Wing and a Prayer?

This is not a vendetta but I don't know how many more times I can say this without exploding! The lateral flow test for Covid-19 only gives a crude indication of whether or not a person is infected with (and capable of transmitting) the virus (it's quick but dirty). This test is much more likely to give a false negative than a false positive result. All this is well-documented. Now, comes news that the UK government's 'cunning plan', to use these tests in the reopening of schools has not been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/friday-briefing-covid-testing-in-england-schools-in-doubt). The MHRA rightly (in my view) think that the test gives false assurance (and that self-isolation is the appropriate response to apparent symptoms). The government still intend to go ahead with their 'plan', having decided the agency gives 'guidance' rather than 'approval' (in spite of the fact, that the MHRA has responsibility for the safety of drugs and medical procedures). The lateral flow test is also an option in another 'cunning plan' to ensure our safety from travellers, arriving into the UK from foreign locations (stimulated by fears about the arrival of a Brazilian variant [spoiler alert- it's already here] of Covid-19 on our shores). There is to be a 'ban' on arrivals from South America or Portugal (many of them speak Portughese?). The so-called 'air-corridors' will also be abandoned (for now?). Arrivals by air, sea or train can only be admitted, if they have had a negative test for the virus, within the previous 72 hours (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/15/uk-closes-covid-travel-corridors-and-requires-foreign-arrivals-to-isolate). Arrivals also have to self-quarantine for 10 days but can 'escape' after 5, if they pay for a (lateral flow?) test, that also comes back negative. There are some exceptions (for understandable but still virus-friendly reasons). People can travel in from Ireland (a location with a post-Christmas surge in infections). People will find ways around travel bans, much to the delight (it hasn't actually got emotions, being just programmed to replicate!) of the virus. The travel changes are apparently designed to stop the UK being 'overpowered' by variants of Sars-CoV-2 (such as those described as the 'South African' and the 'Brazilian' versions). I would just say three things. 1. So long as we have infections with Sars-CoV-2 in this country, we are perfectly capable of producing our own variants (scientists think we already did); 2. The lateral flow test will give us very little reliable protection from the virus in either school/work or travel-related settings and 3. Viral transmission is aided by the idiosyncracies of special arrangements for travel.