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This is a bit unfair. An 8 day turnaround time is pretty amazing as sample currently has to go from testing site to diagnostic lab to sequencing centre as this is how Pillar 2 was organised. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trace-scheme-in-dark-about-surge-tests-for-south-africa-variant-k5mn29t76
However, from next week we'll be piloting real-time pillar 2 genomic surveillance @unibirmingham as we have a campus testing site, a campus diagnostic lab (Turnkey run by @alanmcn1 and @AlexRichter3) and campus sequencing! Aiming for 48h turnaround.
I chatted with @DrDavidGK about it on Midlands Today yesterday (about 3 minutes in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000s6h9/midlands-today-evening-news-08022021
We've already had plenty of experience with pillar 1 real-time genomics (hospital patients and healthcare workers), so really looking forward to scaling this to community samples.
Current plan is to try for 96/day, and we'll be looking for hands to assist us staff a 7/7 rota so look out for job ads.
Generally speaking, it makes sense in modern era to do sequencing near the sample, rather than moving it around many times as this is where delays creep in.
