Lateral flow tests - nose only?

[botanics]

Am reading elsewhere on the site that nose only lateral flow tests seem to be becoming more common. Is this just a thing in England or has anyone in Scotland got them so far? There doesn't seem to be any way to choose, and the pack I got last week were definitely not nose only. People on another thread suggested just to order and they should be nose only but I'm not convinced this is the case in Scotland.

I think it’s to do with stock levels. I ordered from the gov.uk site last week and got the usual throat + nose ones, from a fulfilment centre in Glasgow. But friends in England seem to be getting the nose only ones lately, albeit from different (and English) fulfilment centres.

Dp gets nose only ones from work (NHS).

Thanks - guess we have to wait for supplies in Scotland of nose/throat tests to run out before we get sent nose only tests!

You can do nose only with the standard tests can’t you? You can with PCR tests anyway; it’s what they advise for small children (both nostrils instead of tonsils and one nostril). I can’t physically reach my own tonsils without touching stuff on the way so always do both nostrils instead.

We picked up lateral flow tests from Boots at the weekend in England. The step by step instructions said to swab tonsils on both sides and one nostril, but I noticed it also said in the notes below “if swabbing nostrils only, swab both nostrils”.

Yes - you can just do both nostrils, but only if you can't do tonsils. Would be good to know that you had a test where you were definitely not affecting the accuracy by not doing tonsils. Much less unpleasant too!

I had a planned test on Friday morning due to surgery booked in for today, that was one nostril and tonsils, but then got admitted to same hospital on Sat for emergency surgery instead and they just did both nostrils! So it doesn’t seem like even the hospitals have a particular preference

Mine from work (NHS) are nostrils only, thankfully!! I've only had one PCR test and then just swabbed my nostrils as my gag reflex is awful and I doubt I would get the right area as my tonsils are removed.
Afaik both methods are as effective.

My nhs ones have always been nose only but my partners (local council) has always been nose & throat with a 30 min no eating/drinking before rule

I have the nose only tests from work (NHS). My husband requested some tests prior to going to the office a few weeks ago and was sent tests which require tonsils and nose to be swabbed

@Ladylunchalot

Mine from work (NHS) are nostrils only, thankfully!! I've only had one PCR test and then just swabbed my nostrils as my gag reflex is awful and I doubt I would get the right area as my tonsils are removed. Afaik both methods are as effective.

No point swabbing at non existent tonsils...

DS only swabs his nostrils as he doesn't like swabbing his tonsils. You could just do this OP with your standard LFT kits.

@ASimpleLobsterHat

You can do nose only with the standard tests can’t you? You can with PCR tests anyway; it’s what they advise for small children (both nostrils instead of tonsils and one nostril). I can’t physically reach my own tonsils without touching stuff on the way so always do both nostrils instead.

Yes you can, the instructions on mine say that if you can't swab your tonsils then to do both nostrils instead. Like you I can't get to my tonsils without touching other stuff (and when I had this issue when doing a supervised PCR was told to do both nostrils instead).

@HarrisMcCoo

DS only swabs his nostrils as he doesn't like swabbing his tonsils. You could just do this OP with your standard LFT kits.

Indeed - but what I was interested in was when actual nostril only lft test kits would start being sent out to people in Scotland (as apparently they are in England).