Covid-19 testing a success story

T

TSSeasider

Well-known member
So, TSJr1 (17) had what appeared to be a cold developing on Thursday, he was too ill to go to sixth form on Friday, so had usual cold and flu tablets and a day in bed; my other two kids both having similar symptoms but not so bad as to stay off school. They are all getting better in line with what you'd expect from a cold.

Today, he goes to sixth form, the lad who sits next to him as tested positive for Covid-19, as my lad has similar symptoms, they send him home and say get as test and isolate until you are either negative or 10 more days until you get through it.

We get home at 11.30, use the website, book in a test for 12.00, 3 miles away done by 12.10.

IF that was most people's experience of this process would we be saying well done, unlikely, but I just think we need to show the other side of this.

Not sure whether to want it to be positive to get it out of the way, or negative so he doesn't have it (although I actually think he had it back in the new year, after coming down with what we now recognise as classic symptoms).

Will update when the result comes through to see how quickly that happens (they reckon up to 72 hours).
 
TSSeasider said:
So, TSJr1 (17) had what appeared to be a cold developing on Thursday, he was too ill to go to sixth form on Friday, so had usual cold and flu tablets and a day in bed; my other two kids both having similar symptoms but not so bad as to stay off school. They are all getting better in line with what you'd expect from a cold.

Today, he goes to sixth form, the lad who sits next to him as tested positive for Covid-19, as my lad has similar symptoms, they send him home and say get as test and isolate until you are either negative or 10 more days until you get through it.

We get home at 11.30, use the website, book in a test for 12.00, 3 miles away done by 12.10.

IF that was most people's experience of this process would we be saying well done, unlikely, but I just think we need to show the other side of this.

Not sure whether to want it to be positive to get it out of the way, or negative so he doesn't have it (although I actually think he had it back in the new year, after coming down with what we now recognise as classic symptoms).

Will update when the result comes through to see how quickly that happens (they reckon up to 72 hours).
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My grand daughter has had a bit of a cough, was told not to go to nursery and to get a test. Nearest test site available from Poulton today after 3 hours trying was Blackburn.
 
TSS, if everyone's experience was similar to yours, given the implementation time, I think the vast majority would be very happy to acknowledge the great work done. Unfortunately, it seems like yours is the exception not the rule - my lad was trying from last Sunday-Wednesday and couldn't even get a location. His boss got a test in Dumfries. He lives near Watford. The reality is the system they've been keen to praise hasn't been fit for purpose (like so many in the cabinet) and it's rightly been hammered by everyone.
 
I suppose the question that Serco need to get a grip on, is how it can take me 40 minutes to go from a phone call saying "I need a test" to going through the drive through for his burger after having booked the test and done it.

It shouldn't just be down to luck that it was that easy for us and almost impossible for others.
 
TSSeasider said:
I suppose the question that Serco need to get a grip on, is how it can take me 40 minutes to go from a phone call saying "I need a test" to going through the drive through for his burger after having booked the test and done it.

It shouldn't just be down to luck that it was that easy for us and almost impossible for others.
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Yet that's exactly what it is. Down to pot luck and timing.
 
TSS. Couldn't be more different than my family experience.
Insiderson came into contact with someone who tested positive at work, this was the weekend of 13 Sep. Tried unsuccessfully for 3 days to get a test and couldn't even get a home test kit so gave up.
Fortunately he's OK although he could be asymptomatic.
 
Insider said:
TSS. Couldn't be more different than my family experience.
Insiderson came into contact with someone who tested positive at work, this was the weekend of 13 Sep. Tried unsuccessfully for 3 days to get a test and couldn't even get a home test kit so gave up.
Fortunately he's OK although he could be asymptomatic.
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That was the peak of the strain on the system was it not? 230,000 tests per day that weekend, somebody was getting the tests.

Demand seems to have fallen back a bit this week, hence why it's easier to get a test now, they also managed 253,000 on Saturday.
 
Bloke from Suffolk gets nearest test in Blackburn. Bloke from the Ostaltwistle gets nearest test in Ipswich.

Easy to have a pop, but I doubt there was a book on the shelf of No 10 'How to deal with a pandemic in 5 easy steps' by JR Hartley, nor a Dummies Guide to Pandemics- 'look inside'...Step 1, ensure you have a good set of pans.....

Still, the reaction time has been incompetent at best.
 
fcblackpool said:
Bloke from Suffolk gets nearest test in Blackburn. Bloke from the Ostaltwistle gets nearest test in Ipswich.

Easy to have a pop, but I doubt there was a book on the shelf of No 10 'How to deal with a pandemic in 5 easy steps' by JR Hartley, nor a Dummies Guide to Pandemics- 'look inside'...Step 1, ensure you have a good set of pans.....

Still, the reaction time has been incompetent at best.
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😂 I’m not sure you need an authorised text book to realise it’s a good idea to treat/test people close to where they live.

To cock up you need people. To really cock up you need an algorithm. Preferably involving a large fee of taxpayer money being passed to one of Dominic’s friends.
 
Lost Seasider said:
Really?

How is one brain going to allocate 250,000 tests per day across however many test centre across the entire country in real time and communicate that information effectively?
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Who said anything about one brain? Seems like you’re misrepresenting what I was actually saying.

How about someone in authority engaging their brain and concluding that, if the current algorithm is sending people all over the country for a test when they could be tested closer to home, then there’s something wrong with the algorithm.

A bit like when there was something wrong with the algorithm that resulted in the exam fiasco and the subsequent climb down.

I’m obviously not saying do away with IT (which is what you’re inferring). What I’m saying is that when the IT is clearly getting it wrong, get it sorted!!

Otherwise you’re in the crazy situation of “Computer sez...” and slavishly following a system that doesn’t work and everyone can see isn’t working. But that’s what the algorithm says, and you can’t question the algorithm.
 
Mexboroseasider said:
How about someone in authority engaging their brain and concluding that, if the current algorithm is sending people all over the country for a test when they could be tested closer to home, then there’s something wrong with the algorithm.
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Problem seems to be that they can't be tested closer to home because all of those tests have already been taken, the mistake seems to be offering tests a long way from home rather than saying "sorry, no tests available".
 
Lost Seasider said:
Problem seems to be that they can't be tested closer to home because all of those tests have already been taken, the mistake seems to be offering tests a long way from home rather than saying "sorry, no tests available".
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Ok. I see. But isn’t that just a logistical problem? If the tests are available, but in the wrong place, don’t you adjust the amounts supplied to each testing centre?
 
Mexboroseasider said:
Ok. I see. But isn’t that just a logistical problem? If the tests are available, but in the wrong place, don’t you adjust the amounts supplied to each testing centre?
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Yes, but the problem is then how quickly can you do that, presumably there's a daily allocation for each test centre based on expected demand but that's always going to be a guess and there's always going to be some mismatch between supply and demand, even if you can allocate on an hourly basis it's not going to remove the problem entirely.

There's also the question of where the supply should be focused, depending upon the level of infection in particular areas it may be desirable to have an oversupply in one area and a shortage in another because it's less of an issue if you can't get a test in say Penzance than it is in Bolton.

None of which is to say that the system is working perfectly and if demand spikes by 500% or more as it seems to have done a couple of weeks ago there are going to be problems but on the whole I suspect it's working a lot better than the media reports would have you believe.

But then "I got a test and it worked just fine" isn't going to make any headlines so you're not going to read that in the press.
 
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Lost Seasider said:
Yes, but the problem is then how quickly can you do that, presumably there's a daily allocation for each test centre based on expected demand but that's always going to be a guess and there's always going to be some mismatch between supply and demand, even if you can allocate on an hourly basis it's not going to remove the problem entirely.

There's also the question of where the supply should be focused, depending upon the level of infection in particular areas it may be desirable to have an oversupply in one area and a shortage in another because it's less of an issue if you can't get a test in say Penzance than it is in Bolton.

None of which is to say that the system is working perfectly and if demand spikes by 500% or more as it seems to have done a couple of weeks ago there are going to be problems but on the whole I suspect it's working a lot better than the media reports would have you believe.

But then "I got a test and it worked just fine" isn't going to make any headlines so you're not going to read that in the press.
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Every paper has run a story on how their reporter couldn't get a test except in Balamory or some such. Maybe if fewer journalists clogged up the system, those needing a test might get through.
 
Wizaard said:
My grand daughter has had a bit of a cough, was told not to go to nursery and to get a test. Nearest test site available from Poulton today after 3 hours trying was Blackburn.
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My Mrs has cold symptoms. We tried to apply for a home test, there are none available, and the nearest test is 4 miles away. The instructions state "If you do not have a car, walk or cycle to the center, DO NOT USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI". We do not have access to a car, and walking 4 miles for a 70 year old with 2 artificial knees poses something of a challenge.
 
EagleDay said:
My Mrs has cold symptoms. We tried to apply for a home test, there are none available, and the nearest test is 4 miles away. The instructions state "If you do not have a car, walk or cycle to the center, DO NOT USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI". We do not have access to a car, and walking 4 miles for a 70 year old with 2 artificial knees poses something of a challenge.
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The good news was she was tested yesterday lunchtime and got the negative result this morning, so that's a positive.
 
Wizaard said:
The good news was she was tested yesterday lunchtime and got the negative result this morning, so that's a positive.
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Good news for some, then. That's gotta be a relief. My daughter has been having problems getting the kids tested after an outbreak in one of their classes. Up to yet though there is no signs of a problem health-wise.
 
EagleDay said:
Good news for some, then. That's gotta be a relief. My daughter has been having problems getting the kids tested after an outbreak in one of their classes. Up to yet though there is no signs of a problem health-wise.
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I thought you were only supposed to apply for a test if you had symptoms.
 
TSSeasider said:
So, TSJr1 (17) had what appeared to be a cold developing on Thursday, he was too ill to go to sixth form on Friday, so had usual cold and flu tablets and a day in bed; my other two kids both having similar symptoms but not so bad as to stay off school. They are all getting better in line with what you'd expect from a cold.

Today, he goes to sixth form, the lad who sits next to him as tested positive for Covid-19, as my lad has similar symptoms, they send him home and say get as test and isolate until you are either negative or 10 more days until you get through it.

We get home at 11.30, use the website, book in a test for 12.00, 3 miles away done by 12.10.

IF that was most people's experience of this process would we be saying well done, unlikely, but I just think we need to show the other side of this.

Not sure whether to want it to be positive to get it out of the way, or negative so he doesn't have it (although I actually think he had it back in the new year, after coming down with what we now recognise as classic symptoms).

Will update when the result comes through to see how quickly that happens (they reckon up to 72 hours).
Click to expand...
A friend had the same experience not so long ago. Tested negative. Quick and easy.
 
Unfortunately the online booking system uses a straight line (as the crow flies) that finds the closest testing site to the location of the person needing a test.

So....someone looking for a test based in St. Annes will find Southport being offered as (in a straight line) it's closer than the site in Preston.
It's mad......obviously some techy didn't have the brains to install an API to Google maps.....but that's the system being used

Appointments are released on an hourly basis onto the Gov. online system so it's worth trying a few times to get an appointment.
It is getting better and (hopefully) in the next few weeks the number of tests will increase as testing capacity increases.

A new test delivered to home is coming online in a few weeks.....that should help local areas and people who are far from a test site.
 
Quick update. At 19.08 an email and text message arrived and as expected came back saying negative.

Hopefully my experience is the norm sooner rather than later.
 
It is so completely random. 3 students in my form have had time off due to covid symptoms. One tested negative and back in within 48 hours, one took 3 days to get a test expecting results tomorrow but the other has not been able to access a test after 5 days.
 
Looking at the numbers across the world, the UK sits at the top of the rankings for tests completed, for major countries.

Considering where we were at the beginning of this virus, the current testing capability is a massive achievement.
 
Sorry Sir......I'm stuck at home trying to get a Covid test.....Ill be back in class sometime in November......Grrrrr those awful Tories
Is that OK Sir....?????....It is Boris causing all these problems......so obviously YOU dont mind me being off.........do you Sir....???
 
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