Asymptomatic testing in southwark

Noticed an asymptomatic test centre has popped up in brockwell park, for free Covid tests for people not showing symptoms in Lambeth.... Does anyone know if there are any plans for one of these for Southwark residents ?

Checked on the Southwrk website but couldn't see anything on there about this.

I was just about to start a thread asking the same thing . There seems to be talk of asymptomatic testing - generally with front line workers having priority -spreading across London .

I can't see from looking at Southwark's on line stuff that there is even mention of locations offering symptomatic testing .Because they don't want people turning up hoping for a test without going through the national testing procedure ?

It could be the CCG that is organing it.

Maybe healthwatch could help us.

Lambeth and southwark CCGs merged but I suspect there are still lical differences.

My presumption would be that it was Lambeth council that was providing the Lambeth tests. When they do arrive, bear in mind that the lateral flow tests have a false negative rate of about 50%, so don't assume it'll be definitive of your own status. But it's still believed to be potentially beneficial, given the isolation and tracing opportunities provided by those positives that are found.

A BMJ blog is less optimistic: "Rapid testing of asymptomatic people could be useful if the test detected people who were asymptomatic and actively infectious, and if those people went on to self-isolate and if their contacts were traced. However, in practice, only a subset of people testing positive with the Innova test are actively infectious and only a subset self-isolate." https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/12/covid-19-government-must-urgently-rethink-lateral-flow-test-roll-out/

Looks like this is available in Southwark from Monday.

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/coronavirus/book-a-free-covid-19-test?chapter=3&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

thank you LJ ,I just needed to be patient!

I don't suppose anyone knows whether ,in view of the accuracy rate of the LF tests ,the protocol is to offer succesive tests ?

I think I've heard that where a person tests positive with a LF tests they are then asked to take a PCR test,so I guess that would weed out false positives .But I wonder about false negatives .

FRom Southwark Council

We would like to update you on some important new developments in our efforts to tackle COVID-19 and protect local residents.

From Monday 18 January, a new COVID-19 community testing site will open at the Damilola Taylor Centre, 1e Surrey Grove, Peckham, SE15 6DR. It will be open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm, and tests are currently available to those aged 16 and over. Further sites in the borough will follow in the coming weeks, and we will share the information when we have it.

The purpose of this new site is to help us to identify those people who carry the virus but do not have symptoms. Up to a third of people who test positive for coronavirus do not have symptoms and can therefore spread it without realising to others. Identifying these individuals so they can be supported to self-isolate is key to slowing the spread of the virus in our community.

We are currently encouraging key workers and those who cannot work from home to get one of these ?lateral flow? tests. This includes charities and workers delivering key frontline services, school staff, supermarket staff, transport workers, security guards, cleaners, construction workers and many other roles. If you have staff or volunteers supporting the COVID-19 response, please encourage them to come forward for a test.

Please be assured that all necessary public health precautions have been taken to make the testing site safe, and staff will be on site to ensure that social distancing measures are followed.

The test is quick, simple and painless and will provide you with a result in less than one hour. Tests must be booked using the online booking system, which you can access by visiting our website ? where you can also find further information about the process.

Brilliant ... I can't work from home and work in food manufacturing, they are really trying to keep our place cover safe, with one way systems, hand washing and sanitising routine, and we all wear face masks at work... but this will help me to check as we have now had a couple of people test positive, but with no symptoms.

Pugwash Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> FRom Southwark Council

>

> We would like to update you on some important new

> developments in our efforts to tackle COVID-19 and

> protect local residents.

>

> From Monday 18 January, a new COVID-19 community

> testing site will open at the Damilola Taylor

> Centre, 1e Surrey Grove, Peckham, SE15 6DR. It

> will be open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm,

> and tests are currently available to those aged 16

> and over. Further sites in the borough will follow

> in the coming weeks, and we will share the

> information when we have it.

>

> The purpose of this new site is to help us to

> identify those people who carry the virus but do

> not have symptoms. Up to a third of people who

> test positive for coronavirus do not have symptoms

> and can therefore spread it without realising to

> others. Identifying these individuals so they can

> be supported to self-isolate is key to slowing the

> spread of the virus in our community.

>

> We are currently encouraging key workers and those

> who cannot work from home to get one of these

> ?lateral flow? tests. This includes charities and

> workers delivering key frontline services, school

> staff, supermarket staff, transport workers,

> security guards, cleaners, construction workers

> and many other roles. If you have staff or

> volunteers supporting the COVID-19 response,

> please encourage them to come forward for a test.

>

> Please be assured that all necessary public health

> precautions have been taken to make the testing

> site safe, and staff will be on site to ensure

> that social distancing measures are followed.

>

> The test is quick, simple and painless and will

> provide you with a result in less than one hour.

> Tests must be booked using the online booking

> system, which you can access by visiting our

> website ? where you can also find further

> information about the process.

My sons' school encouraged us to get tested before Christmas, whether we had symptoms or not.

Definitely a good idea!

Lateral flow device testing is being implemented locally by local authority Public Health teams in partnership with other health partners however they are leading (not CCGs).

The protocol is that anyone who tests positive with an LFD test must then take a confirmatory PCR test.

It is advisable to take two tests with 3-5 days (min 3 days) between tests because the devices are more likely to provide a true positive result with the presence of a higher viral load hence two tests based on your viral load inreasing over the 3-5 day period if you are in fact carrying the virus.

Many local authorities have not been publicising LFD testing facilities widely in order to manage demand as well as providing time for mobilisation and ironing out any possible teething issues with booking and other systems.

Yes, the sensitivity of LFD tests is lower compared to PCR tests however given the very quick turnaround and the low cost, they provide an option for testing where another may be unfeasible/inaccessible. Something is better than nothing.

If you have sympotms, you should always take a PCR test. Details here https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test (scroll all the way down to the green 'start now' box).

My concern is that although I agree LF tests are better than nothing in some settings where successive tests are built in as part of the protocol ( eg in a care home/hospital/school ) I've seen nothing to suggest that this is the case in local authority testing centres .

Extracts from BMJ article

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/12/covid-19-government-must-urgently-rethink-lateral-flow-test-roll-out/

"Mass testing may be helpful and necessary in certain circumstances if delivered to a high quality, but the Innova lateral flow test is not fit for this purpose.

Studies have shown that in symptomless people it misses the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a substantial proportion. In the Liverpool pilot study, 60% (95% CI 48% to 71%) of infected symptomless people went undetected, including 33% (19% to 50%) of those with high viral loads who are at highest risk of infecting others. [1] Among students in Birmingham, only 3% (1% to 16%) of those who would have tested positive on PCR were detected. [2] The Government continues to claim that the test detects 77%?a figure from an unrealistic study using laboratory scientists and experienced nurses running tests on symptomatic people."

"While repeated rolls of a dice will increase the chance of you finally getting the result you want, this is not how testing behaves. False negative results happen for a reason, such as the person having a lower viral load or difficulties in swabbing which tend to recur with subsequent tests, reducing the chances of a true positive result. Together these assumptions overestimate benefits and underestimate potential harms. This is no way to produce evidence to support a population wide national testing programme."

"Low test accuracy would be less dangerous if people being tested and the public at large received accurate information about the risks and implications of a false negative result"

I've already been told how a couple have had the Southwark LF test and are thrilled that they are now safe to go and hug people .