
And there it is – my first lateral flow test. Negative.
There is a lot of discussion about whether letting everybody have these tests is a good idea. There certainly are questions about the benefit to individuals.
However, as the vaccine is rolled out thee is a positive benefit that causes us problems. At the moment one in three people that are infected will be asymptomatic. However as the vaccine is rolled out, particularly with young people, it is likely that a bigger proportion of asymptomatic cases will occur. The vaccine reduces symptoms.
At the moment people are asked to go for a test if they have symptoms, and if they are infected then test and trace kicks in. But with more asymptomatic cases it s possible we could be late detecting an outbreak. So in order to identify outbreaks as soon as possible and drive infection rates down we need to start testing people with no symptoms. The good news is that this may only be needed for a month or two – just till we get those numbers right down.
The free lateral flow tests are not for your benefit – they are for the benefit of all of us. So why not get some by clicking the link and get tested.