AIBU to tell you how shambolic my experience has been trying to get a covid test...

[Shiningstar84]

I'm a teacher and have been back in work around 3 weeks. I've come down with a heavy cold and a cough. Been off since Wednesday
Timeline is as follows:
Tuesday night- Tried to get a test- none available
Wednesday - Got a test local to me- just 6 miles according to the booking. Went to the test site, the main and only road to it completely closed off with signs and cones not letting me past. Tried calling the 'help'line- hour on the phone and missed my appointment.
Thursday- Nearest test site 100 miles away but miraculously got a home test kit booked at 8am- horray
Friday- Home test kit showed at 5pm- after the last post of the day near me
Saturday- Got up early to register the test, take the test and get it to the post office. Registration kept coming up as an error online- lots of people reporting the same, the site is completely down and not working. I missed the last post of the day
Sunday- can't do home test as no post, and it would be null and void as over 4 days since symptoms started. Managed to get a test 40 miles away at 7.30pm

Now I wait for results which could be 48hours. I've already lost precious teaching time with my a-level students and although I've been teaching remotely it just isn't the same. I also have my toddler son at home with me as I obviously can't send him back to nursery- making teaching very difficult.
It's September FFS and these are the issues I and many others are having.

We need to be tweeting good old Gav and involving our MPs in problems with testing. If we are off two weeks unnecessarily, that is missed teaching (even if we are online, it is not the same) and exam classes have a lot of making up to do as it is without this situation causing even bigger problems. Parents you also need to be involving your MPs because it is not acceptable teachers are sat at home for the lack of a test. It is clear to me that there is going to be some luck of the draw situations going on across schools and across subjects. Not so problematic if your school can find a supply teacher in the specialism but if it's maths or MFL or physics, not so good.

I have to refer people for tests at work (public sector organisation with key workers, not NHS/medical front line) Up to 2 weeks ago it was fine, request to result largely under 24hrs. Last week was a pain but tests were eventually booked after hours on the website. This week, nothing. No-one has managed to book a test yet.

I think what a lot of people are describing are cold symptoms, and panicking and thinking they have coronavirus.

I don’t think people are panicking, just following the guidelines. My son had what I was sure was a cold last week- but he had a cough with it so I had no choice but to get him tested or nursery wouldn’t have taken him.

I've been trying all morning for my son, I sometimes get offered a place 22 miles away, which is saying 30 odd slots available but when I click on it it's saying no tests available all week

Also, not panicking he has covid, I'm sure it's a cold/bad throat. I'm more worried about us all self isolating and losing much needed incomes

I have emailed my MP - to be honest he must be sick hearing from me - this Gov are absolutely bloody useless!

There was a piece about this on R4 this lunchtime. Seems like the system is in crisis nationwide

It's a shit show.
Ds up in the night, with a temperature and a cough.
No tests being sent, message not to call helpline. Just this appearing on the screen.
Dh in absolute chaos at work now he and 2 other members of staff unable to go in.
Dds in yr 9 and 10 worrying about missing work at school
...and medically vulnerable ds, who was shielding previously and back at school for just over a week, looking dreadful.

@Bupkis Bloody hell- I didn't think it was possible, but the service is even worse now! I was lucky I got a test last night I think- even though it meant driving for hours.

We know of a key worker - who has a special code to bypass queues for testing - even he can't get a test today!

I had COVID in March - no testing and 111 was constantly engaged. Good to know we've learnt nothing in 6 months.

agree tweet Stella Creasy. And your mp. And Robert Peston who is having a bit of a go at it. And other media. I'm appalled and also suspicious that the BBC don't seem to be covering this in any depth at all. I am self employed and half expecting one of my children to be sent home for 2 weeks at any moment. I know it's not me that has to self isolate but if I can't get them tested and (hopefully) back at school i am going to lose a lot of income. This is going to happen time and time again.
Will cross my fingers for a (negative) test result for you.

@Shiningstar84

No my sibling lives with my parents/grandparent

I have my own home with my DH and DS
My DF has lymphoma and DG is 89 though so it’s terrifying. My Sibling is also ‘high risk’ but not the highest levels.

I just don’t understand how they can behave like this and think we won’t hit a second wave hard!

DH is an intensive care Dr...so I worry A LOT

Just got through to 119, as website saying test available but wouldn't let me book.
She tried and said it's a nationwide issue with the website. Still no appointment either.

@user1494055864

YABVU A heavy cold is not a coronavirus symptom. You are part if the problem of why people with actual symptoms cannot get a test

That chart is wrong and dangerous!

My teen DD had a confirmed case of Covid 19. No fever, no cough, no fatigue. All she had were cold symptoms and a loss of small/taste.

@Frazzled2207 it was top story on R4 this lunchtime, so not sure why you think the BBC isnt covering it.

@Porcupineinwaiting
good to know. I'm not sure how many people listen to radio 4 though - there is nothing at all to see on their news app.

I agree that Mainstream Media should be covering this more. Clearly the problem has escalated today, just in time for students returning to university. We urgently need to inform people of our situations- my MP has been contacted.
Ultimately if people don't get tested then the true number of cases will never be known- this could be an issue for people taking this seriously. Equally this is going to be a hugely disruptive autumn/winter term with people isolating with symptoms unable to get a test for days or weeks at a time. By the time I get back to college I'd have been at home for a week with a head cold. My son is in nursery picking new bugs everyday- I am really worried that I'll have another period WFM with either him having symptoms or myself.
I am in the fortunate position to be able to WFM and teach- but it's not ideal. I know I'm lucky I'm salaried and so get paid regardless but there are so many who aren't!

Confirmed by LBC radio. No tests at all available in any of the lockdown areas. Rest of the country seems variable. Utterly disgraceful. Shameful government distortions and lies from Hancock blaming 'people having, unnecessary tests"'.

@longwayoff

Confirmed by LBC radio. No tests at all available in any of the lockdown areas. Rest of the country seems variable. Utterly disgraceful. Shameful government distortions and lies from Hancock blaming 'people having, unnecessary tests"'.

If we could just get people to figure out whether they had covid before they were tested we'd be fine!😂

*But Boris said it was 'world beating' and criticises anyone who has an issue because it's the NHS Track and Trace so anyone who complains is actually criticising the NHS.

Is Boris lying?*

No, it's world-beating in the sense of it being the world's biggest shambles.

I can't think of a single thing they've done right, which makes it a 100% cock-up.

It is a bloody joke. DS caught a back to school cold last week. Because of the cold he had a raised temperature. DS is mildly asthmatic, so alongside the runny nose and temp, he had a cough. School sent him home and requested we get tested. I informed my work who then insisted I go home and also get tested (I also work in education).

I tried to book a test online, the site continually crashed. So I called the number. Waited an hour to speak with someone, only to get a bollocking for ringing and not using the website! Explained crashing issue then asked if we could book a test each. The operator said “Well I checked about 15 minutes ago and there’s no tests available in your area.” After some persuasion I managed to get her to book the tests at a test site 22 miles away (not bad).

Got to test site, only DS’s test was booked. I wasn’t allowed one due to no symptoms (despite work following local NHS guidelines - they even played me the message which states you should get tested even if you don’t have symptoms).

Drove to the area to carry out the test. One of the site staff told me he was going to supervise me administering the test to DS as they are very easy to void. I thanked him and was about to test DS. DS is only six, and was understandably anxious and said “will it hurt mummy?” I was just about to reassure him, when the idiot supervising the test shouts “IT DOES HURT, HE’LL DEFINITELY CRY”!!! Which made poor DS turn white. I have no idea what on earth possessed him to say it. I spoke to him about it but he was incredibly defensive and said he was just doing his job.

I can’t get a test, but I can’t afford to stay off work, so I’m contemplating lying. I wonder how many people are in the same position?

My daughter had temp over 40 last week. We were doing well at the social distance thing in the house. I then joined the frenzy to book a test. The only available was a 4 hour round trip away. We're still waiting on results.

I've since come down with temp, cough sore throat and nose cant taste anything.

The viral load of spending 4 hours in a car last week couldn't have helped. Looking back it was a monumentally stupid journey to embark on with a child who should have been in bed. I cant imagine what benefit there could be for putting us both through it.

I've passed the 48 hour wait mark now.

The thing is as well, because you've tested you really can't just say "fuck this for a banana" when the kid in question recovers from the cough/cold and is really able to go back to school. What would happen if the test came back positive?

So you're stuck, hoping and hoping the bloody test comes back and that when it does it's a definite positive or negative and not an unclear.