If you’re in Liverpool, why on earth would you get tested?

[guitarstringseadgbe]

I just don’t understand why healthy people would get tested and encourage more lockdowns?

Anyone in Liverpool? What are people’s thoughts on this mass testing?

@BecomeStronger

I think you'd have to be in a very secure job with a very understanding boss and excellent sick pay.

Of course it's the responsible, community minded thing to do but to risk losing, at best a fortnight's pay, at worst your job when you have no symptoms?

There'll be plenty of people here who say of course it's the right thing to do but I don't think any of them would do it if it was the difference between paying the bills and not or even giving their kids a decent Christmas and not.

So asymptomatic people with Covid should just be allowed to spread it to whoever they want regardless?

Yes I would stay off work, and no reasonable employer who had a Covid positive person in employment would want them in. I work in Nursing Homes...I’m not about to think “yeah I’m asymptomatic but Covid positive. I’ll just go in and kill 10 of my patients and cause an outbreak amongst my staff and residents.”

Do you really think people with Covid should just be allowed to go about business as usual?! Really?

I,would and I would encourage dh and dd to as well.
It's about getting the bigger picture.
It,will be useful to see how many people are testing positive, compared to how many have symptoms, although leaving it so late won't give as full a picture as if they'd done it when their numbers first rose.

Among other findings - Surely it's a fairly good thing to discover lots of cases but many/most are symptom free or very mild. It will bring the fatality risk numbers down - if even more people are known to have it but aren't ill, in hospital or dying from it than sends an overall positive message about how dangerous covid is.

I think the research findings might be very useful.

they get tests to show they are negative so they can do the work in other peoples houses - heard this more than once on phone in radio shows

The same system is being used to keep some tv programmes going. Those appearing are having regular covid tests, but don't have to isolate and bubble between them.
Guess it doesn't pick up all cases and doesn't eliminate the risk, but will reduce it and if done regular enough should minimise risk of transmission and, more,importantly, the spread.

@Aragog

they get tests to show they are negative so they can do the work in other peoples houses - heard this more than once on phone in radio shows

The same system is being used to keep some tv programmes going. Those appearing are having regular covid tests, but don't have to isolate and bubble between them.
Guess it doesn't pick up all cases and doesn't eliminate the risk, but will reduce it and if done regular enough should minimise risk of transmission and, more,importantly, the spread.

You can get a test, get it texted through negative but pick the virus up on the bus, tube or in the supermarket on the way home, or other social mixing that people may feel relaxed to undertake after a negative test.

It's a social virus. I'm not getting a test because I haven't been anywhere. Those who have to go out to work every day haven't got that luxury and they're the ones who need the regular tests to keep key services running.

I would be curious and it will provide great data on what percentage of a population has the virus. I am getting tested regularly anyway via one of the Coronavirus studies. I don't get to know my results but if it helps defeat this thing then why wouldn't you? A test is hardly much of an inconvenience.

It will give an interesting insight into the actual numbers of cases, and the proportion who asymptomatic.

Introducing mass testing - whether by government or some stealth agency like employers - is yet another authoritarian step in addition to the restrictions you complain about. Rather than arguing for MORE controls to get us out of this mess, we should be arguing for LESS interference in our lives.

I am fundamentally against the idea of mass testing, because 1) I don't trust the quality of the tests, 2) I don't trust the government, and 3) it's yet another loss of liberty.
The more liberties we willingly give up, the more we resemble the likes of North Korea.

The idea we should drift towards 1984, because of a virus that kills a tiny handful of those affected, is a very dangerous policy.

To those saying that you would prefer more research etc. Surely this is research, it will show asymptomatic cases, level of infection rates in the city etc. How is this a bad thing? Many if these people will be furloughed atm anyway so they are not losing money. People in liverpool are in lockdown like everyone else so surely it's the perfect time to trial it.
If people don't want testing on a larger scale how do you propose we as a country get a handle on the problem? Or should we just ignore and let the hospitals struggle to cope, cancel more treatments, struggle to provide beds for non covid patients etc. Cause that is the issue not all the healthy people with mild symptoms, it's the people that survive it but need 2 weeks of oxygen before they can leave hospital. Even if people don't die they still need a hospital bed for at least a week in many cases.

Or should we not test anybody because they aren’t always accurate?

@Maldivesdream I didn’t choose my words wisely - by unreliable I really only meant not 100% accurate. But that doesn’t change my opinion that your idea is invalid because you may be positive for Covid without having had chance to make the antibodies, so how can the two tests be used to validate each other?

@Ginnymweasley there are a lot of things we don't know that I think we could find out by properly researching the results from testing already going on like the ones where they randomly test members of the public. I don't see why testing a whole city is necessarily going to be that helpful.

1. If someone tests positive but has no symptoms do they get symptoms a few days later or not?
2. Are they really asymptomatic or do they have other symptoms eg sore throat, headache that it would be useful to add to the list for general testing ahead of testing those with no symptoms?
3. Does the above vary with age e.g are the children more likely to vomit than have breathing difficulties so we need to test all the vomiting children?
4. Do the real asymptomatics actually have viable virus? For this you need to culture it from the tests etc

Whilst 4 might give some indication I think the very hardest thing to find out is whether asymptomatics spread or not and how much in comparison to everyone else.

I had vaguely wondered if they could test in prisons or other closed environments to try to figure it out.

Anyway I hope my hunch is wrong and that the Liverpool testing is useful and good value for money.

If there was one thing we could do to reduce spread I think paying people proper sick pay to stay at home after a positive test would be the most useful.

Annabel - I know how Covid works. I know that a negative test one day doesn't mean it will be negative a few days later. Hence it picking up some though not all cases.

I also have no choice but to go out to work. It's where I caught Covid.

I still think mass testing might have a place, depending on this trial.

And I still think a regular testing regime might also have its place too, especially for key workers and vulnerable workers.

I'm not in Liverpool, but I'd hope I was asymptomatic. I'm burnt out.

@Aragog regular testing for those who come into contact with the vulnerable at work like care workers is definitely a good idea. It seems to me like a more sensible place to focus resources.

I'm in Liverpool, we've all had tests (negative)
Mass testing is the only way we can really see the big picture.
Everyone I know is getting tested, the queues are huge but well managed.
Demand is being met by more testing sites opening daily.
This city is together in this, and despite what the media are portraying... 99% are complying fully.

YANBU.
I would totally refuse and I wish others would.
Reasons all here
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-fat-emperor-podcast/id1453181214

Does anyone know if there will be a report on the liverpool results?

It seems to be a certain age group being tested - most I can see are over 60 which are the age group less likely to be mixing anyway

I'm in Liverpool, we've all had tests (negative)
Mass testing is the only way we can really see the big picture.
Everyone I know is getting tested, the queues are huge but well managed.
Demand is being met by more testing sites opening daily.
This city is together in this, and despite what the media are portraying... 99% are complying fully.

That’s great to know

99% complying?! Your having a laugh? 12000 got tested yesterday and most over 60

I work in Liverpool and out of 45 of us 2 have said they’ll be tested

Most people working won’t test due to lack of pay or inconvenience
Those out and about surely have the time to do it and are those not mixing as much anyway

Whilst 4 might give some indication I think the very hardest thing to find out is whether asymptomatics spread or not and how much in comparison to everyone else.

One of my friends owns a busy restaurant and one day, one of her waitresses who was perfectly got a positive result after she was requested to do a random Government sample.

She worked in very close contact with numerous waiting staff, bar staff and kitchen staff, and obviously many customers.

The restaurant obviously closed for deep cleaning and for the two weeks where everyone else had to self isolate.

During that time, none of the other staff showed symptoms of Covid or needed a test and none of their customers reported symptoms/needing testing either.

The poor woman felt awful as she’d only worked there for about a month.

It would be really interesting to know how risky asymptomatic people are in terms of spreading the virus.

This is why this virus is spreading. Just because they didn't have symptoms doesn't mean they won't pass it on to someone who will get it seriously. Being asymptomatic doesn't mean you have a less deadly version of the virus.

Yes. I know lots of people who have fallen through the cracks who are having to carry on regardless in order to make ends meet. The support system is badly flawed. Why would you get tested if the state won’t allow you to furlough? You’ve burned through your savings the first lockdown and now your stuffed. Plenty of people are in exactly that position.

@Ginogineli maybe we mix in different circles?
My family, friends, and workmates are all positive about the mass testing hopefully making a difference for US ALL.
Pity your workplace isn't a bit more proactive.

Good article on what we should be doing

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/07/test-and-trace-needs-radical-reform-in-england-health-experts-say

[quote toomanyplants]@Ginogineli maybe we mix in different circles?
My family, friends, and workmates are all positive about the mass testing hopefully making a difference for US ALL.
Pity your workplace isn't a bit more proactive.[/quote]
I have the same experience as toomanyplants. Pretty much everybody I know, in and out of work, feels that this is a positive move for Liverpool and many have already been tested.