Track & Trace App - confused about recommended length of isolation

[Katharsis]

Hi

This morning I took my son to his swimming lesson, on arrival at the leisure centre I opened the Track & Trace App to do the 'venue check in' (as I do at all locations displaying the QR code) and I was presented with a message stating I'd been in contact with someone who'd tested positive and I needed to self isolate for 8 days. I had to click 'I understand' and now the home screen flashes a self isolation countdown - 8 days to go.

All information I've seen online indicates the app will advise that self isolation should be 14 days after initial contact so should I have received this notification 6 days ago? I open the app daily (to check the contract tracing is still on), I do the venue check ins and I have notifications enabled, so I wonder why I only received the message today - incidentally only by opening the app and not as a push notification. I don't know anyone who has tested positive - but I did get a train 6 days ago.... I don't have any symptoms and am not eligible for a test. My husband has suggested maybe somebody who I came into contact with 6 days ago has only just received their positive result and the app has backdated the number of days to self isolate. Has anyone had the same?

Your husband is right.

It'll be something like: you came into contact with someone on Sunday. They developed symptoms on say Tuesday, less than 48 hours afterwards. They got tested Thursday, got their positive result yesterday. No way or need of telling you to isolate before that - if they had symptoms on Sunday they shouldn't have been on a train!

It will be Test and Trace running incredibly slowly and taking too long to trace everyone that was in contact with the person with a positive test or the test took far too long to get done/get the results. In the meantime you've been out in public, been in contact with others, etc

Its a bit of a shambles tbh

@dementedpixie

It will be Test and Trace running incredibly slowly and taking too long to trace everyone that was in contact with the person with a positive test or the test took far too long to get done/get the results. In the meantime you've been out in public, been in contact with others, etc

Its a bit of a shambles tbh

But yes also this! 6 days later is unsurprising atm but not good!

Thanks both.

@dementedpixie - that's my concern. I don't think I have it but could be asymptomatic I suppose. I've taken all precautions with mask wearing, regular hand washing, socially distancing where possible (supermarkets not always so with people standing far too close). My husband and 4 children are not showing symptoms. I've been to the childrens'extra curricular activities, school drop offs, picks ups, supermarket shopping etc etc so if I did have it and it really is that contagious then I'll have spread it far and wide. And I feel awfully guilty even though I've done everything I possible could - short of never leaving the house!

Test and trace doesn't work. I don't use the app but it took them 3 days to contact me after a colleague tested positive. Thankfully my colleague contacted me as I otherwise would have visited my vulnerable parents. Someone more sociable than me could have infected dozens of people over the course of 3 days, as you could have done OP since you're close contact was a stranger. Completely pointless and let's face it unsustainable. My whole workplace has had to close for 2 weeks. Self isolation is going to cause poverty and the collapse of businesses, its worse than lockdown imo as at least there was government help for business and individuals then.

I'm a close contact of a friend who tested positive. We are on our last day of isolation. My friend contacted me the day she got symptoms, I had seen her the day before. Test and trace contacted her 7 days after positive result and 9 days after she had developed symptoms. They only contacted those who she lived with. My son could have been at school and football spreading the virus. I'm WFH so much less contact.

It really is shambles! I will be dialling back my social activities as its shown me how broken the system is

Ds1 self isolation is supposed to end on Tuesday, I was told yesterday afternoon. So on day 10 we were notified. However, I don’t use the app and the tuition centre mass emailed people and then called individuals.

Your husband will be correct. We got told to isolate for 7 days, there had been a lag in the test and trace process somewhere, and we had been in contact with someone who had then tested positive, but the contact date was a week prior to the call. Had taken a week to either get the test/results, or get the contacting sorted.

Surprisingly, if the app tells you to isolate it is only guidance, and you can't be fined if you don't stay home. Unlike if you were actually contacted by track and trace.

Not via the app, but I had to isolate for 7 days as I’d been in contact with someone 7 days previously and they had only just got the result.

6 days makes sense. You were in contact with person A 6 days ago. They developed symptoms 2 days later, then took a day or so to get a test, then the test took a couple of days to give results, then you're notified.

Yep. Same here. Dd has tested positive. We were ‘told’ over the phone by track and trace 4 days later. The number of days is linked to Date of onset of their symptoms. As I said on another thread, one highly irresponsible close contact is refusing to isolate. An official phone call Before now might’ve made a difference to her behaviour.

@Treesofwood

Surprisingly, if the app tells you to isolate it is only guidance, and you can't be fined if you don't stay home. Unlike if you were actually contacted by track and trace.

That's interesting, I had no idea that was the case.

It because the app and the actual NHS test and trace programme are used interchangeably and shouldn't be.
www.gov.uk/government/news/new-legal-duty-to-self-isolate-comes-into-force-today
It's at the bottom here, but also in the legislation Section 2 paragraph 1.