The app is telling me to self-isolate after I made a mistake!

[NoCOVIDplease]

A friend of mine (whom I have had no physical contact with in months) messaged me today to say that they had a cough and a bad head. I told them to get the NHS app or ring 111 for advice. They didn't want to do either as they were worried about work, so I said I would check on the app for them.

On my own app, I then went to the "check your symptoms" section and put in said friend's symptoms. the app is now saying that I may have corona and i need to self-isolate for 10 days! Is there anyway I can get ride of this? I don't have any symptoms myself.

Also, I was out at the weekend, and I checked into a few venues, will this fake symptom recording affect them too?

I feel so silly, but I didn't think the app would respond like this!

It’s check your symptoms, so of course it’s going to react as though as it’s you.

How did you think it would respond if you put coronavirus symptoms? It doesn't know that you're asking for a friend! Your friend should have sorted it themselves. Are they even isolating?

And yes, it will probably tell other people that they need to isolate now. No idea how you'd sort this.

I thought it only pings contacts after a confirmed case

It won’t tell other people you’ve been in contact with to self isolate unless you’ve put in a test result. And you need an official QR code to do that.

Someone at my work did this, she panicked, deleted the app and installed it again and it had gone back to what it originally said.. I didn't see it for myself was just told about it. Not sure if it notified anybody else.

If your friend has a cough though. She does need to self isolate and test.

Yes, I have told my friend to self-isolate immediately. He works from home, so this is easy for him.

Thank you for the advice about deleting and re-installing. I will try that.

And yes, it will probably tell other people that they need to isolate now

Of course it wouldn't such a situation would be so completely rife for abuse that it would destroy all creditability of the app.

Just re-install the app, or leave it, it doesn't matter to anyone but yourself what the app says, you've not got the symptoms, you don't need to do it.

I thought it only notified other people if you're a confirmed case? Not if you're just showing symptoms?

It won't do anything unless you input a verified result. Which you can't do.

Just ignore it.

Yes! It's gone :D

I deleted and re-installed the app. It's all gone and I'm back to normal! :D

Thanks all