To think rates are going down because people are choosing not to have PCRs?

[Glassery]

Two of my friendship group have this weekend told me that they have symptoms, have got a positive lateral flow, but have decided not to go for a PCR test as a positive result means they would have to isolate over Christmas.

Instead they are going to carry on with their lives as normal for the next few days ‘because it would be a shame to have to make the children stay home’ with them.

Personally I think it’s a disgrace but anyway…

AIBU to think the drop in rates over the past few days is not because Covid cases are falling but instead because selfish people don’t want to isolate until 28th Dec?

One of the reasons to log a negative LFT is that it shows on the NHS app which can be used for entry into places that require a covid pass. It also helps the government see how many are testing and what percentage are finding symptomless positive cases. If the percentage is minuscule then they may stop providing them for free so if you find them useful I would suggest logging them, it takes seconds.

Taking a PCR is important after a LFT for various reasons. If you unlucky enough to get long covid or experience complications later it is important to show you were affected. It can also be necessary for fit notes or to prove a long term absence from work. It also helps with statistics, finding new variants and geographical patterns to those.

The reason there has been shortages (although I personally have not found this at all, just saw media reports similar to the fuel crisis) is the government are recommending close contacts each do a LFT every day for 7 days so demand is up.

@spudjulia

I have never seen a thread where OP has had to re-explain herself so many times

Are you very new to MN?

If you do PCR they phone you every day
Certainly not doing any asymptomatic LFTs here.
Having said that could be a chance to miss work in January so maybe might do one a week

We never had the daily calls.
We got one call, which we answered and addressed each question.
And that was it.

Dh didn't answer the first call. He answered the second, answered the questions, and again that was it.

I don't actually know anyone who has answered one call but still had multiple daily calls after that. I've only read about it in here.

The clue about lack of testing is the positivity rate. Anyone have any data on that because theres been efforts to keep a lid on that in the past.

@siameasy

There are reason that some people are called frequently.
I know someone who didnt answer so they sent someone round to check and the person was so ill they sent an ambalance.

That said,if you don't plan to act on it, why would you even take the LFT?

I think the psychology of this is really interesting. Just from all the conflicting thoughts that have gone through my head. I think to a certain degree you separate the test from the possible consequences in your head. So you do the test to do the right thing and feel 'good', that you did what you could. Sort of in an expectation that it'll be negative and your conscience can be clear. But if it's positive it's a sudden mental shift that you have to make, and it's hard. Not that it excuses it, just trying to understand it.

@Siameasy

If you do PCR they phone you every day Certainly not doing any asymptomatic LFTs here. Having said that could be a chance to miss work in January so maybe might do one a week

Not in my case. No one phoned me. That’s the absolute truth. I had about 3 texts getting more urgent saying I hadn’t logged my result etc but apart from that nothing else.

@MsEmmeline

Why does everything have to be so divisive? Anti-vaxxers, people not doing LFTs, now people doing LFTs . It suits the government for the population to be fighting within itself, because we're then not looking at them and holding them accountable for what they're doing (or not doing).

Totally agree with this.

I don’t blame people for not wanting to ruin Christmas after a ghastly two years running, like at all. We had covid a couple of weeks ago, self isolation brought back horrid memories of lockdown which I’m still needing counselling to deal with. I felt like a prisoner, just so trapped in my own home and mind.

Everyone should be free to make their own personal risk assessments. They shouldn’t float around infecting vulnerable people obviously but to the vast majority of the population, covid really isn’t a big deal at all. It’s a mild cold.

@Glassery
Here is the proof that cases are NOT going down. This is cases by specimen date rather than date of report (which is what we get daily and fluctuates due to day of the week).
Yes the last number is lower simply because all the tests from the 16th are not yet processed. The guy that posted this is the actual government civil servant in charge of the daily number crunching.
Stop spreading misinformation.

[quote Frazzled2207]@Glassery
Here is the proof that cases are NOT going down. This is cases by specimen date rather than date of report (which is what we get daily and fluctuates due to day of the week).
Yes the last number is lower simply because all the tests from the 16th are not yet processed. The guy that posted this is the actual government civil servant in charge of the daily number crunching.
Stop spreading misinformation.[/quote]
Thanks for this - taken from the Gov Covid dashboard. It shows a peak on the 15/12. This thread isn’t about ‘spreading misinformation,’ as I, too, have only cited figures from the Gov Covid dashboard. The thread is about sharing my view that case numbers will drop this week as people with symptoms/positive LFT will choose not to do PCRs.

This theory is based on my friendship group and reading things on here that indicate people are avoiding PCRs as a means of escaping mandatory self-isolation over Christmas.

Your post doesn’t really link in with the premise of the thread - let’s see what happens to the data this week.

If I am wrong then fair enough. But it’s clear from this thread alone that other posters have identified similar trends in their own social groups.

[quote Beseen22]@eggybrains your trust must have a much better set up that mine because that is not the case across the board. If HDU don't have a side room available you will sit in the hell that is medical admissions until HDU can get a room flipped (took a grand 7 hours last night). If you had taken the PCR when you first had a positive LFT you could go straight to the main high care respiratory pathway bay to commence NIV because you have a documented case to commence.[/quote]
@Beseen22 well that is inappropriate if true and if so should be reported. Which trust is this, or if not willing to BAME trust, which devolved nation is it in?

Nope

I think, if anything, there will be more tests as people take a precautionary PCR to protect relatives they're visiting over Christmas.

I agree OP, people going about their normal business with covid is sickening, especially when there are vulnerable people trying to live as normal a life as they can in the hope that others won't selfishly be out and about whilst knowing they're positive.
I would take a PCR if I had a positive lateral flow test, to confirm. If it was one of my kids I wouldn't put them through the test (they're babies), but would definitely isolate.

Could be right, last year I went for a test on 20th December and it was really busy (drive through the airport). I wondered if people were getting tests before seeing family.

I can imagine particularly selfish people doing this - and theres plenty of such people around. Although if the new variant infects at such a high rate, this behaviour wouldnt really dent the numbers.

Cases won’t actually go down, but they will of course be a fraction of the true number. I have a positive PCR but my husband didn’t bother - he was ill before me and got a positive LFT, he knew he had it, no point going to a grim test centre to spread it while feeling lousy. I got my PCR when my symptoms developed a few days later mainly out of curiosity as I couldn’t believe I didn’t have Covid despite negative LFTs, and of course the PCR was positive. I don’t understand why we’re still using home tests with such a high false negative rate. Surely that’s the absolute worst flaw these tests could have? It would drive behavioural change for the better significantly if we had reliable rapid home tests. It’s ridiculous and untenable to be frequently waiting for days at a time to know whether you can leave the house or not.

@ChangeChingyChange - 🙄🙄🙄🙄

My grandad has covid and no PCR. He had a very positive LF and he and my grandma are isolating appropriately. I arranged PCRs, but they just found it all too stressful. I think that's fair enough. He has a broken hip and two cancers to go with it, they have enough stress and invasive procedures already.

They are staying in. All medical staff and his Dr know. I see nothing wrong with that and could not give a fuck if people think they should behave differently.

I’ve just taken a PCR over the weekend from a positive LFT. I needed it for work (teacher) as my school is still open today and I am unable to be there. I was already isolating from the positive LFT.

Anecdotally from the area I teach in (inner London, high deprivation), testing isn’t happening. We have sent children home with persistent coughs but parents will just say that we can’t make them test their children. Many are genuinely worried about the financial implications of a child isolating. When you are on a zero hour contract it’s no joke.

@Herja

My grandad has covid and no PCR. He had a very positive LF and he and my grandma are isolating appropriately. I arranged PCRs, but they just found it all too stressful. I think that's fair enough. He has a broken hip and two cancers to go with it, they have enough stress and invasive procedures already.

They are staying in. All medical staff and his Dr know. I see nothing wrong with that and could not give a fuck if people think they should behave differently.

This is true actually, doing a PCR (even postal) for elderly or seriously unwell people is so hard so they have to scan the packets, fill in email etc on the online form take them to the postbox etc its too much for most order/non tech people.

@Herja

My grandad has covid and no PCR. He had a very positive LF and he and my grandma are isolating appropriately. I arranged PCRs, but they just found it all too stressful. I think that's fair enough. He has a broken hip and two cancers to go with it, they have enough stress and invasive procedures already.

They are staying in. All medical staff and his Dr know. I see nothing wrong with that and could not give a fuck if people think they should behave differently.

Hope your grandparents are both OK.

Plus an hour to drive to get a pcr when sick 🙄

I'm symptomatic, I've tested and returned, test lost!

Call centre said 'inundated' so it will take time for positive number to be accurate.

Enquiry email website down too - crashed with overuse.