Get into the testing habit
TAKING RAPID TESTS AT HOME IS A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
More than half the adults in the UK have had at least one dose of Covid vaccination and lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease. But the virus is still out there and around a third of all the people who are infected do not show any symptoms.
Regular rapid testing is vital to break the chain of transmission – now all adults are advised to do two tests a week. Rapid testing kits are free and you can do them at home, with results appearing within just 30 minutes. If you test positive, you’ll be able to isolate straightaway rather than risk spreading Covid to others.
Millions of people have already made regular home testing part of their routine, as secondary school children and their parents have been able get free tests since February, but now everyone is encouraged to play their part. Every test helps to put your mind at rest and helps protect people around you as the country moves out of lockdown.
Even though you might have already had one or two doses of vaccine, there’s a chance you could still give Covid to someone else, as no vaccine is 100 per cent effective. So it’s vital to test twice weekly as well as continuing to follow social distancing guidance, washing hands, wearing a face covering and letting fresh air in.
Rapid Covid-19 tests are suitable if you have no symptoms of Covid (a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a change in your sense of smell or taste).
“Remember, around a third of people with coronavirus have no symptoms, but could be spreading it to others without knowing,” says GP Dr Amir Khan (pictured). “Rapid testing is effective at detecting people who are infectious and enabling us to find Covid-19 cases that we otherwise would not know about. This helps us in our efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Testing regularly even when you have no symptoms
means we can keep infection levels low and our country safe, and the good thing is they give a result within 30 minutes.” And, as Dr Khan notes, the tests are very reliable if you do them correctly. “Testing ourselves for coronavirus using rapid Covid-19 tests is vital in keeping ourselves and others safe from coronavirus and keeping infection rates in our communities low. When done correctly, the tests are at least 99.9 per cent specific, which means the risk of false positives is extremely low – less than one in a thousand. This means it is a very good test.”
The more we can do to stop the spread, the more we can protect each other. You can order free packs of tests online – find out if you’re eligible and get more information at nhs.uk/get-tested or by calling 119.