No longer testing for CV.

China and South Korea have been successful in bringing down numbers of those affected due to their thorough testing and isolation procedures. Without testing information a nation is, 'blind' to use the description of Doctor David Ho - now leading a team to, hopefully, develop successful treatment. (David Ho identified the behaviour and thus was able to develop drugs to combat the AIDS virus epidemic of the 90s.) Testing is essential and it is disgraceful that our government has opted to ignore information provided by both medical professionals and the successful actions of other countries.

In countries which successfully brought down numbers testing went as follows
1. When entering any organisation each person's temperature is taken
2. If they have a fever they have their details taken and are given a slip to report to a test centre.
3. Further questioning and testing then identifies whether they have a cold or flu and not Covid
4. Those with respiratory issues are then tested for other strains of pneumonia
5. Scanning (resources thrown in heavily here) confirms Covid
6. Isolation takes place in specific medically supervised centres where patients can be cared for if their condition worsens or merely observed.
7. Those who do not develop symptoms are housed until their quarantine is over and released
We've seen what works. Why are we not doing the same?

I imagine it's the cost plus lack of medical staff.

Why are we being told to stay at home for 7 days if we have any symptoms when initially people were quarantined for 14 days and yet still developed symptoms after that?

Farawaynanny What is the point of testing? There’s no cure, it’s a waste of time and resources.
Because we need to know who has had it and who hasn't! I don't want to isolate myself from my family for ever more because they may be carrying it, when they could have had it months before.

I read elsewhere that statistically it can be calculated how many people have or had the virus through death rates.
Sort of working backwards.
But we're not at that stage yet are we?
Of course this won't tell you and me whether we've had it or not.

Ha ...like many others...I feel it is government decision to get rid of a lot of old expensive people !!!! if we cannot go out and have no one to bring food etc to leave outside the door (should I paint a red cross on my door ?)….nothing in the budget for social care …..how long before horses and carts are roaming the streets crying Bring out YOur dead....except here is no one here o take my body out !! Not funny I know, but if we ddnt laugh we'd cry ! I have had a cruise cancelled (was going next week) and am waiting to see if another holiday to Russia in June will be going the same way ….I have bought a holiday lodge now so will just go there to self isolate and get the restaurant staff to leave meals outside the door ...so glad I decided to buy it ..on the coast overlooking the sea (unless the holiday park is also closed !!! ut hope you all stay safe !

Riggie
'Do this government know what they are doing?' What did Matt Hancock say about being in touch with suppliers, and that there will be no shortages? Suppliers say there was no discussion, and we have all seen the empty shelves. Think that evidentially answers the question posed.
Is anyone aware of efforts to recruit and re-train the retired NHS workers?

I didn't know that Chestnut. Why have we stopped??

ALANaV, same sick sense of humour! Same monty python words spoken in jest yesterday.
There are so many questions to ask and be answered. It’s good to read other people’s thought and concerns. A bug free community. Thankyou all for the discussion.
Driving 400miles tomorrow to visit 94 yr old FIL. Don’t really want to go but DH does. He doesn’t drive. I’m sure/hope M6 travelers will be responsible at service stations ??.
Oh and ALANaV...what restaurant staff? !

I think it's simply because we don't have the resources ( people/test kits/labs etc) to test so many people but probably the govt don't want to admit this. Doesn't seem to make sense otherwise.

This is what the NHS web site stated on Wednesday:

PHE has developed a highly sensitive test to detect the virus, one of the first countries in the world to do so, which has been rapidly rolled out to their regional labs across the country.

What is the test ? What does it involve, what data does the Government have on the numbers known to have the infection, and in which areas/regions they are?

They could progressively restrict travel to and from those areas/regions, and 'mass gatherings', as has been done in other countries. But perhaps that would risk being more transparent about what information they have, how it has been interpreted, and whether just wheeling out some lowly Government minister on Breakfast telly (as happened today), with sweeping generalisations will satisfy our need to know.

Thankfully, community groups are springing up - a local pub near me has published an offer on social media / Facebook, offering help.

Good job we underfunded social care and the NHS and other public services for the last decade - at least we know we have to rely on our own actions. With any luck, Johnson and his tribe will not be with us for too long with the dithering and delays

The currently available PHE/NHS link is this one:
www.england.nhs.uk/2020/03/nhs-to-ramp-up-coronavirus-testing-labs/

I have kept my self indoors because Monday that's just gone I started with a funny cough an headache come Tuesday all my body ache and sweating up not thinking nowt bout it I phoned doctors she ask all the question bout have u been in contact with anyone who's got it my rely is how do I know as I was traveling on 4 Manchester trains from Piccadilly and 1 from stockport the week before and I work in a supermarket so I do not know, Any way I'm off work and from hearing that anyone with a cough an fever should self isolate for 7 days that is what I am doing weather it is or not I do not want any one to catch it, better to be safe than sorry. I know it's not flu because I have had my flu in November.

And this is precisely why we should be testing, then flowers would know if she has Coronavirus or not.

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.

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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!

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!!

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

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.