General Chat

There are talks of people being told to go on long trips to get a covid 19 test. If you are really lucky you could be told to travel to the Isle of Wight with the most expensive crossing in the world. Possibly adding getting on for £100 pounds extra in costs.

How far are you prepared to travel for a test?

The question is, if you think you have Covid - because you feel unwell, how safe is it to drive that far?
Also, if you're driving that far (again because you think you are infected), how many Covid germs will you leave behind in toilets used on the way?

If you were willing to cross the Solent then how many other passengers would you infect as they encourage you to get out of your car?

I suppose one could cut costs by going as a foot passenger :-(

If someone can't get to a drive in test centre would it not be possible for them to pick up a kit from a doctor or hospital nearby and self administer it? I was picked for a survey where I had to do just that though the kit was sent in the post and picked up by courier. I reckon if I could manage to do it, so could most people. There would probably be a few who wouldn't manage it properly so might give a false result but it's got to be better than no test at all or driving a ridiculous amount of miles when you are feeling unwell.

I think you can opt for a test through the post.

There is an item in our local paper about our MSP being very cross because constituents have been told to go to Belfast :-S :-S :-S for a test! This from the west of Scotland.

This is apparently because now the schools are back many children have been told by "track and trace" to have a test and the testing centres are overwhelmed. At present we have a mobile unit once a week and a permanent one at Glasgow Airport (40 miles by road, or 2 buses and a train).

As for public loos, lots of ours are permanently closed as part of the council's cost-cutting measures.

I didn't realise that. Is there a courier system to pick the samples up as they have to be got to the lab within 72 hours and I certainly wouldn't trust Royal Mail with that?

My daughter had a test through the post.
The problem was, the confusion :-S

To get results, a bar code had to be sent back with the test
Inside, by a bar code, it said 'This is your unique bar code'.
This was sent off.

Unfortunately, the bar code they wanted, was the apparently random one on the envelope the test was sent in, not the 'unique' one inside!
Daughter wasn't the only one to make this mistake.

Not much good in one test, is there, when you need to do at least one more a couple of days later in case you're incubating the disease - and even then it may not show for a few more days.

It seems to be a crazy waste of money to me. If government funds run to two or three tests per individual within a week and tests are comfined to those displaying at least two symptoms that makes more sense.

Gndtr and partner were told to get tested two days after someone they did not know plonked down too close for comfort to them and their pal. They had to each self-isolate before the test which came two days after they found out.. After a couple of days they received negative results but were told to keep self-isolating for another seven days just in case ....

..... so it makes one long trek for one test seem a waste of everyone's time. Who would be prepared to do that trek again a couple of days later knowing that they'd still have to stay away from people for another seven days at least?

No easy way out of this is there folks?

I don't envy the lives of medics of any sort when winter comes and panic sets in with people who have the slightest cough. My hat comes off to them.


[Edit: the day gnddtr came too close to a carrier, two days later when she learned she had done so, then two more days before the test and two further days to learn the result come to six days, so together with the seven days they were told to isolate from others after they received a negative test means the grand total was 13 days - so that 14-day period that was spoken about very early in lockdown has not changed has it? I may be wrong but I think the government and the general public still have a mountain to climb which is not going to happen this side of Christmas, I think.]

Someone failed their geography exams.

Joy Louise, probably adds up to about 14 days

Just read that someone was told to take their sick toddler from Cardiff to Blackburn! They did eventually get a local one.

You're absolutely right about the need for several tests. All my negative result really showed was that I was free of the virus on the day I did the test.

Just edited before your post, names, and you are right.

We've never changed from having to self-isolate for 14 days, and it can be upto 3 weeks quarantine if you are actually recovering from covid from the last day that you had any symptoms.

The simplistic differences between the two ...............

Self-isolate ............... you can go outside your property for a walk so long as you do not meet or talk to anyone else. You can't go shopping, for coffee etc

Quarantine ........... you are not allowed off your property until the time is up, but you can go into your garden or onto a balcony. No talking or meeting with anyone, and preferably separate from other non-infected members of your family except for a caregiver.

It's obvious that we haven't changed from the 14 days either, Sylvia, judging from granddtr's experience. If she'd tested positive it would have been isolation for 14 days from the date of the test that she took.

As it was, it was 14 days from the Saturday evening the sufferer joined them. Gnddtr was told about her on the Tuesday, had the test locally on Thursday and got the negative result on Saturday after which she was told to isolate for seven days as a precaution.

Well, the government has now said it will limit the service to offer only test centres that are within a 75-mile radius.

It would be more useful, if they thought things through before declaring them!"

Maggie, we are talking about bumbling Boris and co here aren't we. :-D

Yes, forethought appears to be missing from not only the Bozo, but most of his Government! :-D :-D

It seems tests may be limited, as well. That's useful (not)!

My niece lives in Dubai. They've had cheek swab testing since March.
She (and everyone else) has to go to the local clinic - that's LOCAL clinic once a fortnight for a test - or else they're fined.

Obviously driving miles for a test must be the brainchild of Dominic Cummings.

:-D :-D :-D

It saves people going to 'Specsavers' :-D :-D