Has anyone on here volunteered to be tested?

Not sure what you mean Fennel.
Anybody in any area can be tasted for CV.
Available Nationwide and gas been for weeks.

Do you mean something different?

I thought you had to have symptoms of the virus to be tested.

Me too.
The last info I had was that a test needed to be done within 3 days of symptoms first starting.

That may well be out of date now, though.

Is this test to show whether you are suffering from it at the moment (I think you need symptoms like cough) or the one for antibodies to see whether you've already had it in the past?

You mean getting tested just in case you might have it?
There's no check on whether you have symptoms so you could do that if you wanted. Perhaps if you were going to see an elderly relative and wanted to be reassure before you did or something like that.
Or if you thought you'd been put in a high risk situation?

I don't understand the volunteer bit. I mean you do it for you. You don't exactly volunteer.

It's within five days of symptoms. I don't know why thats the cutoff.

I wouldn't volunteer, but I have thought that perhaps testing "bubbles" of people may have been a sensible move as lockdown eases.

ILLte - I had an idea that might be the case, but the news we get isn't always clear. And some areas lag behind others because of lack of staff. Both to do the testing and to analyse the results.
The husband of a friend had to be tested because he has paramedic type job. Their GP came to the house in all the protective robes and took samples fom both of them.
Results showed they both had 'antibodies' whatever that means.
Realistically I can't see this being done on a wide scale.
I'm thinking of asking for a test because I'm old but don't really want to know.

Actually I think the problem is the other way.

I was quite taken aback at a recent thread where the Op said she had a cough and was wheezy but she was sure it was hay fever and lots of people agreed with her and said they were the same.

Nobody wanted to get a test to make sure.

My son, who is a hospital doctor, wishes everyone would get a test at the slightest indication.

Antibody test is something different. That's why I wasn't sure what you meant.

There's plenty of drive I testing places if you're mobile. And a home test kit if you're not. You just book in or send for one. The home test is a bit of a faff (like the bowel thing that gives me instant constipation - but that's another story ?) but worth doing if you're at all concerned.

I did one when I had been visited by a relative who was positive for Covid a couple of days later.

I didn't have any symptoms but thought it best to know not least because I wouldn't then put any one else at risk if I did have it.

Why would anyone want to go about infecting other people just because they didn't want to know?

Oh. I think the media can write confusing things but the Gov website is very clear.

I know of one person locally who’s been randomly tested as part of a research programme to try and understand the spread. (Southampton area).

I had a letter asking me to take a test for random research. I've said yes and am waiting for the kit in the post. The letter said they choose people from GP lists.

I also had a letter asking me to take a test for random research. I agreed and the test arrived in the post this morning. You have to book a slot with a courier before you take the test, so that it can be collected the same day. I haven't decided when and if I am going to do it.

ILLte wrote
"Oh. I think the media can write confusing things but the Gov website is very clear."
But how many people can find the Govt, website, never mind read and understand it.

ps the guidelines should be delegated to the local NHS authorities to sendout.
I've never had a letter about testing for research purposes.
Too expensive to send to everyone probably.

When I needed a test I just put in "virus test" into Google and the site came up straight away. I just tried it again and the same. Honestly if I can find the site that easily anyone can. It required less techy skill than getting on to Gransnet!

I'm not sure our local NHS trusts would appreciate being given another job to do. ?

I was asked to join a study which would have meant taking regular pinprick samples of my own blood and posting them off to be checked for antibodies. I always say the pinprick test before donating blood is the part I like least, but I would have volunteered if I was to have been given the results of the tests, instead of them being for research purposes only.

I have a friend who volunteered to have regular testing for research purposes. I think she said someone calls every week and tests her saliva (or takes a sample) at the door. She doesn’t hear the result but thinks they would tell her if it was positive.

I've been tested 4 times. Three times in the UK (once was for a C19 app I'm on) and twice overseas. I'm happy to be tested anytime.

Illte

Actually I think the problem is the other way.

I was quite taken aback at a recent thread where the Op said she had a cough and was wheezy but she was sure it was hay fever and lots of people agreed with her and said they were the same.

Nobody wanted to get a test to make sure.

My son, who is a hospital doctor, wishes everyone would get a test at the slightest indication.

It was me and I got tested. Your son would approve of me. Any symptoms and I'm on the Gov website.

Thank you. He would say thank you too for not taking the chance.

Not spreading is the only way we're going to get on top of this.

So for me - thank God no symptoms yet - how sould I go about asking for a test?
Knowing that it's possible to have no sypmtoms but still be affected by the virus and able to pass it on.