Coronavirus: Almost 150,000 people in England currently infected with Covid-19, government study finds

Huge survey provides snapshot of current rate of infection – but participants have raised serious concerns about the way tests have been carried out

Around 148,000 people in England are currently infected with the coronavirus, according to the results from the government’s first large-scale study into the spread of the disease.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics has estimated that 0.27 per cent of England’s population were carrying the Covid-19 disease between 27 April and 10 May.

The Covid-19 infection survey, based on swab tests taken from just over 10,000 people, aims to provide a snapshot of the current rate of infection.

The huge survey is led by the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester, alongside US health data company IQVIA and public health laboratories, and will expand over the next year to cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, an investigation by Liberty Investigates and The Independent has raised concerns about the way the survey has been carried out, after participants complained that some testing staff lacked personal protective equipment (PPE) and appeared to be poorly trained in taking samples.

Paul Beauchamp told The Independent his experience was “a bit of a shambles from the start” because the test worker “clearly had almost no training”.

He said: “I had two missed appointments and then this poor guy turns up without a clue how to do it. He asked me how he should take the swabs … gave me the wrong consent form and wasn’t initially wearing gloves [when he arrived].”

Complaints made via social media to IQVIA, which is responsible for the doorstep data collection, show participants complaining about poor sample collection, systematic no-shows by testing staff, and a lack of test kits resulting in missed appointments.

The latest survey found a far higher than average rate of infection for health care workers and social care workers – 1.33 per cent tested positive for Covid-19.

This includes NHS professionals, as well as people working in nursing homes and home care employees.

The ONS said there is no evidence from the survey suggesting age has an impact on the likelihood of an individual contracting Covid-19 – even though separate ONS figures show older people are far more likely to die from the disease.

The latest results only show people who are currently infected with Covid-19, not those who have recovered from the disease.

But the ongoing survey is also collecting blood samples with the aim of allowing researchers to check if people have antibodies indicating past infection, once suitable tests become available.