Forum Topic

Walk in  Covid testing

T From LBHThere will be a coronavirus testing unit in Heston this week. Do the right thing for your community and help stop the spread of coronavirus. No need to book - get tested tomorrow (Wednesday 19 August) or Thursday 20 August between 10.30am to 3.30pmFor this testing site we are encouraging everyone to get tested – even if you don’t have symptoms or live in Heston.Address: St Leonard's Church, Heston Road, Heston TW5 0RD.

John Todd ● 2265d44 Comments

I had a test at Twickenham rugby ground. Very straightforward and negative result the next day.My question is though if a lot of people in a smallish area get tested over a couple of days  could this falsely create a spike?I don't pretend to know the answer but maybe someone else does.

Adrian Irving ● 2265d

Very likely Adrian.  Unless the testers can prove a false positive rate of zero,  even if there are no actual cases some will be found by the tests.  If you want to avoid house arrest don't get tested.

Andy Riley ● 2265d

Hello John - is this definitely a walk-in test centre? It would be an effort to get there by public transport to find out it isn't! While I'm here, I'm wondering why there aren't more walk-in centres as opposed to drive-through. I'm assuming the testing centre I saw at the West Middlesex when passing by on the bus is drive-through only.Of course if you are without a car you can always ask for a kit to be sent to your home address but then I've read that testing is most accurate if done within the first three days of Covid symptoms appearing so really the home test idea doesn't sound all that great - not to mention that one may not administer it correctly.It's good that booking isn't necessary at the Heston test centre on Wednesday and Thursday.When these things are advertised, it would be helpful to know the nearest tube/train station (Osterley) and bus number(s).Thanks for any more information you can give.

Anne England ● 2265d

I don't fancy catching corona on public transport which would take an age from Chiswick

Claire Moran ● 2265d

John Todd, I am disappointed in you – I thought you had more sense.Deaths in England & Wales from all causes have been below average for the past (recorded) 8 weeks and hospitals are virtually empty; so now ‘cases’ are being used against the British public to justify the continuation of all kinds of draconian measures. This country is already in ruins as a result of the extremely damaging ‘lockdown’ enabled by a mild virus; and you come up with the suggestion of everyone getting tested, which will only further fuel unnecessary problems for everyone.  Can’t you see that the government, and other governments around the world, want this nonsense to go on and on? Use your loaf and get a grip for Christ’s sake; or are you part of the scamming team?

Michael Brown ● 2265d

Anne,We received the following email today from our Head of Communications.Dear Councillors,We have a walk in coronavirus testing unit in Heston tomorrow and Thursday this week. This is free and available for anyone to get a test. You can just turn up and don’t need to book.We are encouraging everyone to get a free test, regardless of whether you have symptoms.Please could you share this information in your wards.'My original post on this thread came from the second part of the email.

John Todd ● 2265d

All very well, but why position it in a place that is poorly serviced by public transport?

Carl Wynne ● 2265d

Thank you John for passing on the information.

Jane Hanna ● 2265d

The aim is to open more test centres before winter. Everyone in cities and urban areas should be within half an hour walk of a centre and in more rural areas within half and hour drive of a centre.  I would just be wary of anywhere that asks you to perform the test yourself. Hopefully a simpler swab test will be available before long.

Sean Wales ● 2265d

Hmm, it would take nearly 2 hours to walk there from Chiswick. Does Chiswick not have a closer walk in site for those who don't have a car, assuming they don't want people on public transport if they're potentially positive?

Jo Roberts ● 2265d

I don't see how anyone in Chiswick would get to Heston within half an hour on public transport. Particularly with the new road measures.

Claire Moran ● 2265d

I was on Facebook just now and there are a good few posts forwarding this testing message throughout the borough. There will be a big queue I'm thinking.

Bob Guyett ● 2265d

I went to the drive though test centre in Twickenham Rugby Ground car park.Very straightforward.I believe it is still open so check it out of you prefer to drive.

Adrian Irving ● 2265d

I'd like to know why Chiswicks Councillors have not pushed for a local more convenient testing centre ? As previous posters have said Heston is far from convenient.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2265d

Was it put there because there were increased numbers of cases in the vicinity and/or there is a higher population density? Don’t know, just speculating.

Andrew Jones ● 2265d

For the thousands - maybe millions of Londoners without a car, 'prefer to drive' doesn't come into it. Due to the stupid recent road closure measures, anyone taking a black cab needs to have a lot of disposable income.

Claire Moran ● 2265d

I'd like to know why Chiswicks Councillors have not pushed for a local more convenient testing centre ? As previous posters have said Heston is far from convenient.ResponseSome weeks ago LBH sought suitable venues for testing and I suggested the walled garden next to the Chiswick House car park.Unfortunately the suggestion was rejected. I've again asked for a Chiswick based venue.The LBH website has additional information on testing venues seehttps://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20007/health_and_adult_social_care/2183/local_testing_locations

John Todd ● 2265d

Good to hear you’re still trying, thanks for responding as well.

Andrew Jones ● 2265d

In response to those asking about how to get there, I provided the following to the editor hoping it would be published; it is not easy, as all have said and, as John has said, he's asked for a Chiswick location: The journey if you don't have a car or don't cycle (but please check; this was a quick search):  Bus: H91 bus from Chiswick High Road to the Lampton Road stop; walk to the 120 bus at the Great West Road/Lampton Road stop; get off at the St Leonard's Church stop. Train: Chiswick to Hounslow; walk to the Treaty Centre; 120 bus (towards Northolt) to St Leonard's Church stop.Tube: Various starting points here to the Piccadilly Line; get off at Heston East; take the 111 bus to St Leonard's Church stop.

Joanna Biddolph ● 2265d

Thanks to you both for your efforts.I am going to phone 119 tomorrow though - just for the hell of it - as it seems to me that general information given about testing sites in Hounslow and Ealing don't make it clear that you can make a walk-in as opposed to a drive-through appointment. I may have missed the information of course but don't think so. It seems such an obvious thing to have included in the information. All it seems to say is that you have to book an appointment.

Anne England ● 2265d

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/wellbeing_and_lifestyle/health_protection_information/coronavirus_information/covid_19_testingFor those who prefer to drive and have access to a car the above is a link to Twickenham.I don't think you are allowed to be driven there by someone else and have to go solo.

Adrian Irving ● 2265d

John and JoThank you for your efforts, but it's farcical that LBH have refused a testing centre in Chiswick.No vulnerable person would use the public transport options for to fear of being infected, not to mention they're a very inconvenient and difficult means of reaching St Leonard's Church. As far as driving is concerned parking would probably be an issue.Once again LBH demonstrates their complete disregard for Chiswicks residents.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2265d

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/health-and-wellbeing-adviceHammersmith and Fulham have a walk/drive in test centre at the Olympia railhead. You need an appointment.

Adrian Irving ● 2265d

I also read last night - memory hazy - that you can book somewhere in Ealing. However, again, these other sites may be drive-through only. Why the information can't be made clearer is anybody's guess and quite frankly sets my mind against getting tested.

Anne England ● 2264d

To add to my previous comment, 'walk in' where specified could mean - to me at least - just turn up i.e. you don't need an appointment but may still be drive-through only.This doesn't seem to be the case with the Heston centre open today and tomorrow, however.

Anne England ● 2264d

The walk-in centres eem to be that - you can go on foot. I had a test on Sunday at Richmond Old Deer Park and they were doing a mixed mode - drive through in the car and walk through, where you got sat down at a table. to do your test.  It's all self test though, so you need to swab throat and nose.It was prebooked - so you get your reference number emailed to you at the booking, so they can connect the test and the phone number.

Rachel Clarke ● 2264d

Anne,I've just spoken to someone who has just attended the site specified and been tested.No cars are on the site only pedestrians. There are four llarge tents with staff waiting to conduct the test.There are adequate staff to prevent any unecessary delay. My informant was most satisfied with the procedure

John Todd ● 2264d

The testing team with their tents were in St Leonard's Church Car Park today...they'll be there tomorrow and will then be at other locations soon.Heston East was chosen because of a C19 spike in the area.H91 to Lampton junction on the Great West Road and the 111 or 120 bus to the Church Bus Stop.We queued in the drizzle for 10 minutes..followed instructions from a masked operative (not easy to hear immediately but I got it finally)No pain..just a "cotton bud towards the tonsils and then (same bud) up one nostril till it reaches an obstacle..and that's it.One's bud is placed in a bar-coded bag and sent away. Before midnight I've been asked to phone 119 and give them my personal detail. "They" will notify my of my results.Some parts of Hounslow Borough are like to high risk..and Chiswick regarded as well behaved etc.Well done John for being on the ball as usual.

Jim Lawes ● 2264d

You don't have to live in Heston...you could be on holiday from the Isle of Lewis.No form of identity is required.. I didn't have to give my name, age or a list of my shortcomings..thank goodness! That bar code is my identity which I reveal to 119 with my data.Pleased I went.

Jim Lawes ● 2264d

RE CAR PARKING.The Church Car Park is closed..but there is parking allowed in front of the shops opposite... in some local roads and certainly on the Wheatlands.Even the Rose and Crown pub car park has space

Jim Lawes ● 2264d

Dear Jim,I'm delighted to hear you attended and took the test.As one of Chiswicks much loved residents your endorsement enhances my humble suggestion.Every best wishJohn

John Todd ● 2264d

John,You seem to be an enthusiast for testing. Can explain why?As I and some others have tried to point out there are serious problems with the testing programme which may result in badly informed policy decisions that will impact the liberties and livelihoods of Hounslow citizens.These are issues that I would expect Conservatives to be concerned about.Whether or not you agree with the sceptical view, I would be grateful if you could use your position to advance the cause of transparency by putting the following questions and requests to the Director of Public Health:1. provide a list of all of the data sources used to monitor Covid-19 testing.2. for each source a list of the data items contained3. links to publicly available sources4. for data not publicly available the reason(s) why not5. details of the tests performs - supplier, type, rates of false positives and false negatives6. publish the weekly number of tests carried out at MSOA level7. definitions of terms such as "spike" and "large number" as used in press releases8. publish the criteria to be used for any proposed policy of containment (e.g. "lock down")If you feel unable to do this please give reasons.  I will use FoI in this case.

Andy Riley ● 2264d

Greetings to you John...and thank you for your kind words.No drizzling rain this morning..so a trip to Heston Village to join the short queue should bring pleasure to many... hopefully!

Jim Lawes ● 2263d

Jim, you need to read the front page article about the spike in Hounslow. Chiswick is specifically mentioned as having high infection rates

Claire Moran ● 2263d

It seems that the front page article is being continually updated Claire....and you'll see in the third paragraph that Heston East was the first area of concern. ...that was mentioned in the first edition of the original article.Continued pressure to bear on the Director of Public Health should result on the mobile testing team arriving in Chiswick.To the west of the Borough there is an over popular restaurant called "The Taste of Pakistan". Whilst the restaurant maybe seats 30 in the C19 times..I've noticed some 100 attending (celebrating?) both inside and  outside the Hanworth Road premises on several evenings with the 50% discount attraction. I hope none of the diners then travel back to W4!

Jim Lawes ● 2263d

That's a relief all all my travels over the past five months...including pit stops at Fouberts and elsewhere.But hang on...I might have conducted the test in one of those tents incorrectly!Did I place that "cotton bud" far enough towards my tonsils. .and did I poke it up my nostril far enough.The tester merely gave us instructions..and they did not perform the procedure. Anyway I can relax more easily tonight.

Jim Lawes ● 2263d

Sweet dreams Jim..And as nobody's yet saying but soon will covidwise  -  “smell the lemons”..x

Stuart Kerr ● 2263d

Jim,Do you know the rate of false negatives for the test you took?

Andy Riley ● 2263d

Just a question, nothing more, but how do you identify a false negative?

Adrian Irving ● 2263d

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/hospital-staff-coronavirus-tests/Trump is right - the more people tested the more cases you will find but hopefully you will at least find some of the asymptomatic ones.

Philippa Bond ● 2263d

It is when a test is negative but you are actually infected.  So if you develop symptoms a couple of days after a negative test, then the result was likely false as symptoms normally take a few days to develop.  It is quite a complicated issue so I won't give any references but a wen search will reveal numerous news articles and scientific papers for further study.

Andy Riley ● 2263d

I don't think you need to quote the brain-dead Trump Philippa. Anyone with the least glimmer of common sense or intelligence is going to understand that.  Having said that, as Trump has little real intelligence, just a low cunning, and little common sense, it is surprising that he has said what 99.99% of the population realises instantly.

Claire Moran ● 2263d

Yes farcical it is.Isn't there a Russian oligarch that the Tories can tap to provide taxis. It'll be a vote winner.

Stewart Jones ● 2262d

I'd like to know the results of the recent two days of testing.Several hundreds of people would have been  checked (but not all correctly administered maybe) and the authorities would have the number of passes and failures by now.Shouldn't we be told?

Jim Lawes ● 2261d