200,000 tests achieved....apparently

[chomalungma]

According to Matt Hancock

It's just that we don't need that many tests at the moment.

[Dadnotamum72]

He may have a point- if we are testing symptomatic people and there aren't that many per day out of 66 million people with symptoms that haven't already been tested then they cant magic them up?

[pfrench]

So why has the number of tests carried over the last week been unavailable?

Someone just needs to sit next to these nobs holding up signs saying LIES. GASLIGHTING. And less regularly used THIS IS ACTUALLY TRUE.

[Redolent]

Why have the daily number of tests been hidden for 7 days?

[chomalungma]

The number of people tested hasn't been available.
And there's debate about the kind of tests included
And how many double tests there are
And posted out.

Apparently it's not been very transparent.

[HeadSpin5]

I think it’s capacity to rather rather than tests carried out? The 200,000 figure

[feelingverylazytoday]

That's correct, it's capacity, and includes tests for current infection and antibodies.
People aren't coming forward at the moment, guess people don't want a big swab shoved up their noses when they feel well.

[TerrapinStation]

That's not right, they said there is capacity to do 200,000 tests a day, no one has said that has happened

[GreyGardens88]

They need to switch their focus to the antibody testing, too late for virus testing

Mind you I've noticed a lot more coughing going on in London over the past few days then I did a few weeks ago...

[caringcarer]

Anyone who has symptoms can have a test. Not government fault if only 115k want to have a test done. The virus is on the decline now.

[Cornettoninja]

@Redolent

Why have the daily number of tests been hidden for 7 days?

Have they? They’ve been going up on worldometer.

[ChibiTotoro]

We were tested this week. We had our pick of appointments the following day and the test centre was less than 5 miles from our home. There was one other vehicle there whilst we there. It's only our experience but maybe people aren't coming forward for testing. We got our results in less than 36 hours and were thankfully negative.

[frumpety]

Is that 200,000 people tested or that 200,000 tests have been carried out ? or that 200,000 tests may be carried out if the ones posted out are all sent back and that it includes those done for research purposes as well as diagnostic purposes ? Does it include the antibody testing ?

Last time I checked I think about 1.5% of the population had had a test ?

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Capacity is a good way to measure if you are worrying about targets. If you make it difficult for people to be tested, for example by having not many testing centres so people have to drive 30 miles for a test, then you may get away with, say, 80,000 tests in a day, and you only have to make available 80,000 new test kits to be able to say tomorrow that you've got capacity for 200,000 tests and have achieved your target two days running.

guess people don't want a big swab shoved up their noses when they feel well. I thought you could only get a test if you had symptoms (and possible if you're been in contact with a known case)?

[frumpety]

Does anyone know the accuracy of the throat/nasal swabs ?

[feelingverylazytoday]

I thought you could only get a test if you had symptoms
In theory, yes. But anyone say they have lost their sense of smell, or have a cough.
Equally people can ignore these symptoms if they feel well otherwise.

[chomalungma]

I think the only way to see if you have the capacity is for that capacity to be tested - and to see if it holds.

And holds constantly.

Maybe we have just ordered a whole lot of antibody tests....

[chomalungma]

Last time I checked I think about 1.5% of the population had had a test

Maybe, maybe not.

If someone has a test, and then has a test a week later - well that's 2 tests - on the same person - but a week apart.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

BBC Radio4 'More or Less' is good on analysing the numbers here

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000jf6r

[chomalungma]

Yes - I think More or Less are tearing their hair out at the moment.

I am looking forward to seeing how they interpret this week's statement.

[frumpety]

@chomalungma I think about 2 million tests had been done and about 1 million people had been tested. That was when I looked last week though.

[TheLastSaola]

Does it matter?

Is there something magic about the number 200,000

I've not heard of anybody being unable to get a test who wanted one - which is anybody in the Uk now.

So what's the problem?

[feelingverylazytoday]

@chomalungma

I think the only way to see if you have the capacity is for that capacity to be tested - and to see if it holds.

And holds constantly.

Maybe we have just ordered a whole lot of antibody tests....

Why do you think it needs testing? Capacity means that the labs are capable of processing that many tests if needed.
There's no real point in doing tests just for the sake of it, especially when people aren't coming forward. Unless you're suggesting people should be forced to be tested, which isn't the way we do things in the UK.

[chomalungma]

Is there something magic about the number 200,000

It was set as a target by Matt Hancock for today.

He says he has reached it.

I am not sure how he has reached it because there seems to be no evidence.

[chomalungma]

Why do you think it needs testing? Capacity means that the labs are capable of processing that many tests if needed

We don't know if we have reached the capacity - a target that he says he has reached - because the capacity hasn't been tested.

We don't want people tested just for the sake of it - that would be pointless.

We can't also say that the labs have the capacity because we haven't seen that capacity tested.

[feelingverylazytoday]

@chomalungma

Why do you think it needs testing? Capacity means that the labs are capable of processing that many tests if needed

We don't know if we have reached the capacity - a target that he says he has reached - because the capacity hasn't been tested.

We don't want people tested just for the sake of it - that would be pointless.

We can't also say that the labs have the capacity because we haven't seen that capacity tested.

Why do you think 'we' need to know that though? If the people who run the labs say they are capable of running a certain number of tests a day why are you questioning that? They know their job better than you do.