Coronavirus news: Union considers strike over government’s back-to-work push as research suggests tests detect dead virus cells

A public sector union has said it will consider strike action as a "last resort" to oppose the government's drive to get workers back into offices during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union, which represents around 200,000 members, said it did not believe it was safe to return to workplaces due to the possibility of a second wave of infections.

It came as new research suggested Covid-19 tests could be detecting dead virus cells which are no longer infectious, leading to an overestimation of the number of active cases.