Essential workers will you request a test from tomorrow?

[EachandEveryone]

Is it worth knowing or not do you think? If you are are going to work and it comes back positive are you allowed to just stay off for two weeks? Is it going to be for all key workers whether they have the symptoms or not?

[SkelingtonArgument]

Isn’t it just for those with symptoms? (Or members of a key workers household with symptoms)
No, I won’t request a test as the nearest testing centre will be 45 minutes away

[Hadenoughfornow]

If any of us has symptoms of corona virus then we will request a test.

At the moment we are all well so we won't.

[Hadenoughfornow]

its only for symptoms

[jewel1968]

Essential workers will be able to select either a regional test site drive-through appointment or a home test kit.- from the gov site www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

Home test should be easy for most people.

[MiddlesexGirl]

It's a shame it's only for symptoms as I really would like to get back to work. I'd be at the back end of the essential worker queue I reckon.

[Hadenoughfornow]

Middlesex I don't get what you mean? Why can't you work? You can also get family members tested if they are symptomatic.

I suspect employers would insist on a test if anyone in the family is symptomatic.

[MajesticWhine]

Of any of my family get symptoms, then yes, definitely.

[Howmanysleepsnow]

I haven’t had a temperature for a week. Still have a cough though. I won’t, as I suspect it won’t tell me anything now. I’m a nurse but couldn’t get tested.
I was offered an antibody test today but it was 4 hours away so didn’t seem like essential travel! If I’d been offered a test 10 days ago I’d have jumped at the chance!

[Lightsabre]

@Howmanysleepsnow, I didn't think the antibody tests were out yet? I'd be interested in that. I'm on Day 27 roughly of suspected Covid - still short of breath etc so will sign up for testing but expecting a negative result.

[Member740334]

Again, its now available to my department (justice sector) but I do not have symptoms at present or drive. It would've been useful the other month when I had 'symptons' and in the household the family including coughs.

[Daffodil101]

Wondering if it’s worth asking for a home test in case we do get symptoms? Both NHS

[Greenmarmalade]

No, only if we get symptoms. I think we’ve already had it, though.

[MiddlesexGirl]

I'm working from home but it's not ideal in my sector.

[TheWooisStrong]

We’ve all had it and got over it so no point.

[Idancedonday38]

Howmanysleepsnow Was it the NHS that offered you the Antibody test?

[HampsteadHeathen]

@Daffodil101 I'm pretty sure they won't be sending out home tests "in case", there is a limited supply of these!

[Yester]

I will have to wait for an antibody test because the government are incompetent twats.
Very annoying 90%certain we had it in March. Now until a decent antibody test is available everytime any of us is ill DH has to take 2 weeks off. He's a paramedic. They are short staffed. This was completely avoidable. I wrote to my MP in last week of Februray to see what plans were as had been watching Germany. Honestly I'm not amazingly bright and saw this as in issue why the fuck didn't the government?

[kimlo]

Are the home tests the swabs from the nose and the back of the throat? I don't see how you could do them on yourself or on someone else with out training. When dd2 was a toddler it took two people to give her medcine, I don't see how I could have swabbed the back of her throat so far down that she gagged.

If people can't do them properly, then surely they will get false negatives?

[SushiGo]

I'm literally just recovering now so don't think I'm eligible otherwise I definitely would have.

[bengalcat]

Yes if I or any family member displayed any symptoms .

[jewel1968]

I would do it if antibody test if offered as suspected cases in my houses. DP still has symptoms but we think it is after effects so suspect a test will be negative this late in the day.

[LeSquigh]

@kimlo When you go to a test centre you perform the test yourself so there’s no training required.

[happypotamus]

Yes, it is just if you have symptoms. If a member of your household has symptoms, they can be tested. I will get tested/ send my family. If it was me that was ill, I would like to know whether I have it or not. It is unlikely to be a death sentence for me, and there is nothing I can do with the information but I would be interested to know. If it is my family, I would also be interested to know, but also I would want to know if they are negative so I don't unnecessarily spend 14 days stuck in the house in quarantine. That won't do any of us any good, will be terrible for my mental health, and my work will be glad if I don't have to take 2 weeks off for no reason.
Also, I know someone whose wife tested positive at the beginning of the outbreak when they were still testing contacts of known cases (her colleague had tested positive), and she has been asked to donate plasma this week for trials of using plasma from infected people as a treatment. I would do that if I knew I had had it and recovered, but the problem with the government's testing policy is that they won't know of many people who have had it to ask to donate.

[TabbyMumz]

You can only do it between days 1 to 3 of symptoms, otherwise it's useless. Not sure how this is going to work if the post is delayed!! This is why the Government cant get up to their limit on testing, because firstly not enough people are sick, and secondly you can only do it 1 to 3 days after onset if symptoms.

[kimlo]

@LeSquigh Do you? I didn't know that. No wonder so many people are testing negative.