Testing Megathread Part 4 - See OP for threadbans

ACitizenErased

Close contact and testing referrals are down due to HSE attack.

ACitizenErased

https://twitter.com/hselive/status/1393159161605763076?s=21

drunkmonkey

ACitizenErased wrote: »

https://twitter.com/hselive/status/1393159161605763076?s=21

Deleted?

Just send everyone two antigen tests or a €25 lidl voucher and be done with it.

JacksonHeightsOwn

got a call back from my doctor who advised me to go to one of the walk in test centres.

Went to Blachardstown, in and out in 5 minutes, brilliant.

fingers crossed im negative

drunkmonkey

Government backing antigen tests for schools, colleges and workplaces.

Varadkar favours rapid Covid testing in workplaces and schools (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/varadkar-favours-rapid-covid-testing-in-workplaces-and-schools-1.4565151

Minier81

We got a call to attend a close contact Day 10 test today. Test at 2pm. Expecting delays in getting result though.

Martina1991

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Government backing antigen tests for schools, colleges and workplaces.

Varadkar favours rapid Covid testing in workplaces and schools (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/varadkar-favours-rapid-covid-testing-in-workplaces-and-schools-1.4565151

Bit more context:
Varadkar doesn't believe disputes over role of antigen is as wide as perceived: "I don't think anyone is advocating that people carry out antigen testing on themselves, and see that as a license or passport to participate in activities they would otherwise engage in"

"On an individual basis, there isn't much; if you test positive on an antigen test you need it confirmed by a PCR test; if it's negative, that doesn't mean that you're safe. It's like a lot of screening tests: positive means there's a problem, negative doesn't mean much at all"

This still isn't a green light for people to start testing themselves with kits they get form shops or the Internet.

drunkmonkey

Martina1991 wrote: »

This still isn't a green light for people to start testing themselves with kits they get form shops or the Internet.

If they're good enough for schools, workplaces, airports, they're good enough for taking an extra precaution if your going to a meet up with friends where there may be an at risk person.

Trust people Martina, they can do this.

Martina1991

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If they're good enough for schools, workplaces, airports, they're good enough for taking an extra precaution if your going to a meet up with friends where there may be an at risk person.

Trust people Martina, they can do this.

Theres a handful of counties driving the vast majority of cases.

Take sligo for example. They've had 6 cases in the last 2 weeks, SIX!
I don't see the point in using tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of these tests in schools and businesses when they are likely find a handful of cases or none at all. The same can be said for loads of counties where the incidence is quite low.

It seems like a waste of resources when masks and public health measures and most importantly vaccines are suppressing transmission.

JacksonHeightsOwn

Minier81 wrote: »

We got a call to attend a close contact Day 10 test today. Test at 2pm. Expecting delays in getting result though.

Did they say to expect delays in the results by the way?

Minier81

JacksonHeightsOwn wrote: »

Did they say to expect delays in the results by the way?

They didn't say at the centre but I didn't ask. I saw the hselive Twitter feed said expect delays in results though. I will update when we get the result. If anyone else had a test today or late yesterday maybe tell us the turnaround time?

drunkmonkey

Martina1991 wrote: »

Theres a handful of counties driving the vast majority of cases.

Take sligo for example. They've had 6 cases in the last 2 weeks, SIX!
I don't see the point in using tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of these tests in schools and businesses when they are likely find a handful of cases or none at all. The same can be said for loads of counties where the incidence is quite low.

It seems like a waste of resources when masks and public health measures and most importantly vaccines are suppressing transmission.

Your fine with using 5 million masks a day though with such little community transmission, they found 6 cases that does not mean there was only 6 cases.

Not everyone wants the vaccine I wouldn't be relying on that to stop transmission, herd immunity via vaccine it is a pipe dream they need the young children to hit the 80% and I haven't met one parent that says they'll allow their kids to get it.

Early intervention and rapid testing is what's needed, NPHET is against rapid testing and going by the death rate in nursing homes and hospitals early intervention seems to have been non existent, I'm open to correction on that but I've seen no evidence of doctors treating patients early.

JacksonHeightsOwn

Minier81 wrote: »

They didn't say at the centre but I didn't ask. I saw the hselive Twitter feed said expect delays in results though. I will update when we get the result. If anyone else had a test today or late yesterday maybe tell us the turnaround time?

My father got tested last night and got the call just now, he's tested positive.

He was vaccinated 4 weeks ago this Tuesday coming. So more than likely I'll be positive now, I've been sitting in bed with a temperature all day while my wife is downstairs with our two children. I know more than likely this will pass, but I've never felt so helpless in my life......

Minier81

JacksonHeightsOwn wrote: »

My father got tested last night and got the call just now, he's tested positive.

He was vaccinated 4 weeks ago this Tuesday coming. So more than likely I'll be positive now, I've been sitting in bed with a temperature all day while my wife is downstairs with our two children. I know more than likely this will pass, but I've never felt so helpless in my life......

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully your Dad's vaccine will mean he only gets a mild dose. If you have a temperature you probably do have it, sounds like you are doing the best thing. Try to rest yourself.

Martina1991

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Your fine with using 5 million masks a day though with such little community transmission, they found 6 cases that does not mean there was only 6 cases.

Not everyone wants the vaccine I wouldn't be relying on that to stop transmission, herd immunity via vaccine it is a pipe dream they need the young children to hit the 80% and I haven't met one parent that says they'll allow their kids to get it.

Early intervention and rapid testing is what's needed, NPHET is against rapid testing and going by the death rate in nursing homes and hospitals early intervention seems to have been non existent, I'm open to correction on that but I've seen no evidence of doctors treating patients early.

Masks and vaccines prevent infection. Antigen tests don't. They're a tool to detect who is already infected and they dont do that to a significant degree in those with no symptoms.

Unvaccinated people still have to wear masks. Vaccinated people won't.

It's clear in countries who have accelerated vaccine roll outs that vaccines cause cases, hospitalizations and deaths to plummet. Antigen tests don't do that.

The uptake in Ireland so far has been huge and are having a significant effect on the reduced number of cases and hospitalisations in those age groups.

Serial testing has been rolled back in retirement homes because vaccines have reduced cases to a halt. Vaccines are the way out of this.

drunkmonkey

JacksonHeightsOwn wrote: »

I know more than likely this will pass, but I've never felt so helpless in my life......

Send someone down the pharmacy for a packet of these https://healthwisepharmacies.ie/product/a-vogel-echinaforce-cold-flu-tablets-42pk/
They won't do you any harm and I swear by them at the first sign of a virus. Maybe a packet of Wellman and some extra vitamin D if your not taking anything. Doing something gives a bit of hope.

The objective is not to get much worse. Get some fresh air, air out the room if it's just a temp.

drunkmonkey

Martina1991 wrote: »

Masks and vaccines prevent infection. Antigen tests don't. They're a tool to detect who is already infected and they dont do that to a significant degree in those with no symptoms.

Unvaccinated people still have to wear masks. Vaccinated people won't.

Nobody is comparing masks and vaccines to antigen tests the comparison is to pcr tests. They detect a transmissible infection, that's close enough.

As for Unvaccinated people still have to wear masks. Vaccinated people won't.
How are you suggesting this works, the vaccinated have to wear their little blue HSE i'm vaxed badge? The funny thing is you won't know who's a conspiracy theorists or not from then on in.

https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/1393182477548728321?s=20

lucernarian

I went to a community testing centre today, I only saw the notice about prioritisation in the immediate minute or two before reaching the place. I figured I wouldn't queue up and take a place on someone. I heard that Friday afternoons/evenings were mad busy but I had zero waiting time.

I was told test results would come in 48-72 hours

eh i dunno

Anyone who had a test on Thursday get a text yet?

Minier81

Our test was yesterday at 2 pm in RDS and just got the result a half hour ago. So just shy of 24 hour turnaround. Not bad considering the whole IT crisis.

drunkmonkey

JacksonHeightsOwn wrote: »

I've never felt so helpless in my life......

Are we feeling any better? Is your dad ok.

Chuzzle7

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Government backing antigen tests for schools, colleges and workplaces.

Varadkar favours rapid Covid testing in workplaces and schools (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/varadkar-favours-rapid-covid-testing-in-workplaces-and-schools-1.4565151

Unless they're made mandatory, I think some workplaces will try get away not using them. We'll all be vaccinated by the time these tests are in use, we are so far behind.

Chuzzle7

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If they're good enough for schools, workplaces, airports, they're good enough for taking an extra precaution if your going to a meet up with friends where there may be an at risk person.

Trust people Martina, they can do this.

People don't wear masks properly. People cannot be trusted.

drunkmonkey

Chuzzle7 wrote: »

Unless they're made mandatory, I think some workplaces will try get away not using them. We'll all be vaccinated by the time these tests are in use, we are so far behind.

Business and the general public have been using them for ages it's NPHET and the Government are completely out of touch. You don't need to make them mandatory for workplaces, if some business owner wants to have staff out isolating the whole time they'll soon cop on to their use, it's impossible to run a business inside the HSE/PCR bubble.

drunkmonkey

Chuzzle7 wrote: »

People don't wear masks properly. People cannot be trusted.

That's a reason to ban masks with immediate effect not a reason to not trust people to do a simple antigen test.
Have you used many, I'm struggling to see how some posters think it's beyond the capabilities of most people, my 3yr old even manged it from start to finish.

Chuzzle7

drunkmonkey wrote: »

That's a reason to ban masks with immediate effect not a reason to not trust people to do a simple antigen test.
Have you used many, I'm struggling to see how some posters think it's beyond the capabilities of most people, my 3yr old even manged it from start to finish.

You make a good point there about the masks. I don't like how it can give people a false sense of security. Especially when they can have mild enough symptoms and what if their test shows up negative and they end up self diagnosing themselves with a cold, head out meeting up with their friends. Surely you can see that negative aspect to the tests?

My own workplace isn't testing staff and there's a few hundred staff members. Boils my p!ss that they care so little of us.

Do you know how businesses and schools give out these tests? Do people show up to work early, get tested, wait for results outside and then off they go to work if it's negative. That whole process doesn't make much sense to me, to have alot of people showing up early, waiting for test results and already having used public transport and car pooling.

So are people already testing themselves at home with these workplace tests?

lucernarian

lucernarian wrote: »

I went to a community testing centre today, I only saw the notice about prioritisation in the immediate minute or two before reaching the place. I figured I wouldn't queue up and take a place on someone. I heard that Friday afternoons/evenings were mad busy but I had zero waiting time.

I was told test results would come in 48-72 hours

I got the result text back a bit less than 24 hours later

nullzero

Just abandoned the RDS testing centre.

The HSE cyber attack has caused chaos down there.

Centre opened at 11, at 11.30 people started exiting their cars to see why nothing was happening.

One guy on his own taking registrations for hundreds of people. We were informed the wait for that process to be completed was 2-3 hours and then wait around to be called in. Felt sorry for the lad, he was getting a fair amount of irate people to deal with.

Lots of people there with kids, we were informed that toilets would not be available for use, people losing their cool at this stage asking why there wasn't more than one person taking registrations. I decided to take the advice to come back later in the day, exited onto Shrewsbury Road past a queue which was out onto the street numbering probably a few hundred people.

Fun times.

drunkmonkey

That sounds like the last place you want to be in a pandemic. Is there any merit in giving them a pack of antigen tests and tell them to stay at home and tests themselves every day for 3/4 days. If still negative pretty much 100% chance you don't have an active infection.

Charles Babbage

Dogs better than lateral flow tests.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/dogs-can-better-detect-covid-in-humans-than-lateral-flow-tests-study-1.4570592

Situate a trained dog at the entrance to a university or airport and test anyone he identifies?