Is This A Waste Of Money?

[ichkeria]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56632084

Sorry if it's covered elsewhere. I can't see it.

[Cryptical]

No.

[emmie]

i was going to post this, i think it could be a colossal waste of money. how do they get to us, from pharmacy, doctor or posted to our homes, what makes them think we will take the test, or that if taken and it proves positive we will definitely isolate.

[emmie]

posted to home, how do they determine who gets them sent there, If they can be doled out at a local chemist then ok.

[ichkeria]

The link explains where you get them from.
We have them at home, as I am sure do lots of parents, for use by schoolchildren.
The problem with them is: they aren't as accurate as the PCR tests and this is more or less admitted by the fact that positive tests can be followed up by having to take a "proper" one.
I suppose as long as they aren't being posted out to everyone regardless, but given that they are, effectively, only a first stage in a process, then the whole thing does seem rather cumbersome.
If you test positive at school, by the way, rather than at home, then you cannot get a "second opinion" from the other test, which seems bizarre.

[ichkeria]

I think you only get sent one if you order one.

[emmie]

given twice weekly the heading says.

[Bobbisox1]

They’re already testing in schools anyway and this is how we see an increase of positive tests being returned

[emmie]

my friends children have been doing them, and proved negative.

[ichkeria]

... and positive tests in schools cannot be checked, as observed by me above.
It's the same problem all these things face: who wants to risk having to self-isolate - the WHOLE household, as well, on the strength of a negative test, unless the test is actually needed for something. Only if you actually need to prove you are negative will it be of any use.
And doing so is a long process. It's a bit like being found guilty but being able to appeal :-)

[emmie]

i think you seem to be saying that it could well be a waste of time and money.

[Sqad]

I have little confidence in the PCR test.
My concern is not for false positives but for false negatives, those that have Covid virus ,easily transmissible but given the all clear.
Yes it is a waste of money.

[emmie]

i only know i didn't have it as i was tested whilst in hospital, though of course i could have it now and not know it.

[davebro]

I think it will be a waste of money as the take-up will probably be low. I won't be using it anyway, unless I develop symptoms maybe which should be unlikely after completed vaccination.

[emmie]

i have had the first vaccine, now waiting to hear when the next one will be.

[woofgang]

setting aside the validity of the tests, I think its something that has to be tried. If it does help to identify low or no symptom cases then it will help. I think what would help more would be to develop a test that doesn't require guddling round one's tonsils.

[exarmy448]

Both me and my wife have been self testing now for some weeks as we are in the same bubble as our great grandchildren who we meet from school. Although we both have had 2 jabs the test gives us extra confidence to mix with our great grandchildren, who are also tested at their secondary school.
I don't think anything is a waste of money if it helps to get people out and about in a fairly safe environment and also helps to get this country back on its feet.
I agree that there will be some who will not take the test but if there is one thing that this pandemic has shown is that the vast majority of people in this country act responsible and I am confident that they will take this test.

[emmie]

i wondered how they were going to pay for it

" Health minister Edward Argar told BBC Breakfast he expected the lateral flow tests to be used by those returning to work in the coming weeks as the "economy starts opening up again" and added that the cost of supplying the rapid tests would be met by the NHS Test and Trace budget.

[ichkeria]

I don't know if it's a waste of money or not.
It would be if thety were going to send them to everyone regardless, but it seems they are not going to do that.
The unsatisfactory and expensive but is the fact that most (all?) people testing positive will surely want to take the other test to make sure.

"My concern is not for false positives but for false negatives, those that have Covid virus ,easily transmissible but given the all clear. "

Yes, but at least with a false negative you don't lose anything. How else do you confirm a case?

[ichkeria]

"I agree that there will be some who will not take the test but if there is one thing that this pandemic has shown is that the vast majority of people in this country act responsible and I am confident that they will take this test.2

The whole thing is voluntary. No one is going to take it unless they have a good reason to. Which is how it should be.

[emmie]

we will have to see then, whether its like the test and trace fiasco.