When the death rate is so low why are people so desperate to get tested?

[Barearseloverofthigh]

Why is everyone so stressed about covid when its hardly killing anyone anymore? Just over 700 deaths were attributed to it in the last 9 weeks. We'd expect 80,000+ deaths in this same period pre covid so it's a tiny percentage of people who are dying from this. I don't understand this panic or motivation to get tested. What am i missing?

I am not saying testing in general is pointless, but aren’t lots of people going for tests with no symptoms? That is what I have been led to believe? I might be wrong, as I say I’m confused!

You’ve fallen for the lie from Matt Hancock.

Why would hundreds of people be going for a test without symptoms? It doesn’t make sense.

The government just doesn’t want to admit the labs are overwhelmed by an entirely predicable situation and is looking for someone else to blame.

Well (and this is just my guess) I suppose maybe they would like the death rate to stay low. You know, so we don't have Drs and nurses dying on their own wards again

Well (and this is just my guess) i suppose you are desperately trying to sound like you're super smart. You know, cause inside you're feeling as confused as the rest of us.

I don’t know, that’s why I asked. So has there been a huge surge in people with symptoms then?

Also I haven’t heard Matt Hancock speak for ages, I don’t listen to him, he’s a tiny weasel

@Notonthestairs

Tests become data. Data will reveal vulnerabilities (age/ethnicity) and hotspots etc. Why wouldn't that be useful for public health?

Plus if the Government know people who don't qualify for a test are being tested then they must also know there is a fault with the system.

Fix the damn system.

Equally people will just lie about symptoms to get a test its difficult to determine whose genuine and who isn't

I think the schools are asking for it when the child have any symptoms.

We aren't telling parents they must get a test if their child has symptoms.
We are just advising them to follow any Government guidelines.

That means if the child has symptoms they have a choice:

• chid and family self isolate for 14 days
• child has test and if negative all family can resume normal activities; child can return to school when feeling better

- child has test and if positive they isolate for 10 days and rest of family self isolate for 14 days from onset of symptoms.

However that is not specific to school children. It is specific to everyone.

If not, then all this testing is pointless UNLESS you have symptoms and you still have to isolate for 14 days?!

You only get a test if YOU have symptoms (or you have a research one from a number of sources)

If it comes back NEGATIVE you don't have to self isolate. Your household no longer has to self isolate either.

If it comes back POSITIVE you have to self isolate for 10 days.
Your household have to self isolate for 14 days from the onset of symptoms too. At this point (positive test) any track and trace measure kick in too - so any close contacts and not just your household. There is no point in them being tested at that point because the result doesn't reduce the isolation time. They only test if they develop symptoms themselves.

The only time, outside of the research stuff, to get a test is if you have symptoms.

The reason for this is to rule out Covid. If it isn't Covid you and your household can go back to normal.

@Concerned7777 if people are lying then they qualify under the system (because they will have said they have the requisite symptoms).

There is no way of the Government knowing whether people are lying or not - just a nice seed of an idea to yet again make people blame their neighbours (see also the furloughed, teachers, beach goers, people who went on holiday, young people, people who haven't returned to their office etc etc - let's face it if they could place the blame on the EU they would)

I don't anyone that has lied to get a test. I know plenty that have spent days trying to get one.

becauce I have children and need to work and cannot go into 2 week isolation everyone something has some symptoms? Is it so hard to understand that some people won't be able to cope with repeated quarantines for a whole range of reasons (work, financial, isolation, mental health issues)???

How would you manage quarantines (esp reapeated ones), OP? Maybe your circumstances are such where this is not an issue but you clearly must have an incling that not everyone is living on that same strange planet as you do.

Aragog yes I suppose people want a test so they can access school. But you’re right it’s the guidelines.

Plus it seems children are quite likely to get cold-like symptoms to trigger above.

@WildAboutMyPlanet

Testing makes no sense to me. Min the beginning, we were told that it takes two weeks for symptoms to show and that tests would only give a positive result IF you had symptoms. Has this changed? If not, then all this testing is pointless UNLESS you have symptoms and you still have to isolate for 14 days?!

I’m so confused!

The people wanting tests do have symptoms though. It's just that there's been a surge in the numbers with symptoms - which may, or may not be Covid - presumably due to children going back to school and catching other viruses that have the same symptoms as Covid.

People can't repeatedly take two weeks off school and work, whole households at a time, for what turns out to be a cold, but that's what will happen unless you can get a test whenever you need it.

Thanks @EDSGFC - I could only assume there had been a surge but had heard that a lot of people queuing for tests didn’t have symptoms, but of course the recent changes to schooling makes complete sense. Plus as it gets colder, such symptoms increase anyway, so this will only get worse.
Last I heard the government were going to be testing 10 million a day, that’s starting well then 🙄

Cus you can’t go to work or school unless you get a test? Ffs

When my husband had symptoms earlier in the summer, he isolated from DD and from me until the test came back negative. That’s why he had to have a test.

Kitten peak, what makes you think that, where are you getting the information from that 'too many' people are getting unnecessary tests? Why do you think there's been a massive increase in testing in September? Possibly because of schools so lots of people who absolutely need a test if they have symptoms.

How many people can realistically stay at home for 2 weeks? Completely at home too, no popping to the shops or anything?*

There are many bugs and ailments around in the winter, some are over in 48 hours, some might be around for a week or more. People are trying to do the right thing and get a test so they can either carry on as normal once symptoms are over, or isolate as appropriate.
I dont know who all the people are who can afford to isolate multiple times for 2 weeks at a time and would be happy to stay indoors the whole time for 2 weeks.

We’re not being told to stay home and isolate with symptoms unless you really need a test.

You can’t enter track and trace with no positive test so potentially your contacts could be out spreading Covid. The advice is to get a test as soon as you have symptoms.

op said 'just 700 people'

You need help

there was a lady on radio 5 this morning, her child had "been in contact" with a confirmed case. Although her child was symptom-free, child had to isolate and the mother wanted to get child tested "just in case". After negative result the mother was very frustrated to learn the child still had to isolate.

I was very frustrated about the pointless wasted test. There are people gettng tested who can get no benefit from the result.

If I start displaying symptoms, my place of work will tell all other staff members that I've been in close contact with to isolate. They need to know if I am positive or negative ASAP, so that the isolating staff members can come back to work of it's negative.

@Purpledaisychain others outside your household or support bubble shouldn’t have to isolate until you’ve got a positive test. Your employer needs to look at the nhs guidelines relating to self isolating.

@Barearseloverofthigh

Why is everyone so stressed about covid when its hardly killing anyone anymore? Just over 700 deaths were attributed to it in the last 9 weeks. We'd expect 80,000+ deaths in this same period pre covid so it's a tiny percentage of people who are dying from this. I don't understand this panic or motivation to get tested. What am i missing?

So I don’t have to spend 14 days in isolation.

I think testing is crucial because the more people you are exposed to who are positive, the more ill you’re likely to be.

As posted in another thread:

Some people seem to be equating current reported deaths (a lot of which occurred some time ago but are only being reported/confirmed now) with current reported cases. Thereby completely failing to understand the concept of a lagging indicator.

Infections occurring now will be deaths in an average of 3 weeks time (those infections that result in deaths obviously, the overwhelming majority won't). Most of those deaths will be reported as such some time after they occur, therefore will only show in the figures in 3,4,5,6 weeks time (or even longer).

Currently reported deaths tell you almost nothing about future deaths as currently reported deaths are from infections that occurred at least 3 weeks ago, but usually longer (sometimes much longer).

Which is why current infection numbers and their rate of growth is what is important, as that is what will give you some indication of future deaths (and hospital capacity requirements).

I love OPs "cutting" replies

It is useful to know where cases are for strategising and anticipating changes in demand in healthcare settings.

Families can't afford to isolate themselves for a fortnight all the time.