Corona virus testing

I think that the government are limiting testing as much as they can, if everyone with symptoms or who have had contact with confirmed cases test positive the numbers reported might be MUCH higher than currently in the public arena.

What I don't understand is that they say more people are being tested so that's why there are more positive cases being recorded. So does that mean they are testing randomly or does everyone who has a test have symptoms?

It’s just as bad in Scotland - DDiL had to drive a round trip of 306 miles for a test.

Neilspurgeon0

You can have as many drive in centres as you like but if they are not on a bus route I have absolutely no way of getting to one, can’t afford a taxi and am not really happy to get on a bus especially if I think I have this bug so, I guess, I will die at home, not feature in the official figures, because I will not have been able to test since the nearest test centre to me is far too far to cycle and can only be accessed off a motorway. Mind boggingly total lack of joined up thinking, absolutely typical of local government in England,

If you don’t drive, what good is a drive-in center to you anyway? A bus certainly wouldn’t take you through one and you can’t walk through one

My youngest daughter is a teacher and has got a cold

Due to symptoms a test was advised. She ordered the test on Saturday and it arrived on Sunday.

She sent it back yesterday and is now awaiting the result.

GS aged 3 had to be tested yesterday, so that he can return to pre school. Test was done at 15.30 yesterday and a negative result was received by 16.00 today.

DGS2 had test (neg) 2 weeks ago last Sunday. He is 2. Whatever virus he has is horrible and he is still unwell. He had tonsillitis (no antibiotics) chesty cough, runny nose, off food and is generally choked up and miserable. He was originally seen in AE where they diagnosed tonsillitis and told DD he needed a test. Now his tonsils are still swollen, congested, chesty cough and miserable when calpol wears off. He has been well all of lockdown and caught this a week after being back at childminder. I wonder if a) these bugs are stronger having been suppressed for 6 months or b) our immune systems are not as strong having been lulled into a false sense of security. Never had a temp.

No wonder HMG isn't keen to introduce testing at airports. Clearly, they simply don't have the capacity.

There is capacity at the airports - so why isn't everyone sent through for a test on arrival?

As for the phone advisers, perhaps they need a map as soe seem to have failed 'O' level geography.

According to Matt Hancock, the shortage of tests is caused by people who don't need them.

www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/sep/09/uk-coronavirus-live-matt-hancock-covid-testing-shortage-boris-johnson?page=with:block-5f5884878f08c38f728cf12c#block-5f5884878f08c38f728cf12c

Well, who would have thought that it would be somebody else's fault?

Growstuff ???

There is no COVID testing in west London at all today - neither walk in nor drive thru.

Which means two NHS doctors cannot go to work - at a time when COVID cases are surging.

They checked all through the night.. 2am.. 5am.. Still nothing.

Dr. Rachel Clarke.

My grandson is off school with what is probably a cold but DD couldn’t get a test in the post (they’d ran out of them) and the only available drive through was 50 miles away and that wasn’t available for several days. I dread to think how many children will lose school time this winter with minor infections. The main Covid symptom in children appears to be extreme tiredness; something that parents need to watch out for. Still, when we have instant testing there won’t be a problem. Can someone remind me when that will be available?

A dd had to get the family tested the other day since Gds had been unwell for a couple of days, with listlessness and tummy upset symptoms said to be a sign in children.

There is a large test centre in a car park a 5 minute drive from their house, but for about 2 hours the website was trying to send her miles away.
Eventually she did get a local test though - results came back in 48 hours, all negative, phew.

Ringing 119 and speaking in person is the best way to get a test local to you.

I think the problem lies with the ‘worried well’.

Some areas have been completely overwhelmed by people just popping in for a test even though they have no symptoms and feel perfectly fine.

My understanding is that the testing centres are for those with symptoms not for those who just fancy having a test.

Then of course there is the question of the lab. capacity for analysing the samples.

I've just been reading a local Facebook site and dozens of parents are saying the same as above. There are loads of children off school with various symptoms, but they can't get tests. Even ringing 119 apparently hasn't had any appointments. The added stress isn't what you need when somebody is ill. Meanwhile, parents are in a quandary about other members of the family and they're not sure whether to stay away from school or work. Most of them probably aren't infected - and I expect these are the ones Hancock is criticising - but a couple of them might be and could seed new outbreaks.

Where's the proof people are just popping in for a test? Schools have been told to send anyone with any symptoms home and to get a test. Most of them probably are just colds, although it's worrying that they should catch any infection if schools are "Covid secure". What are other family members supposed to do until a negative test result is received?

My four year old grandson has been sent home from reception class at school because hes started with a cough...and he,his mum,dad and brother have to go and get tested...we are in Bolton with the highest covid numbers in the UK but have now got no test centre...they have to go to Blackburn....I think that's diabolical!!

As the R rate goes up to between 1 and 1.2 , the appointment of Dido Harding as head of track and trace is looking more and more inspired

Crace

JenniferEccles

I think the problem lies with the ‘worried well’.

Some areas have been completely overwhelmed by people just popping in for a test even though they have no symptoms and feel perfectly fine.

My understanding is that the testing centres are for those with symptoms not for those who just fancy having a test.

Then of course there is the question of the lab. capacity for analysing the samples.

I think that you are believing the government line.

If they had funded the NHS to carry out these tests as they should have done, then the GPs would have been the first port of call and she would have have been able to filter out the worried well and others.

But instead this corrupt government prefers to channel our taxes into their friends‘ pockets, who have no experience or knowledge of the issue.

Whitewavemark2 I would be extremely surprised if GPs wanted to carry out Covid testing, most surgeries have a ring of steel round them at the moment and many receptionists have turned into rabid gatekeepers .

Becore you get to speak to a human we have to listen to a long spiel which basically says that if you have even one of the many symptoms of Covid go straight to 111 or the NHS website.

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2 I would be extremely surprised if GPs wanted to carry out Covid testing, most surgeries have a ring of steel round them at the moment and many receptionists have turned into rabid gatekeepers .

Becore you get to speak to a human we have to listen to a long spiel which basically says that if you have even one of the many symptoms of Covid go straight to 111 or the NHS website.

We get it all in Welsh as well.

I think that the problem is not lack of testing facilities on the ground but lack of facilities to test the tests in the labs.

I would just like to say that I posted this just before the man on the news said exactly the same??

PamelaJ1

I think that the problem is not lack of testing facilities on the ground but lack of facilities to test the tests in the labs.

Labs facility were closed by the Tories.