NHS rapid metagenomic testing to expand under pandemic plan

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By Emma Wilkinson

Rapid genetic testing for severe respiratory infections will be rolled out to more NHS hospitals as part of new pandemic “real time” surveillance plans, the government has announced.

A partnership between the government, Genomics England, UK Biobank, NHS England, and UK life sciences company Oxford Nanopore will also allow for early warning of biological threats and tracking of antibiotic resistance, it said.