UK Covid testing cutoff quietly extended to eight days after first signs

[Northerner]

The government has quietly changed its guidance on the number of days within which people with coronavirus symptoms should get tested, the Guardian has learned, raising fears that the disease could spread quicker.

On the government’s website, people are now told: “On day eight, you need to go to a test site” after an apparent change on Friday morning. Earlier in the day it was quoted as saying: “You need to get the test done in the first five days of having symptoms.”

Various internal messages seen by the Guardian show coronavirus helpline team leaders suggesting the tests do not provide an accurate result more than five days after first having symptoms. “If over five days, the tests will not provide an accurate result,” one said.

Staff reacted with surprise and bemusement to the change, made without announcement or explanation. The reason behind the move was unclear, but there will be suggestions that it is intended to help manage stretched capacity.

UK Covid testing cutoff quietly extended to eight days after first signs

Exclusive: confusion as helpline staff say tests not accurate after more than five days

www.theguardian.com

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I think they're reading a bit too much into this. Previously it said you should get a test within 5 days and now it says within 8 days. So (arguably) it's extending the availability of tests: you can now get a test even if you started having symptoms more than 5 days ago.

(Still seems odd. I thought 5 days was thought to be about right: after that you're more likely to test negative, I thought. And as the article suggests we ought to be encouraging testing promptly.)