Health

UK lab investigated for false negative Covid tests is not fully accredited

The private laboratory that is under investigation for potentially issuing more than 40,000 false negative Covid tests was not fully accredited to perform the work, contrary to assurances made by health officials.

The UK’s independent accreditation service, Ukas, told the Guardian on Monday that neither Immensa Health Clinics Ltd nor its sister company, Dante Labs, had ever been accredited by the service, and that it had informed the Department of Health that statements suggesting otherwise were incorrect.

The UK Health Security Agency announced on Friday that it was suspending operations at Immensa’s laboratory in Wolverhampton pending an investigation into concerns that at least 43,000 people with coronavirus had been wrongly told their swabs tested negative for the virus.

Because many of the individuals would have believed the typically more accurate PCR tests performed by Immensa over simpler lateral flow tests, there is a substantial risk they unwittingly spread the virus on to thousands more people.

Announcing the investigation into Immensa on Friday, Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the lab was “accredited to all of the appropriate standards”, while on Monday a government spokesperson said: “The lab was fully accredited by the UK’s independent accreditation service before being appointed.”

But Ukas said neither Immensa Health Clinics nor Dante Labs had ever been awarded Ukas accreditation, which is intended to ensure labs meet minimum quality standards. Companies require the certification, or must be in the process of applying for it, if they wish to provide Covid testing.

Since November 2020, Ukas has been working with the Department of Health to develop a three-stage accreditation process for private providers of coronavirus testing. Companies that take swabs, test them, or do both, are required to demonstrate that they meet minimum standards by progressing from application to appraisal and final accreditation.

Only after completing the third stage is an organisation accredited by Ukas to perform Covid testing work. So far, Ukas has received more than 500 applications from private firms to perform tests and/or swab handling. About 400 have passed stage two, 255 have had a final stage-three assessment, and 191 have received full Ukas accreditation. An additional 54 public labs, including Lighthouse laboratories, are also accredited.

Ukas does not release information about individual companies and whether they are in the process of applying for accreditation, but in a statement a spokesperson said: “Neither Immensa Health Clinic Ltd nor its related company Dante Labs Ltd has been accredited by Ukas.” Companies are allowed to “self-declare” that they meet minimum standards, but this typically marks the start of an application for accreditation.

Alan McNally, a professor in microbial evolutionary genomics at the University of Birmingham, who helped set up the Lighthouse lab at Milton Keynes, said: “The UK Health Security Agency and Department of Health and Social Care need to make it very clear what they mean by the Immensa lab being ‘fully accredited’. If it is not at all Ukas accredited, and it is not an official part of the Lighthouse lab network, which has its own very rigorous accrediting and validation process, then how exactly was it determined to be fit and proper to deliver Covid testing to the UK public?”

McNally said if the UKHSA investigation into Immensa found evidence of poor management, corner cutting to increase margins, or insufficient staff training “they should be charged and have all contracts terminated”.

Immensa Health Clinics Ltd was set up in May 2020 and received nearly £170m in NHS test-and-trace contracts. The company has been contacted for comment. Earlier this year, the Sun on Sunday found evidence for Immensa workers brawling, sleeping, playing football and drinking on duty while working at the firm’s Wolverhampton lab. The government said at the time it took “evidence of misconduct extremely seriously”.

Health

Sierra Leone reports first case of monkeypox

Sierra Leone has reported its first confirmed case of mpox since the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its highest alert level for the potentially deadly viral disease last year.

According to the National Public Health Agency, the patient is a 27-year-old man from the rural district of the Western Zone, near the capital Freetown.

“Health teams are actively tracing and investigating to identify potentially exposed persons and to prevent further spread,” the agency announced in a social media post.

The confirmed case was detected on January 10, though health officials have not specified the variant affecting the patient.

Mpox, caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox, presents with high fever and skin lesions known as vesicles.

The disease was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970 and had mainly been limited to a dozen African countries before spreading more widely in 2022, including to regions where the virus had not previously circulated. The WHO declared its highest alert level for the disease in 2024.

In response, Sierra Leonean health authorities have swiftly activated containment measures. The infected patient has been placed in isolation while contacts will be monitored for 21 days. Surveillance efforts have been increased in all areas visited by the patient.

A public awareness campaign has been launched, and health workers are being equipped with protective gear and trained in prevention techniques to curb further spread.

Sierra Leone was previously one of the hardest-hit countries during the Ebola epidemic, which claimed around 4,000 lives, including nearly seven percent of the nation’s health workers, between 2014 and 2016.

Health

Risk of HMPV infection in Nigeria moderate- NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the risk of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in the country is moderate.

HMPV, which was first reported in 2001 in the Netherlands, is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that causes symptoms similar to the common cold and influenza including cough, fever, nasal congestion, and fatigue, with an incubation period of three to six days.

It causes severe complications like pneumonia in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems and spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces.

China is currently experiencing an outbreak of the virus, sparking global concern. India has also reported at least two cases of the virus.

In an advisory issued, the NCDC said the agency, in collaboration with the ministry of health, is closely monitoring global developments. The agency said as of January 6, 2025, data from surveillance does not indicate any unusual increase in respiratory infections, including those caused by HMPV.

“However, given the global trends in HMPV cases, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is proactively implementing measures to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity.

In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), conducted a dynamic risk assessment for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV).

The assessment classified the risk of HMPV for Nigeria as moderate. This evaluation will inform and guide preparedness efforts, decision-making, and response strategies to mitigate potential impacts.”

The NCDC said it is also collaborating with port health authorities to ensure robust preparedness at all international points of entry (PoEs).

“In addition, quarantine facilities are being identified and prepared to manage any suspected or confirmed cases if required. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) materials are being deployed to PoEs to ensure adherence to hygiene and safety protocols. Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials are being developed and distributed to raise awareness and provide clear guidelines for frontline staff and travelers at PoEs.

The National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance (NISS) sites across the six geopolitical zones monitor Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) which is already testing for COVID-19, will now also start testing for HMPV. Provisions will be made to increase the number of tests conducted. Additionally, laboratories in states with international airports will be supported to enable them to test for HMPV.”

Health

WHO declares new COVID outbreak in China global health emergency

The World Health Organization, WHO, has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, a global health emergency.

The WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement at a press conference in Geneva.

WHO’s emergency committee on the epidemic had reportedly met Thursday afternoon and recommended designating the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC.

The decision had been “almost unanimous,” Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, said at the press conference.

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” Tedros said at the press conference.

“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with it. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”

Tedros also outlined recommendations made by the emergency committee to control the outbreak, including accelerating the development of vaccines and drugs and combatting the spread of misinformation.

This is the sixth time WHO has used that label, Public Health Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC. since the designation was introduced 15 years ago.