Best to take the virus test REGULAR RAPID TESTING IS A VITAL STEP FOR STOPPING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, PARTICULARLY AS PUPILS SETTLE BACK IN AT SCHOOL. HERE’S HOW THE TESTS CAN HELP PROTECT YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES

hen you can’t work from home or you are a parent with children who are back at school or college, regular rapid testing can help to keep you and your loved ones safe.

One in three people with Covid-19 don’t show symptoms, so it’s vital to remain vigilant as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, and getting into the habit of taking rapid tests at home will help stop the spread of the virus. The impact of vaccination on transmission isn’t yet known, so even if you’ve had both doses you could still be able to give Covid to someone else.

You’re more likely to catch Covid from people you spend time with – so testing twice a week (and following self-isolation guidelines if the result is positive) will help to break the chain of transmission. Whether negative, positive or even void, you should report the result at gov.uk/report-covid19-result or call 119.

Testing and isolating play an important role alongside the vaccination programme and the ‘hands, face, space, air’ guidelines. (Wash your hands, cover your face, make space and open the windows to make sure rooms are well ventilated.)

Testing is free, quick and easy, and you can do it at home. Millions of people are already taking the tests – in the NHS, at workplaces and in secondary schools.

Tests are available to families and support bubbles of school children and people who have to be in a workplace.

Find out where you can pick up the test kits at gov.uk/ getting-tested-forcoronavirus. it’s vital for those situations where I have to go into work and the twins have to go into school – it makes me feel safer knowing we’ve had a test.

“The tests are super easy to get hold of. We get them from the Government website so we don’t have to go anywhere. It’s a very easy process, they are posted out and the last batch we ordered arrived the very next day – it literally couldn’t be easier.

“Home schooling was obviously incredibly difficult and I was managing my business as well – I have a natural health and beauty company, Natural Mothers, and make all my own products. My husband Nick has his home office in the garden now. But I feel like I want to be done with that part. The children need to go back to school and I felt like I was holding my business back, too.

“We’ve been incredibly careful throughout the pandemic. My husband had cancer over 10 years ago and we don’t know how he’d be affected if he got coronavirus, so that’s why we’ve been so cautious. I don’t think it’s worth the risk.

“This year is a very short time in our whole life and I feel really passionate about sticking to the rules and staying home. As hard as it’s been, I think it gave me the need to recognise that we all needed to slow down and spend that time together.

“By doing these tests, we’re protecting other people. If we were asymptomatic but had Covid and didn’t know, the children and I could infect others.”