High UK testing rates

[teezletangler]

We have decided to come over to the UK to visit family from abroad this summer, not having seen them for nearly two years. I feel a little nervous given the exploding case rates, but our DC are preschool age and DH and I are both double vaccinated so risks don't feel super high.

What puzzles me is why the UK is doing so many tests, and does this have something to do with the very high case rates v other countries? The only country that tests more AFAIK is India. Currently the UK does approximately 6 times as many daily tests as the US, despite having a population 5 times smaller. Why so many tests?? Are they because more people have symptoms, or are a lot of these positives actually asymptomatic?

I don't really know, but we're encouraged to test a lot now that the capacity is available. Like if you have any coldy symptoms at all! There are free lateral flow tests available everywhere too, and people are getting contacted a lot at the moment by the tracing apps saying to isolate because they have been in contact with someone who tested positive, so then they go and get a test too.

You can order a test by post and do it at home and send it back for a result within about 36 hours, so why not. Also, the UK is a very compliant society in terms of public health, so people tend to do what they're told - if they're told to test they mostly do so

The latter, many countries only test when symptoms appear whereas a lot of UK workplaces, plus the secondary school system are either mandated or encouraged to lateral flow test regularly, plus a certain percentage of the population are doing this voluntarily. To compare countries its best to look at the test positivity rate.That said, we are having a wave due to delta but mainly amongst the younger, particularly 18-30ish/unvaccinated.

As I understand it is part of the 'moonshot' plan discussed last year and because we bought a shed load of unreliable LFT tests we need to use up.

We test too much and it contributes to our problem.

Many people are doing twice weekly LFTs either for workplaces or for schools, and some just because the government said we should. There will be a lot of asymptomatic or low level symptom cases picked up through these that other countries probably have too but won't be recorded.

We test a lot because do many people are asymptomatic, I suspect other countries are under reporting. We also do more genome testing for variants than every other country put together

We are currently being encouraged to test as much as we can.

Are you a secondary kid at school? Do a test twice a week. Do you work in a school? Do a test twice a week. Do you have kids at school or spend a lot of time with school age children? Do a test twice a week.

Do you work outside the home? Do a test twice a week. None of the above apply? Still do a test twice a week.

Going to a wedding? Take a test. Going out to eat? Take a test. Going for a medical appointment? Take a test? Meeting your family? Take a test. Leave the house? Take a test.

Live in a Covid hot spot? Get tested. School bubble burst? Get a test. Alerted by test and trace about coming into contact with a Covid case? Get a test.

So many people are getting tested for so many different reasons. Not all cases are symptomatic or even severe.

I think they are really going to try and ‘normalise’ testing, especially over the winter.

We are also doing mass PCR testing for large events such as football 60,000 next weekend and Wimbledon tennis.

Also I think the reported number of tests is lower than actual number of tests because , like me, people can’t be arsed to register the result, especially when negative.
I can imagine that several million LFTs are done every day

We have more infections, and therefore symptoms, than other countries. Hence more need for testing.

@Mindymomo

We are also doing mass PCR testing for large events such as football 60,000 next weekend and Wimbledon tennis.

Afaik no mass pcrs for these. To get in you need to show you’re vaccinated or do a lft.

They test so much cos theyve lost the fucking plot.

Needs to stop. Madness.

Most of these comments confirm my suspicion that other countries may be under-reporting cases due to far less testing.

cls123 thank you, the test positivity rate is something I'll look at too.

Yeah, now they’ve got the testing capacity they are keen to use it. My workplace had a small outbreak recently and Public Health England rocked up with two mobile mass testing units to see what was going on 😂

We test a lot because if you have the main symptoms (e.g. a new continuous cough) for common reasons such as hayfever or a cold, then you either test or sit home for 10 days.

Politicians' friends are making a mint from testing which is why it's legally encouraged and oh look the kids will be regularly testing, ha that'll keep gov paying the mates for all those tests.

I've looked at the data and Canada's positive test rate (where I live) is about 1% v the UK's 2%. But we aren't doing a lot of testing here currently. Roughly 35K per day. There are certainly no regular tests for asymptomatic people! We're on a really good downward trajectory right now but it makes me suspect that actual numbers in the community are probably somewhat higher.

In addition to school and workplace LFT, hospitals are also doing a lot of testing, my Dad was in hospital recently and was PCR tested every day. I’m not sure if other countries do the same or not

We keep getting asked to do surge testing when cases rise in our area, even if there's zero chance we've caught Covid.

I’m not allowed to work without three tests a week

I had to take a test before my GP would see me.