I have never seen anything so stupid.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

1/6

It says "If your test is negative, you and other household members no longer need to self-isolate."

This completely undermines the point of contact tracing.
2/6

The idea of the 14 day isolation is that contacts can take up to 14 days to show symptoms.

IF a negative test worked to assure us they won't, the guidance would make sense.
3/6

But the test is only 70% sensitive when done when people have Covid-19 and are unwell. When they haven't yet developed symptoms it will almost invariably be negative.
4/6

I called out some bad advice yesterday.

https://peterenglish.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-negative-test-doesnt-mean-you.html

And that related to testing for current illness, not whether you might be in the incubation period.

They've doubled down and incorporated it into the test and trace guidance.

Extremely irresponsible.
5/6

This guidance appears to be designed to give the appearance of having an effective contact tracing scheme, but this testing element undermines it.
5/6

No wonder @ChrisCEOHopson said in @BBCNewsnight delays in testing will cause problems. He's been led to believe there's a test that can rule out infection.

There is no such test.
6/6