Do I need to self-isolate? Part of clinical study on Zoe Covid-19 app

[Jellyhater]

I update the Zoe Covid-19 app on an almost daily basis. I did it yesterday afternoon and the set of questions had changed somewhat. I’m a type 1 diabetic and the questions were very much diabetes targeted. The usual questions appeared at the end and I answered them. I said that I felt tired and achey, had a headache and an upset stomach. The app asked about the usual 3 symptoms; fever, cough and lack of taste/ smell -of which I have none.

Twenty minutes later, I receive an email from the app inviting me to be tested on the back of my recent app entry. It said my results would need to be added to the app as part of a study being carried out by Kings College and the Department of Health, once I receive these back.

I arranged to be tested and went this morning. Results will be back in 2-5 days.

Do I need to self-isolate? There is no info on the app to suggest whether I do or don’t. Existing government advice is that you need to self-isolate until results are received.

Any advice gratefully received.

I'm also in the study and I had a similar thing when I reported a headache.

I think you don't need to self-isolate. They are trying to build a detailed picture of the symptomatology and so if you report a suspicious symptom they ask you to test. Then if, for example, a lot of people who have told them about upset stomachs test positive, then it will be classed as a symptom. If very few do, then it won't.

Of course, if you take the test and come back positive, then you will have to self-isolate.

I opted for a postal test. I never received a result. I don't think I had it when I had a headache.

Something similar for me a few weeks back. I had a bit of conjunctivitis- I put it in as a symptom in the tracker. They sent me a test. I didn't isolate as it isn't a symptom that government says you should isolate for. My test was negative.

If I had had a continuous cough, lack of smell/taste or high temp then I wold have self isolated.

The same happened to me last week. I reported a sore throat and it asked me to go for the test. Tbh I think it was most likely related to hay fever but I thought I should get tested in order to help with the study. I figured that as I was not displaying any of the three main symptoms, and felt otherwise well, that I didn't need to self isolate as such, although we are being quite careful generally.

Me too!

Headache (not unusual) and rapid invitation to test. I do not think I have the virus but am happy to go through the process.

To answer your question - I've been self-isolating anyway (at increased risk) so I don't expect this to make any difference.

(Touch wood ...)

Everyone who puts any symptom at all on the app is invited to be tested so I wouldn’t worry about isolating, unless you have one of the 3 symptoms.

Thanks for your input everyone.

Yeh, any symptom you put it gets you an invite! I’ve also been invited for a headache & again for dizziness! I did feel really under the weather with the dizziness, so opted to take one. It was negative. I didn’t isolate.

From chatting with friends, it will send you for a test if you pick ‘I don’t feel quite right’. I got sent for one with hayfever. You only need to self-isolate if you have a new cough, fever, or loss of taste.

They are sending test requests to people they think may have Coronavirus but also to people that they don't think have it. It's all part of the research.

Basically if you've been well for 9 days in a row or more and then report a symptom you'll get a test request.

From other posts on here though every so often they are picking up unexpected positive results so I think it is well worth being in the study and being tested regularly.

I'd only isolate if I can a cough, temperature or loss of taste/smell.

If I had any other symptoms I'd social distance well and get a test done asap.

I was advised to get a test from that app. I had a mild dodgy belly. It was something I ate and could pin point what so I didn't have a test. I was absolutely fine a day later . I had no other symptoms at all.

I got a test Due to reporting s slight sore throat. I was working from home so was self isolated anyway until the test came back - negative.

Took my test; had it collected this morning. It was mildly stressful - poking about in my throat and nostril made my eyes red and watery, and I was so flustered it took me five minutes to work out how to construct the flat-packed return box.

But I'm glad to have done it.

The Zoe-covid19 app is a load of unscientific bollocks I'm afraid. It's a waste of your time reporting to a project that asks you what you identify as that day. The results will be meaningless.

When you register for an actual test you only have the choice of Male, Female or Prefer not to say ...

Before you get as far as registering for a test you are asked this ridiculous question at the beginning which renders all your daily reporting as unscientific and meaningless.

I have said I have a hoarse voice and a headache several times yet I have not been invited to take a test. It's not everyone.

Were the additional questions about weight gain, alcohol and activity levels? I had those and I'm not diabetic, I think sometimes they just have additional questions to get a bigger picture of what's going on - they arent targeted to particular people. In fact when I went to report for my daughter I was still asked the questions about weight gain and alcohol consumption even though shes only 3!

@FrugiFan

Were the additional questions about weight gain, alcohol and activity levels? I had those and I'm not diabetic, I think sometimes they just have additional questions to get a bigger picture of what's going on - they arent targeted to particular people. In fact when I went to report for my daughter I was still asked the questions about weight gain and alcohol consumption even though shes only 3!

No, the questions were specifically aimed at diabetics. They asked about medication/ insulin, types and dosages etc

I did get questions the next day about exercise and weight gain.

Had the test on Sunday morning and results back by 9am Monday. Negative. As suspected.

@massextinction

The Zoe-covid19 app is a load of unscientific bollocks I'm afraid. It's a waste of your time reporting to a project that asks you what you identify as that day. The results will be meaningless.

Really? Because it's this study that discovered loss/change of sense of taste/smell is a symptom and on the back of that research the government changed it's criteria.

Doesn't sound like a load of bollocks to me

@JimMaxwellantheshippingforcast

No it didn't. That was listed as a symptom in numerous other countries who had for a long time been expressing bewilderment why the UK hadn't, as were UK medics. The UK knew about it long before the zoeapp, they were just typically late in adding it to their symptom list.

I think it's very good. There's been a lot of really interesting information on there. The new data section for members is very good and quite eye opening. I also actually like the reassurance of regular tests if you don't feel quite right.

I also think the app is good. The daily case figures ( updated weekly from random testing and symptom tracking) closely follow the ONS figures.

I'm interested to see what effects oestrogen has on the infection, gynaecologist Janice Rymer is working with them to look at that and they added in questions on periods, menopause, HRT and hormonal contraception.

I don't think the app is that good when they published that in one area they directed over 12 thousand people to have a test based on their self-reported symptoms (and they were tested) and 108 had a positive result. That seems a massive waste of time and money to me.

In my city (over half a million people) only just under 2% of the population are using the app and based on that, and the self-reported info from that small group, they estimate 0.4% of the city have CV symptoms yet we've had no positive tests for days...