Corona virus testing

Efficient testing would mean that:

1 people don't self-isolate unnecessarily
2 infections would be picked up early and further spread would be stopped.

Worried sick WWM. Worse because I'm overseas. I've warned my school that I may leave with no notice. No one else to care for grandson if she's incapacitated.

Gagajo there are lots of other seasonal bugs and viruses around at the moment I do hope your DD and GS have just picked up one of those.

Me too GrannyGravy13. My daughter has always been so blasé about it in the past though. For her to suggest it might be Covid she must be worried.

2 of my extended family members have symptoms, the male is short of breath, wife lost sense of taste (teacher). Male was sent home from work as feeling unwell. Both tested quickly in different centres, male is positive and wife has not had her result yet. Took one day for that result. Both are feeling rubbish

GagaJo

Daughter and GS have symptoms. No tests available. The NHS site says no testing after day 5 of symptoms. Is this for a medical reason?

There are so many other bugs around at the moment, Gagajo, fingers crossed it is something else.
If it is COVID I hope it is very mild- which is more than likely as they are both young.

?

Testing is effective until Day 5, apparently.
You should get tested in the first 3 days of symptoms appearing, although testing is effective until day 5. You won’t normally be tested after day 5 unless it’s for a specific reason. This will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.

(Scottish site but I presume it is the same everywhere.)

No tests at all available in my daughter's area. She's tried for 5 days.

What I need explaining is
If tests are so hard to come by, what is the point of the daily published numbers? Either they are way below the actual or there is some other reason. If you feel you have the symptoms, but can’t get a test, how do you know if you have Covid or not.
That being said it is a worrying time for everyone, especially those who have the virus, and their families.
Keep well everyone, keep your distance. Think mask, hand washing and distance.

2020 logically they must be lower than the true figure as so many cannot get tests and some of these will be +ve.

No tests available here in Bolton...been trying for two days...my H, 75yrs..has got a new,constant cough.....it may be just,a cough...but he should be tested!

Do you have an oximeter farview? it might help alleviate your worries

Some tests are being used on children with a parent just diagnosed positive, Child has to quarantine for 14 days so a test result is neither here nor there as more likely than not, a child would have no bad effect. Should be reserved for people like your dh if there is a shortage

Just drive to Eton

We were intending to holiday in Sardinia this year, which of course we have postponed, but interestingly Sardinia needs evidence at point of entry that you are negative for covid.

Impossible I would have thought.

The number of new cases in the UK is now 4368. The figure on Monday last week was 2621. The projection that new cases are doubling every 8 days is about right.

There are officially no tests available in London and some other areas, unless you're a specific key worker, so the new case statistic is bound to be even higher.

Not being able to be tested positive means that low paid workers can't even claim the £500 if they need to self-isolate, so they will carry on working if they can. This is a shambles.

I don't understand your argument craftyone. Of course there should be a test available for farview's DH, but children with symptoms need testing too. They are just as likely to spread infection as everybody else, so people need to know, so that the whole family can self-isolate. I'm sure farview knows that she needs to self-isolate for 14 days. I'm not sure how she's going to do that if she needs to with her DH (who also must self-isolate) to a test centre.

Just had an email from my MP (he sends them out regularly). He has been having complaints about lack of available appointments for testing, so he drove to our nearest testing station and there had been only 16 cars passed through that morning.

Talked to the staff manning it and they say they have plenty of capacity, but the system isn’t sending people to them.

He’s livid.

From our local paper

Commenting on his visit, Mr ****. said: “Constituents have been telling me that they have had great difficulties in booking a test, with some being sent miles away, with others not being able to access one at all.

“Not satisfied with the Government’s answers and its overall incompetency I approached Public Health ***** County Council.

"I asked them what numbers of tests they have been doing per day against their capacity for the site. They say they can’t tell me or haven’t replied. You sense yet another cover-up.

“I was therefore shocked and furious to discover only 16 cars using the testing facility at the *** today, where it was clear that many more could be processed.

“This isn’t the fault of the facility staff who are doing the best they can, but it’s rather a clear failure in the Government and their systems to get people tested and traced.

“I’m afraid that the Government are wilfully misleading the public on what is really going on.

“We’ve seen cases rise once more, yet the Government still can’t get testing right.

"It has wasted the summer, during which it should have focussed on getting the Test and Trace system running up to standard, but instead we are left once more with yet another failing system putting the public’s health at risk.

“This is what incompetency loo

looks like.

growstuff..I'm not sure either! Is anyone? This is crazy...its like living 'real life's...but in a mixed up dream....but of course we are isolating...so frustrated I could cry...I have three granddaughters at the same school...yr8,yr9..and all of the 6th form have now to isolate for 2weeks...they are our future and their young lives are a mess!! ..have absolutely no confidence in the government or the health professionals anymore...its a bloody shambles..

My grandson, a teacher in Londan has not been able to get a test.
Why is Dido Harding still in post.?

Why is Johnson still refusing to acknowledge that people can’t get tests? And why does he still insist on calling it NHS test and trace when it isn’t NHS (and isn’t really testing and tracing much either)?

Still not been able to book a test for H...its absolutely ridiculous...

It does seem to be an area thing, we are in the SE and a friend's son was able to get a test straight away. But I have little confidence in Serco track and trace.

We came back from Croatia nearly two weeks ago, sailed through Heathrow without a single check, and despite filling in the form and submitting it 24 hours before we left Croatia, no-one has been in touch with us since to check that we are quarantining (we are!)

Finally managed to get a test appointment for H...fingers x'd that its negative....

.