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Original poster

138,183 tests yesterday and the number that were positive...

29 replies

FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 08/06/2020 18:19

Out of 138,183 tests yesterday, the number that were positive was...

guess, if you haven't seen the figures...

...

1,205

Obviously, there must be asymptomatic people not getting tested, but even despite this, that's a pretty low percentage. Especially as most of those tests were of people who thought they had symptoms.

Does the figure for tests now include antibody tests? I think I heard that.

OP posts:
lljkk · 08/06/2020 18:22

99% negative doesn't surprise me tbh

Mummypig2020 · 08/06/2020 18:23

What does that mean?

PumpkinPie2016 · 08/06/2020 18:26

0.87% of those tested were positive then. I'd say that's not bad at all.

As you say, there may be asymptomatic people who aren't being tested but when you compare numbers of positive tests now (when there is greater testing capacity) to April, things certainly look to be improving.

Trying to think positive!

Original poster
FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 08/06/2020 18:29

Mummypig

Unless I'm missing something, it means that less than 1% of tests came up positive.

That's the general population with symptoms, plus people working in hospitals and care homes, and patients with other presenting illnesses.

OP posts:
TheDrsDocMartens · 08/06/2020 18:30

Aren’t they counting nose& throat as 2 tests? And posting/ lab results as 2?
Or have they sorted that now?

Original poster
FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 08/06/2020 18:30

Some of them, I think, people being re-tested after recovering.

OP posts:
TheDrsDocMartens · 08/06/2020 18:30

Even then it’ll be a small %

Original poster
FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 08/06/2020 18:31

TheDrs I don't know, I didn't hear about those specific issues. I did hear that they counted tests that had only been posted out and not tested in labs yet.

OP posts:
1forsorrow · 08/06/2020 18:35

Weeks after a covid outbreak cleared up at my relatives care home they all had to get tested. Surprise, surprise they were all negative so I suppose if you hang about long enough waiting for tests you get a negative result.

Oh I hope it is going down, I'm not trying to be negative but I really can't bring myself to trust a word they say. I wasn't very confident but the protective ring round care homes was just a lie too far.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 08/06/2020 18:37

@TheDrsDocMartens

Aren’t they counting nose& throat as 2 tests? And posting/ lab results as 2? Or have they sorted that now?
They were counting two swabs on one patient as two separate tests, although I think they now use one swab for both the throat and nose don't they?

I had also heard that when patients are in hospital they have repeated tests, again all counted individually which makes sense on the one hand because they are still tests that the lab has to process but it misrepresents the number of individuals tested.

Then there's the problem of a high number of false negatives and the general agreement that the number of new cases each day is about 5000 even though it's not reflected in the tests.

Original poster
FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue · 08/06/2020 18:47

Hearhooves - interesting, thanks.

OP posts:
GameSetMatch · 08/06/2020 19:26

Some of those tests will have been inconclusive so we don’t know for sure how many, I know of four people who’s tests have come back inconclusive.

palacegirl77 · 08/06/2020 19:30

Id be happier to know the results of positive per people tested really, but Im just happy to see graphs moving down!

JosephineDeBeauharnais · 08/06/2020 19:32

I was tested yesterday. One swab for throat and nose. I'm asymptomatic, tested negative.

opentheblinds · 08/06/2020 19:33

The tests are terribly unreliable -
I think it’s about 70% (not the antibody ones which are very good now). Add to that the fact that the testing process itself is horrible (so it’s fairly if not entirely difficult to self test effectively) so if home tests are being included then I’m not surprised either.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 08/06/2020 19:39

so if home tests are being included then I’m not surprised either.

I said this from the outset.

I was a nurse. I know how to do these tests properly and there's no way I could do it to myself. I really doubt that many people will be able to do it to themselves.

1forsorrow · 09/06/2020 14:58

Relatives care home phoned me to ask for permission to do the tests. I said no at nearly 90 I didn't want her distressed. Manager said they had pressure to get everyone tested. I said I knew someone who'd had the test and said the nose one was horrible, she replied not to worry, she'd be doing the test and it wouldn't be a problem. I pushed and she again said she was doing it and it wouldn't cause any distress.

I took this as a nudge nudge wink wink the nose swab wouldn't be horrible as it wouldn't be done the way my friends was done by a nurse. So is it a surprise they come back negative?

SockYarn · 09/06/2020 18:11

1.1% of tests in Scotland positive.

onalongsabbatical · 09/06/2020 18:17

Wonder if that includes ours? Followed instructions scrupulously, phoned to chase results twice to be told that 'maybe they'd lost them' and even 'maybe they were dropped on the floor' - wtf? And did we want another lot?
Over a week now still fuck all.
If me and DH are in that number let me tell you there's a lot of shit going on. Well, you knew that.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 09/06/2020 18:44

@onalongsabbatical

Wonder if that includes ours? Followed instructions scrupulously, phoned to chase results twice to be told that 'maybe they'd lost them' and even 'maybe they were dropped on the floor' - wtf? And did we want another lot? Over a week now still fuck all. If me and DH are in that number let me tell you there's a lot of shit going on. Well, you knew that.
My husband works with a man who had to be tested. This was probably April time so maybe the system has improved - he waited three weeks for the results, chasing constantly. In the end they declared them lost and asked if he wanted a new one - by then he was better and figured there was no point.
dreamingofstars · 09/06/2020 23:12

Are these tests which have been sent out to people or tests that have been received? The way it was worded in today’s briefing made it sound like those were tests sent out (as in some may not have been sent back yet).

My grandmother was sent a test in the post; didn’t request one and I assume it was just to provide data to see percentage of those who have it at one time. Anyhow, she called me up in a state saying she had been attempting to call the courier service who collect to arrange as she was aware she had only a limited window to do it in. She never could get through and seeing as her and my grandfather have been isolating themselves since this began they hopefully have their risk as low as it can be for their age (90s).

EvilPea · 09/06/2020 23:15

According to a doctor on radio 4, 30% of the tests (unless they are from the lungs) are giving incorrect negatives.

TooOwls · 09/06/2020 23:16

Inpatients in our hospital are tested every 5 days, even with no symptoms/previous negative results

Derbygerbil · 09/06/2020 23:18

It’s good that positive tests are so much lower than negative ones! But given there seem to be so many random tests now that’s probably not surprising.

It’s also not comparing like with like. The total tests are those done or sent out on that day i believe and include antibody tests. The total positive tests would relate to the results of tests carried out over the past week or so.