Coronavirus

[Rich B]

A girl at my work just had a positive test after going to Croatia last week - so we're all testing now.

The main thing it's confirmed to me, is that going on holiday at the moment is a shit idea.

Shit Rich not good - good luck with the testing - were you in close contact with this girl at all ??

Same open plan office, but social distancing and plenty of precautions like sanitisers when going in/out. She hasn't had any cough or temperature- just blocked up sinuses and loss of smell with that.

[Nathan]

Could just be a cold, fingers crossed

[Rich B]

Could just be a cold, fingers crossed

She's tested positive, no one else has any symptoms but we're all obviously testing.

[Explosive Newt]

I have to test every week because I’m in the vaccine study although tbh as the rates drop I am more and more worried about a false positive landing me quarantined unnecessarily.

Have you had any insider updates on vaccines? Anything showing promise?

Not so much an insider update but the Oxford trial published their interrim results in the Lancet.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanc ... 4/fulltext

They showed, as expected, people producing antibodies and white blood cells active against the virus - and in quantities that should be useful for fending off infection. Not enough data on whether it reduces infection rates but as the background infection rate in the UK falls it will be harder to tell. All promising though.

[Nathan]

Could just be a cold, fingers crossed

She's tested positive, no one else has any symptoms but we're all obviously testing.

Sorry, not sure how I misread that

[McSwede]

A girl at my work just had a positive test after going to Croatia last week - so we're all testing now.

The main thing it's confirmed to me, is that going on holiday at the moment is a shit idea.

Abroad yes.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Holiday's abroad at the moment are stupid and selfish.

[Explosive Newt]

Totally agree. If you go abroad you have to be prepared to quarantine. I know I sound a bit small minded but there are lots of decent holidays in the UK you can have.

[Rich B]

My test came back negative (unsurprisingly, I have no symptoms) - I'll probably go again next week anyway just to be sure.

With the testing, it's not a big deal at all, it's actually quite an interesting experience to see how it's all organised.

[duncs500]

Was it as unpleasant when they took the sample as people say?

[Rich B]

Nah, You do it yourself sat in your car. you swab your tonsils (which admittedly made me gag a bit) and swab your nose (which I thought would be horrible but wasn't at all). That's it.

I booked the test at 8:30am On my phone for 9:30am, I turned up and was on the road again by 9:40. Results came through at 4:06 this morning. I was impressed!

[dinny_g]

Balls deep.

[Ascender]

Nah, You do it yourself sat in your car. you swab your tonsils (which admittedly made me gag a bit) and swab your nose (which I thought would be horrible but wasn't at all). That's it.

I booked the test at 8:30am On my phone for 9:30am, I turned up and was on the road again by 9:40. Results came through at 4:06 this morning. I was impressed!

That’s a really quick turnaround.

I did wonder about people doing the nose swab themselves as the swab felt to me like it was scraping the bottom of my brain, so I’d be amazed if anybody could do it correctly on themselves?

[Simon]

How did you get a test if you didn't have symptoms? I thought it was only for those with symptoms?

[Ascender]

How did you get a test if you didn't have symptoms? I thought it was only for those with symptoms?

I’m guessing you can easily say you have symptoms to get a test... I got mine as it was a prerequisite for surgery following 14 days of self-isolation.

But this is for the “have i got covid test” rather than the one that tests for covid antibodies which is the one i know a lot of people really want because they think they may have had it already.

[Rich B]

Go online, book test.

They have massive capacity on the test sites - there was hardly anyone there (<10 I reckon).

[Rich B]

How did you get a test if you didn't have symptoms? I thought it was only for those with symptoms?

I’m guessing you can easily say you have symptoms to get a test... I got mine as it was a prerequisite for surgery following 14 days of self-isolation.

But this is for the “have i got covid test” rather than the one that tests for covid antibodies which is the one i know a lot of people really want because they think they may have had it already.

yeah, antibody test is for specific people only at this stage.

[Mito Man]

I always drive past the Chessington one which was originally shown on tv with massive queues but there’s not been anything there since lockdown ended.

[duncs500]

A girl at my work just had a positive test after going to Croatia last week - so we're all testing now.

The main thing it's confirmed to me, is that going on holiday at the moment is a shit idea.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53847639

[ZedLeg]

Just in case things weren’t getting dystopian enough. California can’t manage their climate change aggravated wildfire season because most of their prison slave labour force have Covid.

The US is literally crashing and burning just now.

[John]

My wife has received a letter from the ONS asking if she would take part in a coronavirus screening program, they pay you for the pleasure too.