A student from the University of St Andrews takes a swab at a mass testing centre. AFP
A student from the University of St Andrews takes a swab at a mass testing centre. AFP
A student from the University of St Andrews takes a swab at a mass testing centre. AFP
A student from the University of St Andrews takes a swab at a mass testing centre. AFP

Europe

Plan for university students in UK to take rapid Covid tests is leading to chaos

Student travel window ahead of Christmas opens this week

Brodie Owen
London

November 30, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Many university students in the UK could decline to take rapid Covid-19 tests to avoid going into self isolation ahead of Christmas, an academic union said.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the government plan for rapid testing was a rushed move that had led to chaos.

Tens of thousands of university students are expected to return home this week at the opening of the Christmas travel window.

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The student exodus, between December 3 and December 9, is supposed to be underpinned by rapid testing, with students planning to return home for Christmas encouraged to volunteer for a rapid test before they travel.

Those who test positive for the virus will have to self isolate.

But the UCU expects many students will not want to take a rapid test because of concerns over their accuracy.

The rapid tests are considered less accurate than lab-based PCR tests.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found as many as one in five positive tests were incorrect.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “We have grave concerns over how this programme will be carried out, particularly the risk of students being told – incorrectly – they do not have Covid, then relying on their test result to travel home and spend Christmas with vulnerable relatives.

“The risk of students receiving the wrong test result increases when testers have not been fully trained – rushing these plans makes that more likely.”

Students from the University of St Andrews wait to take a coronavirus test. AFP
Students from the University of St Andrews wait to take a coronavirus test. AFP

Ms Grady said that there was a “worrying lack of support” for students forced to enter self isolation.

“It is not good enough for the government to refer to a non-binding checklist for how universities should support students that was issued in early October, when we have just seen a wave of protests from students opposing how they have been treated,” she said.

The National Union of Students said there were "serious obstacles" in the way for mass testing to succeed.

NCU vice president of higher education Hillary Gyebi-Ababio said: "We know that students want to get home and want to protect their loved ones and the wider public. However, there are serious obstacles in place ​that this government needs to address if they really want to see students benefit from this testing regime

"NUS is concerned that many students will simply not have access to this testing regime due to capacity issues."

Ms Gyebi-Ababio said there was no support for students who were forced to self isolate.

"Students remain unjustly excluded from the £500 ($668) low-income self-isolation payment and, as Sage have identified, financial insecurity means people can struggle to comply fully," she said.

"Students have been asked to sacrifice a huge deal throughout this pandemic and have been offered almost nothing in the way of support and this has to change.”

When the plans for the student travel window were announced this month, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan described the rollout of rapid tests as a “complementary element” of the plan.

She said the government wanted to "facilitate as much testing as possible", but will target universities in areas with higher infection rates and proportions of vulnerable students.

Students are encouraged to take two tests three days apart by December 9. Those who test positive have to self isolate for 10 days in their halls of residence or other accommodation.

A government spokesperson said of the rapid testing scheme: “We have set out tailored guidance to universities designed by public health professionals to enable students to return home for the Christmas holidays while minimising the risk of transmission.

“The tests are safe, simple to use and do not require medically trained staff to administer them. Just like the tests available across our regional test sites, individuals will be asked to self-swab under guidance from trained staff.”

Pupils arrange their books following the reopening of their school, in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
Pupils arrange their books following the reopening of their school, in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
An Iraqi teacher sorts the school books until they are handed over to pupils after schools reopen in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
An Iraqi teacher sorts the school books until they are handed over to pupils after schools reopen in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
People wear face masks on a road during a 'smart lockdown' in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA
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Nurse Carolina Garcia takes care of her father, Jose Garcia, who is intubated and sedated at Memorial Medical Centre in Las Cruces, New Mexico, US. Reuters
Nurse Carolina Garcia takes care of her father, Jose Garcia, who is intubated and sedated at Memorial Medical Centre in Las Cruces, New Mexico, US. Reuters
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Relatives of a man who died of coronavirus related complications wait to cremate his body at Vadaj Cemetery in Ahmedabad, India. AP Photo
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People visit the beach a day before renewed restrictions due to a surge of Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles, California, US. Reuters
People visit the beach a day before renewed restrictions due to a surge of Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles, California, US. Reuters
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Faithful attend the mass at St Roch Church in Paris, France. Churches have reopened in France with a maximum capacity of 30 people after being closed since October 30, 2020, due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. EPA
A woman takes a photo with a smartphone of a Christmas tree in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Christmas markets have been cancelled in Berlin this year. EPA
A woman takes a photo with a smartphone of a Christmas tree in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Christmas markets have been cancelled in Berlin this year. EPA
A statue in front of a restaurant wears a protective mask in the Shinsekai shopping district of Osaka, Japan. Bloomberg
A statue in front of a restaurant wears a protective mask in the Shinsekai shopping district of Osaka, Japan. Bloomberg
The traditional Christmas tree of the Galeries Lafayette department store stands under its great dome in Paris. French stores can reopen starting November 28 after several weeks of lockdown. EPA
The traditional Christmas tree of the Galeries Lafayette department store stands under its great dome in Paris. French stores can reopen starting November 28 after several weeks of lockdown. EPA
Passengers ride on a tram in Hong Kong. Reuters
Passengers ride on a tram in Hong Kong. Reuters
Barbara Roque holds a sign during a Voice for Choice - Open Our Schools rally in Horsham, Pennsylvania. AP
Barbara Roque holds a sign during a Voice for Choice - Open Our Schools rally in Horsham, Pennsylvania. AP
Special Task Force personnel deploy at Mahara prison on the outskirts of Colombo a day after a prison riot over the surge of coronavirus infections. AFP
Special Task Force personnel deploy at Mahara prison on the outskirts of Colombo a day after a prison riot over the surge of coronavirus infections. AFP
Visitors pose for photographs at a street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bloomberg
Visitors pose for photographs at a street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bloomberg
RESULTS
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

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THE SPECS

Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 429hp

Torque: 520Nm​​​​​​​

Price: Dh360,200 (starting)

Elvis
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How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

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