Anyone doing regular lateral flow testing?

[MistleTOEboughski]

How do you find it? We've just been offered this at work. To be honest it sounds like a massive faff to go through twice a week and I am not keen on the swabbing. Is it worth it?

I’ve just read about the anal swabbing

Happy to stick with my twice weekly nasal and throat swabs.

Any positive test on lateral flow needs to be confirmed with a pcr. That makes false positives very unlikely between the 2 tests. I have been doing them for a couple of months now. Its quick and easy, I do the swab on the morning of my shift then jump in the shower whilst waiting for the result. Results are recorded on an app so that takes 30 seconds to submit.

I do them twice weekly and have done for a couple of months now. It's not a faff at all, only takes a minute to do the test as others have said. It's well worth the time spent.

@MistleTOEboughski

I'm a bit concerned about getting a false positive and not getting paid, would the whole family have to SI?

False positives are rare.

If you get a positive you and your family isolate, as you would with any other positive. The difference is you then arrange a PCR test to confirm the positive.

Whether you get paid would be the same as with a positive PCR, and would depend on your employer.

Does anyone else find they irritate your nose? I’ve had like a stuffy nose since I started doing them and then this past week I’ve had several massive spontaneous nosebleeds. So I was thinking the constant swabbing is irritating my nose. (I am someone who is prone to nose bleeds)

I take 2-3 PCR tests every week at work. Mostly 3, unless it's a light schedule and we're not in for too many days.

It's not a faff, but I'm in Germany and it's a very efficient system. We registered once on an online portal in September, got a personal QR code and that's all we have to present at the test station. It takes less than 2 minutes to queue, get crossed off a list, get your test kit, do the swab and find your QR code on your phone to scan it. You then drop off the swab at the other end of the 'station'.

The first time we did it we had the option of going into a cubicle with a doctor who supervised the process and made you repeat it until you learnt how to do it correctly. Now we do it ourselves but the doctor is still there to help new members of staff or just anyone who needs it really.

We've taken the odd lateral flow test too, and the guidelines were that if it's positive, you need to confirm the result with a PCR. I'm not sure how it works in the UK.

I love getting tested so often. It's allowed us to work as normal, the alternative was staying at home without being paid. Every 2/3 days I get the reassurance that I haven't caught anything (yet).

Definitely not worth it. If I have asymptomatic Covid I don't want to know so that I can pass it on to the rest of my family and continue my day to day life. 🙄🙄

Like others say, not a faff once you are up and running with both the tests and working out how the logging system works. You can also log your vaccination on the nhs system.
We can't complain that not enough is being done and then not step up and do what is asked of us.

Yes worth it - we’ve picked up asymptomatic positives. It’s easy once you do a couple of times.

Zero point. They are a faff to do and so many false negatives. Waste of time and money. But l know too many key workers with false negatives

No option for us. We just have to do it. Its fine.

Have them twice a week at work (secondary school). All the admin is done by them, I literally turn up, swab and go. Any positive is notified by SLT within 30mins.

Yes, they are worth it. My dd tested positive on hers on xmas day just before my mum was going to come over for xmas. She had no symptoms at that point. We both did a full test to check as I had a cough. Hers was positive on the full test, mine negative. Those tests may have stopped my mum getting very poorly (COPD) so I think they are worth it.

Twice a week at home. I don't really see a downside as it is helping protect my family, one of whom is vulnerable. My manger has refused though which I think is incredibly selfish.

@stressbucket1 @Motorina

The policy on confirmatory PCR tests changed today - only some occupational groups are going to get them. For everyone else, it’s just the positive LFT - and a negative PCR afterwards doesn’t overturn it. At least for the next few weeks.

@PregnantGotCovid They’re less accurate than the figures you’re quoting.

I've been doing them for a few weeks now. Once I'd done the first one the subsequent ones were easy. Recording it on the gov.uk website takes about 3 mins.
Worth doing.

I've had a nose bleed every time I've done it. However was tracked and traced on Monday through a work colleague, and have some symptoms so had a (negative) PCR test last night and the nose swab was fine I've been being too enthusiastic.

I have been doing these since the beginning of December. Always negative. Had an asymptomatic PCR swab taken one day, went home and did my lateral flow test. LF test was negative. Phone call the following day, I have Covid, positive PCR.
Did a LF test 2 days later. Still negative. A week later, still negative. Waste of time!!!

😂 I’m really tentative, I worry I’m not enthusiastic enough

Just to add too. I swabbed myself with the PCR test, so Its not the case that I'm not going far enough.

Yup, picked up my kit today

Yes we've just started them this week. Not pleasant to do but easy enough. Didn't find the website hard, took about 30 seconds to log it.

I've been doing this since Dec, twice a week the reporting on the gov system is more of a faff than the actual test

They really are very very simple to do

Yes we have started it in my work. Once a week. We found a work colleague was positive. No symptoms. So lucky really or we all probably would have ended up catching it.