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Covid

Why are people not outraged by the testing scandal?

70 replies

Justagame · 15/05/2020 10:11

Given that testing is part of one of the five standards that need to be met to justify easing restrictions, we have to be confident that it is as the government report it to be, surely?

The Prime Minster said in his announcement, "hundreds of thousands of people are being tested every day".

Statisticians do not believe the government have ever met the target, even once.

On May 10th for example, 37 000 people were tested. The government reported that their target of 100 000 tests were met on 10th May.

They're also counting postal tests, and won't confirm if they then count them twice when they receive them back.

They're also including antibody tests in their daily figure, despite not being a diagnostic test.

The daily figure is incorrect on many dubious levels.

Is it not very simply, fraud? Are people just unaware of this or is it a level of denial because we all want things to be safer and getting back to normal?

*The source for the stats quoted is 'More or less' on radio four:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000j2r7

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Utterlydespairing · 15/05/2020 10:13

You don’t believe it because it’s the Tories. Doesn’t mean it’s not true

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NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 15/05/2020 10:13

Yawn, yawn.

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Thighmageddon · 15/05/2020 10:16

I'm not sure you can force people to get tested, so if they don't request one the figures won't be as high.

I've also read that people have booked tests and not turned up, you can't blame Boris for that.

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Coronabored · 15/05/2020 10:17

I am not surprised more people are not outraged about lockdown but don't start a thread about it.

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Bubbletwix · 15/05/2020 10:19

I don’t have any spare emotional bandwidth for outrage right now.

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senua · 15/05/2020 10:20

Why are people not outraged by ...
Because the media seem to be conjuring up a new thing to be outraged by on a daily basis. I can't keep up.

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CendrillonSings · 15/05/2020 10:26

Maybe because the “scandal” exists only in your own mind?

126,064 tests were carried out yesterday!

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YinMnBlue · 15/05/2020 10:31

I'm not sure you can force people to get tested, so if they don't request one the figures won't be as high

In our area it is nigh on impossible to get a slot at a drive-thru. I don’t think lack of demand is the problem.

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Thighmageddon · 15/05/2020 10:34

In our area it is nigh on impossible to get a slot at a drive-thru. I don’t think lack of demand is the problem

It's so different around the country, we have a test facility really close and it's fairly easy to get tested.

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Justagame · 15/05/2020 10:42

Ok, denial then.

I'd encourage you to listen to the programme (linked in the post), but you'd have to be open to listening to facts, numerical indisputable, facts.

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Savingshoes · 15/05/2020 10:59

A test is only as good as the day you got swabbed.
The next day, you could be exposed and contract the virus.
It benefits no one but those recording statistics.
If your results are negative, you get the opportunity to go back to "normal" working life and risk contracting the infection and spreading it to your family.
No team of people are going to swarm in with medication, blankets, TLC and red carpet to the respiratory ward because your results tested positive either. You'll just be advised to cut yourself off from civilization and if you need some urgent help, ring 999.

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Justagame · 15/05/2020 11:09

Candrillion, 126 064 tests were reported on Wednesday not yesterday (but let's not get hung up on actual facts). That's tests claimed to be given out, not people tested.

How many of those 126 064 were postal tests? How many of those were double counted postal tests when they come back in? How many were antibody tests?

How many people were actually tested for covid19 yesterday? According to the government's own figures, it's takes two tests to test one person.

Don't worry you don't have to do the calculations the staticians already have.
They say the target of 100 000 people tested for covid19 has not been met even once.

That is the scandal.

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cathyandclare · 15/05/2020 11:17

They said 100,000 tests not 100,000 people. Many people are retested.

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Redolent · 15/05/2020 11:19

Sadly many people here just don’t give a shit. Until their family suffers at some point, it’s all theoretical to them.

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Justagame · 15/05/2020 11:20

The Prime Minster said "hundreds of thousands of people are being tested everyday". It's on film, it's not something based on opinion, those were the words he used from his mouth.

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LeaderoftheAteam · 15/05/2020 11:23

Most people are thick as pigshit!

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Humphriescushion · 15/05/2020 11:24

It is just another load of crap. They said people not tests but lets just move the goalposts. I believe nothing they say now,

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cathyandclare · 15/05/2020 11:30
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Greysparkles · 15/05/2020 11:33

But hundred of thousands are being tested everyday... Whether hundreds of thousands of tests are processed is another matter

It's all in the nuance

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ravenmum · 15/05/2020 11:35

I was shocked by the More or Less figures, too. The trouble is, the explanation for why the figures are lower than reported are relatively complicated - there are multiple reasons and understanding requires more than a moment's thought.

More or Less is usually very, very nonpolitical and tries to avoid real criticism. I can't remember what it was, but there was a moment of understated but direct criticism in that podcast that made me think the same as this thread title.

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Humphriescushion · 15/05/2020 11:38

I saw people on the downing st twitter account i am sure. I also not sure if some of tests really count. The main point for me is that i have totally lost confidence and believe nothing they say anymore.

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Humphriescushion · 15/05/2020 11:39

I would have had much more confidence if they just said they are working hard to get towards it and will keep increasing it. Just be transparent they appear to try to fudge the figures.

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CendrillonSings · 15/05/2020 11:40

They say the target of 100 000 people tested for covid19 has not been met even once.

The target was tests not “people tested”. You’re just moving the goalposts so you can keep up the harangue no matter what.

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milveycrohn · 15/05/2020 11:45

Matt Hancock set a target of 100,000 tests, and I think he said in his briefing they had carried out over 120,000 tests of which 40,000 were those 'sent out', meaning that 80,000 tests carried out that day.
That was the end of April.
Frankly, tests won't cure you, and if you have the symptoms then what difference will a test make. You can isolate for 14 days.

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