All adults (in England)* to be offered twice-weekly tests

[MiaMc]

How do we think this is going to work?

Reportedly only 20% of people with symptoms are referring themselves for formal testing. So unfortunately I can’t imagine take up of this being high unless it becomes mandatory to show evidence of the result in certain situations.

Sadly, too many people seem to take the view that if something isn’t going to benefit them directly they can’t see why they should do it.

Then there will be those people who come up with excuses as to why they should be exempt. If take up isn’t high enough and people don’t do the test correctly it’s going to seem like an expensive pointless exercise.

• [Title edited by MNHQ to make it clear this relates to England only, and that tests are being offered but are not mandatory. Original title said: All adults to test themselves twice per week]

However, when in the history of ever have you been to the doctors with no symptoms of anything and asked to be tested for a specific virus or infection?

To be fair smear tests do this (Human papillomavirus (HPV)).

I’m not talking about those people, if you’d read the thread you would see I’ve acknowledged that is a problem.

What a monumental waste of tax payers money. I'm sure the lockdown lovers will be wetting themselves over it though.

But what is the point if it’s only being offered? Diligent responsible people will take up the test, ignorant wankers won’t bother. They need to encourage the ignorant wankers to do them too!

I think I'm pretty diligent and responsible - wear masks, been vaccinated, working from home, got tested when I had symptoms and socially isolated etc - but I'm not sure that I would bother. This test is known not to be very reliable, as I say I've been vaccinated and had Covid, I don't really see the point. The only time I might consider it is if I know I'm going somewhere where there are vulnerable people, e.g. my mother's care home.

It is just a way of looking like there are still measures when there isn't. Everyone knows most people now don't get tested even when they have symptoms because they don't want to isolate or don't want their kids at home isolating and being off school. It is fairly obvious even now that the older generation who have been vaccinated are no longer worried about mixing. We will do what we did last summer no doubt and probably have a similar fuck up by December.

Are these tests costing the government though? I thought LFT were probably the moonshot tests that Boris was talking about last autumn, rapid testing that allowed you to live that day normally. So the government ordered and committed to buy millions of them. Only the tests turned out to be too inaccurate to go down that route. So they were shoved in the direction of schools to make it look like there was a strategy for LFT’s all along.

I can’t believe the government would spend ££ on testing for schools, they didn’t even increase school budgets for hand sanitiser! Surely they’d already committed the funds to LFT’s months ago?

Everyone saying vaccinations were the way out, have you missed the news that most of us in our 40s and younger will probably have to wait until June/July for our first vaccination now?

As for the tests, I don't mind doing them but it's frustrating they are so unreliable. There also seems to be conflicting news on whether a negative PCR after a positive LFT would end the self isolation (in case it was a false positive).

How much is this going to cost the Government and the taxpayer ?

If it is optional, are the people who won't test anyway as they don't want to have to isolate or are not concerned about having or spreading covid, are we going to see people in that group using it ? I doubt it.

I’d be more bothered about how it’s going to work when the lateral flow tests are notoriously inaccurate. Miss 50% of cases and have false positives. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55198298

Or....catch 50% or asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases. Imagine the impact that’d have if the LFTs were being done universally. False positives happen, but not nearly as much as people like to make out, and are generally cleared up easily with the follow up test.

I'd rather an ignorant wanker to a goady fuckwit tbh 🤷‍♀️

I will gladly do it before I meet people, for selfish reasons so I can relax a bit when meeting

@callmeadoctor

Kids in my school have been refusing tests, on closer discussion it appears that if their family have to go into isolation, their parents are worried that they wont get paid. Thats the reality.

These people are very decidedly not "ignorant wankers".

OP, you're muddling up "irresponsible Covid deniers" and people not wanting to test themselves twice a week. It's quite possible to loathe lockdown whilst not denying the existence of Covid. It's also possible to think that testing is not necessary if you have been vaccinated. This doesn't make you a Covid-denier, either.

I've been tested twice a week through work. I can see this is a good way to remove the fear.

The schools near us have said most children are doing the tests. Even if one test gives a false negative on a child with no symptoms, at least they are only in school for another 2-3 days before the next test, rather than 2 weeks. And if it was truly spreading asymptomatically through schools, one child in a class might have a false negative but someone would get that positive result.

Think about a family of 4 testing twice a week, if there's covid in the family, they arent all going to have false negatives.

Testing is the best way to find the asymptomatic carriers that everyone seems to be scared of.

@frumpety

How much is this going to cost the Government and the taxpayer ?

If it is optional, are the people who won't test anyway as they don't want to have to isolate or are not concerned about having or spreading covid, are we going to see people in that group using it ? I doubt it.

The tests are £5 each so twice a week times the adult population of England equals a lot of money. Probably some rich pal of Matt Hancock will have the contract and make themselves a fortune.

The tests are £5 each

Oh and the 20% of people testing with symptoms thing- that research was done in January- schools were shut, the weather was crap, most people weren't out and about anyway.

I can see if you had mild symptoms, you'd just not go anywhere there were other people for 10 days and get on with working from home and home schooling. Very different to people with symptoms not testing when their dcs are at school and they are expected into work.

Theres been a symptomless testing site in our town for months. Its usually quiet, but was fully booked out this week with people who decided to get a test before an Easter Garden meet up.

I’ve been doing this for months and it’s normal and easy for me. It’s nice when I’m feeling run down to check it’s bit covid too which I couldn’t do before.
I know people who don’t want to isolate so they record their results as negative even though they’ve not done the test. So if people are going to do this then there’s no point anyone doing them as it’s a false sense of security. I think spot tests at work would be way better.

@epcot15 in that case I’m happy to report that personally in the efforts to help the government in times of austerity, I shall be saving the tax layer £10 per week by not having the tests.

I’ve got used to testing twice a week now, as I work in education. Both DC are doing it for school, too. It’s become a part of our routine. I think it’s a great idea to roll it out further.

You have to if you've got school age children anyway.

Yet another ridiculous idea from this government. More than 50% of the adult population is vaccinated. And that includes the most vulnerable half.

We do not need testing for no reason, and we don't need vaccine passports. Lets spend the money on something useful instead.

@coronafiona

You have to if you've got school age children anyway.

You don’t have to. It’s optional for the parents of school aged children too.

@coronafiona

You have to if you've got school age children anyway.

No you don't! I haven't been (ds still technically school age as Y13, though 18 now) and at no point have I been told I need to.

Kids do yes, and that makes some sense as they can't be vaccinated and are in mass indoor environments.

It's theatre, it's pretty clear that there are still huge proportions of the country scared, the "everyone test twice a week" theatre will allow them to feel re-assured and return to more active and healthy life.

@coronafiona

You have to if you've got school age children anyway.

Wrong. I've got a primary school age child and we aren't doing them.