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Original poster

Do I really have to keep logging my lateral flow tests?

64 replies

Ladderclimber · 24/03/2021 00:52

In my house, 4 of us need to do twice weekly lateral flow tests. Then we report them on the government website by filling in a load of details about where we live and our ethnicity and dates of birth and blah de blah, and then email addresses and phone numbers so that they can instantly email and text us with the results we just gave them. I can't be bothered with it. Can I stop reporting in negative results? Will anyone know? I don't think they go to our employers or schools or anything. I'd obviously report a positive.

OP posts:
skeggycaggy · 24/03/2021 07:23

It’s tedious isn’t it. You should be able to create an account & profiles so you don’t have to enter the same information again & again.

BentBastard · 24/03/2021 07:27

I was told need to report on the gov site every test result even if negative. Only need to tell school directly if positive.

It is turning it to. A massive pain. I'm very good about this kind of thing and I'm wondering how long I can last so I imagine less compliant people are dropping g like flies.

cryh · 24/03/2021 07:32

The home tests are not really very convenient as the rigmarole takes half an hour and with multiple kids it is a faff.

They are not a 5 minute thing.

mizu · 24/03/2021 07:36

3 of us doing it here, yes bit of a faff but getting into the swing of it. Just dread doing it as know will not be able to go out to work if it's positive and we are so stretched at work already!

Lumene · 24/03/2021 07:38

Is this just for secondary pupils or is everyone with kids at school supposed to be doing it?

No one I know seems to know anything about this.

iVampire · 24/03/2021 07:41

Reporting the results gives one strand of data about the number of cases (important for keeping steps to lifting restrictions on time)

It also gives information about transmission patterns, which might be useful to researchers

You can set up an account on the website, so you don’t have to enter full details for each person every time

And yes, if you appear to have several unused (ie unreported) tests, it might be harder to get more

ThatDamnKrampus · 24/03/2021 07:44

@Lumene

Is this just for secondary pupils or is everyone with kids at school supposed to be doing it?

No one I know seems to know anything about this.

With regard children, only secondary children need testing, but parents/childcare and support bubbles with children of all school ages are encouraged to test.
starfish4 · 24/03/2021 07:48

Initially I was able to fill the form in, now it comes up asking for a test centre code instead of school which I don't have. I also have to fill a form out for the school, that's easy.

Bakeachocolatecake2day · 24/03/2021 07:55

@Ironmanrocks
@Dauphinois

How do you set up an account - do you have a link?

rainbowunicorn · 24/03/2021 08:16

There is an option to set up an account when you go on to report your test. Just do that and then it takes seconds to do.

Frazzled2207 · 24/03/2021 08:22

I’ve never logged any. I probably will if positive.
But then again I’m “just” a parent, no employer or school has said that I must.

Not sure what the value is to anyone of a negative test from me. I suppose schools could see it as a way to try and encourage everyone to keep doing it- if people keep logging negatives then there is a high chance they actually did the test.

Frazzled2207 · 24/03/2021 08:23

@Lumene

Is this just for secondary pupils or is everyone with kids at school supposed to be doing it?

No one I know seems to know anything about this.

Parents can get the tests but there is no obligation for us to do so as far as I am aware.
Cloudyrainsham · 24/03/2021 08:28

Just set up an account. All details saved. It is important to log the results.

OutOfPlay · 24/03/2021 08:28

@Ladderclimber

In my house, 4 of us need to do twice weekly lateral flow tests. Then we report them on the government website by filling in a load of details about where we live and our ethnicity and dates of birth and blah de blah, and then email addresses and phone numbers so that they can instantly email and text us with the results we just gave them. I can't be bothered with it. Can I stop reporting in negative results? Will anyone know? I don't think they go to our employers or schools or anything. I'd obviously report a positive.
If you create an account then it takes less than 30 seconds to do it - you just scan the test and select the result...
Punxsutawney · 24/03/2021 08:32

OutOfPlay can you create an account if you are reporting a result for somebody else? When I input Ds's results, it doesn't give me an option to create an account. It did when I reported my own.

BentBastard · 24/03/2021 08:42

Creating an account only helps marginally if you are reporting multiple children's results

wtfisgoingonhere21 · 24/03/2021 08:52

We test twice a week so I have three tests to report to gov and one to a school.

I've got into a routine of it now so it's not so bad but to start with it was a faff.

I don't have an issue doing them if it means we can get safely back to work and some sort of normality.

Of the last 12 months I've only earnt for just under five of them.

Oldraver · 24/03/2021 09:20

I tried the website and it wouldn't send me an access code so I'm not bothering

As testing in school isn't compulsory I'm not loosing any sleep over not reporting. We are testing though and school will just have to trust us

Comefromaway · 24/03/2021 09:59

It's a real pain because for some reason it won't work on dh's phone so he has to go into school and use a computer there.

He's also wasted several kits by doing it wrong (he's a bit hopeless when it comes to following instructions and very clumsy).

vodkaredbullgirl · 24/03/2021 10:04

We have to for work, twice a week and the pcr test once a week.

Rollergirl11 · 24/03/2021 10:07

It is a complete faff! Where do you create an account, on the Gov website? Can I use that account if I am logging multiple children?

Also are the school going to be providing the tests on an ongoing basis? We are supposed to test on a Wednesday and a Sunday and DD hasn’t been given anymore tests so far. I’m not supposed to be sourcing them myself am I?

HolmeH · 24/03/2021 10:44

I haven’t logged any. I didn’t realise you were supposed too. I’m a parent of a school aged kid though so we don’t have to take these. I completly forgot last week, remembered again yesterday when I opened the draw I put them in!

drspouse · 24/03/2021 11:09

@WaitingForNormality

As Pp say, when I log mine I just filled in all the many details once. Then created an account and so now I just pop email and password in and it remembers all the info from the first time and all I have to do is log the result. Much quicker.
Same for me. We are not sure if we can log holiday club though.
Tigerchips · 24/03/2021 11:12

"The home tests are not really very convenient as the rigmarole takes half an hour and with multiple kids it is a faff.

They are not a 5 minute thing."

You can leave the test and do other stuff in the half an hour it takes to work.

drspouse · 24/03/2021 11:25

Teachers I know are setting them up the night before, doing them first thing before a drink of anything, then getting breakfast while they work.
(I keep forgetting to do this so I'll do my Weds one tonight, possibly while tea is cooking).