RE: Covid hospitalisations moving in ‘alarming’ direction, experts and NHS officials say12 Sep 2021 13:28
@CovidOT
It’s not about denial of anything. The vast bulk of the public don’t know the difference, but the LFT is NOT and can NEVER be a replacement for a PCR test. They are two very different things with very different purposes.
If you are unsure spend some time revisiting Novatalk event from the end of February where Prof. Sharon Pea**** explains the role of diagnostics tests and sequencing.
https://tinyurl.com/49nkkbd3
In principle: -
The LFT can ONLY tell you if you have infection of a KNOWN variant. They are brilliant at quickly identifying cases with high viral loads in mass infected populations. Identify possible cases and then PCR check to identify for sure.
A good analogy is the “Garden Rake” collecting up grass cutting. You can keep constantly raking and quickly collect high numbers, not all but lots quickly. Where we have HIGH infection rates it’s a great. There is a place for this test.
However, the situation now is VERY different, we have something like 81% of the population fully vaccinated and still have increasing infection and hospital numbers. It is essential, more important that ever, that we at least try at all costs to avoid a Variant entering our shores that completely gets under the vaccine, if that happened, we are back to square one.
Now Novacyt have an LFT out in the market for rapid testing and it will be a great additional revenue line. Likewise, the Saliva test will likely sell even more than the LFT for those that don’t like invasive swob tests but as I say it is VOCs that are the real risk now.
Several people in the media are suggesting LFT for Travel, it’s likely that for green countries the government may lesson the requirements however, for long haul destinations frankly it would be incredibly cavalier not to stay on top of Variants. ROW also want to protect against any variants we send to them!
Meanwhile, the travel industry may well be lobbying for change in time for the October break however, I would equally point out that with the current rates of infection in double vaccinated people, we could get to October half term and find they want to impose a “Circuit Breaker” lock down, not loosen control further!!!
As for testing, at least its good to know that Novacyt have all bases covered, PCR, LFT and Saliva but as I say; imo its VOC’s that are the risk.
GLA
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