Covid news: Aspirin tested as potential treatment and schools get coronavirus advice from call centre

Follow the latest updates and statistics

Mass coronavirus testing scheme getting under way in Liverpool

Aspirin will be tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19 in one of Britain's biggest trials, which will assess whether it might reduce the risk of blood clots in people with the disease.  

Scientists behind the RECOVERY trial, which is looking into a range of potential treatments for the novel coronavirus, said it would look into the painkiller, which is commonly used as a blood thinner. 

Meanwhile, teachers have reacted with anger to unskilled call handlers being drafted in to give coronavirus safety guidance to schools.  

A school leaders’ union said that in many cases call handlers do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to give helpful advice, with many reading answers from scripts. 

It came as the government has imposed its first outright travel ban on arrivals since the coronavirus pandemic began. In the early hours of Saturday, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that foreign visitors from Denmark will be denied entry.

The unprecedented move is because of serious concerns about mutations of coronavirus spreading from mink to humans.

Follow live updates

Key Points

• Schools given advice from call centre staff with no clinical training
• Positive start to Liverpool mass testing operation
• Denmark hit with travel ban over mink mutation
• Aspirin tested as potential Covid-19 treatment

[7 November 2020 18:20 · Peter Stubley]

That’s it for our live coronavirus coverage for today. Thanks for reading.