Lateral flow tests - kits - anyone managed to get any?

[Blue Hills]

There are no lateral flow tests available on line or the two nearest pharmacists. I don't have the time or inclination to tour the country for some in stock as I am working full time.

We are currently waiting for a PCR test result and the rest of the household should be doing a daily test but we will have run out by the end of the week.

Ah well, that should keep the reported positive test results down. Perhaps it will all be over by Christmas.

I know a certain main test centre in a moderately sized northern town that is also a distibution centre for tests - they haven't had any since LAST (ie last week) Monday - they appear to have been expecting something last Thursday but no joy - don't seem to know when they might get some. Ordered some online for my mum and they turned up very promptly - but only 1 pack of 7.

 

[lazybloke]

Thanks Paul, i seem to recall that the instructions on mine said throat THEN nose (though maybe you could just do the nose)

I have one box of each type left in my cupboard. Differences are:

The original "tonsils and nostril" tests were manufactured by Xiamen. The plastic lateral flow device has pointed corners.
The newer "nostrils only" tests are from Arcon and are labelled "Flowflex". The device has rounded corners.

There may be other versions out there, but they all come with simple instructions!

 

[KnittyNorah]

Thanks Paul, i seem to recall that the instructions on mine said throat THEN nose (though maybe you could just do the nose)

The instructions on the 'old' (throat then nose) LFT swabs indicated that if you'd had eg a tracheostomy or certain other issues of that nature, that you could in a pinch do 'nose only'. I have an extremely sensitive gag reflex and checked with an epidemiologist friend who said that as long as I took a good sample, doing 'nose only' for LFTs would be better than a poor sample from a thoroughly-contaminated-with-other-stuff swab that I'd attempted to push to my own tonsils and gagged thoroughly all over.
The new ones - fortunately! - only need the nose sample.

 

[Blue Hills]

I have one box of each type left in my cupboard. Differences are:

The original "tonsils and nostril" tests were manufactured by Xiamen. The plastic lateral flow device has pointed corners.
The newer "nostrils only" tests are from Arcon and are labelled "Flowflex". The device has rounded corners.

There may be other versions out there, but they all come with simple instructions!

simple enough for me you mean?

 

[PaulSB]

We’ve all had it ! ... and the adults are triple jabbed ....

Just thought I'd come back to you on this one again. I'm double vaccinated, boosted and have been very careful for nearly two years. I've returned a positive LFT this lunchtime and I'm now waiting for a PCR result. I have no symptoms and just took a routine test.

Please don't think I'm trying to have a go at you but I feel the confidence you display in this thread could prove to be misplaced. It really doesn't do to have any sort of cavalier attitude to this whole sorry business.

 

[DaveReading]

The instructions on the 'old' (throat then nose) LFT swabs indicated that if you'd had eg a tracheostomy or certain other issues of that nature, that you could in a pinch do 'nose only'. I have an extremely sensitive gag reflex and checked with an epidemiologist friend who said that as long as I took a good sample, doing 'nose only' for LFTs would be better than a poor sample from a thoroughly-contaminated-with-other-stuff swab that I'd attempted to push to my own tonsils and gagged thoroughly all over.
The new ones - fortunately! - only need the nose sample.

IIRC, even the old kits included instructions that, if you were administering the test to a child, it was fine to do their nose only.

 

[Blue Hills]

IIRC, even the old kits included instructions that, if you were administering the test to a child, it was fine to do their nose only.

yes they did - hence a certain confusion my end when using one - why bother with the tonsils at all?

anyways - clearly they have moved on.

 

[PaulSB]

Ordered a box of LFTs on Monday and delivered on Wednesday. I'm isolating and my wife is testing daily.

Plus I need two for testing on days 6 and 7. Hopefully Freedom Day.

 

[Blue Hills]

Ordered a box of LFTs on Monday and delivered on Wednesday. I'm isolating and my wife is testing daily.

Plus I need two for testing on days 6 and 7. Hopefully Freedom Day.

some good news last night/this morning suggesting that Omnicrom is less serious.

 

[PaulSB]

some good news last night/this morning suggesting that Omnicrom is less serious.

What I have is no worse than a heavy cold - so far 🤞 Whether this is the variant, the vaccine or a combination of both I can't say. Whatever the reason high transmission rates aside this doesn't seem as bad as feared.

I've taken nine routine LFTs since late October, some when I had a bad cold and some out of a routine we've discussed. I took Tuesday's test out of routine not because I felt unwell. The symptoms kicked in later in the evening.

 

[Blue Hills]

What I have is no worse than a heavy cold - so far 🤞 Whether this is the variant, the vaccine or a combination of both I can't say. Whatever the reason high transmission rates aside this doesn't seem as bad as feared.

I've taken nine routine LFTs since late October, some when I had a bad cold and some out of a routine we've discussed. I took Tuesday's test out of routine not because I felt unwell. The symptoms kicked in later in the evening.

yep I'd definitely take one if i had vague cold symptoms - especially as since this blasted thing I've been far less susceptible to normal colds, what with lightly used public transport, lots of social distancing and mask wearing. I suspect lots of other folk have had less colds.

 

[Salad Dodger]

My local pharmacy had plenty of test kits available about 10 days ago.
I called in yesterday to pick up Mrs Salad's repeat prescription and they had no test kits at all. First time that I have ever known that to happen.

 

[PaulSB]

yep I'd definitely take one if i had vague cold symptoms - especially as since this blasted thing I've been far less susceptible to normal colds, what with lightly used public transport, lots of social distancing and mask wearing. I suspect lots of other folk have had less colds.

You should and don't let your guard down. I've relaxed my regime twice in three days and bang Christmas is cancelled.

I went to Ewood Park on Saturday which I think is the less likely source. I went to the gym for a spinning class, only 25% of bikes in use, first since March 2020. That was Monday. I'm sure this was the source.

 

[Blue Hills]

You should and don't let your guard down. I've relaxed my regime twice in three days and bang Christmas is cancelled.

I went to Ewood Park on Saturday which I think is the less likely source. I went to the gym for a spinning class, only 25% of bikes in use, first since March 2020. That was Monday. I'm sure this was the source.

You went to a gym Paul?- thought you were a cyclist with all that beautiful Lancashire countryside - don't tell me you are into body shaping. I escaped the ewood habit years ago. Get well/clear soon - just delay Christmas, buy all the nosh in the supermarket sales from the 27th.

 

[PaulSB]

You went to a gym Paul?- thought you were a cyclist with all that beautiful Lancashire countryside - don't tell me you are into body shaping. I escaped the ewood habit years ago. Get well/clear soon - just delay Christmas, buy all the nosh in the supermarket sales from the 27th.

🤫 🤣

I decided to return to spin classes on bad weather days. I've been in poor form this year and I'm determined to get back to 2020 levels. Monday was the first one, I'm not going back.