Whilst it was very sad that we could not gather in person to commemorate VE Day and the extraordinary generation that did so much to preserve our freedom and liberate much of Europe it was also lovely to see so many houses, schools and businesses adorned with Union Flags and bunting to commemorate the day. I hope that all the veterans of the war, whether military or civilian, recognise in our virtual coming together a real tribute from our country at this difficult time.
Throughout this challenging time, I have been deeply impressed with how Horsham businesses have adapted and responded to the global pandemic. Whether shops, large or small, who have remained open to sell food or indeed branch into delivery to the vulnerable or others whose role in getting on top of the pandemic is national or even global in its impact.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is one such company. I have had the pleasure of visiting them before and it was great to speak with them on the phone last week and hear about the fantastic work they are conducting to help combat Coronavirus.
An international company, Thermo has had a Horsham game since 1997 and boasts 500 local employees. Thermo packages and delivers vital medications to patients and works on treatments for many different types of medical conditions including cancers, heart disease, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Lupus, hepatitis and diabetes.
Thermo, to meet the global demand for readily available novel Coronavirus detection and prevention technologies, has mobilised its scientific and commercial teams to support virus identification, rapid vaccine development and the deployment of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Globally Thermo is producing 5 million tests per week. This production rate is set to double over a number of weeks and these tests will play a vital role in helping the UK and countries across the world track and trace Coronavirus. In the UK, Thermo is working with the Wellcome Trust to provide diagnostic testing using qPCR technology, kit that was rapidly developed and awarded its CE mark on the 26th March.
Testing has a vital role to play and Thermo has helped the Government achieve its objective to scale up testing capacity through localised production, providing equipment and by also providing extensive logistical and technical support.
The dedication of their teams – working literally around the clock in multiple shifts to provide what they know is vital support – is hugely appreciated. Together with countless others in the frontline and in support they are helping the world beat the Covid.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Quin on a previous visit to Horsham’s Thermo Fisher, prior to the Covid Pandemic.