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Time taken to get test results

271 replies

DragonLegs · 16/10/2020 08:04

I’m really annoyed it takes so long! Surely the government should have this sorted by now. The whole family is on day 3 off school and work. My sons cough was borderline in my opinion. I’m wishing I hadn’t bothered getting him tested so we weren’t in this position! We’ve been tested before and had results in under 12 hrs, so it is possible.

I can’t be the only one thinking like this, surely the delay in getting results is going to put some people off being tested at all.

OP posts:
missanony · 18/10/2020 21:44

@Rosehassometoes I got my result at midnight

betrayedandwobbly · 18/10/2020 22:02

XH is at 60 hours and no result yet.

He lives alone and WFM, so no huge difficulty in SI for him. And more or less at other week, it would be no impact on us (just miss contact weekend).

But it's half term, and plans are already falling into disarray. Yes I know there are worse situations, but not knowing how far to re-plan really is a bit of a bugger.

Swifter test turn-around would at least mean you knew what you needed to do, rather than leaving you in limbo for several days

ImSleepingBeauty · 18/10/2020 22:16

@MyPersona are you in England?

kittlesticks · 19/10/2020 06:02

86 hours now. I can't go to work and two kids 1 and 3 can't go to childcare. But I still have to work so it'll be terrible parenting all day, I will let them be raised by Ryder, Chase and the gang Gin

Whycatspaint · 19/10/2020 06:23

Has anyone got their results over the 100 hour mark? Counting 107 hours now and nothing. Will try 119 at 7 when they open

kittlesticks · 19/10/2020 06:31

My DS's isolation period, even if positive, ends on Wednesday because of when he came down with a cold. It's just a cold I'm sure but because he got a temperature after a few days we got him tested. We regret testing now.
I will definitely think twice before testing again and if that's my attitude then there will be so many people not testing at all.
I won't chase the results again, I expect they will come after he's come out of isolation.

Moomin37 · 19/10/2020 06:37

@kittlesticks It'll be the same in our house as we have to work and PP facilitates that! 93 hours and counting here...

kittlesticks · 19/10/2020 06:44

My main issue is whenever I have a video call, which is a fair bit, my 1 year old kicks off.
I can't believe it's been nearly 90 hours. I honestly wouldn't have got the test done if I had known this would happen, I just wanted peace of mind. It would have been better just to keep him away from other people for a few days without this hanging over us.

Elizabeth110100 · 19/10/2020 06:52

64 hours after tested and I find out DD is negative. What a stressful weekend.

Beigeisthenewblack · 19/10/2020 07:03

My test: 67 hours and counting. DS (year 11) upset about missing more school. Youngest had one about 3 weeks ago and the results were back in 36 hours.

Whycatspaint · 19/10/2020 07:13

I’m with you @kittlesticks. Not sure I would go through this again for what essentially I’m pretty sure was just a fluke temp. Just called 119 there is no time frame as to when the chasing team might get back and they said sometimes they can’t locate it and you just have to complete isolation...

bootsandcats · 19/10/2020 07:26

Same here @kittlesticks. My DD's colds always present in the same way, a snotty nose followed by a cough - no temp or any other Covid symptoms. Because of the cough we thought we'd do the right thing and get the test done, but I wish we'd just kept her off for a couple of days instead. My DS caught the cold from her during isolation and he just had a runny nose, and we're in an area with very few cases. Now he has to miss two weeks of school Hmm

rooty123 · 19/10/2020 08:13

Another one who probably won't bother getting tested next time... Maybe that's the idea, who knows?! What a f*CK up. How much ££ is Dido Harding getting for this?

Fizbosshoes · 19/10/2020 08:23

On another thread a poster was waiting 5 days for a result, had taken a week off work ,(her child was now fine) and was worried about being able to afford more time off. The amount of posters calling her stupid, idiotic, selfish etc.
It's a real issue. In RL as opposed to MN world not everyone can wfh, not everyone has a years salary tucked away in savings, noteveryone can afford to buy, or has space to store 2 weeks worth if food "just in case".
The woeful testing system will mean some people will isolate for a week before being told its negative (and thus have lost pay/education) and could have gone to work/school once symptoms had passed. Others with symptoms will decide they cant afford to wait for a test and then wait a week for results when it might not be covid, and end up spreading it....

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 09:08

Im still early days by have chased 119 anyway as it's not acceptable being made to wait this long, not being able to go to work and school. He basically said they are receiving 400,000 tests a day so its created a bottleneck. But he can log a delayed results ticket from tomorrow. So im going to stay hopeful that I will know today. But going by alot of responses here we could be waiting much longer.

I really can't afford to lose more work. Money is tight as it is.

RiseUpWoman · 19/10/2020 09:21

I get the bottleneck. I don't understand why people I know (one who had their test at the same time, date, place and another who had it a few days after) have had theirs within 24 hours. Maybe they are sent to different testing facilities? I get the impression that my boss is not very impressed with me.

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 09:29

He said they only have a handful of testing labs and tests are being diverted to various.

I feel the same about my boss. I am keeping him posted but there's nothing I can do

RiseUpWoman · 19/10/2020 09:35

That's what is so frustrating. We can't do a thing about it. 120 hours for us.

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 09:39

Jesus. I said on the phone how can you expect people to stay at home losing pay and school. He said the good news is it's 10 days. I said would you like to lose 10 days pay and your child 10 days schooling.

Fingers crossed it's soon

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 09:53

My DS is negative. Just mine to go. Im hoping today

kittlesticks · 19/10/2020 09:58

@SpideyMom how long did you wait? I'm so sure ours must be lost now. Test was on Thursday afternoon

Whycatspaint · 19/10/2020 10:02

Is it 10 days for the person with symptoms and 14 for the other household members?? Or have I got that wrong? I’m tempted to think ours have been lost now I just rang DS school again and they said they’ve had a few people ringing saying test results are delayed

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 10:24

Our tests were home tests done on Friday and delivered to Glasgow lab on Saturday. So we have been lucky.
Just got to wait for mine now so I really hope they will be today too. We break up Friday for half term so it will be nice to still be able to do something. But will all depend on my results as it was myself who had been in contact with 2 people who were positive.

Its 10 days from when symptoms started I believe and 14 days for other household members

MarjorytheTrashHeap · 19/10/2020 10:51

Been waiting 73 hours for mine now. That's two teachers out of school as DH has to isolate until I can get the results. Ironically I was able to access a critical worker test as it was deemed important that I should be able to get back to work as soon as possible. Now it seems that accessing the test is the easy part.

SpideyMom · 19/10/2020 11:02

I was asked on the phone if I was a key worker so I assumed those have an understandable higher priority. But we aren't and my son's is back already.

I feel bad having a moan when so many of you have been waiting so much longer. My frustration now is my son's results are back and is free to return to school. But not until I get mine. If that happens today then great, but if later in the week then its not fair on him