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Original poster

Lateral flows - negative - what's the point of logging the result?

45 replies

TheEleventhMonth · 03/12/2021 16:41

Not being goady, genuine question.

Do us regularly testing Lateral Flows as required by college and loggingvresults on college form.

Apparently there's a requirement to also log results with nhs also - whether they are negative OR positive. Seriously, if they are negative, what's the point of logging that result? I don't understand why?

OP posts:
Bitofachinwag · 03/12/2021 16:42

Me neither.

Original poster
TheEleventhMonth · 03/12/2021 16:42

Sorry - that should read ... So DD regularly testing ....

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 03/12/2021 16:42

I think to see the positivity rates.

Original poster
TheEleventhMonth · 03/12/2021 16:43

Surely they only need the positive results?

OP posts:
royco · 03/12/2021 16:44

@TheEleventhMonth

Surely they only need the positive results?
Without logging the neg results we don't know how many tests are being done overall.

With that said, I never log neg results Blush

CrumbsThatsQuick · 03/12/2021 16:45

I think to see % of test which are positive you need the negative too. but, so few will be logging them that the data will be useless. I don't log them.

Redcrayons · 03/12/2021 16:47

I did it a couple of times, realised it was a massive faff and stopped. If I could scan it straight into the app then I would do that.

Largethighsbadeyes · 03/12/2021 16:49

I've never logged a negative result. I actually didn't know that you were supposed to but it seems like a bit of a waste of time now I do.

Rosiestraws · 03/12/2021 16:49

To help interpret the spread of Covid across the UK. Negative lateral flows tests give an indication of how many people are testing negative. Without logging your result they wouldnt know that you have conducted one and it was negative, they would just have no information either way about you.
I log mine but agree it's time consuming. I think it would also presumably be helpful if you're then mentioned as a close contact of someone and have logged a negative lateral flow recently etc.. obv still got to do pcr in those circumstances but it's all valuable information as to how covid spreads

Clymene · 03/12/2021 16:52

I log the children because they test for school. I don't log my results

amylou8 · 03/12/2021 16:52

If you get 2 positives from 200 tests that gives you very different information statistically than if get 2 positives from 20 tests.

CrumbsThatsQuick · 03/12/2021 16:59

it would help if it was a 2-3 click thing, but the faff! no thanks. not everyday.

balzamico · 03/12/2021 17:02

I stopped ages ago for exactly that reason, it takes too long, too many pages and seems utterly pointless anyway.
The lids school have a form where they ask you to report which I do as that seems relevant information

luckylavender · 03/12/2021 17:11

How else do you think statistics are collated?

ChimChimeny · 03/12/2021 17:11

I tried with the first 2 or 3 tests, couldn't get the site to work so gave up. If scanning the QR code & ticking a positive/negative box was all that was needed I think people would be a lot more willing to do it

ChimChimeny · 03/12/2021 17:12

They were all negative too, if one was positive I'd definitely log it but I dont know why 🧐

MisgenderedSwan · 03/12/2021 17:18

@ChimChimeny

I tried with the first 2 or 3 tests, couldn't get the site to work so gave up. If scanning the QR code & ticking a positive/negative box was all that was needed I think people would be a lot more willing to do it
That's basically all it is? I do it on my phone - email and password. Click who you are recording for. Scan qr code on test and click negative.

Takes 2 minutes. Helps with recording the rates of positive vs negative and total tests.

DukkaDukka · 03/12/2021 17:20

I did whilst it was easy to do and I could text my result to work, now that’s finished I don’t bother.

ExquisitelyDecorated · 03/12/2021 17:25

I can't be bothered either, twice a week for me and both DCs schools. Admittedly its easier now they can all be on one account but even the logging in is slow, cookie warnings as you enter both the email and the password. If you could stay logged in I'd be more likely to do it.

ChicCroissant · 03/12/2021 17:37

If you enable cookies it saves all the answers so it's a quick click on each page and scan the LFT at the end for the number. If you don't want to enable cookies then it will take a bit longer, I notify all our results (only one positive) as I think it shows the spread of COVID in our locality.

trappedsincesundaymorn · 03/12/2021 17:49

Never mind the faff about logging the results, even getting an LFT kit is a faff. Go on to website (I don't have a smart phone so have to go on tablet to do that), fill in a load of questions, wait for a code to be sent, take it to the pharmacy (which is located 4 miles away), and only then can you pick up the kit. Doesn't really encourage people to get them. What's wrong with going in and just picking 1 up?

modgepodge · 03/12/2021 17:52

I stopped ages ago. Far too time consuming, logging in to the account, looking at all the information to check its correct (yes, I still work in a school, yes my DOB is the same as 3 days ago, no I still can’t be arsed looking up my NHS number). Then they text AND email you to confirm that the negative test you just submitted was, in fact, negative. So then that’s another email and text to open and delete. Yes it’s probably only 2 minutes but it’s 2 minutes I can’t be arsed with.

If you could scan the code, then just click ‘negative’ or ‘positive’, (ie, a 5 second job), I’d do it.

LethargicActress · 03/12/2021 17:54

I do regular LFTs, but I stopped logging after the first couple. I would have continued if they had made it easier as there’s really no need for it to take more than a couple of seconds, but they didn’t.

If it were that important, I’d assume we’d hear politicians and scientists telling us to log, but you don’t even hear them encouraging people to use the tests in the first place. They’re too busy pushing vaccines to bother about tests.

TiddlesTheTiger · 03/12/2021 17:57

@amylou8

If you get 2 positives from 200 tests that gives you very different information statistically than if get 2 positives from 20 tests.
That's true. You still have no info on whether the person has been at home, meeting no-one, or has been at work with others and in pubs every night. The plain figures give almost no info on how infectious CV is.
ghostmouse · 03/12/2021 18:01

Our local chemist is giving lft kits away, just walk in and get one, I picked one up this morning.
I don’t log negative results either