Here’s what you need to know about how lateral flow tests work, why symptoms may linger even if a person is no longer testing positive, and how long you can test positive after you have recovered from your symptoms. Record numbers of people in England and Wales are testing positive for covid-19.
“We urge the government not to allow its optimism to lead to complacency given the rapidly changing situation we are seeing on a daily basis.A lateral flow test strip showing covid-19 test results “What we do know is that the combined impact of the sheer volume of Covid cases, rising hospital admissions and widespread staff absence is placing front-line services under enormous strain. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “It seems that the Omicron variant is milder than previous strains, but it is still too early to know how much milder, especially in terms of how it will affect older people. It has called for a number of measures to be taken to help the situation, including prioritising access to LFD and PCR tests for NHS and social care staff, deploying medical students into healthcare settings, and continuing to review the self-isolation period to see if it is feasible to reduce it further to five days. The NHS Confederation has today warned that the health and care system is facing a staffing crisis which threatens the quality of patient care.īefore the pandemic, NHS staff absence during the winter was usually around the 5% mark, but the confederation said this was now around 8% and rising. The prevalence of Covid-19 cases is not only causing high demand for tests but also adding increasing pressure on health and care services through patient demand and also staff absences. “The sheer volume of Covid cases, rising hospital admissions and widespread staff absence is placing front-line services under enormous strain" They must still self-isolate from the day their symptoms start and take a PCR test. The guidance for those with symptoms has not changed. The LFD tests are only intended for those with no Covid-19 symptoms. The new approach reflects similar changes made in January 2021, when there was also a high prevalence of infection. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the new advice is being introduced temporarily because, while Covid-19 levels are high, people who test positive on a LFD can be confident they have Covid-19.
Instead, those who receive a positive LFD will need to isolate immediately for up to 10 days, in line with existing guidance. “As Omicron cases continue to rise the demand for tests has grown rapidly across the globe"
Covid-19 testing rules for people without symptoms in England are being temporarily relaxed, as cases continue to soar following the emergence of the Omicron variant.įrom 11 January, asymptomatic people who test positive on a lateral flow device (LFD) will no longer be required to confirm their result with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
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