By Gavin Mackintosh-
About 25 used coronavirus test kits were handed out in Birmingham, in an embarrassing blunder currently being investigated, Birmingham city council has admitted.
Students in Selly Oak found the used swab kits when they opened the boxes expected to contain unused kits.
The completed kits were provided to seven households as part of the council’s ‘drop and collect’ service on Tuesday.
Birmingham City Council said there was “no evidence of cross-contamination, adding that a thorough investigation was underway. The council said the outer packaging of one kit was opened. A student raised the alarm on a community Facebook page, saying: “Anyone on [Tiverton Road] given a covid test by guys in high-vis jackets, don’t open!
“They’ve already been done – we opened up the box and they were sealed and snapped so had obviously been used!”
Sophie Dunne, a second year student at the University of Birmingham, told university newspaper Redbrick they were told not to put what had happened on social media. In July, Health Secretary, Matt Hancock warned against using test kits produced by Randox Laboratories because they are not up to expected standards.
There are 237 Covid-19 cases currently in Selly Oak and neighbouring Edgbaston South and University wards, making them two of the worst hotspots in the city.
Ms Dunne said others had also come out of their homes with the kits, some of which had other people’s addresses on. She expressed disbelief that such a thing could happen. She added:
“I now know the council is saying apparently 25 tests were given out [but] from what we saw being collected in, [it] was a greater figure [or] number than that and people have used them and they have been opened which they’ve [the council] also said they’ve not.”
Birmingham Council said in a statement: “We are aware that a small number of tests were mistakenly given out during Drop and Collect activity in Selly Oak yesterday.
“As soon as it became apparent that the wrong tests had been given out steps were taken immediately to rectify the mistake.
“Drop and Collect is a vital part of helping to tackle the spread of Covid in our City, with 100,000 tests being undertaken to date. The circumstances around this incident are being fully reviewed and any required changes to process will be implemented.”
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