Is everyone doing LFT twice a week?

I’ve been doing it ever since it was suggested. The last couple of packs received only require nasal swabs. I always report the results except when I’m in France where I found the reporting process wouldn’t work. It’s easy enough and takes about 20 mins including reporting the result.

Biscuitmuncher

I've never done one. I read somewhere that if we all stopped testing the pandemic would be over!

Aye right!

I have to take one before I visit my mum in her care home and show that I’ve registered the result before I’m allowed in. Other than that, I’ve taken tests on the odd occasion but not regularly. I found that once I’d set up the account to register the tests the process is easy - the hardest bit was finding the reference for mums care home! Fortunately the site remembers it so I’ve only had to put it in once!

I take one every week at mums care home before I am allowed to see her. I do another test mid week before a WI meeting. I report the test results both times, it is not difficult once you register, takes about two minutes. But the flaw in the reporting method is after you log in and use the Q code, you have to manually indicate your test result. Although I have never done this, it is possible to say you are negative when the result is positive, there is no way of checking the truth.

Mogsmaw

Also I always register the results or it distorts the numbers. It’s really easy, you sign up, save the password, and it just scan the code on the test.
Honestly, if your out and about it really is your civic duty.

I should think the results are fairly distorted anyway as there are bound to be a lot of people not doing them.

I'm not out and about usually, other than walks on my own.

I did one a couple of days ago, for the first time, and registered it.
In the chemists, today, I got a box of the new nasal ones and asked the assistant. She told me I should do them twice a week even if I don't go anywhere.

I'm in Scotland and I know the Scottish Government wants people to do that. The site to register them is gov.uk though.

Teacheranne

I take one every week at mums care home before I am allowed to see her. I do another test mid week before a WI meeting. I report the test results both times, it is not difficult once you register, takes about two minutes. But the flaw in the reporting method is after you log in and use the Q code, you have to manually indicate your test result. Although I have never done this, it is possible to say you are negative when the result is positive, there is no way of checking the truth.

I report mine by scanning the QR code with my mobile phone which is double checked against the code on the cassette so to my mind that result would be hard to falsify.

I do one once a week and report the result. The new nasal only tests are simple and easy, the reporting straightforward after initial registering.

I work with both the very young and the elderly. I’ve never been asked to do them but I do one twice a week.

I do one if I am going to have close contact with anyone, such as my dentist or grandchildren. I always report the result.

DH and I do them often-hardly a hardship-we’re both quite slick at them now!
We do them before things like our groups which have started up again-art group, keep fit, two choirs, church.
We don’t publish results though.
Funnily enough DD2, medic’s wife, told me tests had been checked:-
Throat only
Nose only
Throat and nose
She said throat was best so surprised to hear of nose only tests.
Can’t understand folk who won’t do them TBH.

All those that don't record the results - you do appreciate that you are adding to the high positivity rate?

And costing the country money because they don't know where all the tests have gone? And making it more difficult for the rest of us to get hold of test kits because they are having to manage the distribution now?

Report your results to the NHS!!

Yes I do.
I work in close contact with clients, some elderly. Why wouldn’t I?
I always report the tests.
It helps the government to work out the % of virus in the population.

We only take one if we're feeling a bit under the weather, or if we're going somewhere crowded.
I'm afraid we're not very good at reporting the results. (Note to self - must report every test)

I do an LFT before I go to appointments, eg, dentist of medical face to face. Just to make sure I am protecting the people I see. Also test if I feel a bit unwell, otherwise I don’t bother.

All those that don't record the results - you do appreciate that you are adding to the high positivity rate?
How does that work?
Surely whoever works with the figures makes allowance for the 'don't knows' - being aware of the UK population size, as compared to how many reports they are getting.

making it more difficult for the rest of us to get hold of test kits because they are having to manage the distribution now?
Why would non-reporting make it difficult to get tests?
Again, the size of the UK population is known. Supply should be organised to fit demand.

What am I missing?

Suppose 100 tests are given out. 50 people test positive, 50 test negative. If the 50 testing negative don't bother reporting, the positivity rate is 100%. I'd they do report, the positivity rate is 50%. Extreme numbers, obviously, but that's the principle. It's more accurate if everyone reports.

If 100 tests are given out, but only 50 are reported, nobody knows what happened to the other 50. Were they negative, or positive, or are they languishing in someone's kitchen drawer? In England now you have to have a code to get the test kits, I'm going to guess because they want to keep track of the billions they are spending on this.

FarNorth

^All those that don't record the results - you do appreciate that you are adding to the high positivity rate?^
How does that work?
Surely whoever works with the figures makes allowance for the 'don't knows' - being aware of the UK population size, as compared to how many reports they are getting.

making it more difficult for the rest of us to get hold of test kits because they are having to manage the distribution now?
Why would non-reporting make it difficult to get tests?
Again, the size of the UK population is known. Supply should be organised to fit demand.

What am I missing?

Yes, the size of the population is known, but if you have time, look at the denominator (ie the total sample size) when you're look at percentages.

I'm in a hurry, so I can't check this but I believe the ONS tests a certain group of people regularly. Their figure doesn't always tally with the real-life figure of all the people in the community who are tested. A range is usually given for positivity rates because nobody is that sure.

I do one twice a week and consider it my duty to do so to help protect others and finally put an end to the pandemic. It only involves a nasal swab, takes very little time and the results have been shown to be accurate. I am amazed that so many feel they don’t need to bother.

I do one if I am going to meet other people and always register the results.
It's not difficult.

Ashcombe

Teacheranne

I take one every week at mums care home before I am allowed to see her. I do another test mid week before a WI meeting. I report the test results both times, it is not difficult once you register, takes about two minutes. But the flaw in the reporting method is after you log in and use the Q code, you have to manually indicate your test result. Although I have never done this, it is possible to say you are negative when the result is positive, there is no way of checking the truth.

I report mine by scanning the QR code with my mobile phone which is double checked against the code on the cassette so to my mind that result would be hard to falsify.

But when you scan the QR code, it does not record the result of the test as well, it just reads the serial number of the test. You have to input the test result yourself by clicking either positive or negative. You then get a text message or email with the result.

Yes, very important for me with severely compromised immunity.

Alegrias1 in your example, the stats people would be aware that 100 tests were given out and that they don't have results for 50 of them.
So they can only say with confidence that 50% are positive.

If they are looking at it from the angle of '100% of the results we got are positive' they still know that not everyone has given them results so should take that into account.

I do them when I'm going to mmet one of my vulnerable friends, works out twice a week.

FarNorth

Alegrias1 in your example, the stats people would be aware that 100 tests were given out and that they don't have results for 50 of them.
So they can only say with confidence that 50% are positive.

If they are looking at it from the angle of '100% of the results we got are positive' they still know that not everyone has given them results so should take that into account.

But we are talking about the positivity rate FarNorth, not the incidence or prevalence. The positivity rate is the percentage of tests that come back positive, and is a measure of how well understood an outbreak is, and whether enough testing is being done. So of the unreported 50 tests, they don't know how many fall into any category, or how many are going to be reported later, or how many have just been thrown away.

coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/testing-positivity

But when you scan the QR code, it does not record the result of the test as well, it just reads the serial number of the test. You have to input the test result yourself by clicking either positive or negative. You then get a text message or email with the result.

Sorry Teacheranne, you are right! In my enthusiasm to encourage reporting (truthfully) the results, I had forgotten that important detail!! Sincere apologies!