Second MP diagnosed

[Pickledbrain1]

How do these people get tested so quickly? If I showed symptoms of cv now I would not be allowed a test. I would just be told to self isolate. How comes the MP gets a test? I thought they only tested people really sick in hospital?

There's a clinic in London offering private tests for around £400, if I lived in London and had that money spare I'd get tested if I was showing symptoms.

I think it makes sense to test people in public office who the government may be relying upon to roll out plans in their area. They won't want the entire government to be infected so are taking steps to positively identify those who must be kept isolated.

This is the second MP to get tested but I am a carer for old people and if I get sick I won't know if I had it or not so will have to self isolate repeatedly and worry about putting vulnerable people at risk. Why do MPs have a different rule?

MPs travel. Backwards and forwards to 650 different constituencies. They are at high risk of becoming super spreaders. In this case I actually agree they should be checked.

I'm also confused. She was already self isolating, so why the need for a test?

true that MPs travel a lot but a nurse at my local hospital I'd have thought would have more priority, yet a local nurse has said she is off with the symptoms and is not able to get tested and has been instructed to be back at work the day symptoms have subsided, despite evidence that you may be contagious for around 12 days after symptoms subside. These people get tested because they throw money at it.

I say give the test to other supersoteaders in that case: drs, nurses, children, teachers, care workers. Can’t have one rule for them and one rule for regular people.

Superspreaders

I think she was tested because she had the symptoms, surely, not because she was an MP? She had been self-isolating for some time

There are thousands of people with symptoms. They won’t be offered a test.

She had been self-isolating for some time

Has she? According to her twitter she was at the house of Commons on 12th March

twitter.com/KateOsborneMP/status/1238048794228527105

Ridiculous that MPs need tests as they have to travel to their constituencies, but NHS workers don’t. for the next year I’m either going to be in isolation or covering the sick leave of my colleagues who are in isolation whereas if we knew we’d already had it we wouldn’t have to isolate for every sniffle.

Everyone should be tested if they show symptoms. All confirmed cases should be reported.
This is a "them" and "us" approach.

My relative works in a government department that is drafted in to other departments when help is needed. They are currently in London assisting the COVID-19 response (think more admin for those who work in health/social policy). They were in the same office as the first MP diagnosed. In contact with people the MP had spoken to that day. No self isolation was suggested for anyone. Because they're just numbers.