Testing- 3 'main symptoms'

[Orangeblossom7777]

In the news today-

"The vast majority of people who test positive for coronavirus do not have any key symptoms on the day of their test, a study has suggested.

Some 77% of people who had a positive test had no symptoms on the day of their test, while 86% did not have a cough, temperature or loss of taste/smell.

Researchers led by Professor Irene Petersen at University College London (UCL) analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) coronavirus infection survey, which has been testing thousands of households every week regardless of whether people have symptoms.

The analysis looked at data for 36,061 people who had a test between the end of April and the end of June."

Some 115 (0.32%) had a positive test result, the study found, of whom 27 (23.5%) were symptomatic and 88 (76.5%) were asymptomatic on the day of the test.

When looking at cough, fever and loss of taste/smell - seen as the three main symptoms - 86.1% of those who tested positive had none of these.

This is different to other countries which give more of a range of symptoms..

Is this not firstly putting many at risk of not getting tested and reassuring people falsely they don't have the virus (including vulnerable / elderly)

while also missing most people with the virus as well?

More on this here including other countries criteria (seems to be the UK is the only one just using these)

www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/testing-only-main-symptoms-risks-missing-most-cases-crglrrnp7

"The World Health Organisation says people should be considered to have suspected coronavirus if they have both a high fever and a cough, or acute onset of any three or more of fever, cough, general weakness and fatigue, headache, aching muscles, sore throat, stuffy nose, trouble breathing, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and “altered mental status”.

Many countries offer tests on that basis, and it is also common to have clinical professionals such as GPs involved in deciding who to test."

I agree that there’s more symptoms than the three, but if we had every ill person off pending a test result nothing would get done and it wouldn’t produce herd immunity.
I know two people who have tested positive. One had a headache only, the other felt a bit off and went off her food.

I think we seem to be missing that tests also help with diagnosis and inform people and medics to be aware they may decline, early treatment may help some people not just to isolate etc but to be aware and consult their docs and seek help if their symptoms get worse.

From a British person currently living overseas, the testing criteria in the UK is appalling

There is no proven herd immunity - no guarantee not to catch and spread it again

It is appalling but there’s only so many tests available. I can see why they don’t want every ill person off waiting for a test.
But I can also see the advantages of testing every ill person.

I'm thinking mainly of those people, tend to be older, possibly male...who don't tend to seek helpful health until they are very poorly, being put off testing, then getting worse and potentially needing hospitalisation

Could even end up causing problems at the hospital if not tested as they would not know to send them to covid section or not. Potentially helped by those rapid tests in hospital I suppose.

there has been too much emphasis on the tracing side of things as well which can make people scared e.g. of fines etc, which is all off putting. to some people and sections of society. and stigma as well

@FippertyGibbett

It is appalling but there’s only so many tests available. I can see why they don’t want every ill person off waiting for a test. But I can also see the advantages of testing every ill person.

If they sorted their shit out you wouldn't have to be waiting for a test it results though.