Lateral flow tests - if they allow school children to bypass self isolation why not use them within the nhs?

[YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable]

I was talking to a friend who works in the nhs yesterday. She has had time off because of waiting for covid test results for her dc. During that time she was asked to come into hospital regardless because they were so short staffed. It seems so many are off ill or self isolating that the whole system is close to collapse.

Which made me think, if lateral flow tests are being rolled out as a way of keeping children in school because they don’t need to self isolate if they test daily, why haven’t they already done this for hospital staff self isolating.

My logic is because the tests aren’t so accurate, but then why are they safe for those in schools (where distancing is impossible with the current guidelines)?

Because the real aim in schools is to improve attendance data but they couldn’t just announce that close contacts would no longer be isolating.

They’ve got millions of lateral flow tests going spare because they’re not being used elsewhere as too inaccurate so they’re dumping them on schools and pretending it’s a safety measure.

Lateral flow tests - don't work.

I've got them, I do 2 a week and report back to gov.uk

They are. My DP is NHS and has to do one before each set of shifts. That was how we discovered that he had covid (although he then had to get a proper test as they are not terribly accurate)

I work for the NHS and do them twice a week

The way schools are being asked to do them is unsafe.

The way NHS are doing them is safe and sensible.

That’s interesting, the nhs are using them just for regular testing of nhs staff though, not in place of self isolation for a known contact?

They are using them in the NHS.

Twice a week in my trust too

The hospital i work in already do lateral flow testing. Twice a week and if it comes back positive then we need to get a PCR test and isolate. Its worked well so far.

Twice a week for me. In my small team it's picked up three positives, two of whom went on to have symptoms, and one of whom stayed asymptomatic. All would have otherwise been treating patients, right up to the point of symptoms.

We are using them twice a week (NHS). If positive need to get a swab done to confirm, if symptoms need to isolate and get a swab. Only to be used on us not family members and we have to give the lot number for each test we use to HR with the result.

Well another NHS worker here, also using LFT. Despite having what as per usual gov guidelines would be considered close contacts, still going in to work.

Yes all of you who work in NHS are talking about using them in a screening way, and several of you have stated that if it's positive, and confirmed with a PCR test, you then self isolate for the ten days.

This is NOT how they are planned to be used in schools after the beginning of term.

If anyone has Covid (ie confirmed by a PCR test in the community), their close contacts (eg the children they sit next to in secondary, in all classes, close friends etc) are offered "serial testing" INSTEAD OF ISOLATING. They are allowed to continue coming into school, and other "normal activities" as long as they take a LFT each day and it shows negative.

So those close contacts may contract the virus and continue in school on their way home and at home, infecting others as they go. It's not entirely clear what happens at weekends. 7 school days' worth of tests has been talked about.

Sorry OP, I hadn't read your POST properly and I now see you're describing a possibly worse situation, albeit due to the current obvious pressures.

Yes, NHS here and using twice a week. They are for use if we have no symptoms only.
If positive we have to have it confirmed by a PCR test.
If we have any symptoms we are not to use the lateral flow tests but just book for PCR.
If we have a positive test, we can't take a lateral flow test again for 3 months (presumably they would be too unreliable).

Lots of the NHS is using them, my trust is. Twice weekly I swab and carry on working as long as it’s negative. If it’s positive I need a pcr test to confirm and isolate until that result is back.

Also NHS and do LFT twice a week.

I was doing lateral flow tests twice weekly. Developed symptoms compatible with Covid on Friday, lay flow test negative on Saturday, positive on Monday. Many false negatives. They are not the answer.

So, to confirm, no one in the nhs is using these lateral flow tests INSTEAD of self isolating because of being with a close contact like it will be in schools?

@DecemberStar you raise a good point about week ends, presumably they will be freely mixing and it’ll all be ok...

So, to confirm, no one in the nhs is using these lateral flow tests INSTEAD of self isolating because of being with a close contact like it will be in schools?

No, they're not. That would be a really stupid course of action, you can only really get away with things like that in schools.

So, to confirm, no one in the nhs is using these lateral flow tests INSTEAD of self isolating because of being with a close contact like it will be in schools?

Nope - because they don't have enough sensitivity for that.

They are good for mass screening for picking up infections you had no reason to suspect. But they are not accurate enough to replace isolation of contacts.

The idea that schools are going to use them for this purpose is VERY worrying.

Even the very best performing lateral flow tests, administered by experts give you a sensitivity of 50-70%. Mean they miss 30-50% of positive cases.

And they are going to be use by non-experts to decide whether potentially infected kids can sit in classrooms???

The White House staff were using regular lateral flow tests. Nuff said.

I mean, I’m kind of lost for words. How can the lack of distancing between children remain when we’re relying solely on such a flawed system. All schools will end out closing for longer in the long run surely?

@YuleAreBeingUnREASTIEable

I mean, I’m kind of lost for words. How can the lack of distancing between children remain when we’re relying solely on such a flawed system. All schools will end out closing for longer in the long run surely?

They already are, but the difference is, it isn't Gavin standing up and closing them.