Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Stop overusing lateral flow tests!

493 replies

musicalfrog · 29/12/2021 00:35

How many posts on this forum say "ooh I tested twice yesterday", or "ooh I'm waiting for a pcr result but still taking a lateral flow every day"...

Have some fucking thought for the expense to the taxpayer of all these tests, and the poor folk who are struggling to get a supply of tests to keep their loved ones safe while you fritter them away without a second thought.

You DON'T need to take more than one test a day, you DON'T need to keep testing while waiting a pcr result (you should be isolating) and you DON'T need to be testing every day unless you're a close contact.

Over consumption is killing this planet, these are prime examples.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:23
  • doctor on TV said a lateral flow can be negative in the am and positive in the pm so when seeing relatives as soon before you meet them as possible.
DressingPafe · 29/12/2021 07:23

I personally have never taken a LFT (nor a pcr). I wfh, don’t know anyone who’s vulnerable, most shopping delivered so any trip to the shops I’m just in and out quickly. So I just don’t see any need.

This post has got me curious though about my friends and family. Testing isn’t something we discuss so I have no idea how often they test. I will probably ask now out of curiosity. I didn’t think people were testing more than was necessary, but I guess they are!

MrsLargeEmbodied · 29/12/2021 07:24

they give them out in the town weekly.
that is why i have lots

Iggly · 29/12/2021 07:25

@Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas

Op turn on the government and suppliers not innocent people trying to see family and friends and testing and being sensible. This happened early on in the pandemic when pcr tests were hard to get. People turned on each other for booking them. Plenty do not test at all, plenty don't. In the midst of a pandemic I can't get hot about people testing.
^this
Boofay · 29/12/2021 07:26

@Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas

Op turn on the government and suppliers not innocent people trying to see family and friends and testing and being sensible. This happened early on in the pandemic when pcr tests were hard to get. People turned on each other for booking them. Plenty do not test at all, plenty don't. In the midst of a pandemic I can't get hot about people testing.

This! ⬆️

We all have our own risk levels and some of our nation's governments are telling us to "flow before we go", so regardless of being a close contact or not, we are being asked to take lfts every time we meet up with people.

Newmum738 · 29/12/2021 07:28

The Government has spent about £17bn on lateral flow tests so far and no sign of stopping. There are also other related things costing money such as the £750 isolation payments and all the rescue packages for businesses affected. This will hit public services this year. Already my DF has had a hospital appointment he desperately needs pushed back 6 months. I'd rather we didn't use the tests like sweets! The plastic that is being used and wasted is another travesty. So I'm with you OP.

becca3210 · 29/12/2021 07:29

If you need some the government website has them just ordered some

Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:30

I used to be extremely sceptical about lat flows but I've seen them in action in a setting with over 1000 people and they were surprisingly effective.
"if I wake up with covid symptoms I will isolate and do a pcr"

I've been in a setting with hundreds of unvaccinated people and I understand that I could be an asymptotic carrier so we are asked to test twice a week.
That's the main point of them, to pick up the people who don't have symptoms and carry it and crucially... Pass it on.

I can't understand why this message has been lost?
Pcr for symptoms, lat flow for randomly picking up problems you don't know about too stop you passing it on.
I'm astounded at people still not understanding this.

Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:33

People using tests and testing positive and isolating will benefit other people though?
If I test + before I go to work on a Sunday... I'm not going to potentially infect or take down at least 10 people at work probably many more!

Namenic · 29/12/2021 07:33

We are rationing lfts due to being unable to get them (deliveries haven’t arrived). We are household of 4 with 1 person lft positive awaiting pcr. We basically isolate and someone only does one if they need to leave the house.

Personally I reckon daily testing if close contact should only apply 1) if CV and you would get benefit from knowing earlier 2) you need to leave the house or meet someone (this group would be fairly big because lots of jobs are not wfh and it’s probably better to test before meeting others than spread it to a large number of people). But if you can avoid meeting people for 10 days after close contact, that is probably preferable (though maybe only a few have this luxury).

Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:34

Or saving on the more expensive isolation payments and not taking out hospital staff

StillNo · 29/12/2021 07:34

@Sparklfairy

They'll have to start charging for them at this rate, and then no one will test at all.
Good. Then covid will go away and we’ll all just have colds again.
Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:37

Dressing I would get more upset about those who seem to think they are the work of the devil and never ever test and merrily spread covid unawares... For the sake of an almost instant test. Confused

Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 29/12/2021 07:38

I don't expect we will need to test for much longer but we are still in the learning phase.

RampantIvy · 29/12/2021 07:40

People also aren't able to get PCR tests either or are having to travel miles for them.

You can't get a PCR test round here for love nor money. We are in South Yorkshire, and the nearest available testing facilities are in Doncaster (20 miles away) or Manchester (even further). We have PCR testing facilities in the car park in the nearest town, but there is no availability.

freckles20 · 29/12/2021 07:45

@Pixxie7

I have to question the reliability of them anyway, my daughter was having my 92 year old mother over for lunch so she did a test prior to going which was negative. Two days later she was positive and now awaiting her pcr results.
They are a helpful tool. They can't see into the future and predict that sufficient viral load will occur 3 days later for a positive result!
eveningbubble · 29/12/2021 07:46

us Irish tools are paying for them 😂🙄 but then we are only the dregs

MarshmallowFondant · 29/12/2021 07:47

Completely agree. Queen Covid, Nicola Sturgeon's new phrase is "flow before you go" and she's encouraging testing every time you go anywhere, even to the shops.

SO much waste, and SO much plastic and SO much expense. Same with everything though, there is no cost to the end user of lateral flow tests so there is this perception that they are "free".

FlamesEmbersAshes · 29/12/2021 07:48

I agree OP. We all tested before meeting my parents on Christmas Day but haven’t since because we haven’t been anywhere apart from walks in the countryside.

I’ve seen posts where people are testing multiple times a day or are continuing to test after getting a positive LFT and booking a PCR. This baffles me.

An utter waste of resources.

thewhatsit · 29/12/2021 07:51

Honestly I agree with you.

I don’t understand the testing every day whilst you have Covid? Just test days 6 and 7 for early release. There is no benefit to testing before then and it’s just plastic waste.

Or the faint line on a LFT.. so then do another two more LFTs… why??

Iggly · 29/12/2021 07:52

I think OP, and other angry posters, that you have to ask yourself whether those posting on MN are representative (unlikely) and why you’re so angry? People respond differently to a pandemic and we’ve have a government who has been the kings of mixed messaging.

They won’t even update the PCR list of symptoms so people will test and isolate unnecessarily.

Iggly · 29/12/2021 07:53

@MarshmallowFondant

Completely agree. Queen Covid, Nicola Sturgeon's new phrase is "flow before you go" and she's encouraging testing every time you go anywhere, even to the shops.

SO much waste, and SO much plastic and SO much expense. Same with everything though, there is no cost to the end user of lateral flow tests so there is this perception that they are "free".

We pay via taxes Hmm
Kotatsu · 29/12/2021 07:54

us Irish tools are paying for them 😂🙄 but then we are only the dregs

We only have to pay if we want to use them randomly (which obviously a lot of us did for Christmas visits) - if you're required to use them, eg. because the school had an outbreak then you get them free.

The Irish government has never pushed LFTs in the same way as the UK has though, so there's much lower usage, and we pay for most healthcare anyway unlike those from the UK - different countries, different health choices (and nothing to do with being 'dregs')

ImInStealthMode · 29/12/2021 07:56

Completely agree OP. I've seen a few times this week on here 'positive PCR test last Tuesday but still negative on LFTs'. Why in Gods name would you still be doing daily LFTs after a positive PCR?!? For what purpose exactly?

I said on a thread yesterday, locally to us some woman was discovered to be doing 5-6 a day. Fucking madness.

If you're in a position that you NEED to test daily then do so. Otherwise everyone needs to calm down.

WouldBeGood · 29/12/2021 07:57

People on MN and Twitter are never done testing and posting about it. I think it makes people feel that they are good.

It’s got completely nuts now. The damage to the planet is never thought of.

I think you should have to pay for them.