The Government has updated their guidance on getting tested for Covid-19. We look at the detail and what this means for unpaid carers. We can see the full guidance here.
*Please note there is separate guidance for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. At this stage the guidance for England does clearly cover unpaid carers so please note the following summary applies to England only at this stage. If you are in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland do check the details of who is eligible as you may be eligible for other reasons, such as being over 65 or living with a key-worker.
As carers many of us are keen to know if we can be tested so here is a simple overview of what this guidance means to us:
Q. Are unpaid carers in England on the list of people
who can be tested?
A. Yes if you have symptoms.
The list of who can be tested includes “all essential workers with symptoms”. When we look at the detail of this list, it includes “unpaid carers”.
Q. I have symptoms - how can I get tested as an
unpaid carer?
A. You can use the self-referral process
We can request a free PCR test to check if we have Covid-19 here.
Q. What does the test involve?
A. A swab is taken using a long cotton bud inside our nose and the back of our throat
We will usually have the option of taking the test at home or at a drive-through testing site.
Q. How quickly can I get results?
A. The aim is to return test results within 48 hours
This would be 72 hours for a home test.