Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Testing for people without symptoms
Asymptomatic community testing for coronavirus is now taking place in Airdrie – with people being encouraged to get tested to help “drive down local Covid-19 rates and transmission”.
The new rapid testing facility is at the town’s leisure centre on Motherwell Street in Rawyards; it is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm each day, and booking is not required.
It is only for use by those who do not have any of the three Covid symptoms, of a new continuous cough, temperature, or loss or change in sense of taste or smell.
People attending will be tested using lateral flow devices, which can give results in around 45 minutes, and any positive cases will then be confirmed by PCR test – with health officials saying: “Anyone who receives a positive LFD or PCR test result will be asked to self-isolate.”
Gabe Docherty, NHS Lanarkshire’s director of public health, said: “Covid-19 can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild people may not recognise they have the infection.
“For the benefit of yourself and your community, I would encourage people who do not have symptoms to get a test at one of the asymptomatic testing centres – the test results will help detect the virus and limit its spread.
“If your test result is positive, the centres will give advice about support
for isolation; if your result is negative, it’s important that you continue to follow guidance including physical distancing, using face coverings and hand-washing to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus.”
The community testing initiative is being run by the Scottish Government, NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council and aims to help reduce local Covid rates and transmission “by identifying positive cases more quickly, as people can spread the virus to others before symptoms appear”.
Dedicated assistance, including financial and food support, is available to anyone then needing to self-isolate from North Lanarkshire’s community assistance helpline on 0300 555 0407 during office hours, while nhsinform.scot/northlanarkshire. gov.uk/coronavirus also has more
information.
Public health minister Mairi Gougeon added: “Targeted testing in this way will help us find and isolate more cases, by targeting resources with communities where there is high prevalence, helping to identify more cases and giving us all a better chance of stopping it from spreading.
“However, a test only tells us if we are positive at the point in time we’re being tested – it doesn’t mean we can stop following all of the rules and guidelines which are in place to protect all of us.
“Testing is one layer of protection against this virus and all others, including vaccination and the FACTS guidance, work to greatest effect when they work together, so it’s essential people continue to follow the restrictions.”
Robert Steenson, who is North Lanarkshire Council’s executive
director for enterprise and communities, said: “Many people in our communities will be infectious with Covid but won’t have any of the known symptoms – this means they may be unwittingly spreading the virus while they are moving about in public. By getting tested at our facility, it’s an opportunity to identify and support people who may be positive so they can isolate and help to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
“Most people have been doing really well to keep to the restrictions but it’s important we all do as much as possible to limit the risk of spreading the virus, and getting tested provides that opportunity to help keep people in North Lanarkshire safe.”
The Airdrie site is only for people who do not have symptoms; anyone displaying symptoms should book a test at nhsinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816.