Self-testing for covid

[BakedBlossoms]

The Zoe app advised me to take a covid test for symptoms including sore throat and runny nose, which I did yesterday evening at a drive through test centre. I assumed the point of the drive through centres was that HCPs would do the tests for you but I had to test myself. I have no idea if I did it right. With the tonsil swab it said to avoid the fabric part touching your tongue but maybe my mouth is a weird shape because I found that completely impossible.

Did anyone else find this hard to do to yourself?

It might be fine or it might be an inadequate sample. Extremely unlikely to be CV anyway.

Yes totally aware it's unlikely to be covid but I thought it was probably the responsible thing to get tested

My friend had it (tested positive, doctor) and the only symptoms she had were a hayfever like runny nose, sore eyes and a mild sore throat. Seems pretty dangerous really that most people would have those symptoms, look at the NHS guidance and think they don't need to be tested as none of those are official covid symptoms.

They could equally have had asymptomatic CV and also hayfever or a different virus.

I'm just going by the Zoe Apps own data and as it's a research study, they're advising virtually everyone that reports anything different (not listed CV symptoms) to get tested. In one part of their study I saw they had over 12,000 people get tested and just over 100 were positive.

Yes, I found it incredibly hard to do. I had to request a new swab because my tongue kept coming up. And what is it - 10 or 20 seconds? Whatever, it felt like forever to keep trying to rub my tonsils. Horrendous! I was so worried it wasn’t going to be valid and I’d have to do it again and take more time off work.

It was negative - rightly or wrongly!

Yes I also went to a centre because I thought a trained person would do it and then they didn't, wonder if there is any test centres where you don't have to DIY!

And yes, impossible to stop tongue "coming up" and getting in the way! And doubt I did it high enough up my nose also.

Got a negative, which I expected.

I just don't see why they don't have trained people doing it - my cousin in Italy was utterly incredulous that we're doing it ourselves!

I also doubt I did it high up enough in my nose but I physically couldn't get it up any higher.