South London surge testing

[ThinkAboutItTomorrow]

I live in Wandsworth. Apparently everyone should book a surge test due to this South African variant. I went to book this morning but the soonest test slot is Monday.

This weekend pubs & restaurants will be full (& they've pedestrianised the streets to make plenty of capacity). it seems like very mixed messaging.

We're going away tomorrow for a long weekend in a holiday cottage. I'm booked in to a theme park on Friday and 2 pubs.

If this risk is high they'd put more restrictions back on, wouldn't they?

77 cases out of 650000 people makes the risk tiny. But I still feel conflicted.

I think that's the clearest part, @mrex

Now, how to return it?

Do you think the messaging that you are not to post it has been clear enough?

And do you have any clue what to do if you cannot travel easily?

Yes they should, do they not have some sort of fast lane to drop off tests?

A doctor and Labour MP for Tooting is very concerned about the efficacy of the surge testing.

twitter.com/DrRosena/status/1382361040046989316

And another doctor an ex ICU doc explains why unrestrained infection amongst the young particularly with new variants could be so problematic in returning to normal.

twitter.com/DrDomPimenta/status/1382038012406685697

It might get picked up for genome testing anyway, I don't know, I just noticed on the Lambeth page that it said they should be dropped at a test site to be included. If it's negative then it doesn't matter anyway?

@MRex

Yes they should, do they not have some sort of fast lane to drop off tests?

We don't know - they have not described how to drop off home tests, especially if you cannot either leave your home or should not join queues

I do not think the messaging around this has been anywhere near clear enough - where to get a home test is easy. What to do with it is non standards and not adequately explained

We had this where I live. At first they didn't advertise the option for home tests and the announcement of the testing created such a fear that people who had been shielding were joining 2 hour queues at the testing centre because they were being told they had to.
Then they offered home tests but said they had to be dropped at the test centre once done, so people still had to go there. The council were using phrases like 'you should...' for the first couple of days then they backtracked and explained that the testing was just to monitor how the virus was spreading ie it was mainly a research project, and that people who were shielding didn't have to take part!

We are away at the moment (we live in Wandsworth). We have done lateral flows but I can’t work out if it is worthwhile getting the pcr done here or if they won’t automatically sequence it for SA variant? Anyone have any idea?

In Wandsworth at a lot of centres no appt needed just wait in line or you can just pick up the tests and drop back, you just register the pack number with 119 once you’ve completed the test

Op I live in the same area and ordered lateral flow tests on line yesterday. They arrived today.

Under the circumstances, there should be an urgent acceleration of the vaccine rollout in London. Distribution needs to be tweaked. Some parts of the UK have enough surplus supply they're doing healthy 20s and 30s. Supply needs to be diverted to London for 40s and then 30s.

Tbf tea I’m a mile away in Lewisham and 40s are being vaccinated here, with occasional “open to all” or “likely to have spare, please come” slots - my partner got vaccinated that way last weekend.

That's good news EssentialHummus
Fingers crossed that extends across London. I feel relatively hopeful about the rollout.

@Tealightsandd

Under the circumstances, there should be an urgent acceleration of the vaccine rollout in London. Distribution needs to be tweaked. Some parts of the UK have enough surplus supply they're doing healthy 20s and 30s. Supply needs to be diverted to London for 40s and then 30s.

Wouldn't help unless it's Moderna. The AZ vaccine is likely useless at preventing transmission of the SA variant.

But whether you're vaccinated or not, the risk you face from the SA variant is only a little different to that from the Kent strain.

The whole concern here is NOT that the risk to individuals - it's that if allowed to spread it will destroy our hope of reaching any kind of herd immunity this year because the AZ vaccine is unlikely to stop people from being able to carry it and infect others.

@99victoria

We had this where I live. At first they didn't advertise the option for home tests and the announcement of the testing created such a fear that people who had been shielding were joining 2 hour queues at the testing centre because they were being told they had to. Then they offered home tests but said they had to be dropped at the test centre once done, so people still had to go there. The council were using phrases like 'you should...' for the first couple of days then they backtracked and explained that the testing was just to monitor how the virus was spreading ie it was mainly a research project, and that people who were shielding didn't have to take part!

We did surge testing as a shielding family a few weeks ago. It was made quite clear that we could get our tests delivered to our doorstep and picked up from our doorstep afterwards. This was Merton.

We rang a given number to book them.

I desperately hope that's wrong about AZ but if it is true, it could explain why some countries don't want it. The real reason, not excessive comcern over an extremely rare clot that's more commonly caused by covid itself.

If it is true, we really do urgently need to contain this strain. That includes tightening the borders as a matter of priority.

I got tested in Wandsworth this morning. I had an appointment but nobody checked so you can just turn up. Very quick and efficient. Took about ten minutes all in.

I'm in Lambeth and a friend picked up 2 PCR test kits for me and OH this morning from a local library.

I had tests posted to me but posted them back (as per the leaflet that came with them) and have since found out they should have been dropped off at one of the surge sites. . The communication from the council has been woeful. They initially only informed people via Twitter, it's only today that I've had an email, and there has been nothing through the door. Lots of people I know have had no idea, including my hairdresser!

They’re Also v swift with results - tested 10sm results back 2.30am

Are the tests at the council sites and pharmacies self administered?

@pringlesandchocolate

They’re Also v swift with results - tested 10sm results back 2.30am

Perhaps they sorted themselves out after Mayor Sadiq Khan experienced some of the difficulties described upthread - poor communication from the council and slow testing. He was initially given a test appointment several days later. Not so speedy!

What do people living in the area think about the proportion going for testing, does it seem like most people are getting a test?

@Vargas

I had tests posted to me but posted them back (as per the leaflet that came with them) and have since found out they should have been dropped off at one of the surge sites. . The communication from the council has been woeful. They initially only informed people via Twitter, it's only today that I've had an email, and there has been nothing through the door. Lots of people I know have had no idea, including my hairdresser!

I do think people are very quick to moan. The councils will have been given very little notice and I think they’ve done really well to set up so many sites so quickly. These things do take a day or two to set up and bed-in which is fair enough given the scale of the the project.

I do think people are very quick to moan
Including Sadiq Khan? He was one of the residents who experienced ridiculously slow testing issues. We're being this is serious and people are being urged to get tested asap. The Mayor was initially given a test appointment for several days time. Fortunately I think things are being speeded up after he (and others) raised their concerns.

I agree it's not the council's fault, although some London councils are pretty poor with communication and organisation at the best of times.

The government should've provided immediate support to the councils to help them do it.

Afterall it's the government that allowed this to happen. They kept the borders open with no real quarantine - knowing, with Heathrow airport, London was on the frontline for new strains.