Changes to the rules on PCR testing have been announced in Wales in an attempt to reduce pressure on the system.
The Welsh Government confirmed the change after it was announced in England that people who have had a positive lateral flow test result will no longer need a confirmatory PCR test as long as they are asymptomatic.
A record high of up to 28,000 daily bookings had been documented at test sites across wales since Christmas Day, a statement from the government said.
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Wales' health minister Eluned Morgan said on Wednesday: "I have agreed some immediate changes to the PCR testing system that will help reduce pressure and help increase access for those who have symptoms and need to book a test."
The changes are:
- People who are unvaccinated contacts of positive cases and are self-isolating for 10 days should now take a lateral flow test on day two and day eight instead of a PCR test. The Welsh Government said: "This will help to increase PCR testing capacity. This change will come into effect immediately."
- The Welsh Government has agreed that if a person showing no symptoms has a positive lateral flow test they will no longer be advised to have a follow-up PCR test to confirm the result unless they are in a clinically vulnerable group, which may need early access to treatment or have been advised to do so as part of a research or surveillance programme.
The second change came into effect from Thursday, January 6, and the Welsh Government estimates it will reduce the demand for PCR tests by between 5% and 15%.
We went down to Llandaff Fields in Cardiff on Thursday to ask people their views on the new rules. We asked them three questions:
1. Are you taking a lateral flow test before you go out?
2. Do you trust the results of a lateral flow?
3. Do you understand the changes to testing announced on Wednesday?
Most people we spoke to said although they had been using lateral flow tests through the pandemic they felt safer having PCR tests to confirm their results. Here's what people had to say.
Rick Nichol
Answering our first question the 61-year-old, originally from London, said he had been taking lateral flow tests but had a PCR result on Wednesday.
"I'm not at the moment but I have been taking lateral flow tests but I was PCR tested negative yesterday and I'm leaving the country tomorrow to fly back to Dubai so I needed that to leave the country," he said.
He said despite taking lateral flows he couldn't put all his trust in using them alone to determine a positive case of the virus. To our second question he said: "Not entirely and the reason for that is we've had contradictory results between the PCR tests and lateral flow tests, so we're not 100% confident in them but we still use them."
He added that he did understand the changes made to testing in Wales on Wednesday.
Geoff Whitepark
The 63-year-old local cafe owner said he takes a lateral flow test depending on the situation in response to question one.
He said: "Not every day. I think if I was mixing with other people, or if I had mixed with other people, then yes I would."
However despite reaching for lateral flows he said he didn't fully trust them. Answering question two he said: "Not really. From my own experience I took three on one occasion and there were no symptoms of me having anything then yet the following day I seemed to be quite ill and then my PCR test proved to be positive with Covid so I think they are a little bit intermittent."
He said though he does understand the new rules he had some reservations on them. "My understanding is that there is no PCR test required. I think the flow tests are very much down to the individual in terms of being responsible in declaring whether they have Covid and then being able to abide by the rules. I think it's a little bit hit or miss with flow tests."
Sally Davies
The 64-year-old from Canton said she does take lateral flow tests when we asked her our first question. She replied: "Only when I'm seeing vulnerable people but not every day."
However she also admitted she didn't fully trust them. In response to question two she said: "Yes and no. It's better than nothing but obviously they're not 100%. I think you get false negatives but you don't get false positives, or not very many anyway, so I think it's better than nothing."
From the changes she understood that there is now more emphasis on lateral flow tests than PCRs. She said in response to our final question: "I think so, that you have to have a lateral flow test when you get back from abroad instead of a PCR test on day two."
David Snelson
The 56-year-old local cafe worker said he doesn't do lateral flow tests because he doesn't trust them as much as PCR tests. He responded: "No – because I don't think they're reliable enough," to our first question.
It was unsurprising when he said he didn't trust lateral flows in response to question two. He said: "Definitely not. There have been cases of people with Covid who have tested negative. I don't think they're reliable enough in this day and age."
He said he found the new changes confusing. "It was 10 days and now they've reduced it to seven is it? So why is that? They haven't really explained that to us," he replied to question three.
Dee Thomas
The 55-year-old said she takes a lateral flow test if she's "mixing with other people".
However, in line with the others we spoke to, she said she also has little trust in using lateral flow tests alone. To our second question she replied: "Sadly not, purely from experience where I've taken four lateral flow tests that were negative believing that I'm clear to mix with people and then my PCR test turned out to be positive, so no, but I still do them."
Although she said she understands the changes she said she doesn't agree with them. "I understand them, as in I know what they are, but I don't understand the thought process behind them," she said.
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