2020 is once again giving us more news with some hope for 2021. A new rapid testing kit was launched, which will allow fast and efficient covid-19 tests for live events.
The news comes from Swallow Events, a UK-based company that announced its partnership with healthcare company Roche. Their goal is to allow for a rapid COVID-19 testing service designed for the events industry.
The companies promise to offer “MHRA, CE and PHE approved rapid 15 minutes (99.68% specificity) turn around pop-up testing facilities. The tests can be conducted by government-approved healthcare professionals of any size and scale. Therefore enabling large scale gatherings to be held in a Covid secure environment. As an alternative, we offer a supply only option and we ship worldwide.”
We are very proud to announce we are the first events company in the UK to offer an on-site rapid testing service for COVID-19 in as little as 15 minutes, which, we believe, is a complete game-changer.
Thomas, Founder and Managing Director of Swallow Events
“Our rapid testing kits – a market leader (which meets MHRA target product profile with sensitivity: 96,52% & specificity: 99,68%) used in conjunction with track and trace data-collection and other Covid secure protocols such as touchpoint and temperature checks will help event organizers in all sectors from large scale festivals, concerts, stadia, business conferences, and trade shows through to agricultural shows and small boutique festivals”, Thomas adds.
“Our mission is to support and lobby for events of all nature, working in close conjunction with local authorities and ultimately enabling organizers to open in a safe, responsible, and COVID secure environment.”
So this news comes with a lot of hope for big-scale events. However, the logistical and organizational challenge related to having on-site testing is a huge one. On the other hand, having this type of rapid testing can allow fans to test for Covid-19 a few days before the event. Allowing to get results much faster than the current delays.
Some countries like France already made available rapid testing in Pharmacies and schools. The expansion of such a testing method, along with vaccination make us see light at the end of the tunnel for 2021.
