Covid tests

GagaJo

Normandygirl

If you have the "protection" of your vaccination, why is anyone worried? I don't get it.

Because they don't make us invincible.

If invincibility is your goal, then you are bound for disappointment. The massive excess death toll due to Non Covid related illness, is surely much more of a concern to people in the UK right now. I don't believe that has anything to do with the people from China.

The last statistic I heard was that 1 in 45 people have covid.

How many people are shopping in a big supermarket on a busy day?

Best to wear a mask.

i still test myself for covid, these are the uk figures for the 22nd december, new cases are 46,042 so the 7 day average figures for the 22nd of december are 6,577. in the uk at the moment there is 8,571 in hospital - 175 of them are in ventilation beds, maybe it is being blown out of proportion but how much longer can the nhs keep this up with all the other problems that winter brings.

Normandygirl

If you have the "protection" of your vaccination, why is anyone worried? I don't get it.

Because they don't make us invincible.

If you have the "protection" of your vaccination, why is anyone worried? I don't get it.

Farzanah
Thank you for mentioning my concerns.
I hope you are right and we as a nation are better protected.

There’s a difference between over reacting and being pro-active instead of reactive. I don’t think being proactive is over reacting. And this government doesn’t learn from past mistakes.

I think I get really irritated by the "its madness" "I despair" "will they never learn!" comments. That's my problem, I have to deal with it and I'm not suggesting anybody stops saying that, I'm just using that to explain where I'm coming from.

It shows a rather excitable reaction to something I suppose. I prefer to actually understand what is going on and how it works, rather than running around with my hands in the air.

Just me, I suppose.

It's madness. Of course the governments should be taking action to prevent the spread. Particularly of new variants which are sure to come along with so many infections. No, they don't learn. I wonder why that might be?

1) I am not panicking,
2) if rules are inadequate, they need changing
3) I would not be at all surprised if the “rules” were to change as they have already in the case of some other countries.
It’s called shutting the stable door before the horse bolts.

I don’t think it would be considered reliable Norah. The alternative is to test on arrival here and quarantine, but doesn’t seem practical, or economically viable, and at present not justified.

I thought I'd just got a cold but today tested positive for covid. The pack of five lateral flow tests we had turned out to have only one phial of developing fluid so OH has not been able to test.

I reported my result on the GOV.UK website which informs us that lateral flow tests are no longer provided free (except in very exceptional circumstances which are difficult to understand. We can buy tests privately but CANNOT report the result! In other words our government is no longer interested.

Our local branch of Boots sells a pack of five tests for £9.85.

We tested before we went to Vienna a few weeks ago. In January we will test before we go to Paris. I'm not sure why we do to be honest? And would it even change our plans? Does testing really help the worldwide spread?

Quite some time ago we were required to show negative test, timestamped at most 24 hrs prior to boarding a flight into Spain. A rational approach to me.

Why couldn't passengers be asked to show a negative test before departure from China - on a flight to UK?

With regards to testing, when I wanted to visit premature new-born twins I tested even though I had no symptoms because that was the responsible precaution to take. I tested positive to my surprise so stayed away until I tested negative. Why would I chance the health or even life of anyone especially vulnerable to Covid? Even asymptomatic infections can be passed on. While it may be unnecessary to routinely test on a weekly basis, surely most people would be prepared to test when they will knowingly be in contact with an especially vulnerable person?

Oh FFS.

Yes, you're right.

I think we should all throw caution to the wind, and cough and splutter over everybody we meet.

I'm telling you the rules and why that means that right now, there is no justification for testing people coming from China. Sorry for saying this, but you are just panicking and adopting a position that the majority of the country has moved on from.

I postponed my mother's funeral because I tested positive for Covid. Responsible enough for you?

Then why do you think personal responsibility does not apply equally to others?

MawtheMerrier

volver

We don't all test.

You may, but not everybody does and there is no compulsion on anybody to do so.

Even if you are feeling unwell there is no compulsion to test.

I don't think its me who is missing the point.

Moral responsibility?

Or do you believe people only have to abide by legal requirements?

I postponed my mother's funeral because I tested positive for Covid. Responsible enough for you?

GagaJo

What is your point volver?

I am the biggest Sinophile around. I love the place. Regard it as my 2nd home. But the situation there is dangerous. And I'm not taking it from the western media. I'm taking it word of mouth, from Chinese people who live there.

Oh, and everyone I know there is triple vaccinated. As to the quality of the vaccine they received... but they're all jabbed. As are all of their families regardless of age.

My point is that people are over-reacting to the fact that a lot of people in China have got Covid. China tried to control COVID by adopting a zero-covid approach. That hasn't worked, because now that they have removed it, the disease is running rife. Their population is not sufficiently vaccinated, either because their "home grown" vaccine isn't effective enough or because the rate of take-up is too low. Its great that so many people you know are triple vaccinated, but that is just anecdote. Chinese authorities are now offering people £60 (or is it $60?) to get vaccinated. The population as a whole is under-vaccinated.

Here in the West, we're not. Rates of vaccination are higher and the vaccination we used is more effective. Rates of COVID have gone down because we are vaccinated. Not by magic.

Maybe the Chinese people arriving here will bring Covid with them. But maybe the lady on the till at Lidl already has it, and you'll get it from her.

Maybe the government will decide to bring in testing for arrivals from China, but in the meantime we need to be aware that we have ways of managing Covid now that are different to what they were 3 years ago.

We do not know that the government will not be collecting data? I understand no decision has yet been made with regard to Chinese entry checks.

I am very sorry that you are vulnerable pinkquartz and do agree that it easy to forget about the not inconsiderable numbers.suffering long covid, and also vulnerable people in the community.

However, I certainly think we are not in a situation similar to biological warfare.

I feel very sympathetic towards you pinkquartz but there is really no evidence to suggest that the vulnerable will be any more at risk than at present in the U.K. A majority of our population are protected against serious illness by effective vaccination, including to newer variants.

volver

We don't all test.

You may, but not everybody does and there is no compulsion on anybody to do so.

Even if you are feeling unwell there is no compulsion to test.

I don't think its me who is missing the point.

Moral responsibility?

Or do you believe people only have to abide by legal requirements?

In a household of 5 people, a box would be gone in one testing session, so I imagine it is relative as to whether you would find this additional cost too much. I honestly thought you only to had to test if you were going to fly to certain countries now. My dd's care setting stopped testing months ago, which may be why I am a bit surprised but I'm not completely heartless as to not understand why some people may be being more cautious

As an aside, why have they not made the testing process more cost effective. All that packaging on the test kits just seems really unnecessary and must up the cost

What is your point volver?

I am the biggest Sinophile around. I love the place. Regard it as my 2nd home. But the situation there is dangerous. And I'm not taking it from the western media. I'm taking it word of mouth, from Chinese people who live there.

Oh, and everyone I know there is triple vaccinated. As to the quality of the vaccine they received... but they're all jabbed. As are all of their families regardless of age.

About £7-8 max for a box of five.

We're in a cost of living crisis where people are scared to turn on their cookers. So maybe £7-£8 is a lot of money for some people.

We don't all test.

You may, but not everybody does and there is no compulsion on anybody to do so.

Even if you are feeling unwell there is no compulsion to test.

I don't think its me who is missing the point.