Thickos on BBC breakfast this morning getting Covid tests with no symptoms

[KnobChops]

“For peace of mind”
“I just fancied one”
Pretending they’re a key worker “to keep my family safe”

The government have done a shit job with testing.
These people are not helping.

[quote DumplingsAndStew]@Hedgehog44

I am self isolating due to a contact case at work and coincidentally DH has symptoms. DS cannot attend school now without a negative test and DH isn't allowed back into work without a negative test.

Your DS is not eligible for a test on the NHS unless he has symptoms or has been officially told he has to test (not by school) School cannot insist he is tested for Covid for no reason. Just tell them no.
Of course, he should now he isolating for 14 days or until your husband's test comes back negative.[/quote]
The government should be making this clear to schools, they shouldn't be insisting on tests without symptoms

@PleasantVille

Not sure how much clearer they can be, tbh. Many schools just seem to be making up their own bonkers rules.

Didn’t see it but it sounds like another attempt to get us to blame each other for the testing fiasco. Seems to have worked in some cases!

Lack of testing is causing massive problems here. 2 weeks ago because our town was on the watch list you could go to one of about 6 drive/walk in test centers and get a test, encouraged to do so.

Now not a test to be found. I have dh and 2 subcontractors not able to work as 1 had symptoms over the weekend. I suspect his symptoms were probably more in line with a raging hangover on monday morning. Site said non of them can go back until we get a negative test, because they car share.

It's a shit show as per usual.

To be fair, about a month or two ago my town was encouraging people to get tested symptoms or not. Mixed messages again.

Someone was on yesterday complaining they couldn’t get a test because their son had a temp - fair enough. But then they said ‘am I supposed to keep him off until the temperature has gone?’ Surely you would anyway ?!! Even pre covid. I don’t think the BBC go out looking for idiots so clearly there’s a lot out there . Also this from the dad wearing his mask under his nose.

As a school we are not sending home children just with a cold or telling them they can't return without a negative test, just for a cold.

However if that child does have one of the 3 main symptoms listed on the nhs pages, even if it could be 'just a cold' we are following government guidelines and asking those children (and therefore their household) to isolate form14 days or until they have a negative result returned.

This is the same advise for everyone. Schools aren't being difficult and following special rules by doing this.

Yes, we know lots of colds lead to a cough. Yes, we know lots of children get a high temperature with a cold.

However, the government guidelines say that a continuous cough (definition given on all nhs pages) or a high temperature are potential symptoms - regardless of whether you think it is just a cold - and therefore require isolation and/or a negative test.

Testing with no symptoms makes no sense when it comes to track and trace or being a close contact/household of a positive case.

Regardless of a negative result you still have to complete the full 14 days self isolation. That is a waste of a test and shouldn't be happening.

Employers and schools should not be allowing people back in in such situations.

I worry seeing those queues of people waiting for a walk-in test. If they don't have Covid-19 then standing for several hours (even outside) with people who may well have Covid-19 is only going to increase a person's risk of catching it.

Anyway, if you have the variant of Covid-19 that comes with a cough, it going to be pretty bad. or at least the shortness of breath will be bad.

If you don't have a Covid-19 cough, you might have a temperature or have lost your sense of smell/taste.

If your only symptom is a mild cough, it doesn't seem necessary to queue up to get a test, especially if there aren't enough.

Cough is not the only symptom of Covid-19 and is very pronounced in those for whom it is the main symptom.

If you only have a mild occasional cough, you are probably likely to be Covid-free if you don't also have a temperature or loss of smell/taste.

There will of course be exceptions, but likewise the government's 3 criteria do not also catch those cases that are mainly gastrointestinal. It is not a perfect testing system.

I am self isolating due to a contact case at work and coincidentally DH has symptoms. DS cannot attend school now without a negative test and DH isn't allowed back into work without a negative test.

In this case only your dh should have a test.
Until he returns a negative result he and your son must self isolate, if no test done then they both must isolate for 14 days from the onset of your dh's symptoms.

Your ds does not need a test as he does not have symptoms. He can return to school if and when your dh has a negative result, or after 14 days isolation. Your ds does not need a test unless he developed symptoms. His school cannot refuse to let him return if your dh's results come back negative. Infact they aren't even supposed to ask for the results.

Your dh's test result doesn't change your track and trace isolation, you still have to isolate regardless. However your T&T situation does not affect dh and ds.

@Aragog

Regardless of a negative result you still have to complete the full 14 days self isolation.

That's not true. If you have a negative test result and you feel well, you no longer have to isolate. Unless someone else you live with has developed symptoms.

If they didnt freak everyone out that they could be asymptomatic and still kill grandma then people wouldnt be desperate to be tested.
We either have asymptomatic transmission or we dont.
If we want to beat this fucking thing, we need more testing.
Its not the few scared people wanting a test so their kids can go back to school or they can get back to work, that are responsible for this shambles.
The countries with the best outcomes have been those with extensive testing.

Honestly, its like theyre fucking with our heads

If we want to beat this fucking thing, we need more testing. Its not the few scared people wanting a test so their kids can go back to school or they can get back to work, that are responsible for this shambles. The countries with the best outcomes have been those with extensive testing.
I agree.

And while 'continuous cough' seems clear to me that it will be a bad cough, at some point someone latched onto the 3 coughs a day idea and now even the mildest tickle in the throat 3 times a day gets you sent home from school or work. Without any accompanying temperature or loss of taste/smell, 3 small coughs a day is not a reliable symptom of Covid-19 and children and employees should not be getting send home and then needing a test to get access to education or income.

Some people with Covid-19 have no cough, but they might have a high fever or loss of smell/taste. Those I know whose main symptom was a cough, were coughing to the point of exhaustion.

@LemonTT@BowlerHatPowerHat

The pub posted a social media message on the Saturday that it was closing. He was due in work in the Monday. Track and Trace finally contacted him on the Tuesday so I think ringing his employer in that situation is fine. The issue lies with the shitty Track and Trace system contacting him 4 days later.

There were 213000 tests yesterday. Only 1.5% of these were positive. WhT symptoms have the other 98.5% got? A sniffle?

I feel absolurely dreadful. My temperature soared last night, I have a dry cough that is really making my throat sore, my stomach is off and I honestly cannot remember feeling this ill.
I spoke to GP who advised testing, isolating and contacting them again if I get any worse.
I cannot get a test anywhere. To be honest, I dont think I could drive to it anyway and I did not get an option for a home test.

I am on my own, just feel as though I am slipping, if you know what I mean.

Will probably be okay in the morning, but by the time i get a test i will probably be better and never know if I had it?

I nust dont get it.

DumplingsAndStew
That's not true. If you have a negative test result and you feel well, you no longer have to isolate. Unless someone else you live with has developed symptoms.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youve-been-in-contact-with-a-person-who-has-coronavirus/

In the case of Trace and Trace/being a close contact of someone who has tested positive you DO need to keep isolating for the full 14 days regardless of any negative test result.

The blame is squarely with the government. You do not need to be a fucking superforcaster to realise that kids going back to school would lead to a spike in colds which may look a lot like Coronovirus symptoms.
I have just spent over 24 hours trying to get a test for my child who had a high temperature. There is already a confirmed case at her school and one of the bubbles is self isolating.
What the fuck was I supposed to do? Use British Common Sense?

I think maybe you missed, or misread, the first part of my post. I was not referring to someone who has developed symptoms themselves and therefore taken a test.

I was referring to those who need to isolate due to track and trace or being a close contact/household of a positive case.

Aristonandonandon

The NHS site says 3 episodes of coughing an hour. Not a day.

There is, of course, the debt over what constitutes 'an episode' though.
Unlike some other posters have said on various posts, the NHS does not distinguish between the type of cough - dry, wet, productive, etc.

We need GPs triaging this. They are better placed to understand the difference between cold and Covid symptoms than joe public.

NHS says “3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours”

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

Common sense would seem to indicate that clearing your throat 3 times per day would not qualify, but further clarification is hard to find. I think, up until the tests ran out, they were hoping people would err on the side of caution and SI and test.

Your child should not be back at school if she has had symptoms until ten days after the symptoms have cleared up or she has had a negative test. These are the guidelines from DfE. Please consider the risk to others outside your household

The city I live in, has a council-funded testing centre specifically for those without symptoms. Apparently the queue can take 2 hours at some points in the day so it's very popular, whether those with symptoms are being dishonest and using that centre I do suspect it's quite likely.

@Aragog

I think maybe you missed, or misread, the first part of my post. I was not referring to someone who has developed symptoms themselves and therefore taken a test.

I was referring to those who need to isolate due to track and trace or being a close contact/household of a positive case.

Apologies, yes you are correct. I must have misread it this morning. Yes, if you are notified by T&T as a contact of someone who tested positive, THEN go on to develop symptoms, you must continue to isolate for 14 days regardless of your test result.

@Aragog OK, that's the source of the 3 coughs a day detail then, thanks.

I'm afraid IMO the government only has themselves to blame then for all the people coming forward for a test with a cold-associated mild occasional cough.

Plus they should definitely specify it is a dry cough. I believe I have heard that feature stated many times. And never has anyone stated the Covid-19 cough is productive or mucousy.

That clear distinction would probably eliminate about half of the test requests currently.