No longer testing for CV.

Well I’m afraid I take issue with the government’s reasoning, at first I agreed with it, but as each day I hear, see, and learn more about this nasty virus, I’m afraid I don’t think we should all get it so as to acquire herd immunity. This is a new virus, the scientists have admitted they don’t know how it behaves yet. We may not be able to acquire herd immunity, it may not work like that, and we know it’s already mutated. There’s too much we don’t know about this virus. And the very idea that hand washing will prevent all the thousands of deaths is ludicrous. Of course we should wash our hands but I expect all the people around the world who have died from this were told to wash their hands, and no doubt they did wash their hands and they still died!
And we should be testing possible cases. We actually haven’t got the first idea just how many cases there are. Not the first idea!

cupaffull - great, measured post.

The UK remit is that the population acquire herd immunity so they want us all to get CV, but most crucially.... not all at once. So why test then?

If you have symptoms, be it a cold, flu or CV, stay at home for 7 days when you're liable to be most infectious.
If your symptoms deteriorate or you have trouble breathing, ring 111.
Try as best as you can to manage this yourself as you would a cold.
We need to stagger the pressure on the NHS so by limiting group gatherings, less people are exposed all at once and the infection rate simmers along a baseline.
For most the illness will be self limiting and recovery spontaneous.
We need to assume if we have symptoms then we have CV and do as advised.

Considering that the latest is that anyone over 70 or having underlying conditions should self isolate, possibly for months , will this not apply to retired Nhs staff returning to work?

Grannyhall
Thank you for the update (I didn’t look at Gransnet till now as we had family calling this afternoon.)
What you have both gone through sounds appalling. If I didn’t know you’ve actually experienced this I’d find it unbelievable. The awful thing is, it’s true.

A GP on ‘Any Answers’ said he was having to self isolate because although phoning 111 he wasn’t able to get a test done. As a result he is not able to treat any patients.

Have just heard that Liverpool University has now been closed for rest of year!. Awaiting confirmation from granddaughter.

Since they had run out of testing kits, how can they now test everyone?!

The USA have agreed to free testing for ALL Americans.
Whether this turns out to be right or wrong I'm massively impressed with the debating skills of Katie Porter

twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1238155454108151808

JaneA - where did you read that? Can you post a link?

I can't help wondering how many people on here voted for the underfunding of our NHS and social care systems - and may now live to regret it.

Have read that it was predicted in 2008 that this virus would occur in 2020 and it would disappear as quickly as it started then reappear again in 2030, then disappear for ever.

To protect the vulnerable, as far as possible, because the more people who have it, even if it is mild, the more likely it is that vulnerable people will get it, with more serious consequences, potentially.

That does actually make sense "grandmama*. So why are large events being cancelled, schools closed, self isolation recommended etc? What is the difference.?#gettingmoreconfused

I'm not worried about it. From statistics in the media several thousand people die from flu every year, several thousand from TB, 1000 die every year in the UK from falling downstairs - are coronavirus deaths going to exceed these levels? From what I understand most people will have mild symptoms and get better. Those who have died had underlying medical conditions. So - isn't that what happens whenever flu is around? The majority recover and the vulnerable are at risk and need to take precautions.

maddyone he was also in recently with cdiff they wouldn't treat him until he'd been tested even though GP had got results back the day before which is why he was sent to the hospital in the first place, again he went without any of his usual meds or feed for three days and about 5 days before they started treating the cdiff, the reason given for no feed was that he was "nil by mouth" (he is peg fed) and even that is nothing, he had a stroke last year, doctor wanted to write him off, if it wasn't for my sister being by his side 24/7 fighting the system for 5 months he definitely wouldn't be here now, top consultant wanted to let him eat what he wanted rather than fit a peg (he's lost his swallow) so that it would go onto his lung and he'd go naturally (doctors words), loads of other negligence instances as well, it was terrifying at the level of incompetence of the staff

My daughter in law is a nurse, working on a dementia ward, she is there as I type doing an 12 hour shift, 2 nurses who work with her have been sent home since the shift started, she does not feel 100% but is still working, my son has just phoned me to say he thinks they should test her, but they say testing is not being done....why? Are the NHS and Government going to wait until the wards are without nursing staff to cover shifts? This has not been handled or thought out very well in my honest opinion, top bosses and higher ups are not going to be bothered if this all ends in tears (which I think it will) as usual Government interaction comes too late, but only for the mere mortals who are trying to keep the country running!!

Apparently. according to media reports, there is no guarantee so far that you cannot get the virus more than once. So the argument that you need to know if you've had it doesn't hold up. Can you imagine the time and staff it would take to test every one who thinks they have symptoms! Those resources are needed for the really ill!

If you want to be tested there's nothing stopping you buying a private one and doing it yourself.

I truly think that we are not getting told everything an maybe they have stopped testing because the true figures is going to be very high.

MissAdventure As far as I've gathered, the virus has an unknown incubation period, maybe 3 days, maybe as many as 13, so testing would by no means confirm anything with enough accuracy to make it worthwhile.
You would only get tested if you are showing the symptoms to establish whether you actually have coronavirus. You don't get tested during the incubation period.

I don’t think this outbreak is been treated properly at all in this country.

That is absolutely appalling Grannyhall, I can hardly believe they didn’t even give him his usual meds.

My elderly brother in law looks as if he has it, already in poor health, being peg fed etc, really ill at the moment with cough, fever, struggling to get his breath, sister called 111 yesterday, ambulance came and took him to hospital, where he had no feed out up, nor was he given any of his other vital meds, sister was told he would be coming home last night when she rang, he didnt arrive until about 9.30 this morning as they had no ambulances to bring him back, they never tested him at all, just been told to self isolate, in his condition he should be in hospital

As far as I've gathered, the virus has an unknown incubation period, maybe 3 days, maybe as many as 13, so testing would by no means confirm anything with enough accuracy to make it worthwhile.