PCR Priority Test Kits for those Eligible for New Covid Treatments (antivirals/monoclonal antibodies)

[Jimminey]

I rang 119 a few days ago and the person I spoke to knew nothing about Priority Test Kits; didn't know if I was on the list for getting one; and sent me the 'usual' kit. The instructions that came with this did NOT include registering the test.

At :

gov.uk/government/publicati...

the instructions include registering the test before doing it and information about being contacted for treatment.

I rang 119 again today and found out that the Priority Test Kits come with a red box and a letter (presumably that at the website above). I was advised to wait a few more days to see if the Priority Test Kit arrived and then to ring my GP if it hadn't.

I came across a news item today regarding this latest Covid cock-up:

inews.co.uk/news/health/cli...

I am looking forward to getting more information from the NRAS about this.

[AgedCrone]

Just so you are forewarned & not too disappointed….this is the reply I got from my GP

“Unfortunately we are not involved with the confirmation of these kits.One should be sent out to you in the post.

If not I would suggest calling 119 to see if they can offer you any further advice.”

119 said……”Call your GP”

[3LittleBirds2 in reply to AgedCrone]

I went to ring 119 yesterday but then put the phone down as have just lost the will, not even going to bother with with my GP.

I got told by the vaccine staff today, that the letters haven't even started going out, I couldn't be bothered to say anything. They were very helpful though with my query about it being recorded as a 3rd Primary dose and I had more sense from them than my GP.

I may feel different when my will returns..if indeed it does!!

[AgedCrone in reply to 3LittleBirds2]

I’m of the same opinion…….banging our heads against the GP brick wall seems pointless. I must say I find it quite unbelievable…..how so many GP’s just don’t intend to help alleviate patient anxiety. I know they are busy…but how long does it take to either include advice in their websites or on their answerphone?

If you read the NHS directives to GPs & Community Pharmacies…..from NHS England dated 9 December 2021…so they have known for a good while what they are expected to do (might be worth speaking to your pharmacist?) it sets out quite clearly that GP’s do not have to prescribe the nMABs or anti virals….however they do obliquely have the responsibility to report the fact if a patient has had a Positive PCR test…..it reads

“your practice MIGHT need to refer highest risk patients to the local COVID-Medicine Delivery Unit (CMDU) who can assess eligibility and arrange treatment ““MIGHT”?……why not not “you will be expected to”?

It goes on “We are encouraging patients not contacted directly by the NHS within 24 hrs of a Positive PCR test result to phone their GP practice (in hours) or 111 (out of hours) for an urgent referral to a CMDU.

GPs will not need to prescribe the treatment- only refer.

Then further on it says “if an eligible patient does not receive instructions from the CMDU on how to access treatment, you (the GP) will need to refer the patient to a local CMDU using the electronic Referral Service (e-R/S).”

A list of these delivery units is on line…but one wonders how much success a single patient might have trying to get treatment without a GP referral ?

From the way this letter is worded…it sounds to me as if any GP involvement is kind of voluntary?

I have now found out that Covid is rampant in this area amongst workmen/handymen who would come in to one’s house……so I’m now very hesitant to get any work done……without some sort of proof the workmen have tested negative…..but how to approach that little question?

The negatives just keep flowing don’t they?

[Jimminey in reply to AgedCrone]

Thank you all for your replies and information - and feelings of frustration! - it's good to know we're not alone. I guess it's just a matter of waiting to see what's done (!), and particularly if the NRAS and other concerned bodies can get anything from the authorities.

[AgedCrone in reply to Jimminey]

Unfortunately I don’t think NRAS has much more success in getting taken notice of than patients.What really annoys me is when you read the instructions that are sent out to GPs it really is very simple ….but they just seem to ignore everything….& don’t pass on the facts….they just say call 119, thus making themselves even more unpopular.

[Tourk in reply to Jimminey]

Testing kits aside, we can help do simple things to help to protect ourselves from the worst that covid has to offer.Most importantly we must take a quality vitamin D, zinc and of course vitamin C also help.

Vitamin D, well the active form of it "calcitriol", has been medically proven to be 98% effective at treating covid. As long as you are taking the recommended does of vitamin D you should only need a booster of the active form in extream circumstances.

This is the case even more so if you are upto date on the vaccines.

The testing kits are in theory to protect others from being infected if you are infected. Please note being vaccinated makes no difference to how the virus is spread. For most of us we know when we are a risk to others the symptoms are fairly clear. I have always stayed away from others if I'm ill, so covid makes little difference.

If you do have covid or think you've been infected just up your dose of vitamin D and keep an eye on how ill you are. Also let others know you are ill so they can keep an eye on you. This is Especially true if you are overweight or have other health issues.

The only side effect of taking vitamin D is better health

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Tourk]

I have taken D C and zinc for many years at the recommendation of consultants and the GP for my immune system. I would still want to access the anti virals if needed, no matter how much I’d been keeping up my vitamins. The anti virals are supposed to be extra safety for those who are very immunosuppressed/on high spec biologics/meds as an extra measure, so I’d not want to rely on vitamins alone. I am not sure you are referring to obtaining LFTs/PCRs in general, but this thread and a couple of similar others recently have been concerning the eligibility for the antivirals, which includes a PCR test if the immunosuppressed included in the anti virals cohort suspect they have the virus.

Yes, those vitamins are a great help in general for your immune system and T cells work much better in fighting viruses of any sort if vitamin D is available for them to access in the body, but I don’t feel reliance on those vitamins alone is recommended instead of the anti virals.

Also, people like myself have not responded to the vaccines due to their strong immunosuppressive medication blunting the efficacy of the vaccines resulting in zero/low antibodies, so they will need the extra help of the anti virals.

[Tourk in reply to Neonkittie17]

Good reponce you are right that people seam to rely on a vaccine instead of improving their health. You are not alone in the vaccine not working for you. I can see why you have to keep an eye on any viruses you are exposed to.

I had covid end of October, apart from being very tired it wasn't to bad, I did take extra vitamin D when my step doughter bought it home from school. The funny thing is it cleared my lungs I've found breathing far easier since I had it.

One can certainly tell its man made I've never know a virus like it.

It's a fun worldwe live in

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Tourk]

I am glad vitamin D has been so helpful for you and it is an excellent supplement for RA and helps out defence against such a lot of viruses.

[GinnyE]

There are a lot of posts about this on here, I’ve done a few myself. I agree it’s a shockingly ineffective system and sympathise with the feelings of frustration and panic you must have felt. Knowing there is a medication available that can help and not being able to get your hands on it is worse than there not being any medication at all!

[Runrig01]

The info that agedcrone refers to is all here in the letter to GPS. Point out the bottom of page 2 to them, it’s an idiots guide on what they need to do

england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/...

[AgedCrone in reply to Runrig01]

So why the xxxx don’t they do it?

Can they really not understand that a short message on their web site & on their answerphone messages ……would probably halt 75% of the phone calls they are getting?

Do you think anybody at the practices who make decisions actually reads these letters?

TBH you can’t really blame them if they don’t….. when you think back to all the duplicate letters that we have received over the last couple of years.

[Runrig01 in reply to AgedCrone]

I know, but I think these days they are bombarded with emails from NHSE & government along with all the other agencies, that I think they skim over and file them. I’ve found when I attach them to an email I send, which is initially the secretaries, then it gets noticed because the secretaries take the time to decider what your asking or stating. I retired from the nhs a few year ago, I was a ward sister, and when I returned from 2 days off I’d have 50 emails, but not sufficient admin time to deal with them all effectively. I can only imagine it’s 10 x worse now. My daughter has 2 friends who are gps and throughout the pandemic been doing 70hr weeks to keep up. I get angry when people imply their doing nothing. My area due to doing both F2F and remote appointments are doing 20% more appointments than pre pandemic. Most gps want to help they just struggle to find the time to wade through the information to find what we are telling them should be happening. So I think most would be grateful to have it attached to request, so they can sort it promptly. Stay safe and take care 🤗

[AgedCrone in reply to Runrig01]

What I find puzzling is the tone of the letters sent to GPs…it’s almost as if they are given a choice as to whether they partake …..but tbh I think most people have got the message now…..things are going to open up & we must find the information we need for ourselves.

In fact I feel quite sorry for those answering on 119…..as they can only give out the info they are given….& when it is to contact your GP……& you just get nowhere …..they are the ones people get back to & complain.

[Rupert2001]

When I did not receive my priority PCR I rang test and trace who said they did not have them and told me they were only available via GP and hospital consultants. Unfortunately this is totally untrue as the priority PCRs were sent out by UK health security agency. The GPS and hospital consultants are able to refer eligible patients for the Covid Medicine Delivery Unit if the patient gets a positive PCR, though you should be contacted before that by someone from CMDU to talk you through the possible treatment so that it can be started asap or it won’t be effective. It is unfair, in this case, to blame GPs.

From 10th February a positive lateral flow test in an eligible patient will apparently be regarded as enough for you to have the CMDU team to contact you to discuss anti viral or other appropriate treatment so it will be worth having some of those at home to test yourself but don’t forget to report your test online or via 119 so that you can be referred to CMDU.

[Jimminey in reply to Rupert2001]

Very useful information. Thank you.

Many, including myself, did not receive a red priority PCR test kit and will therefore not be on a list of those to be contacted by the CMDU in the event of a positive test. And so, in the event of a positive test, will have to go through the process of getting on to

GP/111/Reumatology for them to contact the CMDU.

There have been more posts on this subject recently: 'Antivirals' 5 days ago and 'Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for Covid' 1 day ago, the latter with 2 posts from Maureengibson with 3 very useful links.

I will also mention that in the event of a negative LFT after developing Covid symptoms, a PCR test should also then be done as apparently LFTs give more false negs than false positives.

[Rupert2001]

Yes the fact that the lateral flow test can be negative when you have Covid is a problem. It is most likely to be positive 1-3 days before you get symptoms and 1-7 days after symptoms start. As we will be doing a test if we have Covid symptoms that should probably be ok. PCR tests, I think, have less false positives and negatives than lat flow tests. I suppose using lat flow tests to start treatment quickly for eligible patients is a bit of a compromise.