Tests to be made available on Amazon?

[Smithtylater]

I have just seen this on Amazon homepage. Would you buy one if you could?

Of course I would and I will.

Not while the NHS has a shortage. Other than that I'd love one.

I don't think they're saying they will be available on Amazon, just that Amazon's huge and efficient infrastructure will be used to distribute them to the NHS. Chris Whitty specifically said they wouldn't be available for the public to buy.

Why would you want one? The only thing to be gained by "knowing" is the knowledge that you are (probably) immune afterwards and therefore could safely do some higher risk work.

I think I had it a while back so I’d love an antibodies test.

Home testing kits for fatal illnesses, including COVID-19, will never be available for home use.

I’ve had to listen to my husband rant about this for days, as he works in regulatory affairs for a company that distributes medical diagnostics test kits, & deals with the MHRA regularly. This is literally his daily job.

These kits are being distributed to hospitals for front line medical staff.

PCR testing, as currently used, takes days to run - and most hospitals don’t have the facilities to do them so they have to send them off to separate labs. A 15-minute on-site test would be a game-changer.

Why would you want one?

Because its not only NHS workers who are high risk. While I absolutely agree it should be them who gets testing first, many of us who work in other front line services such as social care need to know if we are immune and not putting service users at risk, as well as ourselves.

If you click on “here” and read the press release, it’s very clear this is for NHS frontline staff.

If you read the press statement linked there, I think it is saying they will not be made available to purchase at any retailer for public use. Amazon may just be staying that they are working with the government to distribute to nhs staff etc using their wide reach of delivery logistics already in place. I feel a lot of the terminology in the media etc has been hugely misleading regarding the antibody tests in particular. It’s something I’ve found hugely frustrating because the idea of us all being able to check if we are one of the ones who’ve had it already with such ease and availability is such a game changer. It would free up loads of us to go and help out in the efforts. It would give a clearer picture of the spread , the severity and the lethality which would help direct authorities decisions about measures needed. It would have thousands of key workers back in their roles safely in the knowledge they are not going to be afflicted or spread anything. And it would massively impact the public hysteria by either justifying it or calming it. Mental health of many people would be vastly improved by not living in this strange limbo of terror, not knowing if we are going to suddenly get incredibly sick from touching an envelope in the post and then die at home because no ambulance was available(not saying this is reality but a lot of this fear is harboured because of the unknown).
All that said, if it were At all possible that the public could all just buy an antibody test off amazon next week... I’m sure they’d be making that happen and hugely focusing on it at the press conferences . But if you read past the hugely misleading headings... it doesn’t look as though that’s ever going to be a real prospect.

Jesus Christ could I say Hugely any more times? *Hugely mortified.

Why would you want one? The only thing to be gained by "knowing" is the knowledge that you are (probably) immune afterwards and therefore could safely do some higher risk work.

That would be a pretty plus.

Isn't Boots going to be involved as well with having testing stations outside theirs stores for NHS workers and maybe other key workers as appropriate.

No way would it be for the general public as it didn't sound like there would be enough tests.

Even when a vaccine comes out I bet it will be for NHS staff, other key workers and the vulnerable people not just anyone as there won't be enough at first.