If you're part of the ONS Covid trial...

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 2022-06-09T14:54:29+00:00

Have you been notified as to whether you will be staying on in the new 'streamlined version' yet? We've been on it since the start and just interested to know of anyone has heard yet? Hoping to stay on as we feel it's helping man kind --love the vouchers!!-- 😉🤣

moshpie · 09/06/2022 15:56

We have been on it and yes we are now doing the questionnaires on line and sending swabs in post

Chill09 · 09/06/2022 15:57

We’ve been doing it since the start too. Not heard yet if they are going to keep us on it. Really hoping we do

Greensleeves · 09/06/2022 16:00

We're on it, but considering bailing due to the shoddy way they treat their participants. It started out as £25 voucher which could be spent on Amazon and a wide range of other outlets, for a nose/throat swab and questionnaire. Then the vouchers couldn't be used on Amazon any more and were considerably less useful. Then they asked for blood as well as the swab every month, without increasing the voucher amount. Then they dropped the voucher value to £20. Cunts.

Original poster

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/06/2022 16:03

Greensleeves · 09/06/2022 16:00

We're on it, but considering bailing due to the shoddy way they treat their participants. It started out as £25 voucher which could be spent on Amazon and a wide range of other outlets, for a nose/throat swab and questionnaire. Then the vouchers couldn't be used on Amazon any more and were considerably less useful. Then they asked for blood as well as the swab every month, without increasing the voucher amount. Then they dropped the voucher value to £20. Cunts.

I dunno it's still £40 for minimal effort. All takes 5 mins once a month. We did moan when you couldn't use them on Amazon but now I get John Lewis, Costa or Argos vouchers.

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Greensleeves · 09/06/2022 16:07

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/06/2022 16:03

I dunno it's still £40 for minimal effort. All takes 5 mins once a month. We did moan when you couldn't use them on Amazon but now I get John Lewis, Costa or Argos vouchers.

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I know, I just think it's really poor practice and insulting to keep asking for more and more while offering less and less. It fucks me off on principle.

Original poster

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/06/2022 16:10

Greensleeves · 09/06/2022 16:07

I know, I just think it's really poor practice and insulting to keep asking for more and more while offering less and less. It fucks me off on principle.

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I imagine they lost quite a few participants when you could no longer use Amazon.

It's taken them all this time to make cashing the vouchers in easily, what an utter faff at the beginning,at least it's easier now 🤣

Dh is convinced the people who don't do the blood tests will be the ones to get booted off the trial! I always make sure I give a nice big blood sample 😉

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moshpie · 09/06/2022 16:12

We are still on it and only one of the family does the bloods. We just get sainsburys vouchers and have £80 off the shopping each month

Chasingsquirrels · 09/06/2022 16:14

We had a visit in early May at the reduced rate, but haven't had anything via the post.

If you don't value the "remuneration" don't do it. It is money for very very little, and I'd have done it for nothing at first. Wouldn't bother now tbh. You don't have to give blood as well, it's optional - you'll still get your £20 voucher for just swabs and questions.

Chasingsquirrels · 09/06/2022 16:16

I did like getting Amazon vouchers, but now just have supermarket ones.
I don't find claiming them any easier, or more difficult, than it was at the beginning - it's a few clicks and used to be a copy and paste for the codes.

Handsnotwands · 09/06/2022 16:18

we've not heard so i guess they don't want us. i'm a bit sad, i liked being part of such an important study.

GnarlyOldGoatDude · 09/06/2022 16:20

We haven’t heard whether we are being kept either. We don’t do the bloods- I tried once as a one-off, and it was a bloodbath!

Although I agree it was a disappointment when Amazon was dropped, I still feel hugely lucky to be “paid” for something I would happily have done for free to provide them with epidemiological data.

I really hope they keep us- online would be much much easier than arranging a date with the researcher (they only ever ring us the night before they want to come..)

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 09/06/2022 16:21

We are still getting visits, haven't heard anything more about the streamlined version yet

InMySpareTime · 09/06/2022 16:22

We had a visit this week, not sure when the changeover to postal happens, but it'll be more convenient for us than having to fetch DS back from halls each time (not far, but hassle, especially as he raids the freezer every time he visits!).
Not heard about how long it lasts, but we've used our vouchers for loads of stuff, mostly homewares for the DCs and gifts for people.

justasoul · 09/06/2022 16:25

We had a visit a couple of weeks ago after not getting any since the streamlined version started - we thought we had been dropped. I also had an email earlier this week to say if we hadn’t heard from them again by the end of July to give them a ring.

moshpie · 09/06/2022 16:25

It's much easier. The questions are online, they send the tests in the post and then when you do them you have to put them in the post the same day as you do them but you have a window of a few weeks to do it in.

MinglingFlamingo · 09/06/2022 16:26

We seem to be having a person come to the door still but every 6ish weeks. As opposed to every 4 weeks. And it was pretty much on the same date each month before

tealandteal · 09/06/2022 16:26

We had a visit yesterday, haven’t heard either way if we will be carrying on. My DH preferred it when they came in and took venous blood but I don’t mind the finger prick bloods.

Oddsocks55 · 09/06/2022 16:41

We haven't heard either way. It's been a while since our last visit so i suspect they've dropped us.

Original poster

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/06/2022 16:58

tealandteal · 09/06/2022 16:26

We had a visit yesterday, haven’t heard either way if we will be carrying on. My DH preferred it when they came in and took venous blood but I don’t mind the finger prick bloods.

We've only ever had pin prick bloods. I have it down to a fine art, I ask for an extra needle and jab myself twice and it flows really fast that way.

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SquatBetty · 09/06/2022 17:00

We still have door step visits approx every month. I don't do the blood, it's optional anyway.

Use the vouchers in Sainsbury's and M n S mainly.

Original poster

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/08/2022 14:25

UPDATE

We got picked for the postal trial but DH didn't get a voucher last month as they said he didn't full the blood sample up enough- he did, I saw it!

He argued he'd sent the blood sample and the throat swab but they said no.

Weirdly I also got an email saying my throat sample wasn't conclusive- never had that before in 2 years of doing the trial.

Anyone else having issues? I'm starting to agree with @Greensleeves up thread about being pissed off. They dock us a fiver even though we have to do more and then don't pay us when we do!

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