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Covid

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Original poster

How is everyone getting tested with no symptoms?

66 replies

Crunchymum · 27/12/2020 23:12

Every other thread on here seems to be full of people being tested who (according to the guidelines) shouldn't be legible for testing?

"We all had vomiting and tested positive but DH had no symptoms and tested negative".... why (and how??) did you all test?

"I had no symptoms but had to test to fly"

"DC wasn't himself so nursery asked me to get him tested"

I know some people are tested through work but most people aren't?

Are people fibbing about having symptoms?

OP posts:

daisypond · 28/12/2020 07:49

@KatherineJaneway

Where I am (London borough) tests are available to everyone, symptoms or not. You just turn up and get a test.

Wow, I have never heard of that. I’m in London too.

notanotherlockdownsurely · 28/12/2020 07:50

*I wonder how many MNers have never been tested. Seems like must be very few+
I'm in Tier 4, work full time in a project with homeless people and those with mental health difficulties. ( No personal care though)
I've never been tested as I've never had any symptoms and have always worn PPE when in closer contact with people other than my family.

Marmite27 · 28/12/2020 07:53

@ragged

I wonder how many MNers have never been tested. Seems like must be very few

I was going to say me, but then I remembered I had to be tested when DC2 was admitted to hospital in the summer.

yawnsvillex · 28/12/2020 07:53

Errrrr lie 🤷🏼‍♀️

twittwootwittwoo · 28/12/2020 08:12

I think the governments extremely short symptoms list is one of the main reasons why cases are out of control

To all those who have told porkies to get a test because you had other symptoms or been asymptotic but in contact with a positive person and turned out to positive good on you! This mean these people are staying at home and notifying the government they are ill, those using the Zoe app are allowing all these other symptoms to be listed.

Imagine if they didn't and they spread it even further .....

Mindymomo · 28/12/2020 08:34

Normally I wouldn’t want anyone lying to get something, but lying to get a test when you have other symptoms is the only way of getting one. So many positive cases from other symptoms or no symptoms at all. My son had one as close contact at work tested positive, 5 other people tested positive from private tests, no symptoms, so would otherwise not know.

Cookerhood · 28/12/2020 10:02

I've never been tested as haven't been unwell. I know several people who lied to get tests & had a positive result. Stuffy nose, scratchy throat etc, often having been in contact with someone known to have had it.

Abraxan · 28/12/2020 10:12

There are many ways to get tested even if you don't want to lie in the main website, though many people will do that anyway to get a test.

We've used the Zoe app throughout the pandemic. That asks you test for several different symptoms not just the list 3.

When I tested positive dh and teen dd were both offered tests despite having no symptoms themselves.

Private tests are available for a number of reasons. For example, 18y DD's best friend just paid for a test last week after coming home from her au pair job abroad for the Christmas break.

People involved in trials are being offered weekly and/or monthly tests.

Some people's work places offer them regular testing, not just NHS front line teams.

If you need to go for certain medical treatment you are tested despite having no symptoms.

Students, or rather many students not all, have been tested without symptoms.

In some key areas mass testing has been made available for those without symptoms.

PrivateIndoorXmas · 28/12/2020 10:14

@ragged

I wonder how many MNers have never been tested. Seems like must be very few

Indeed! Yet in the real world, plenty haven't. Eg in my family, my siblings and their families haven't been tested, nor my parents or my DH. Only one of my 3 DC have. I have been tested twice (first was negative, 2nd was positive). I work in a very 'high risk' area though (HCP). I am not sure if my family are unusual, many have an NHS background so are very averse to 'wasting' tests.

A lot of people automatically order tests for the whole family when one tests positive, despite no symptoms. This is completely pointless. You would need to keep testing every few days as the first is likely negative but that doesn't mean you won't pick it up later, costing the NHS hundreds of pounds without changing anything - you would all be isolating anyway!

Abraxan · 28/12/2020 10:14

I was tested on admission to hospital. Whilst I was struggling with breathlessness I did not have any of the key 3 symptoms and the hospital, at that time, did not believe me to have covid. I was on an open ward with other patients. I tested positive through their routine testing. The cough started a day later.

MoirasRoses · 28/12/2020 10:33

Easy. Just lie. You literally tick a box on the website to say you have the main symptoms. I tested with cold like symptoms a few weeks ago, I felt unusually tired with it & kept feeling a bit warm (no fever). I’d recently moved house & had close contact with the removal men all day. There were hundreds of tests available in my area so I decided to double check before I had a smear test later in the week! Positive. The Zoe app also suggested I should.
My OH started with a bad cold 9 days later, again lied as no main symptoms. Positive.

Just get one. It’s a joke you have to wait for 3 symptoms when pretty much everyone I know who has had it didn’t have them. A few did go on to lose smell & taste but not for a few days after their positive!

RedMarauder · 28/12/2020 10:36

Myself and my household had 2 tests early on because of common cold survey done in collaboration with PHE. (It is one of the reasons they suddenly agreed to test young children.)
My DP had another couple of tests in summer/autumn because he put himself down for a vaccine trial.
We also both have the Zoe App but as we not had any symptoms so not had any tests through that.

Oh and funnily certain people who are close contacts now have Covid. However we haven't had any face-to-face contact with any of them for a minimum of 14 days.

Tangledtresses · 28/12/2020 10:38

You get a rapid test near us and just walk in symptoms or not

Although our numbers are low

mumwalk · 28/12/2020 11:07

@ragged I was beginning to wonder that too. I've not been tested, neither have any of my family. Other than the areas where they've been encouraged to test asymptomatic people, I thought the guidance was still not to test without symptoms (other than via work, travel etc).

Calmandmeasured1 · 28/12/2020 11:10

My city is one of those testing anyone asymptomatic with lateral flow tests. Those with symptoms gave to go elsewhere for PCR tests.

KatherineJaneway · 28/12/2020 12:12

@daisypond

Our area was given free testing for anyone as the cases here kept rising even despite lockdown in November. I don't want to out myself to say exactly where I live but it is definitely true.

Here is a link for proof of the London boroughs that have testing for everyone: www.mylondon.news/news/health/london-boroughs-people-been-asked-19474576

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