Warning over folk attending hospital appointments with Covid symptoms

People are presenting with Covid symptoms at the Gilbert Bain Hospital 

People are attending hospital appointments with Covid symptoms, having been “lulled into a false sense of security” over testing changes.

Acting chief nurse Amanda McDermott warned more people were wrongly relying on negative lateral flow tests (LFTs) when symptomatic. She said they were then going about their business, including attending outpatient appointments, when they could be infectious.

Changes were introduced across Scotland last week which mean people testing positive with an LFT no longer need to take a confirmatory PCR test.

However, as Mrs McDermott stressed at today’s (Tuesday) NHS Shetland board meeting, anyone with symptoms must continue to take the PCR.

“I think people have been lulled into a false sense of security,” she said.

“Because we are doing LFTs all the time, they think if it’s negative they are fine to go about their business.

“But if you are symptomatic LFTs are not good enough.”

Area partnership forum chairman Ian Sandilands also reminded folk of the importance of logging LFT results to assist contact tracers.

Public health principal Elizabeth Robinson said it was “absolutely essential”.