Lateral flow tests

I can’t do the test as I have essential tremor due to my medication. I am currently living alone and have no one to help me.

I have recently started to do the LFT. I am just doing them to check if anything shows on the results and as yet it says negative.
My Daughter had her two young girls brought home from school on Tuesday as two other children in school have family members with Covid. The school gave her two Covid LFT
and told her to do them on the children. I didn't even know they done LFTs on 8 year olds.

I also do LFT twice a week at home. I don't see them being accurate in all honesty.

Has anyone heard if we have to take this test before appointments like gp doctors, nurse, dental or others.

EllanVannin

I'm getting a bit sick and tired with all this business now.

Well don’t read it then!

( the site is a bit sensitive at the moment--502 Error )

I'm getting a bit sick and tired with all this business now.

Also as stated previously I have absolutely no faith in these lateral flow tests...

As stated previously I have had Covid twice, both times no symptoms. Today I have had my second vaccine of Astrazeneca so hopefully having had Covid and the vaccine I should be pretty bullet-proof but still have to be cautious....

My son in law had Covid (luckily although not well, he was not too ill) and he took two LFT tests. Both said negative, but as he is a doctor who works in the Covid Hub, and he had symptoms, and he did the test correctly, he knew the result was wrong. The third test said positive. This suggests to me that these tests are as good as useless and whilst I won’t be using them, I have no faith that they would protect me or anyone else from mixing with a Covid positive person.
I’ve had Covid and I’ve had the vaccine. The tests wouldn’t help me, they could in fact be a hindrance (false positive.) The antibodies from the illness and the vaccine are what will protect me.

Faringdon your post has made me think! I am the same age as you and have just emerged from shielding,( and just had my second vaccine) so know what you mean. I am not comfortable in doors or anywhere crowded. Frankly work is a worry (DH and disabled adult DS are also vulnerable.
At present the people most at risk of becoming severely ill ( those on cancer treatment, older and clinically vulnerable) are mostly not the people spreading the infection ( those who have to mix ie working age adults and older children) so anything that can help us reduce the risks as life opens up more, are helpful. It’s probably the younger working age people going out to work who should be using the LFT not the older members of gransnet!. I am aware of the limitations of LFTs but used properly alongside all the other things (which are mostly more useful) they might help a little. Actually I think ( as someone very clinically vulnerable) in a close patient facing role I probably would feel safer if my patients volunteered to check with LFT before I see them- but that won’t happen. LFT have quite good specificity ( false positive less than one in a 1000) and if done properly have medium sensitivity ( pick up up to 76% of positives) so could be useful in picking up the most infectious people before they go into work or school or travel on public transport. We can’t stay in lock down forever! However I do think vaccines are much more useful in helping us all emerge and live with Covid infection.

Yes, I too wonder just how many secondary pupils are doing this.
On Sunday morning I had one son and two granddaughters come round to visit.
As it was both sunny and warm we were able to sit out in the garden.
But I was really anxious whenever the girls moved closer to me!
I've not been part of a support bubble as they were in one with the other grandma.
I'm aged nearly 66 and have just recently returned to work in a local Community Hospital.
During my work I feel in a protected environment, but I'm starting to have concerns about indoor mixing for households.
Had my first jab back at start of Feb and due the next one this month and then it's 3 weeks after until it takes effect.
After a year of being mentally conditioned to think about safety every day I'm struggling as we take these next steps. Would be interested in thoughts on this?

I am beginning to lose confidence a bit.

I thought that the vaccine was the way forward, so why is the government pushing a test that is known to be unreliable?

Surely continued social distancing and keeping to the covid rules must be the case until as many of the population as possible are vaccinated.

Relying on a test that is so unreliable will surely contribute to the further spread if covid.

I agree with you wendyann23. I'm not sticking anything up my nose when I know that I haven't been anywhere to catch Covid19.

My local authority is supposed to have home tests available for all residents, but I've heard that they've run out and don't know when they'll get any more.

It worries me that these tests are being hailed as the solution to keeping schools, care homes and other places open because they're so unreliable. I can't honestly see many teenagers doing the tests properly, if at all.

The cost of them is also worrying.

Just another waste of taxpayers money. I certainly won’t be taking 2 tests a week. Difficult to use and unreliable results.

2.8 billion dollars awarded to Inova Medical - based in California to supply the UK. Guess someone's benefiting again.
Having seen Panarama ' inside a covid test lab's last week I have no faith in tests any more.
The sad thing is people Are still getting ill.

Teacheranne there is a positive result,a negative result and then there is this..

Shinamae

Well my worry is that I did the test properly had been doing it for weeks twice a week at home, and if you don’t do the test correctly it shows you and you have to do it again. My concern is testing negative with those tests when I had tested positive with the PCR. My belief is that the lateral flow test only pick up if you have a high infection rate,people are going to be coming in our care homes which obviously is a good thing to see their relatives but I have no faith in these tests I’m afraid and hope Full PPE and only holding hands will help because the last thing we need is this virus ripping through our care home AGAIN!

How can it show that the swab has not been used properly just by testing it? Surely as long as it has some cells ( or whatever) on it, the chemicals will react or not, regardless of how far back in the throat you pushed it? I had a test at a drive in centre by a medical person and the swap went so far down my throat I was gagging and almost vomited. And when it went up my nose I thought it would bore through to my brain!

When I see people doing three own swabs on TV, they are certainly not torturing themselves like I was - unless I just happened to have a rather sadistic person doing my test.

I think I’d expect a very high accuracy and they don’t have that. I won’t be taking them.

I suppose it’s also how the result of a test with intermediate sensitivity is used. If a positive test result tells people they are very likely very infectious and should immediately isolate to protect others that’s one thing ( useful) but a negative test can happen in people who do have infection so if a negative LTF test result were to allow people to abandon all other measures and go out and party that would be very unsafe. I think the reason we have to test twice a week with LFT is to try and catch infection when it is detectable for these simple but less sensitive tests. I think I read that the more sensitive PCR tests can test test positive for a while after an infected person is no longer actually infectious enough to pass on the infection. So I suppose used correctly and with caution ( positive test =stop and isolate and get a more accurate PCR, negative does not mean abandon all precautions) they are better than nothing?

maddyone

I don’t see the point in a test if it’s not reliable.

I suppose the point is what % you are looking for. It’s not as good as the PCR test but it does seem that sufficient evidence from large enough trials is not available.

I don’t see the point in a test if it’s not reliable.

I’ve just read in the Times that LFT will be offered to all adults for twice weekly testing! ( I’m a bit late reading the news today) apparently it is due to be announced!

Known of a couple of people now in educational settings, doing the lateral flow tests with symptoms and they’ve come back negative, but positive on the proper test. Have no confidence in them whatsoever.

Franbern

I really do wonder how many of secondary school pupils do these tests twice a week properly. Very, very few I suspect. NO idea why they have been told to continue with this during their school holidays.

I feel that these LFT's are just there rather like the Emperors New Robes, to make us think everything is being done to keep everyone safe. I am sure the money could be spent far better.

Franbern I definitely agree with your last paragraph ?? and it will have cost millions if not billions....?‍♀️