So is everyone going to do twice weekly LFT?

[SonnetForSpring]

As Boris has requested. I am.

Yes already doing as I am not an idiot and it's part of the way out of this

@Walkaround

Ps the idea of people testing twice a week every week is to make up for the false negatives, as the risk of this is reduced by the frequency of testing. It is not appropriate to do a test once in a while before you go to visit relatives.

Yes very good point. I am planning to do tests before situations where I’ll be close to other people in addition to routine weekly tests now that I’m back in the office.

I teach so,have been doing them twice weekly anyway since mid March.

I can't do my throat as I gag too much but was told I can just do both nostrils, so,do that instead. Wednesday and Sunday each week. Takes a few minutes at a time and easily done.

Dh doesn't do them weekly but will do them before we meet up with someone more vulnerable.

We are both now double vaccinated (as of this week) so the risk to,us and from us is already fairly minimal.

Ah yeah because testing will stop that happening. I'm sure all the positives that come from it will have far more effect on a further lockdown.

False positives aren't that common. False negatives are much more likely. That's been shown lots of times.

Also, the more people who do them and report their negatives the better - it shows that the number of tests done v number of positives . If lots of tests being done are negative then this shows that most people are not carrying covid.

I had been doing them since they were available for those in a childcare bubble with kids going to school but they honestly feel pointless and I cringe at the waste of plastic. I’ve stopped doing them unless I feel rough or a bit paranoid tbh.

All 4 of us do this already. I have been since January and the others since March. It’s not too troublesome to do. Why wouldn’t you?

Nope. Maybe once a month but my gag reflex is too strong to cope with 2 a week.

No, I'm not.

There is someone in my household doing them twice weekly and I'm happy with that level of 'protection'.

I have an extremely sensitive gag reflex. I will, however, take a PCR test if I need to.

@Abraxan

Ah yeah because testing will stop that happening. I'm sure all the positives that come from it will have far more effect on a further lockdown.

False positives aren't that common. False negatives are much more likely. That's been shown lots of times.

Also, the more people who do them and report their negatives the better - it shows that the number of tests done v number of positives . If lots of tests being done are negative then this shows that most people are not carrying covid.

It's funny how they don't give us a daily going of negatives or a % of both isn't it?

@trappedsincesundaymorn

Nope. Maybe once a month but my gag reflex is too strong to cope with 2 a week.

You can do both nostrils rather than throat. Was told that by the testing centre and also my the hospital doctor when I went for an appointment.

You can do both nostrils rather than throat.
Was told that by the testing centre and also my the hospital doctor when I went for an appointment

I tried that but the test was void. I rang 119 for advice and was told that the test had to include a throat swab otherwise it would not be a reliable result. The last time I took a PCR, I was told at the testing centre that they would not accept any that had not been throat swabbed so who knows who is right?

Hospital who did mine said it was fine.
Came back positive when done in hospital, as did the one done with both.

Never had a void result on any of the LFTs I have done.

Yes

I’m interested in hearing more about doing 2x nostrils. I haven’t been going these tests as I can’t face the thought of sticking something down my throat when there isn’t a clear need to do so.

The waste makes me cringe too, but as others have said the waste has already been wasted unfortunately.

@Getyourarseofffthequattro -
that's how I feel. There is no stated threshold when regular testing won't be the new daily normal... forever? When will we know that it's ok to stop regular unsymptomatic testing.

It's like dystopian novel. About A society terrified about germs & daily testing, certifying, booster jabbing -- in order to have even little bits of social contact. Sleeper, anyone?

Yes, Dh is too, we have been since the schools went back in March.

No

Nope.

Yes
And the DC's too

i do them for work anyway, but struggle to remember lately

mine are for the nose only

If this was mandatory fine but it isn't therefore it is a matter of choice