Dr. Cillian De Gascun:

I would not use the word "inadequate", if that is all right. There are limitations, clearly. There will be a latent period between the time that a person becomes infected and the time we can detect the virus in the person's nasal pharynx or throat. A blood testing option is available. It does not have a role in acute diagnostics at this point. This is because although tests have been developed, when they were evaluated we concluded they lacked sensitivity. In essence, if we are doing a blood test what we are looking for is antibody, which is the host response to the infection rather than the infection itself. From the time the person becomes symptomatic we know it takes between seven and 14 days to develop. That would mean an even longer delay. However, antibody testing can play a role. This is work we will be doing in the second half of this month. At a population level it can give us an indication of how many people or what proportion of the population may have been exposed to the virus.