Pinging...

..NOTE I don't want this to turn into a political thread I am done with them, but... from a 'science' and common sense standpoint I see that this 'ping and isolate' practice, self- evidently leads to the potential of huge staff shortages...
There may be a science based reason why it is what it is, but would it not be better , rather than receive a ping and isolate, to receive a ping, do a self test and, only then, if positive, self isolate.
My daughter told me that the free flow tests often give false positives anyway, but that is surely better than false negatives and even if that is the case, it would still reduce the numbers of people who have been pinged automatically and un-necessarily going into isolation.
Anyone know the science behind the decision to follow the former policy rather than what I have suggested?

 

I don’t think the tests always pick up Covid in the early stages, so you’d have loads of false negatives.

 

There’s talk that the replacement policy will be what you suggested.

This was how Boris tried to get out of isolating last week by saying it was a trial.

 

Something has to change to be similar to what you have suggested.

For example. My lad got sent home from school to isolate (today is his freedom day if you like).

So, I took the decision to isolate with him (just in case he did eventually show positive and subsequently had passed it onto me) and as I work from home it didn't matter to me.

I let my other lad continue as normal. Knowing that if either of us tested positive, then bam, he would have to isolate anyway.

But tested all 3 of us 3 times in those 10 days, and nothing.

So I guess it could easily show why so many have been off school and possibly how many have lost work days.

I get the safety first approach, but it does seem too many are isolating unnecessarily

 

Begs the question then if there is no science based logic for the current policy, why they did go down that route in the first place as, not only was the current policy obviously going to lead to the problem of staff shortages and the latter was an obvious part solution to mitigate the issue.

 

Because the government have proven time and time again that their ‘following the science’ is actually the complete opposite of what they are doing.

I grew up in Thatcher years and this is significantly more autocratic that than that god awful period in our history.

 

At least Thatcher was honest about what her intentions, philosophies and political beliefs were and then when she got a mandate she acted in a way consistent with that.

Absolutely horrible person, but totally different to this lot who tell you they’re one thing and then do something completely the opposite, whilst at the same time banning protest, stifling debate and bullying legislation through Parliament.

 

From my experience the home tests don't necessarily pick it up once you have had symptoms for a few days. I had three tests, all negative. PCR test confirmed what I already knew.
They were conducting a trial when I took my PCR test, in which they asked individuals to also do a home test and report the results online. So I presume we should know a lot more regarding the accuracy of these tests in the coming months.
Considering doubts over the number of false negatives, I can see why they are advocating a safety first approach. But it's obviously a difficult situation to get the balance right.

 

The system as it is was designed to function with significantly lower levels of Covid than there are now. TT&I works better with very low numbers of cases spread countrywide - like last July - and fails to work when there are in the region of half a million positive cases at any one time. Calling it a "pingdemic" is a political move to discredit the system and point eyes away from the complete failure of the measures to control the pandemic.

 

This.. And a chance to blame food shortages in supermarkets on the pingdemic, not brexit.

 

Precisely. It's an issue of volume. And anyone with a degree of competence could foresee it. A little bit of joined up thinking could have allowed a few contingency plans for critical industries, but no.

It's now being pushed as a system failure. A system they signed off and spent billions of pounds on.

I suspect we'll see a tailing off of positive cases as people get fed up of being in perpetual isolation.

It does give a glimpse of what a disaster "let it rip" would have been.

 

I think the problem is the legislation. Those who want to take advantage of the hot summer will love the anonymity of a nice innocent ping.

 

At the time the policy was implemented there wasn’t a quick and easy test. And the moron in charge hasn’t updated the policy to take account of readily available tests.

But worse than staff shortages, SME’s are in no position to pay staff self isolating, meaning they’re only entitled to SSP. I’m sure you can work out that millions of people ignore the call to isolate, paying the mortgage being more important than isolating ’just in case’.

And just maybe; that’s why our cases are so much higher than the rest of Europe.

As apolitical as I could make it.

 

Ponging in this weather..

 

If you've been double jabbed take the app off your phone and dare I say it be sensible and use some common sense. Wear a mask in all confined spaced and keep your distance.
If you've not been double jabbed still keep the app on your phone.
Plus everyone take a weekly test.
If anyone close to who you work or live with gets it then isolate and take a test.
We've been though a pandemic and it was never this bad for pining. I don't know any other way to avoid short staffing.
In a few months we will be told to treat covid as flu which once the majority of adults have been DJ we should do

 

Go placidly amidst the haste and the noise, and remember always what peace there may be in silence!

 

If you mean lateral flow test, it's well known that it is unreliable giving both false positive and false negative results. I think your idea isn't a bad one but the test would have to be the PCR test, administered by trained people. A well run testing centre can return the result within 2 hours so that is entirely feasible. Unfortunately such testing centres are being wound down as I type....

 

The problem with the app is that it uses bluetooth to measure proximity unlike the German app which uses the same technology as used for payment transactions which is far better for accurately measuring proximity. The German app cost considerably less to develop than our world-beating heap of poo.

 

And was offered to us to use, but we declined...

 

My favourite bit is ‘listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story.’