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Coronavirus

Lateral flow testing - new advice

(17 Posts)
Daisymae Tue 23-Nov-21 17:50:03

News reports today indicate that the official government advice has changed from testing twice a week to testing before you go to crowded spaces, visit, etc. This I assume is in anticipation of Christmas and all that goes with it. Personally people I know are already doing this, when they visit us at any rate.

Teacheranne Tue 23-Nov-21 17:54:12

That’s exactly what I do, test before going out socially to avoid spreading Covid - apart from a compulsory test at my mums care home for every visit.

PamelaJ1 Tue 23-Nov-21 18:04:18

I test on a regular basis but also do an extra one when I know I will be seeing more people.

MayBee70 Tue 23-Nov-21 18:05:05

Is this so they don’t have to advise people to wear masks? Because, when people wear masks it reminds everybody that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic and they seem to want people to think it’s all over.

rosie1959 Tue 23-Nov-21 18:12:43

Makes sense lots of socialising over the Chrismas period
There are several places and functions we are going to where people are not going to wear masks and I shall test before attending

Daisymae Tue 23-Nov-21 18:53:19

MayBee - that's a good point. On the few occasions I can venture out its just so noticeable that I'm the one in the mask.
Rosie - hope everyone else tests too.
Someone tested positive at my DS place of work and a number of people refused to test saying they were not bothered unless they had symptoms. Which really defeats the object of the LF.

rosie1959 Tue 23-Nov-21 18:59:08

Daisymae

MayBee - that's a good point. On the few occasions I can venture out its just so noticeable that I'm the one in the mask.
Rosie - hope everyone else tests too.
Someone tested positive at my DS place of work and a number of people refused to test saying they were not bothered unless they had symptoms. Which really defeats the object of the LF.

We can hope but probably not likely but fully boosted up now So short of staying at home it’s the best I can do

Daisymae Wed 24-Nov-21 10:30:59

Today I have heard that a relative is in ICU with Covid. They tested negative with a lateral flow and positive on arrival at hospital. Their partner has symptoms but also negative, a PCR test is now being arranged. It is making me question their accuracy and the associated risks if we are relying on them even more with increasing socialisation.

Hetty58 Wed 24-Nov-21 10:39:26

Daisymae, I do wonder how many people use the test properly - or even realise that they should have a PCR test if they have symptoms. We've always tested before outings or visits anyway and I don't mind being the odd one out mask wearer!

rosie1959 Wed 24-Nov-21 10:43:06

Unfortunately Daisymae short of staying in for the foreseeable that's a chance we have to choose to make. The testing is the best we have at this moment in time.

Just for me I can see little point in having two vacinations and a booster if I am not going to trust them

glammanana Wed 24-Nov-21 11:56:01

My friend phoned me last night after arriving back from Portugal for a weeks holiday,everyone on the flight had negative tests done prior to returning to UK and she received a text from T&T that someone on the flight had tested positive on return how on earth can that happen if all the passengers tested negative on boarding the plane ? she now has to isolate for 10 days as does her partner.

Riverwalk Wed 24-Nov-21 12:13:30

Is she not fully-vaccinated Glamm?

If so, she's doesn't need to self-isolate.

Rules

Daisymae Wed 24-Nov-21 13:42:33

Riverwalk - if you scroll down the page it's says that you do need to self isolate?

Ailidh Wed 24-Nov-21 13:53:14

I test before specific things - when I'm going to spend time with friends who are medically vulnerable, if I'm going to be somewhere more crowded, and as today, when I volunteer in a local charity shop: all the staff mask but it's 50:50 with customers, so I test fore and aft.

Shelmiss Wed 24-Nov-21 15:16:16

Riverwalk is correct, if she’s fully vaccinated then she doesn’t need to self-isolate, however she should get a PCR test.

Same thing happened to my husband, he went to Rome overnight last week, was pinged by test and trace on Saturday, went for a PCR that afternoon and got the negative result early on Sunday morning.

growstuff Wed 24-Nov-21 15:19:15

Does this mean that school children should be testing every day? They go into a crowded place every day.

growstuff Wed 24-Nov-21 15:29:13

glammanana

My friend phoned me last night after arriving back from Portugal for a weeks holiday,everyone on the flight had negative tests done prior to returning to UK and she received a text from T&T that someone on the flight had tested positive on return how on earth can that happen if all the passengers tested negative on boarding the plane ? she now has to isolate for 10 days as does her partner.

It depends which tests they had initially. LFTs and PCR tests work in different ways. LFTs work best for people, sometimes asymptomatic, at the beginning of infection. If the people tested were already beyond that stage, it's entirely possible that a LFT would have been negative. PCR tests won't be positive if they are done at the very beginning of infection.