Is targeted testing flawed from outset?

WHILST working in Queens Road, in Clarendon Park, on Saturday and Sunday, I noticed groups of individuals wearing masks, gloves and hivis jackets, pulling air travel-type suitcases behind them, knocking on doors and talking with the occupants.

On inquiring with one such group (who were extremely helpful and pleasant), it appears they were assisting the local authority’s attempts to carry out Covid-19 tests in the community. They were doing this on a voluntary basis and, as well as Clarendon Park, they told me that volunteers would be carrying out tests in other areas of our lockeddown city.

Residents who were approached, primarily door to door, were asked if they would like to be involved in the test, and if so, were given a test kit with instructions. They were told that the volunteers would be collecting the used kits from their address approximately an hour later.

I must commend the volunteers for their selfless work.

All the residents I spoke to in Clarendon Park were more than happy to provide a sample for testing.

I asked if I could have a test kit, but when I told them that, although I work in Clarendon Park, I live in the West End of the city, they told me other volunteers would be going around my part of town at some point in the week, as they would be in many other locked-down areas.

I assume the main purpose of such testing is to identify which areas of the city have higher incidents of Covid-19, so that lockdown can be more targeted.

On the face of it, this seems an excellent exercise. However, on reflection, there seemed to me to be a fundamental flaw in this exercise.

The folk in Clarendon Park, and in other neighbourhoods with a similar mix of residents, will, I would guess, be more than happy to be tested.

But I wonder whether in more deprived areas of the city – where incidents of Covid-19 have been shown to be higher – residents will be as co-operative and obliging?

I also wondered if I lived in such a community, and if I lived in a substandard and over-crowded house, or was an asylum seeker who was not allowed to work but had secured employment for the sake of muchneeded income, or was on benefits and in employment beyond my permitted hours, or otherwise illegally, or did not have residency status, would I be so keen to have my details taken and volunteer to be tested?

I pass no moral judgements on such individuals (there but for the grace of God etc) but I think it would be correct to assume there would be a greater preponderance of them in more deprived neighbourhoods.

I have no doubt the vast majority of people who live in our so-called deprived areas (which may be socially richer than more “exclusive” neighbourhoods in so many other ways) are decent people who live by a decent code of conduct, whatever their circumstances. I live and have enjoyed living in such areas over many years.

The problem is that in those areas of greater deprivation, there will be a greater reluctance to be involved in these tests. Has the local authority taken this into consideration by some clever algorithm or fudge factor?

We must not let our local politicians close their eyes to the possibility of such a flaw producing an erroneous result, and accepting such a result without taking the above into consideration, for the sake of not wanting to be perceived as racist or elitist.

We in Leicester and throughout the country need to nail this terrible pandemic for the benefit of the whole community. Misplaced political sensitivities should be shown no quarter in our current parlous circumstances.

I would suggest that the authority, prior to carrying out the tests in any area of the city, fully informs the community in advance of the purpose of the testing, and that residents are clearly told that all personal details given to volunteers are purely for the purposes of testing and subsequently identifying who in the community is carrying the virus, and what they are obliged to do is positive, and that their personal details will not be used for any other purpose whatsoever.

The local authority has complained that central government has failed to communicate with them properly over matters concerning the pandemic. I sincerely hope they do not repeat the same mistake with the citizens of Leicester.

John Husain, Leicester