Coronavirus.

SketchyMagpie

Well-Known Forumite
Some friends were told by the (different) people who administered their jabs that the LFT tests only work if you're asymptomatic and they don't work if you have symptoms. Is that right? o.O I know you're supposed to get a PCR test to confirm a positive but I was under the impression you could use LFT tests if you had symptoms, first. I've asked this question on Twitter before and gotten contradictory responses.

Given the main symptoms of delta are a headache and runny nose, you'd be getting a PCR every week.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Some friends were told by the (different) people who administered their jabs that the LFT tests only work if you're asymptomatic and they don't work if you have symptoms. Is that right?
Wrong! When son and other work colleagues HAD symptoms , their Lat Flow tests showed positive. They then each went on to have PCR tests straight away which were also positive.

So they do work if you have symptoms.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
There was a time when it was suggested that the problem was largely one of false negatives for asymptomatic, but infected, people.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
The lovely ambulance ladies that whisked me off to hospital told me that most lft come back as a false negative, and so did pcr tests that are don't by patients themselves... (this was back in late May though, when everyone was convinced I was posative, for months, and after them telling me that I made sure every pcr test I had done was done by a the responsible adult doing them at the time, and not me!, I must have had over 20 pcr tests, you can imagine how many lateral flows I did!)
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
Some friends were told by the (different) people who administered their jabs that the LFT tests only work if you're asymptomatic and they don't work if you have symptoms. Is that right? o.O I know you're supposed to get a PCR test to confirm a positive but I was under the impression you could use LFT tests if you had symptoms, first. I've asked this question on Twitter before and gotten contradictory responses.

Given the main symptoms of delta are a headache and runny nose, you'd be getting a PCR every week.

This has been going round a lot, I think it stems from the fact that the government advice is that LFTs are only for asymptomatic people, those with symptoms should get a PCR

That’s not because LFTs don’t work on symptomatic folk, it’s because they don’t want asymptomatic people clogging up the PCR queue and likewise want symptomatic people to get the more reliable test to confirm their infection. It’s been confused with LFTs actually being useless for symptomatic people now
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
My OHs dad told her that in Latvia they had people going door to door trying to pressure people into not having the vaccine. Luckily her dad wasn't stupid, they delayed a bit but still had it. Many other family members have resisted and several are now testing positive.

This is my main concern about the anti vaxxers, I don't care if they die but why are they trying to convince others? Its no longer about 'my body, my choice', it's akin to the Jehovas Witnesses trying to convince people not to have blood transfusions.
 

SketchyMagpie

Well-Known Forumite
It coming from health professionals rather than social media is what made it persuasive for some but glad to have that cleared up.

Meanwhile, at least 43,000 people may have received false negative PCR test results in the last month: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ovid-tests-after-false-negatives-in-berkshire
It appears that the private lab which wrongly gave out those 43,000 negative PCR results was 'Immensa', a company with no experience of PCR testing who were awarded a £119 million contract after only being in existence for 4 months.

 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
It appears that the private lab which wrongly gave out those 43,000 negative PCR results was 'Immensa', a company with no experience of PCR testing who were awarded a £119 million contract after only being in existence for 4 months.


Why am I writing software?

I could have been given a 9 figure sum to then go and buy some lab equipment, hire some kids for minimum wage (because that’s what this lab did, there’s footage of them fighting, playing football, etc) and popped it all in a cold warehouse unit and called it a day…

All it’d need is to be the mate of a high-up Tory MP.
 

Theresa Green

Well-Known Forumite
I understand that ICU in Stoke has now 30% of its beds being taken up by Coronavirus patients

And that there is a substantial outbreak of Covid 19 at the Sanctuary Foregate Court sheltered housing in Stafford
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
So, not wishing to be if the Blame Game consortium. WTF actually happened?

A, The government

B. The current administration
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I understand that ICU in Stoke has now 30% of its beds being taken up by Coronavirus patients

"As you may know, like the rest of the NHS and across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, UHNM has been under increasing pressure. This is now causing challenges in providing high quality care and patient flow due to the high numbers of COVID-19 positive patients currently being cared for. All areas are under pressure and extreme levels of pressure in critical care are being experienced.

UHNM have already reached out to neighbouring NHS trusts for support with additional critical care capacity as part of the West Midlands Critical Care Network.

Despite the heroic efforts by all staff UHNM are now in a position in which patient experience will be compromised if action is not taken and difficult decisions are having to be taken to prevent any patient safety issues arising. Therefore, in order to continue to keep staff and patients safe, the decision has been made to move the Critical Care internal incident level to Level 4. This raising to a Level 4 is only in relation to critical care, with the rest of our hospitals remaining at Level 3. This will be reviewed on a daily basis.

Raising Critical Care internal incident level to Level 4 will mean that UHNM will not be accepting any tertiary major trauma patients. As in all areas where high levels of demand are being experienced staff are continuing to redeploy where they are available to support.

UHNM will move back to a Level 3 in critical care when it is safe to do so."
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
One of the most abiding images of 'It's A Sin' was the first casualty - Henry (Neil Patrick Harris), literally locked into a ward of one. Too dangerous even for lunch. Gowns, masks and gloves for any contact.

Then the nurses scrubbing the bed, disinfecting every surface, his dead body being removed from a huge ward of just his one bed, all the other beds empty.

You have to make Covid wards, even if there is only one bed in it, just like we made HIV wards in the early 80's.

That's what makes everything else so difficult - for want of a nail, and all that
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I would not be surprised by one from the Showground today - very few masks (~15%) - 50/50 under/over pension age - 20% of what masks that were being worn were 'protecting the highly-vulnerable under-chin area' - a huge amount of manual handling of items on offer - somewhat 'stuffy' atmosphere - people actually vaping - etc.
 
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