Lateral flow tests now require QR code.

My excuse for making such a daft statement in the first place is that I have a bad cough and cold.
Obviously affecting my brain somewhat.?
Have done 2 covid tests.....both negative and reported.

I'll be round at your house JJ, peering in the windows and shouting "scan it, scan it!"

I have to show my texts to staff to gain entry to the home. I thought that was why they were texting us

Alegrias, please don't force me actually I will try it next time, it will most probably be Sunday now...

fiorentina51

I bow to your wisdom Alegrias. You're absolutely right. As ever.

I know. Its a curse.

I bow to your wisdom Alegrias. You're absolutely right. As ever.

I do a lateral flow test twice weekly to coincide with nursing home visits. I report them on the government website then a minute later I receive a text telling me my result is negative. I feel like replying to the text and saying I know, it was me that told you it was negative!

Seriously though, that’s a flaw in the system. Nightclubs and different venues requiring negative lateral flow test results on entry are taking these on trust. But there is nothing to stop a reckless person reporting a positive result as negative if they have tickets to go somewhere.

Instead of enabling a smartphone to just scan the QR code on the test strip I wonder why it doesn’t scan the result at the same time. I’m not very tech savvy, maybe that’s not possible. But, as things stand, it’s open to abuse.

It could be argued that all the positive test results make our data look worse than it is......just saying.

Yes, but that would be a very silly argument.

LOLLIN
"Surely people just keeping as safe as possible and so taking a test just as an added precaution eg before meeting friends after going into busy indoor situations and getting negative results will just result in making the virus data look better than it is? But then this has been the case for so many government stats, the phrase, lies lies and statistics come to mind."

Reporting the results can work both ways. You report the results, positive or negative not just negative.
It could be argued that all the positive test results make our data look worse than it is......just saying.

It should scan JJ, the government website makes it happen.

It was just an offhand comment, I'm not trying to make you do it

I've just got a new box of the new style tests, we'll see how that goes.

It does but I don't know if it scans, I know it is ok to video chat over as I have had to do meetings on it. It;s ok, I just type in the code anyway and that has worked so far. I have been having to do almost daily tests for one reason or another, but these new flow flex tests are much better than the ones that were supplied previously

Does your laptop have a camera? Use that to scan the QR code.

maddyone

I really can’t see the problem with reporting the results, I have to report the result every time I do one before I go to see my mother in her nursing home. How can the virus be tracked if people don’t report the results?

I must admit I haven't logged a few that I did when I have had a cold etc but I have to log to see my daughter, like you do with your Mum. It doesn't even take that long if you have an account logged with the NHS now. The most difficult part is reading the code which presumably is the QR code as it is a mixture of letters and numbers (I log on my laptop btw not phone)

I guess I will be on my own on this forum. However, I still remember '3 weeks to flatten the curve'.

Good post Alegrias.

I really can’t see the problem with reporting the results, I have to report the result every time I do one before I go to see my mother in her nursing home. How can the virus be tracked if people don’t report the results?

I think if you get a positive Lateral Flow you are supposed to go to get a PCR test to me sure.

A QR code is just a representation of a string of letters and numbers. Bit like a barcode. This from the government website:

If you give the pharmacy a 'collect code' when you pick up the tests, it helps the NHS match your details to the tests.

It seems to refer just to England.

If you don't have a smartphone, you can just use the string of letters and numbers that the QR code represents. You can get it by calling 119.

test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/collect-lateral-flow-kits

The QR code that you might use when you record the result is a totally different QR code.

Every piece of information you get with the LFT packs tells you to record the result whether it's negative or not. 2 reasons:

The stats that the NHS collects includes the percentage of positive tests against negative tests to allow them to understand the prevalence of the virus.

Also, if nobody bothers to report their negative tests, the NHS doesn't know if you are just stockpiling tests, not bothering to report, or even not reporting positive tests.

So they need to know about negative ones as well. If you order by post, for example, they can trace each individual test back to you. If you pick them up without identification then don't report them, they don't know where those tests have gone.

Surely people just keeping as safe as possible and so taking a test just as an added precaution eg before meeting friends after going into busy indoor situations and getting negative results will just result in making the virus data look better than it is? But then this has been the case for so many government stats, the phrase, lies lies and statistics come to mind

I have never done a lateral flow test although I know lots of people who do them regularly when meeting up with people, I had no idea you had to report the result of the tests.
My pharmacy sent a box along with my meds which I get delivered every eight weeks.
This was several months ago.

When I did a lateral flow test this week it was negative. I then went online to report the result and they said if you don’t use a QR there is a short list of numbers just below it on the result piece of plastic and you just type in those numbers, worked a treat.

Lft do give false positives sometimes.

My grandson is off school with positive tests using the regular LFT. He has however received 2 negative PCR tests so far. Has anyone
else experienced this phenomena? He does a daily LFT.

I asked for a box at our pharmacy and was given 2, one extra for my OH which I said I didn't want. Apparently the paperwork couldn't be changed so......does anyone in the Glasgow area need some?

I’ve just finished my last one, I do a test once a week. Just ordered some online, usually get them from pharmacy, but after reading this…

I always report my result online.

Seems silly, getting them posted out when they can just be collected though.

Wonder how many thousands of unused tests are just languishing in homes or worse, just chucked unused in the bin.