Table 1.
Facilitator and barriers to engagement with mass asymptomatic testing in Liverpool (2020)—results of the thematic analysis of social media.
| Theme | Example quote | Source | Date |
| Facilitator: protecting the community | |||
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“No symptoms just want to do my bit!” | November 7, 2020 | |
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“Get in and get it done. Save a life maybe?” | Online newspaper | November 6, 2020 |
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“I actually got tested so I can be sure I’m not a carrier infecting others! It’s a bit insulting to assume every person from Liverpool is just getting tested so they don’t have to work.” | November 7, 2020 | |
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“If it saves lives and gets this city back to some semblance of normality then I am all for it.” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
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“I think it’s perfectly reasonable to be careful in Liverpool when 1 in 250 people currently have the virus (many of whom will not know about it) and the risks for vulnerable people are much greater. Why wouldn’t you follow the advice from people who’ve dedicated careers to this?” | November 3, 2020 | |
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“I will be taking part in #MassTesting #Liverpool to break the chain of transmission and protect the people I love.” | November 7, 2020 | |
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“Protecting or vulnerable is most important. With regular testing, we can get tested on a Friday after work, if negative go see, spend time with vulnerable loved ones, and then return to work and school etc, repeat until necessary.” | November 5, 2020 | |
| Facilitator: return to normality | |||
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“It's important we get this testing and tracing working effectively so that we can go back to ‘normal’ life. People need to recognise their own responsibility though and self-isolate when appropriate.” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“The more tests, the more people that will be diagnosed, the quicker we can put a cap on it in LIVERPOOL, the more likely WE (not London, not the Tories) but WE, will get out before [Christmas].” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
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“If everyone gets tested 2 or 3 times a week we'd potentially have very very few cases in a matter of weeks.” | Online newspaper | November 5, 2020 |
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“Just get yourself tested, and then we can all start to think about getting back to normal. You can’t be anti-lockdown and anti-testing.” | November 2, 2020 | |
| Facilitator: positive experience | |||
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“Hand it in, results back in 40 mins #covid #Liverpooltesting” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Arrived at the test centre, got tested, and received results through all within one hour. Well done to all the Army and NHS staff involved” | November 7, 2020 | |
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“...once I had the test it took under an hour for the result to come through ...so this test could be a game changer ...test wait and if negative fly or entry to a theatre etc” | November 6, 2020 | |
| Facilitator: shared social identity with others in Liverpool and with authorities | |||
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“Let's support them. What I have always loved about Liverpool is the community spirit, warmth and the way we pull together in a crisis…If it works it will have positive effects not just in Liverpool but across the whole country. All eyes are on us. Let's show the country that Liverpool can beat covid 19, and they can too.” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
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“Really great to see such a huge positive response to this - together we will do this. Well done Liverpool [thumbs up emoji].” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Absolutely, come on Liverpool we have got this!” | November 4, 2020 | |
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“We are the test bunnies, but this isn’t a negative thing, in fact, if we get this sorted, we’ll be the first back to normal.” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
| Barriers: practical barriers | |||
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“I wouldn't bother booking, having a time slot doesn't make any difference, you have to queue up with everyone else, it’s a joke. [In response] Might not bother at all then if it’s not organized.” |
November 6, 2020 | |
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“3 1/2 hour wait at [location] even though I booked! Didn’t bother waiting, won’t bother again! [angry face emoji].” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“I am in a family of 6, can only order 4 home tests. Why?” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Tried to book a test, via http://gov.uk link but only allowing me to go for a test in [location]? As a key worker in Liverpool this doesn’t make sense... not sure this system is ready to be rolled out yet...” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“…they will never help us all. I won't be getting tested unless I'm unwell as I don't get paid for being off and not entitled to those payments. I am sure lots won't. Hopefully mass testing certain groups will. Pin point the problem anyway [thumbs up emoji]” | November 4, 2020 | |
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“…Not just the self employed. I don’t earn enough to qualify for sick pay but my wages are needed to keep us afloat. And because we don’t claim benefits, we can’t get that payment from the council. I’ve already had to isolate through track and trace and lost 2 weeks wages. Like you, no help available anywhere. I want to participate because I believe testing is the only way out of this hole but, yet again, it’s the people who actually work who lose out.” | November 4, 2020 | |
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“Well I went wrong one. Still had test but the normal one. I have to make sure I do the right one next time [eye roll, laughing face emoji].” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Queues for booked appointments at [location] are hours long. There is no signage there are people leaving the queue having waited over 2 hours.” | November 6, 2020 | |
| Barrier: risk of transmission | |||
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“How do we know these test centers aren't spreading 'it'.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“I just wouldn't do that wait in a queue like that it's pathetic and more to the point riskier” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“It infuriates me that the PM positively encouraged these awful tests where you are more likely to get pneumonia stood in a queue, in the cold, without a mask.” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Being at the testing site today it would seem that there are two 'sites' in the same car park (one for invited people with symptoms and one for asymptomatic people who booked a test) and I was in a single queue of both groups mixed because of no direction from staff or signs” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“What a shambles! Wouldn't let me book a drive in test so I booked a walk in test for 1pm. The que [sic] is absolutely huge, nobody knows what's going on. No managers just car park assistants to ask. Why give so many people the same time? No social distancing. I've walked away” “More chance of me getting covid with that system. Please look at the numbers you are allowing to book in the half hour slots #farcical” | November 6, 2020 | |
| Barrier: perceived ineffectiveness of testing | |||
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“Don’t see the point you could get tested today and all clear and then catch it tomorrow.” | Online newspaper | November 6, 2020 |
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“How does a Covid test help you get better from the virus? We are in Lockdown so we are all isolating anyway.” | Online newspaper | November 6, 2020 |
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“What’s the point? They can’t cure it!!!” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
| Barrier: lack of trust | |||
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“The tests are not accurate & not fit for purpose, giving up to 85% false positives, they do not isolate Covid, so what's the point in getting tested, just doesn't make sense to me?” | Online newspaper | November 6, 2020 |
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“I won’t be getting tested or using the so-called NHS app whilst Serco are involved.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Forced tests today, forced vaccines tomorrow.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Not a chance in hell would I get one of these tests.... corrupt government!” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Precisely that...every dog on the street know the tests are wholly unreliable, and the possibility of false negatives high, and yet everything that even meekly questions the narrative is a conspiracy theory!! Dismal!!” | November 3, 2020 | |
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“I wonder if that will increase the so-called number of cases They can use those false cases to justify their lockdown #WakeUp” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Liverpool are being played for mugs. The disease rate is falling by itself. They are going to find a lot of “cases” to justify the lockdown.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“More tests = More False Positives More false positives = More False ‘cases’ More cases = More lockdown restrictions More lockdowns = More power to the government More government power = Less rights & less liberty for the UK people STOP GETTING TESTED” | November 3, 2020 | |
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“Don’t get tested. Dodgy test = false positives = further lockdown” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“The will make the R rate rise and we won't get out of lockdown” | November 5, 2020 | |
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“Imagine how many old criminal cases that will be solved with the mass DNA harvest.” | November 3, 2020 | |
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“Can Liverpool City Council explain why they are taking peoples DNA. That's what the test is isn't it?” | November 7, 2020 | |
| Barrier: shared social identity with others in Liverpool but not with authorities | |||
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“Surprise Surprise, we are just one big test case.” | Online newspaper | November 7, 2020 |
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“Mass testing should be in London, not Liverpool. The Greater Manchester mayor said no to our area being treated like a canary in a coal mine.” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“The guinea pigs are staying in their cages” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“Why not do this in London first.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“We are the Guinea Pigs for everything” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Operation Scouse Guinea pigs is a go.” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“Do you really think they want Liverpool out of tier 3?? If they wanted anyone out of tier 3 Liverpool would be bottom of the pile.” | November 6, 2020 | |
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“There's an agenda behind this and obviously us being the guinea pigs isn't a coincidence. That toffee nosed slob hates Liverpool and would love to bring the city to its knees. If he'd moved his backside in before March and locked down sooner, maybe we wouldn't be at this point- unless this was all by design, I don't know anymore.” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
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“There [sic] blaggin ya eds [your heads] big time, look if you do what we say we can save [Christmas] for you!!!” | Online newspaper | November 2, 2020 |
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“Don't comply, we're being scapegoated again, you will gain nothing by being tested apart from losing your jobs and having your kids barred from school, it's just another money spinner for the old school tie network of the Eton set” | Online newspaper | November 3, 2020 |
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“'Obedient biodrones’ couldn't agree more.“ | Online newspaper | November 6, 2020 |
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“People who don't question what's going on just play into the hands of the greedy politicians and snearing [sic] middle classes. The problem is the rest of us are left to protest and fight for their rights as well. Come on people, please wake up.” | Online newspaper | November 5, 2020 |
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“Won’t be testing me anytime soon, I’m no government clone, bring them swabs anywhere near me and they’ll be inserted where the sun don’t shine” | November 2, 2020 | |
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“The car park was full of SERCO workers who told me they had been drafted from London and the South and knew nothing about local details. Couldn’t you get local Test & Trace workers?” | November 6, 2020 | |