‘The fact that I took the test could have saved lives’

Alex had no symptoms when he tested positive for Covid-19 back in February

Around a third of people with coronavirus show no symptoms, so can infect others without even knowing they’ve been ill. Rapid testing is a vital tool to make sure people know when to self isolate so they break the chain of transmission.

Alex, 29, from Hemel Hempstead, works for Jamvans, a removal company that provides Covid-19 tests for its employees.

He was experiencing no symptoms at all when he tested positive for Covid.

“We move people’s homes on a daily basis, and also have a delivery contract with a local hospice – it has about 10 charity stores, and we help them move all the stock,” says Alex. “One morning before work I did a rapid Covid-19 test outside the hospice, then sat in my van waiting for the results. I’d done a few of these tests, and thought it would be fine as I didn’t have a single symptom – but then the test came back positive.”

“I spoke to the hospice on the phone from outside the building, and they told me I had to go for a PCR test. My company booked me in with a private firm and I went straight there. Our company policy is that we have to wear a mask in people’s houses and throughout our offices, and I stick to the guidelines as much as I can, so at first I thought the rapid flow test must be wrong. But within an hour, I was told I definitely had Covid. I couldn’t quite believe it.”

Alex was able to isolate straightaway, ensuring he wasn’t spreading Covid to any vulnerable people he came into contact with.

“I stopped working to self-isolate on full pay, and still didn’t develop any symptoms at all,” he says. “Without the test, I definitely would have carried on working, which is why it’s so important to have regular tests, even if you haven’t got any symptoms. I had the virus and I felt fine, but imagine if I’d given it to my parents, my grandparents or my colleagues?

“If I’m driving between 10 charity shops, with three or four people in each shop, I could have been quite a spreader. I would have put a lot of people at risk, who may not be as young and healthy as I am – you never know who you’re passing it on to. It might sound dramatic, but in my case, taking the test could have saved lives. I haven’t had the jab yet, but I will as soon as I can – and I’ll still be taking two tests a week.