COVID Temp Checks & Cycling

[Davef]

If you're being admitted then you'll have been sent for a test at an NHS run site, where an actual NHS staff member will assault* you with a swab, because HCPs don't trust people to assault themselves approrpiately. 

There's a huge debate over whether a (relatively gentle) nasal swab is required or whether a nasopharyngeal assault/swab is required.

The nurse that oversees our weekly/monthly tests for the ONS survey only insists on a nasal swab, so the swab is only going 5mm into the nose rather than 50mm to get to the nasopharnyx.

She should be be following the sampling protocol of the study therefore insisting on two swabs, a nostril swab and a throat swab. She should not be asking for NP swab.

[Greenbank]

She should be be following the sampling protocol of the study therefore insisting on two swabs, a nostril swab and a throat swab. She should not be asking for NP swab.

Sorry, the "only" referred to the nasal/nasopharyngnel distinction, we do the throat swab first each time.

Also, the nurse is a he.

[Davef]

He/she is correctly following the protocol then.

[Greenbank]

Yes, that's my point. The ONS is only requesting nasal swabs, yet pretty much every other Covid-19 test (including the drive-through testing) are performing the far more invasive and uncomfortable nasopharyngneal swabs. (On top of the throat swab that's taken first.)

My guess is that the latter is used to make it uncomfortable enough that people don't seek frequent retests (for their own peace of mind) whilst the former are used on the ONS study to ensure people don't bail out of the study.

I'm left wondering if there's any significant difference in the results of nasal vs nasopharyngneal tests (assuming both also take a swab from the back of the throat).

[Davef]

Yes, that's my point. The ONS is only requesting nasal swabs, yet pretty much every other Covid-19 test (including the drive-through testing) are performing the far more invasive and uncomfortable nasopharyngneal swabs. (On top of the throat swab that's taken first.)

My guess is that the latter is used to make it uncomfortable enough that people don't seek frequent retests (for their own peace of mind) whilst the former are used on the ONS study to ensure people don't bail out of the study.

I'm left wondering if there's any significant difference in the results of nasal vs nasopharyngneal tests (assuming both also take a swab from the back of the throat).

Are you sure ? In the U.K. I thought it was all nostril and OP no NP for all tests including drive through and postal. The phase 1 ONS also took pin prick blood samples from a random subset to check efficacy of sampling protocol.

[Greenbank]

The five people I know who've had tests at the drive through places were all throat swab then nasopharyngeal[1] swab.

1. Finally I've managed to spell it properly.

[Davef]

Perhaps it varies from centre to centre. The ONS believe their self-swabbing sample collection is also “widely used at drive through testing centres”, but “widely used” is not the same as entirety. Certainly it is the protocol for postal tests.

[barakta]

The ortho hospital here had the usual older hospital volunteers wearing masks instructing people on what to do instead of how to use the stupid machines as usual. My volunteer woman wanted me to use a face to face temperature thing but I didn't understand what she was saying behind her mask or what it was so I thought it was a new letter scanning machine. The volunteer then started trying to physically move me which is really not useful and actually unsafe - I was bigger than her and I'm only 5'3" but she was tiny.

I swear the volunteer was never further than 0.5m from me and she got in the way of me and some clutter the porters had left between temp thing and table of sanitiser and masks so I did actually stumble over that... I'm also not sure about the wiseness of having clearly 65yrs+ older people inna hospital volunteering like this.

At least I know for next time, where I'll stick to my own mask cos surgicals don't work and trying not to ping hearing aid, spex, while trying to get it on was very stressful and difficult. Especially when I went to the loo and realised it was upside down despite the volunteer telling me it was correct.

Why don't patient-use surgical masks have a clearly visual TOP in a different colour/intensity?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Why don't patient-use surgical masks have a clearly visual TOP in a different colour/intensity?

I think the top edge has a wire stiffener? But yeah, some sort of visual indication would be helpful. Unless it really doesn't matter...

[FifeingEejit]

I've never seen upendedness in the donning and doffing guidance, but then I don't wear them for my job even just now, other forum members do.
It may also be model specific, but I assume we're talking about the basic blue IIR surgical masks.


When I was down at the hospital the other week there was just a table of them at the entrance.

[Davef]

I've never seen upendedness in the donning and doffing guidance, but then I don't wear them for my job even just now, other forum members do.
It may also be model specific, but I assume we're talking about the basic blue IIR surgical masks.


When I was down at the hospital the other week there was just a table of them at the entrance.

Top edge has wire, bottom edge doesn’t

[Davef]

[Kim]

Why don't patient-use surgical masks have a clearly visual TOP in a different colour/intensity?

"FRONT TOWARDS ENEMY"

ETA: Dammit, Rule 34

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

If it helps, I've cycled 55 miles into my office three or four times over the last month, and have passed the temperature check every time.  I don't try to set Strava segment PBs along the Embankment, but am going at a reasonable lick.

[barakta]

I've never seen upendedness in the donning and doffing guidance, but then I don't wear them for my job even just now, other forum members do.
It may also be model specific, but I assume we're talking about the basic blue IIR surgical masks.


When I was down at the hospital the other week there was just a table of them at the entrance.

Top edge has wire, bottom edge doesn’t

That wasn't very visible while dealing with steamed up glasses and flappy volunteers in my personal space talking to me from behind masks. I'd need to have time, space and PEACE to examine the mask carefully to see that level of difference (possibly a my vision and stability thing). I wasn't expecting to have to change out of the mask I already had.

As it is, I have a nearly FF3 rated mask so I'm not switching next time as this one doesn't steam up my spex and doesn't require me to look through the wrong bit of lens to see.

[Davef]

You are meant to bend the wire to  fit your nose. If you don’t do this (or have the mask upside down) your glasses will steam up which would be an issue if you were wielding a scalpel


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[Kim]

Baratka's main issue (other than poor hands, poor vision, wonky nose, unusually close-fitting glasses, extra hardware attached to the side of her head that doesn't like objects in close proximity and trying to lipread people wittering at her while she tries to work out what she's doing) is lack of ears for masks to attach to...

[Lightning Phil]

The five people I know who've had tests at the drive through places were all throat swab then nasopharyngeal[1] swab.

1. Finally I've managed to spell it properly.

I did the home test swab today. Currently awaiting courier. My sample is in the fridge in the supplied packaging. I’m doing the home test as part of the randomised NHS / Imperial College testing that is being done, not because of symptoms or being asked to be track and trace etc.

First you do a swab from both tonsils, rotating the swab 10 times each. Then you swab each nostril , inserting swab horizontally 1 inch or until you feel resistance. The nose you rotate the swab 5 times each. Then put swab in phial break off end of stick, and screw on lid  Then put phial in biohazard bag, seal that etc. These are the instructions from the NHS booklet that comes with the kit. The booklet includes 11 pages of stuff covering how to do it to yourself, how to do it with someone under 18, and young children. Plus a video link to watch before doing swab.

The throat one is uncomfortable and made me gag. The video says if you are not gagging the swab is likely not far enough back. So you just pause between tonsils to get gag out of way then resist gag when doing second tonsil. The nose bit was fine in comparison.

[hellymedic]

The five people I know who've had tests at the drive through places were all throat swab then nasopharyngeal[1] swab.

1. Finally I've managed to spell it properly.

I did the home test swab today. Currently awaiting courier. My sample is in the fridge in the supplied packaging. I’m doing the home test as part of the randomised NHS / Imperial College testing that is being done, not because of symptoms or being asked to be track and trace etc.

First you do a swab from both tonsils, rotating the swab 10 times each. Then you swab each nostril , inserting swab horizontally 1 inch or until you feel resistance. The nose you rotate the swab 5 times each. Then put swab in phial break off end of stick, and screw on lid  Then put phial in biohazard bag, seal that etc. These are the instructions from the NHS booklet that comes with the kit. The booklet includes 11 pages of stuff covering how to do it to yourself, how to do it with someone under 18, and young children. Plus a video link to watch before doing swab.

The throat one is uncomfortable and made me gag. The video says if you are not gagging the swab is likely not far enough back. So you just pause between tonsils to get gag out of way then resist gag when doing second tonsil. The nose bit was fine in comparison.

Mum (84) did this with Dad (90) earlier this week. She got a 404 the first few times she tried the video linky, but it then worked without her doing anything.
Phoned Angus on the Helldesk in Scotland but he didn't have the booklet.
Mum was Not Amused!

[Kim]

The throat one is uncomfortable and made me gag. The video says if you are not gagging the swab is likely not far enough back. So you just pause between tonsils to get gag out of way then resist gag when doing second tonsil. The nose bit was fine in comparison.

7 months in and I still haven't had an opportunity to put my suppressing-gag-reflex superpower to use.  Long may it continue...

[quixoticgeek]

That wasn't very visible while dealing with steamed up glasses and flappy volunteers in my personal space talking to me from behind masks. I'd need to have time, space and PEACE to examine the mask carefully to see that level of difference (possibly a my vision and stability thing). I wasn't expecting to have to change out of the mask I already had.

As it is, I have a nearly FF3 rated mask so I'm not switching next time as this one doesn't steam up my spex and doesn't require me to look through the wrong bit of lens to see.

A friend recently had to take a flight, at my insistence they had a FFP3 mask on. Without a valve on it. When they got on the plane, the plane staff insisted that the mask wasn't suitable and gave them a standard surgical mask.

She wore the surgical mask over the FFP3...

J