Does the gov need a clear campaign to explain when lateral flow and PCR tests are suitable?

[Fitforforty]

I keep seeing so many threads of people who are shocked that school/nursery won’t accept a child with a cough and even more shocked that everyone needs to isolate until a negative PCR (not lateral flow) test comes back. If it was just a few people then I would write them off as uninformed but they are 10s a few across the whole of MNs, so I’m guessing there are a lot more in real life. Is the government not being clear?

It's the one thing that is actually very clear. They're just trying they're luck.

It’s actually very clear, it’s people thinking they are above the rules so they’ll do what they think, which is in turn putting others at risk.

I agree with namechange. It's very clear.

I think it is clear but alot of people have lost patience with it. My 1yo niece has a cough and high temp atm. My SIL hasn't had her tested as "its just a bug" and she (herself) had a negative lateral flow for work earlier in the week so it will be okay, apparently...

I agree it's clear too.

But people want to 'blame' someone else for their ignorance, or to carry entirely invented blame because they're having a tantrum about an infection control rule when it impacts on them.

Thanks all. I guess it’s just a case of people not wanting to take responsibility for their own action. I’m just amazed at the amount of people who hum and har and they could have had a test and got the results back while they’ve been messing around not making decision.

I think it’s clear but people get confused because we still have the “only test with these 3 symptoms” rule for PCRs. Which is completely pointless to have now.

Very true.

People will always try and push the boundaries to fit in with their own life then feign ignorance when caught out. Recently our school was closed down due to too many cases and some classes isolating and some not. There was many many people claiming their kid didn't sit next to x(pos child) so their child wouldn't need to really isolate and others saying they were going to get a pcr and if neg to carry on as normal. It was unbelievable the emails from the school (and the wider gov guidance) was crystal clear and they still decided to make up the rules to suit themselves. In fact the whole outbreak was caused by people not isolating when they should have so that's the kind of society we're in unfortunately

I agree OP, it may be clear for the educated and informed, but for many many others, not. I think the messaging all the way through has been poor. I have just had to explain to my (educated but stupid, IYSWIM) ex why I cannot go to work and our son can’t go to school as he’s having a PCR in half an hour....

Yes.

I think it's confusing. The home testing with LFTs has particularly confused the issue, as a lot of people (the majority?) think they can now use them if they have symptoms instead of a PCR.

The symptoms aren't clear: some people think "a continuous cough" means a constant cough.

I have advice from a "trusted" source to only test if you have both a cough and a fever, not one or the other.

I remember when the schools went back last year, people, especially parents, were being urged not to test if it could be a cold or flu. There were lots of posts on social media comparing symptoms, lots saying that if there was a runny nose/sneezing/etc., it wasn't covid even if the other symptoms were there.

We know now that the three symptoms that we are supposed to get tests for aren't even the main symptoms. People with the new main symptoms don't qualify for a free PCR test (unless they have the three listed symptoms).

Home LFTs aren't very good. There are a lot of false negatives.

It has been very confusing. The whole thing has been confusing, especially with the constantly changing guidelines. I have spoken to very well educated, knowledgeable people who have been completely lost with the rules.

I think a reminder every now and again would be good. On the TV so people will see it without having to seek it out.

@namechange6754

It's the one thing that is actually very clear. They're just trying they're luck.

Not everyone. My DD was sent home from nursery with a temp today and we’ve got her a PCR test but I was talking to my mum about it and she asked why we didn’t have any LFTs to use. DM is a strict rule follower, has followed the rules throughout and is a teacher who does LFTs twice a week. She just genuinely didn’t know we couldn’t use it to get out of isolation now DD has symptoms.

I personally do think it’s clear, and did tell her that, but I can guarantee she wasn’t saying it as a way of suggesting we avoid the proper rules.

The test-and-release special treatment for holidays doesn't help.

The government making use of a 'trial' with daily testing for close contacts that isn't available to most people doesn't help.

There are different rules for different people and that does cause discontent.

For example, I'd quite like to be in the daily testing for close contacts trial and for my DC's school to operate that way, but unfortunately I don't have the same contacts as Gove and the rest of the cabinet.

Plus many people have had one/two doses of vaccine now, so while this does not prevent transmission it does cut it down dramatically.

This is a challenge the government is going to have to address (preferably before the new freedom day crap in July) - people who are scientifically proven to transmit less virus need better access to the daily testing for close contacts with negative results allowing normal work/school etc. Otherwise the country and particularly schools will continue to be paralysed by unnecessary isolations.

Yes they need to spell it out for the general public because as clearly demonstrated on here, many simply have no clue.

Its clear to me but I spend a lot of time reading about covid. I would say a lot of people don't know. My friend's son had a cough but 'it's OK he tests twice a week for school and they're negative'. She had no idea an LFT wasn't appropriate in this situation and she was one of the ones who wiped their shopping last year.

I heard an advert on the radio yesterday about lateral flow tests and they didn’t at all say that they are not suitable if you have symptoms. I also thought I don’t watch TV with adverts and I was wondering if I didn’t read the news or pay attention to what is happening how would I know the finer details.

I know they say PCR to be on the safe side if you have symptoms but it doesn't mean LFT won't work if you have symptoms. It's better than nothing.

In fact the doctor from the Zoe research study said use an LFT if you have one, if you have a runny nose or sneezing. I was surprised he said this.

@bonbonours a PCR is not to not be on the safe side. You have to either isolate for a week or get a negative PCR test. A lateral flow test is not a suitable alternative.

People can not be isolating every time someone in the house shows a vague possible symptom, yesterday posters were saying that people with hay fever symptoms should be having a test every time just in case. Some people don't get paid if they are just isolating for test results, many bosses will not tolerate people ringing in all the time.

The reality is most people cannot just stop because someone in their house coughs or has hay fever symptoms.

We're in a surge testing area. PCR testing is being done to catch assymptomatic people with covid. So that adds to the confusion a bit, as you obviously don't have to isolate with your whole household when you get a PCR test (unless you are displaying symptoms. In which case you have to go to a normal test centre anyway, rather than a surge testing unit, which again, possibly makes it quite confusing for some people). I've had mine done and it's negative, but the only people there apart from me were 70+. Not sure how many younger people are doing it, but maybe that was just the time of day I went. I've overheard someone say they aren't doing it, as they do two lateral flow tests every week as it is.

Also agree that the advice on different symptoms for the new variant is going to make it very difficult for some people to do anything. I see so many people out and about, blowing their noses with the pollen etc. I don't know how anyone is going to manage a full week at work or school if their whole household has to test and isolate every time someone gets a runny nose? People with allergies I mean. I guess it's temporary, until we can get over this last(?) bit, but not really doable long-term I imagine.

I think you can hear as many adverts on the radio or TV or see things on social media as you like, but it doesn't really 'stick' until you are in that position yourself.

My (adult....well, student ) dd is isolating at the moment, and there was a LOT of looking things up on the website when her friend she'd been with the prev. night contacted her to say that he had tested positive. Then her work were trying to make her come in that night and spread it to all the customers . People feel pressured, and get told different information by different people.

However, most of us have the ability to go to the official information.

I agree OP. This is the bane of my life at the moment as a GP. So many people this week are getting LFTs for their coughs instead of PCR and then arguing with me when I ask them to book a PCR and isolate. One lady didn't argue. She works in a school and said it's not Covid my lateral flow is negative and I'm vaccinated. Luckily she took my advice on isolating and booking the test, I got her positive PCR result in my inbox today. But so many are arguing and refusing to do it.