he highlighted the emotional importance they give to customers who are usually elderly, widows or single people who live alone.
“We have a lot of widowed or single people who garden and see the garden center as a place of refuge,” he said.
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