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Original poster

How often are you lateral flow testing?

126 replies

Starch1e · 01/12/2021 21:02

With the change in guidance to test before 'mixing with people in crowded indoor places' do you interpret that as meaning potentially every day if going to shops/using public transport? Or not those situations because we're all meant to be masked again?

Previously I thought we had been told there's no advantage to testing more frequently than 2x per week as takes a few days for Covid to develop. I also really dislike all the waste associated with tests.

So how often are you testing? Have your employers changed guidance if you work in a shop or theatre/cinema/similar?

I'm really interested to know if I should be testing more than 2x per week.

OP posts:
YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 03/12/2021 06:17

Never, no need as retired and rarely go anywhere other than for dog walks.

didireallysaythat · 03/12/2021 06:18

Every week day as requested by my employer. We also wear masks when inside the building and work stations have 1-2m spacing.

I'm puzzled as to all the PP who aren't testing 1-2 times a week. Maybe most people WFH??

GoodnightGrandma · 03/12/2021 06:19

Twice a week for work, but I do them before I go to see my DM to protect her.

Malteser71 · 03/12/2021 16:59

What are they for then, if not did when you have symptoms??

Confused

didireallysaythat · 03/12/2021 17:22

@Malteser71 not everyone who has covid has symptoms. If you don't test you could be spreading it without realising it.

I guess you missed the memo?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/12/2021 17:31

@Malteser71

What are they for then, if not did when you have symptoms??

Confused

They are for picking up symptomless cases which would otherwise go undetected.
Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/12/2021 17:32

@didireallysaythat

Every week day as requested by my employer. We also wear masks when inside the building and work stations have 1-2m spacing.

I'm puzzled as to all the PP who aren't testing 1-2 times a week. Maybe most people WFH??

I don't WFH, my employer doesn't require us to test.
Nomorecoco · 03/12/2021 18:38

My work just released a covid policy of 2 a week. It's a very small enclosed hot desking office. Before it was 1a week

KatherineJaneway · 03/12/2021 18:41

Now I am doing it in advance of meeting up with people.

TolkiensFallow · 03/12/2021 18:44

All the time 2-3 times per week

Oblomov21 · 03/12/2021 18:49

I have only done a few. The ds's did them to start with haven't recently. I've done quite a few PCR's for travel though.

dannydyerismydad · 03/12/2021 19:49

I was testing twice a week, as per work policy.

But as DS has had covid I've been testing daily. Will go back to twice a week next week.

PurpleDaisies · 03/12/2021 19:50

Twice a week.

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 03/12/2021 19:51

Daily. I'm an infant school teacher in a school where more than half the staff are off sick with covid

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 03/12/2021 19:51

My schools is asking us to do them daily; realistically I’m doing them twice a week maybe once more if seeing someone vulnerable

Malteser71 · 04/12/2021 08:58

Yes, but if you get symptoms, you don’t go straight for a pcr, do you?

You use an LFT and then if it’s positive, a pcr?

OliveTree75 · 04/12/2021 09:02

I did one daily for two weeks when there was a huge outbreak in my class. Also did a pcr. All negative! I have stopped now. Maybe do one a week

Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2021 09:12

@Malteser71

Yes, but if you get symptoms, you don’t go straight for a pcr, do you?

You use an LFT and then if it’s positive, a pcr?

That’s exactly what you do. If you have symptoms you go for a PCR, you don’t do a LFT. LFTs are only for if you have no symptoms.
ifonly4 · 04/12/2021 09:15

2-3 times a week. I have 3 members of the family over 80, know four who were shielding, one who could only have her first vaccine a month ago (health related), so I tend to do them before seeing those people or groups associated with them. I have two places of work with very high contact, one of which is a school so regularly have to deal with children who are going home due to covid symptoms, so I feel I'm quite a risk to others.

JustDanceAddict · 04/12/2021 09:20

Once a week ish
work mainly from Home and don’t mix much in the office.

vodkaredbullgirl · 04/12/2021 09:20

lft twice a week, pcr once a week. Been on annual leave this week, ended up with a cold, so did lft 4x.

Whattochoosenow · 04/12/2021 09:30

I would urge all who are testing to report the negative as well as the positive tests. Otherwise it artificially pushes up the percentage of tested people who are positive.

CloudyStorms · 04/12/2021 09:46

@Whattochoosenow

I would urge all who are testing to report the negative as well as the positive tests. Otherwise it artificially pushes up the percentage of tested people who are positive.
They need to make it so much quicker to report the tests. Even with a saved profile I'm fed up of clicking loads just to say it's negative. Do they really need to know why I'm doing the test etc?
CloudyStorms · 04/12/2021 09:47

I just want to do one click to confirm who I am and another to say it's negative. I don't have time to answer "do I want a confirmation text" each time.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/12/2021 09:51

Ive never done one but if I do I'm only a reporting a negative if it's easy, i.e. scan a QR code and say negative or positive.

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