Another 184 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, health officials have announced.

The figures, released by the Department of Health and Social Care on Wednesday, mean the UK’s official death toll has increased to 42,153.

This accounts for deaths across all settings, including in care homes and the community, as of 5pm on Tuesday.

In total, 299,251 people have tested positive for the virus across the country since the start of the pandemic.

The figures come after scientists at the University of Birmingham say they may have found a new blood test that will identify ‘hidden’ victims of the illness, which could be a huge step in the UK’s battle against the pandemic.

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It has been dubbed ‘game-changing’ because it spots 98% of coronavirus cases – even those without symptoms.

So fears have been sparked that existing tests often come back inaccurate for those who are not noticeably ill, with up to 29% of tests performed on carriers returning with a negative result.

Alex Richter, of the Institute of Immunology at Birmingham, said those who have milder or asymptomatic illnesses may have a weaker response to existing protein tests.

She added: ‘In our test, we are using the correctly folded form of the spike protein, which is the protein the virus uses to binds to cells in the first place.

‘We are getting 98% sensitivity and that is a game-changer for testing in the community and for other countries.’

The test, which has been trialled on 1,000 NHS workers, works by looking for antibodies produced by the immune system when coronavirus invades cells using its surface ‘spikes’, MailOnline reports.

Studies have claimed that up to eight in ten people have such mild symptoms that they will barely realise they are sick.

It was also revealed yesterday that scientists have made a ‘major breakthrough’ in a potential Covid-19 treatment after a cheap steroid was found to reduce deaths.

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