Get Testing

Regular rapid testing is the one of the key steps to stopping the spread of Covid-19

V AS WE follow the UK Government’s roadmap out of the pandemic, regular rapid testing of people with no symptoms can help stop the spread of Covid-19, alongside the vaccine rollout, social distancing, masks and government guidelines.

Around one in three people with Covid-19 show no symptoms and could be spreading the virus without knowing. But now, people without symptoms can order free tests. These rapid Covid-19 tests show results within 30 minutes.

If you don’t have symptoms, regular rapid Covid-19 testing is a fast and easy way to find out if you have coronavirus. As lockdown restrictions ease, getting into the regular habit of testing twice a week will play an important role in keeping life moving; alongside the vaccine, hands, face, space rules and social distancing measures. Testing twice a week if you don’t have symptoms will help stop the virus spreading, as people who test positively will know they need to isolate.

Free rapid tests are easy to get from local testing sites, at participating pharmacies and to order online at nhs.uk/Get-Tested. You can also call 119 where there are over 200 different languages available.

TESTING IS EASY

Dr Michelle Jacobs

(pictured, right) is a consultant in adult and paediatric emergency medicine at West Herts

NHS Trust (Watford General Hospital).

She is also a volunteer for Camp Simcha, the charity supporting seriously ill children and their families.

She takes regular rapid tests herself twice a week and knows how important they are — and how easy they are to do.

“It takes a few minutes to do the test and then I set a timer and come back to see the result after 30 minutes,” she says. “We know very well that people may have the virus and not have any symptoms, so it’s really important to pick this up, to protect other people around you. So if you get a positive result you should isolate immediately and stop the spread of the virus. “Taking the tests is very easy. You wait half an hour and you then record the result.”

RECORDING RESULTS

It is important to report your result online straight away, even if it is negative or void. It’s easy to do at gov.uk/report-covid19-result or by calling 119. Recording all results helps us get a better understanding of the spread of the virus across the country. Scientists use the anonymous information to spot patterns and outbreaks more quickly and accurately; helping reduce the risk of future lockdowns.

Anyone who tests positive should self-isolate immediately and visit NHS.uk/get-tested or call 119 to order a confirmatory PCR test. A negative rapid test result is not a green light. No test is 100 per cent accurate and you need to further reduce the risk of onwards transmission by continuing to follow the hands, face, space and fresh air rules.

“We should all be going by the UK Government’s guidelines and the fact that you’ve had a negative test doesn’t prevent the need for this,” says Dr Jacobs.

A FAMILY ROUTINE

Dr Niki Davies is a GP based in Harrow and a member of the medical advisory panel at Chai Cancer Care. Like so many households around the country, her family’s weekly routine now includes rapid testing twice a week.

“Just like many others, I’m keen for life to keep moving and I’m nervously excited about the UK Government’s roadmap out of the pandemic,” she says. “None of us want to have further lockdowns, restrictions or losses, which is why rapid testing has to stay part of our routine. Our vaccination programme — which I have been so proud to be part of as a GP — we hope will continue to help, but whether you’re vaccinated or not, we need to keep infection rates in our communities low by testing twice a week.

“Around one in three people with Covid-19 have no symptoms, so by testing every three to four days, we are most likely to catch people with the virus. The test kits are free from the NHS and really are very easy and

quick to use. In just 30 minutes you know that you’re helping to protect those around you, like millions of others, whilst also wearing a mask and social distancing.

“Now, it is so vital that we don’t become complacent and undo all the good we have done to get to this point. So please just take a few minutes twice a week to keep us on track.”

If you have no symptoms, get your free, rapid Covid-19 tests at nhs.uk/Get-Tested — or call 119, where there are over 200 different languages available