to think some people will use the track and trace maliciously (because you won't know who has reported you as a contact)

[chomalungma]

You won't be told who the person was who is ill. But you will be told to self isolate for 14 days.

I can see why they won't tell you.
I can also see that some people (maybe, maybe not - if they are ill, they might not care) - but they could take advantage of this to harm someone.

I would like to know who has listed me as a contact. It could be a mistake on their part.

It's a big ask to self isolate for 2 weeks, especially given the impact on your life, finances etc.

And especially if you don't know who the person is

'I was thinking more of genuine contacts'

I agree that is more likely to be a problem than malicious/scam claims!

If you're in an area where there is an outbreak, and you have a job where you come into contact with lots of people (like a teacher) it is likely you could get asked to isolate more than once.

Having worked with vulnerable families and for the DWP, there will definitely be people abusing it. The number of false social work, housing & benefit fraud reports I've seen points to that. I can also see abusive partners/exs having a field day. Sure they can't keep doing it themselves but friends and family often join in.

I think they should tell you who personally. There shouldn't be stigma attached.

We’ve had an app here on the Isle of Wight to trial it and works well - but ours has a difference which they don’t seem to be rolling out nationally.
Here if you report symptoms on the app you must isolate yourself and you will be tested within 24 hours - only if that test is positive are others you have been in contact with told to isolate. That’s other people you name through track and trace and others who the app has made contact with if you’re together With a stranger at a bus stop etc.- Sonling as they have the app, they will be informed.
Without confirmed information that you have 100% been in contact, it just won’t work - you could get reported every two weeks and be in for months!

@chomalungma

No-one can 'pretend' you into having to isolate

How do you know a caller is genuine?

I could ring someone up, say I am a contact tracer and tell them to isolate. Threaten with a fine if need be.

There are people who could believe that.

Tracers absolutely don’t threaten you with a fine. They are there to help you.

'Come and pay for an antibody test?
Come and get some personal details?
Get access to the house?'

All of those type of scams already exist. We should all be aware as we are with all the pre-existing ones, but the risk of any of these scams isn't greater from track and trace than it is from having a computer/a bank account/a car/a TV license or any of the other things they already target.

It's anxiety and paranoia.

There are risks of a scam, but not greater than already exist.

Tracers absolutely don’t threaten you with a fine. They are there to help you

I know.

A fake tracer could threaten you with a fine.

How do you know if the person you are speaking to is genuine?

I guess you can check online. If you have a computer.
Or ring the number (but which number)

Like a PP, I work with people who have been scammed and who are vulnerable.

You hang up the call and call it back. You will hear a message telling you who we are. I know people may be unwilling to do that though.

A tracers call will never be from a withheld number

@NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite why would you assume a STBX wouldn’t know where she lives? The poster already said that they would then know she was in the house alone...

As a system of contact tracing it is rubbish and is not what is being done elsewhere. The virus does not use a tape measure or stopwatch and behave differently at 1.9 or 2.1 metres or 14 mins and 30 secs or 15 mins and 30 secs.

The original positive case has to be symptomatic and seek testing and then receive a positive test before contact tracing even starts. Asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission will mean that the virus always has a head start.

Plus you will not have the details of people you have shared close space with in a lot of situations - like public transport. Even then, contacts are not tested so individuals can't be released from quarantine or contacts of positive contacts traced.

Plus our unique system means that potentially identifying data will be kept for years in case it is needed in the future.

There is a reason why lockdown restrictions are being eased before the test and trace system are even in place never mind collecting data as to its efficacy.

Would you jump out of a plane because of confidence that a target of providing access to a parachute in the near future would be met (of course, since you are in free fall, it would be unreasonable to expect evidence that it actually worked)?

Think I'll get a dashcam to wear on my head at all times, front and rear.

I hope that this more detailed information about how the service works is release through adverts and other accessible information campaigns.

e.g. How do you know the call is genuine?
We won't tell you who the infected person is.

etc

"My friend thought exactly this. She has a Stbxh who would be this malicious and would then know exactly where she was and it would leave her alone in the house."

Pretty much the scenario I imagined when listening on the radio and they said 'anonymous'.

I can imagine there are quite a few nasty types who would consider maliciously isolating their ex as the silver lining to their positive test.

My friends STBXH (4 years and still not divorced. He won’t let go)

She thinks he rang up the Benefits office and told them she was scamming the system and got her disability and benefit payments stopped.

She was without an income for a year. There was a tribunal hearing and they reinstated her payments and back dated the missed year.

He is truly horrific. If he can do that then you wouldn’t put anything past him.

Telling someone he was in contact with her and making her stay inside for 2 weeks is just a sick thing he would do.

There is a reason the Isle of Wight app isn't being rolled out - it obviously hasn't worked!

I wouldn't bother getting tested if it was going to lead to all this hassle.

People are already planning a Covid Pact. I can't believe I even heard this and am going to pass it on, it's ridiculous.

So you all basically promise to one another if any of you test positive, you list all your mates as close contact to the tracing team, that way you and your mates all get 14 days off work 🤦🏻‍♀️

As soon as I posted here yesterday I bumped into a colleague who gleefully told me if we get positive we should all name the big boss to keep him home for weeks.....

@CoachBombay very few people will be able to afford to actually do that though!