I have done a number of LFD tests and whilst it isn’t exactly a comfortable feeling - I end up sneezing a handful of times right after I do it - it is very simple to do and to ensure the safety of ourselves and others it is absolutely worth it.

I think that the ability to test ourselves on a mass scale is a genuinely fantastic idea and hope that it can help to prevent further peaks once we have opened up again.

So, you can't report your self test on the NHS Covid-19 App using the QR code?

I'm doing my first test today. I'm struggling to see how I can avoid my tongue when going for my tonsils!

Practice first with a teaspoon / chopstick and a mirror, the thing you are trying to avoid is your tongue rolling into a hump just before the tonsil area so you may need to enter the swap nearer the top teeth and slope it in. If this gets too tricky, consider doing both nostrils only, that's what you have to do with some children.

I can scan my QR code via my laptop, it works very well. In the reporting process there is a screen that comes up for this, so it doesn't save you getting to the first few screens (though of course technically this could be done). The PC asks permission to take the image, the camera comes on like a Zoom call, show the LFD QR code in camera range and then it bleeps. The number then shows on screen and the camera switches off, it is the same as the text below the QR code so it just saves typos.

I too have the same problem, at test sites they told me say Ahhhhhh continuously and it helps move the tongue out of the way, I cannot see my tonsils either. CWS will correct me but I'm sure if you had Covid it would be in all your saliva in your mouth not just right at the back at that specific point, hence it is airborne when you breathe it out?

If you Google Linda Lovelace* you might get some hints and tips! :)

*Please don't, especially on a work computer! :)

One of my lateral flow kits came with two extra of some stuff but not everything, meaning I couldn't do two proper tests, so just for the lols, I swabbed my tongue for one and just spat in the little space in the other to see what would happen. I thought both of these would have resulted in a void result but much to my surprise, both were negative. So I don't know how we prevent people from faking negative results with LF devices.

Just did my first test, so easy! The result came up in 1 min so I guess I did it right (took about 2 mins the whole process) but waited for a while longer before posting the test just in case.
Ordered another pack to keep me going for now, I think a stockpile of 2 packs is enough, don't want to cost the government too much money now.

If they let me live normally with everything open with no COVID related rules and restrictions and free travel, I don't mind doing this daily.

That's an interesting video.

The Swiss one (in English) is slightly different. No mouth swabbing (both nostrils instead) and (hence?) no discussion about whether you should eat/drink beforehand. Plus they talk a bit faster :)

I did both nose and mouth and frankly mouth is less distrubing, I was sneezing quite a bit and my nostrils are a bit sore, the only 'side effect' of the test!

Which is correct - there is no despatch confirmation email with the NHS home order tests. Just order confirmation and the RM tracking email and SMS.

Well you've paid mightily for these tests via the tax system, I don't think 2 packs on stock is unreasonable. They give out 2 packs at pharmacies, but the postage cost escalate if they post 14 dose packs, hence the 7 size.

I am sure you meant the last sentence hypothetically, twice weekly testing or every other day is fine. Within the NHS we regard a test as valid for 48 hours. The reason why LFDs aren't anything like as accurate as PCR is all about viral load, they work best when your viral load is high, and it takes a few days for that build up to happen. So daily probably is overdoing it and you could get more nose bleeds if the nasal lining gets poked too often. But this is an exercise in learning. If lots of people do their tests, it may indeed show that mega-mass testing gives new options and solutions to us, so let's see if the testing numbers shoot up next week. Clearly those with high viral loads - a third or even half could be asymptomatic - are the ones who could spread the disease to others quickly.

The C line result indeed shows after about a minute and after 2-3 minutes it shows really clearly. That suggests your test kit is working correctly. The T line (test positive line) below C takes a lot longer to show up, hence the guidelines say wait 30 minutes. However once you have done a few you will get a grip of how the rectangular window works, and once it has gone totally clear then nothing futher will change. It does vary a bit from test to test, I don't know if there is a temperature impact. I guess the 30 minutes guideline is to play ultra safe, but pragmatically 15 - 20 minutes is more realistic. You'll soon get the hang of it.

It's a bit confusing for us too inside the NHS, since we've seen several conflicting instruction manuals. Some say mouth + 1 nostril, others say both nostrils and no reference to mouth swabbing. The distributed leaflet in the postal package also says mouth + 1 nostril, so in line with the video, and I vaguely think that's probably pragmatic given that many in the target groups will have nose piercings. Within the NHS we tend to make it both nostrils. It probably doesn't greatly matter, but if it's mouth plus 1 nostril then over time the nose won't get quite so much of a bashing from the swabs.

Well it could be worse! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56245404

Forgot to report on my vaccine yesterday. Super smooth, everyone very friendly, couldn't fault it. People under 30 were all in a smaller Pfizer queue, everyone over 30 for AZ. When they asked my age and were about to put me in the AZ queue, I asked to speak to someone about the hereditary thing and they took me to the person in charge, I showed my test results and they put me in the Pfizer queue, so that's what I got. I had to wait maybe 20 minutes for them to open the next viles, and then had to wait 15 minutes after the jab, which AZ people don't have to do.
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No side effects one day on.

Quite a lot of under 30s were there which surprised me so they really need other vaccines coming online soon surely so Pfizer isn't depleted when they need it for so many second doses soon too. You can see that effect on the Scottish stats, which show a big increase in Pfizer first doses this past week (from almost zero the last while). In Scotland I think only Glasgow is doing Moderna at the moment at just about 1-2k a day.

I practised with an ear-bud, and it was fine. All clear. I just used my phone to report via the website, so could scan the QR code.

Unfortunately had to cancel the pub for tomorrow as snow is forecast in the morning, and sitting outside with a cold pint at 7 degrees C is not my idea of fun :mad: