No lateral flows left.. 🙈

[Zolla]

Ahh. As predicted, they announce the end of free testing and people have gone wild on ordering the free ones 😂 Shock.

@0pheliaBaIIs

Where there is clinical need for testing the NHS will cover it

No they won't, @HavfrueDenizKisi. Testing is to be restricted to asymptomatic testing for the CEV.

Immunosuppressed CEV people who have been advised to test daily/on the day they take their medication will no longer have access to free LFTs.

Well possibly because they've decided that is not required? Clinically.

I'm not saying I understand all the ins and outs of immunosuppressed or CEV people so please don't think I'm trying to be contrary and I fully appreciate people living with such conditions must feel very stressed.

However it is possible that this may have been originally suggested but now it's been realised that it isn't really required. It's easy for a clinician to suggest regular testing especially if access to tests is unregulated and free. Whether it's actually needed long term isn't that clear, possibly.

I'm just suggesting an alternative view @0pheliaBaIIs I'm definitely not trying to be rude or dismissive.

If (as a teacher, so with very high exposure to a large number of unvaccinated children daily - known infections up to a quarter if the school last term) I test before I visit elderly parents, surely that SAVES the NHS money, because they don’t have to provide the critical care my parents would need if they became very ill?

You can buy them from other places.
It's just the free ones that are running out.
If you really need one (and can afford a couple of £) then buy some.
Not to downgrade the benefit to public health of free tests (I disagree with them stopping), just pointing out that you do have some control left and can still test yourself (even now) just it costs a few quid.

I'm glad I ordered some last week in anticipation. Both the in-laws and my dad are pushing 80 and have complex medical issues. We all test before we see see them to minimise their risk of exposure. I don't think they'd be comfortable having us visit without a test.

Just curious how clinically vulnerable CEV people managed during the winters before covid but just with flu? Because for most people Omicron is now milder than flu. With covid the CEV had had 3-5 vaccinations within roughly a years time, whereas with the flu they only get a vaccine once a year. People were walking around with all sorts of coughs and flu bugs prior to covid. How did people cope? I do think the government has done the CEV a great disservice by scarring them so much that it's come to them not wanting to leave their house. Heck, for the first year of the pandemic I was even scared to leave my house until I realised that so much of what the government and the media was saying was scaremongering.

BJ is assuming that the public have common sense and consideration for others

Reading this thread everyone has personal reasons for testing - they certainly aren’t doing it for the common good of everyone they meet are they? You won’t know if the person next to you has tested or not or has elderly relatives or like a sing sing on a Saturday afternoon.

You now have three vaccines some people have had four! The risk is less than in was - even without vaccines the virus is less deadly now anyway.

@WineGetsMeThroughIt

Just curious how clinically vulnerable CEV people managed during the winters before covid but just with flu? Because for most people Omicron is now milder than flu. With covid the CEV had had 3-5 vaccinations within roughly a years time, whereas with the flu they only get a vaccine once a year. People were walking around with all sorts of coughs and flu bugs prior to covid. How did people cope? I do think the government has done the CEV a great disservice by scarring them so much that it's come to them not wanting to leave their house. Heck, for the first year of the pandemic I was even scared to leave my house until I realised that so much of what the government and the media was saying was scaremongering.

when I was on chemo pre-Covid it was certainly stressful and difficult, I had to limit life, move away from people on public transport who were visibly unwell, take wipes out with me, ask people before I went round if anyone was unwell etc, use the Equality Act to be able to get safer working conditions. However, as overstretched as the NHS was, when I did get a virus that put me in hospital, there were beds, the staff were not on their knees from trauma and compassion fatigue, visitors were allowed in to do all the extra caring around making sure that I was fed, clean, getting the meds that had been written up from me etc. that many NHS wards have not had time to do for years, they were not champing at the bit to discharge me as soon as I'd got to the basic threshold of unlikely to die in the next 24 hours. I guess the fear now is that the vulnerability to illness will rise before the facilities have recovered to help if it happens.

@BluebellsGreenbells

BJ is assuming that the public have common sense and consideration for others

Reading this thread everyone has personal reasons for testing - they certainly aren’t doing it for the common good of everyone they meet are they? You won’t know if the person next to you has tested or not or has elderly relatives or like a sing sing on a Saturday afternoon.

You now have three vaccines some people have had four! The risk is less than in was - even without vaccines the virus is less deadly now anyway.

Next variant might not be.

The next flu variant could also be an absolute stinger too, but we don’t tend to spend our days worrying about that. We leave it to the experts to monitor.

Testing is not ending this week, it's ending on 1st April. It's only the legal requirement to isolate that's changing to guidance to keep away from others for at least 5 days if you test positive from this Thursday onwards. Reading this thread it doesn't look like anyone's understood that though...

@ShallWeTalkAboutBruno

The next flu variant could also be an absolute stinger too, but we don’t tend to spend our days worrying about that. We leave it to the experts to monitor.

Because we generally get data about the strains from Australia who have it 6 months before we do and so vaccines can be modified accordingly…….. Covid is pretty much happening everywhere at the same time.

Aren’t some people awful?

I’m guessing the same type of person who selfishly hoardes LFTs, was the same that squirrelled away loo rolls and queued up for hours to put 1/4 of a tank of petrol in their car. It must be awful to be like this.

@WouldIBeATwat and sometimes we fuck that up and develop vaccines for the wrong variant, and tens of thousands of people die in one winter, but the majority of the public know nothing about it.

I still have one under my bed from when I was accidentally sent two following a trip abroad. Maybe I should auction it off and be able to retire! Seems everyone is desperate for them and I will never do another one ever again!

Imagine if tests never existed. I mean we're not offered free tests for colds or the flu..?

@DillDanding

Aren’t some people awful?

I’m guessing the same type of person who selfishly hoardes LFTs, was the same that squirrelled away loo rolls and queued up for hours to put 1/4 of a tank of petrol in their car. It must be awful to be like this.

You are allowed to order a box a day. Not sure how thats hoarding?

Some people will naturally want to continue to test. The majority will not.

We knew this announcement was coming so if you've run out for the next few days, you haven't been organised enough.

You are allowed to order a box a day

It’s a box every 3 days now.

@Blubells

Imagine if tests never existed. I mean we're not offered free tests for colds or the flu..?

ITS...ITS NOT A COLD OR FLU. its been two and a half sodding years for crying out loud!

ITS...ITS NOT A COLD OR FLU. its been two and a half sodding years for crying out loud!

2 years and 2 months since we first heard of Covid.

@ShallWeTalkAboutBruno

ITS...ITS NOT A COLD OR FLU. its been two and a half sodding years for crying out loud!

2 years and 2 months since we first heard of Covid.

Ah yes, that is what's important here.

I just don’t get why people exaggerate the timings. After 14 months people were saying ‘we’ve been in lockdown for 2 years’ etc. It doesn’t help anyones arguments when they deliberately exaggerate timings to make things seem better or worse than they are, whatever side of the debate you’re on.

@Chestofdraws

But once again, the poor are thrown to the wolves

No they are not, they will be tested if it’s medically required and for free. Since when have we let people carry out tests as standard for free so they can do leisure activities or have peace of mind?

Once again - we will not have access to free tests unless we're symptomatic, and then it's PCRs only.

Which is useless if you need to test regularly because you're immunosuppressed.

@HavfrueDenizKisi no problem, I understand you're not being contrary!

I'm on immunosuppressant drugs for an autoimmune condition. I am advised by the team that looks after me to test regularly, daily if possible. If I test positive I have to contact the hospital straightaway, and also book a PCR.

It's also essential that I test on the day I inject my drugs, to make sure I'm not flooding my system with immunosuppressant medication while inflected.

If I can't afford to take tests, I will have to think seriously about the risk of taking my medication versus the danger of becoming very ill with Covid.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in the UK in a similar position.

@Chestofdraws

But once again, the poor are thrown to the wolves

No they are not, they will be tested if it’s medically required and for free. Since when have we let people carry out tests as standard for free so they can do leisure activities or have peace of mind?

Absolutely.

Ophelia I think in your situation tests should be provided. However I don't see how you can say there are hundreds of thousands of people in the UK in your position. My CEV friend who is immunosuppressed has never been told to test every day. You can't speak for everyone.