Are Covid numbers MUCH higher than they seem.

[Thisisnotreallymyname]

Myself and DH have done LFT And PCR and we have Covid.
When talking to others who have had positive LFT ‘s , I am amazed how few people are reporting the results , and very few are taking PCR’s.
This obviously means that the numbers that are reported daily are not correct, snd in fact I reckon the numbers might be nearer double what is reported.
So , given that MNet’s a cross section - if you’ve had it did you report it snd become one of the reported figures ?

Yes?
No?

If you're not ill, does it matter?

@Mummyoflittledragon

Why are people not reporting lateral flow results?! I do every time. So far all negative.

Why would you report a negative LFT result?

It seems to have dropped from the peak as there are fewer hospitalisations. But if its mainly kids getting it at the moment notmany of them would be hospitalised.

Fortunately not many of the kids or adults I know have been seriously ill.

What I have found surprising is how few of them actually have continuous coughs. When that was the main symptom at the beginning.

@WonderfulYou is that because the symptoms have changed from being lower respiratory to upper respiratory for a lot of people ? Most people I know who have had it recently have had headache/sinus issues and fatigue, along with a temp, maybe a sore throat but not so many have had the persistant cough. Which makes you wonder if people aren't testing because their symptoms don't tally with the old set of symptoms ?

I didn’t report my DSL’s positive result last week. I informed his school and I told the parents of the kids he had been close to. I also tested my other children and myself every morning for 7 days. I had enough to do without the hassle of T &T as well.

@Wrongkindofovercoat yes these are the exact same symptoms as I’ve seen too!
I think you’re right about why people aren’t testing as they don’t think these are the symptoms of covid, especially this time of year when everyone usually feels a bit run down anyway.

All I got from track and trace was a form to fill in and I had a reminder text today that ds was still supposed to be home contact us if you need help with anything test again after 5 days for early release no phone calls

@MrsJBaptiste I have to report my negative LFTs to get in to workplace, lots of people do - need the nhs confirmation. Know it seems bonkers but that's the way.

Are people more bothered about the positive case rates being higher than report than they are about the death rate being overinflated because of the ridiculous way we've been reporting it? If I get killed by a stampeded of cows/drunk driver/choking on a pork pie tomorrow I'll get registered as a covid death, because I've had it within 28 days. How has anyone ever decided that could be right?

Ah, thanks Tits and watch out for cows and pork pies!!!

Why are people getting phone calls from T&T? Are they not filling in the online form? Three positives here, all reported, and not one call from T&T.

I’ve always assumed that they extrapolated from a sample. Relying on people to test and report would lead to completely inaccurate figures.

@TitsInAbsentia the problem with that is, as so many people on here have pointed out time and again is that the older population is more likely to be hospitalised with covid. So elderly person gets covid, is a bit more frail and falls and breaks their hip, goes to hospital, gets tested and then unfortunately dies. Is covid a contributory factor to that death ? did they die of a broken hip or from covid ? if they had fallen because a UTI made them ill , would they have made a full recovery ? Would they have made a full recovery if they didn't also suffer from another chronic condition ?
That is why the document Doctors fill in when someone dies, is not just one line. They should look at all the contributary factors that lead to that death.
I would be suprised if covid is linked as the main contributory factor in the event of someone being trampled to death by cows, what with being trampled by cows tending to result in fairly catastrophic injuries.

@thewhatsit

They always have been. That’s why there is the ONS report which tests a random cross section of people and scales it up.

Yes, that’s true. Their latest report shows a decrease.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/latest

Ps I should add although ONS is reporting a decrease in cases overall cases in children have increased. Copying from the newspaper. “according to ONS figures for the week ending 22 January, the percentage of those testing positive for Covid increased in England among children between the age of two and school year 6, as well as for those in school year 7-11, with almost 12% of the former and more than 6% of the latter testing positive.”.

With a report coming out today that vaccination decreases risk of long covid I think children under 12 should have opportunity to be vaccinated as happening in many other countries.

I also think govt should be doing more to improve ventilation and filtration in schools.

@Wnkingawalrus same here , 5 mins to complete form and not heard from
Them since just another text confirming details wtc if need help, isolation date wtc

@PinkSparklyPussyCat but T & T don't hassle you
When ae reported my ds case all the rest of us got was an email saying we were a close contact and advise in wether ae needed to isolate etc , daily testing . Not heard from them since

Interested to know what people hope to achieve through this hysterical reporting of tests, numbers etc. Restrictions are all not gone. Most people are vaccinated or have natural immunity. Is it just because it makes you feel better? How long will you continue with this mad routine? A week, a month, years?

Why does it matter ? Cases don't really matter much right now. If hospital admissions start ticking up, we know there is a problem.

Well if the rates of cases is much higher then the hospitalisation and death rates as a percentage of those infected are significantly reduced in comparison

@Mummyoflittledragon

Why are people not reporting lateral flow results?! I do every time. So far all negative.

So do I. Presumably people can't be bothered.

@sst1234

Interested to know what people hope to achieve through this hysterical reporting of tests, numbers etc. Restrictions are all not gone. Most people are vaccinated or have natural immunity. Is it just because it makes you feel better? How long will you continue with this mad routine? A week, a month, years?

hysterical Here we go. Why does it matter to you what other people do? I have several reasons for reporting, none of which I'm going to bother to explain to you.

I tested positive on a PCR ( taken for work after positive contact). No positive LFT testing about 14 days ( pre and post pcr). It was so mild I don't think I would have gone for a PCRwith the symptoms I had.

There maybe many people in my position who wouldn't be picked up under the new LFT only rules. I know others that have decided not to test. The figures will be much higher.

So do I. Presumably people can't be bothered.

I would do it if there was any benefit to me, i.e. I had to do it for work or I needed it to get in somewhere but I'm not bothering otherwise.

PinkSparklyPussyCat but T & T don't hassle you
When ae reported my ds case all the rest of us got was an email saying we were a close contact and advise in wether ae needed to isolate etc , daily testing . Not heard from them since

It must have changed then as everyone I know has had phone calls from them.

I have to do an LFT twice a week and report it every time (for work). I tested positive on Sunday on LFT but this wasn’t accepted by my manager so I had to get a PCR as well (still positive).

I filled in the test and trace form after I reported the LFT and was pleasantly surprised that there’s been no contact since, apart from a text on day 3. The form is pretty awful though, it took an hour to do and I’d not been anywhere except work and one trip to the supermarket.

I got twice daily phone calls from T&T back in august it was a complete pita. They couldn't deviate from the script, couldn't make things quicker, couldn't go through me and my daughter on the same call so they've obviously streamlined / got rid of people now.

I wound report if I get it again. I've never reported our -ve lfts either.