Well first of all, what a few months we have all had! I think its been rather a scary time for everyone, watching the daily briefings, counting the number of covid related deaths and seeing images of healthcare and other key workers in extreme circumstances. We have never known times like this in our lifetime. For many of us it already feels like a long time, but its far from over yet. People are starting to return to a new normal, still surrounded by so much uncertainty.
We hear about the different covid testing stations and services that have been set up for key workers, but for the rest of society – what is there on offer for them?
Without question, the most important thing here is to continue to follow guidance set out by Public Health England (PHE) social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, isolating etc. Whether it’s down to curiosity or the need to have some control over the situation, the bottom line is that so many people want to know their covid antibody status. I am not going into details here about the CE mark and the accuracy of the tests, all this information can be found on the test centres website (as is ours). Our tests that we use are finger prick tests and you get the results in ten minutes!
We do not know what having antibodies actually means for the individuals, we do not know if it gives them immunity or maybe how long for, which is why we will be advising people to still continue to follow PHE guidelines, regardless of the results.
Most people who are coming to our clinic have had an illness within the past 4 months and are curious as to whether it was covid or not. It may be in the future that we will know exactly what this information means for the individual, but for now, it’s just ‘the knowing’.
What’s interesting in the testing I have been involved in, is that some people are showing as having antibodies when they don’t even remember being unwell, obviously this is often a shock, but does demonstrate that there are people who are having no symptoms at all with covid19.
At ECG training we are delighted to be able to offer this Mon-Fri testing service at our stunning office location (more importantly with plenty of free parking!). Our clinic is run by registered nurses and paramedics who can answer any questions you may have too.
There are also many pharmacies up and down the country offering this service to the general public, it’s all about choice.
To book a test with us at Bradwell Abbey (or to arrange an off-site group testing day), please follow this link: click here
Written by Jane Lambert (ECG, SEO & RGN), Monday 29th June 2020
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