Home lateral flow tests

[TheLetterZ]

If you have school aged children or are school staff you can collect lateral flow tests.

You can find your nearest collection point maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/

You can collect 2 packs of 14 tests.

My experience: -ve lateral flows on Monday and Wednesday, +ve PCR on the Tuesday inbetween. I was completely asymptomatic and only did a PCR by chance.

To me a -ve lateral flow just means you still don’t know if you’ve got it and should behave as if you have got it. I’d only believe a +ve lateral flow.

I’m puzzled about these tests because when I went for one before Christmas I was told not to swap my throat, but to swap the inside of my cheek and then my nose. I do them twice a week for work now so I know to swab my throat but I can’t understand why I was told different at the lateral flow test centre?

@Shieldingending
The little instruction book clearly says to swab the bit around your tonsils which is the same as the pcr test. No mention of cheeks.

Thanks @DumplingsAndStew I have told her that, but whilst she doesn't want to do the tests I know she's keen to stick to the rules so it would be nice to know if having the jab changes it.

We also have the added factor of my DF having terminal cancer so we as a household are being more cautious than we normal would be (DF and DM are not together hence DM is in my household)

I work in a covid test site, and very concerned about reliability of these tests. It's easy to get a negative if it's not done properly.

@ginsparkles
It’s definitely not a “rule” to do one but no harm for extra reassurance.

You are told to swab your tonsils and nose at the LFT centre where I work. In exactly the same way you do a PCR test.

I've been volunteering to do lateral flow tests on pupils this morning. We followed the same principle as my PCR test, both tonsils and a nostril. The kids did a good job of coping with self swabbing.

Ordered a box online yesterday for home delivery and had a text to say they are being delivered today. Walked past a test centre today where I could collect two more boxes, so we're now well stocked for school return and home testing. No issues at all collecting them from our local site, walked straight in, very organised and friendly. We'll take them twice weekly as recommended, but still follow PCR testing guidelines. I don't see it as any great hardship.

@edwinbear interested to know what details you need to provide when you collect from a test centre. We don't have school aged children at home but sometimes look after our friends daughter (single mum with no other support).

[quote Smashedavacado]**@edwinbear interested to know what details you need to provide when you collect from a test centre. We don't have school aged children at home but sometimes look after our friends daughter (single mum with no other support).[/quote]
I didn’t have to provide any details at all-they didn’t even ask for my name.

[quote Smashedavacado]**@edwinbear interested to know what details you need to provide when you collect from a test centre. We don't have school aged children at home but sometimes look after our friends daughter (single mum with no other support).[/quote]
I didn’t have to provide any details at all. They just asked me how many boxes I wanted.