Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

NHS app telling me to self isolate for 4 days?

27 replies

Yellownotblue · 06/10/2020 21:55

I open the NHS app every day. Last night I had a message on the app, telling me I need to self isolate until 9 October. The message was not there earlier.

I’m finding this puzzling and have a lot of unanswered questions.

My understanding is that self iso is meant to be for 14 days after contact. Therefore, if I need to self iso until 9 October, does this mean the day of contact was 25 September? Why would anyone be asked to self isolate for 4 days only?

If I’m right about the 14 days, this raises more questions still as I didn’t have the app on 25 September. I downloaded it a few days later. How can the NHS app track me for an event that took place before I had the app?

I haven’t been contacted on the phone by track and trace, only on the app.

It’s also strange that I didn’t receive any notification- I only found out because I opened the app. Otherwise I wouldn’t know. There was no banner, text or anything else.

I really want to comply with rules, but all this confusion and opacity isn’t helping at all. This is frustrating and stressful.

OP posts:
Augustbreeze · 06/10/2020 21:58

That can't be right can it, if you didn't have the app 9 days ago ...

Ring 119??

stayathomer · 06/10/2020 22:00

Does it mean you were in contact with someone who just got a positive result who's been waiting for a test/result? I'd say phone the number given on the app

pickleface · 06/10/2020 22:04

I'm sorry, I'm no help at all but last night I had a notification on my phone that I may have been in contact with Covid, but when I opened the app there was absolutely no information there and nothing telling me to self isolate. No idea what that's all about either

whatsleep · 06/10/2020 22:06

Yes it will mean your day of contact was the 25th but their test or results were more recent. A work colleague had a similar email and it turned out that a persons she’d had a meeting with had since tested positive. She had to isolate for 3 days as this made it 14 days in total from the day they met.

whatsleep · 06/10/2020 22:07

Sorry just read your post again, I see you didn’t even have the app on the 25th! Must be some kind of error surely.

EasterIssland · 06/10/2020 22:08

The excel error I think is from the 25th sept so maybe that’s why ? Tho strange about not having the app then and asking you

Original poster
Yellownotblue · 06/10/2020 22:18

@whatsleep

Yes it will mean your day of contact was the 25th but their test or results were more recent. A work colleague had a similar email and it turned out that a persons she’d had a meeting with had since tested positive. She had to isolate for 3 days as this made it 14 days in total from the day they met.
But I didn’t get an email, it’s only come in the app. I don’t understand how the app can have tracked me for a contact event that took place before I had the app!

I saw some friends on the 25th, we’ve been in contact regularly since then and none of them has been in touch to say they have the virus. Some of the, don’t have the app either.

This is all made more complicated by the fact that my au pair was tested yesterday. She hasn’t had her results yet. Surely they wouldn’t ask me to self isolate on the app, before she gets her results? We are self isolating anyway as this is the guidance when someone in the household has symptoms, but if she gets a negative result tomorrow, we should not have to keep self isolating after that, no?

🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
Original poster
Yellownotblue · 06/10/2020 22:19

Sorry this is came out a bit aggressive. That was unintended. I’m just frustrated.

OP posts:
Tickly · 06/10/2020 22:21

@pickleface there's some glitch in the ENglish app that means this can come up but it means nothing other than you were at some point near someone. It's only if you get a positive instruction through the app you need to do something. It was on the bbc website late last week (Friday I think). I can't find it now so don't quote me on it but I definitely read it there last week. DH has this happen over the weekend and it disappeared too.

Rushjob · 06/10/2020 22:22

Just delete the app and forget it.

ithinkiveseenthisfilmbefore · 06/10/2020 22:26

I got a warning that came up with nothing .. I'd only had it 5 days, hadn't been anywhere except work, and definitely hadn't used it to log in anywhere. So I deleted it. Useless and refuse to be caught out by the government's shit show app.

supercatlady · 06/10/2020 22:27

Someone at work downloaded app last night, checked the app this morning and it was telling her to isolate for 8 days. Was only at home, partner hasn’t had message.

Original poster
Yellownotblue · 06/10/2020 22:27

I think the message on the app could be so much clearer in terms of why I need to SI, when was the contact, etc.

And I say that as someone who is super compliant to all the guidance, rule of 6, masks, you name it. If that’s how I feel, I can only imagine that many people, who have a lower anxiety level about Covid, will just disregard the instructions altogether as there is not enough information given. And since there is no text or email, you could probably argue you never saw it.

OP posts:
pickleface · 06/10/2020 22:36

[quote Tickly]@pickleface there's some glitch in the ENglish app that means this can come up but it means nothing other than you were at some point near someone. It's only if you get a positive instruction through the app you need to do something. It was on the bbc website late last week (Friday I think). I can't find it now so don't quote me on it but I definitely read it there last week. DH has this happen over the weekend and it disappeared too. [/quote]

Ahh thank you, I had no idea

janetmendoza · 06/10/2020 22:47

T&T just isn't fit for purpose right now. DS started to get ill last Sunday. Couldn't even manage to book a test until Thursday and only got results yesterday night. 9 days into his illness! He was positive and now has to isolate until tomorrow, which is surely beyond ridiculous as if he hadn't chosen to self isolate could have been cheerfully passing on the virus for nine days! Some people are getting their results after the whole time has passed during which they should have isolated. We as householders now only have to isolate for 4 more days

Original poster
Yellownotblue · 07/10/2020 01:14

@janetmendoza I agree with you , T & T is not working. What you describe is ridiculous. It’s very concerning as we have such steeply rising numbers of cases, and it looks like we’re going to run out of tests imminently. I fear the children will just be in and out of school every other week as we’re told to isolate every few days, for months to come - or more. 🙁

OP posts:
Fetaliving · 07/10/2020 01:25

The person could have started symptoms 10 days ago, perhaps have been one of the missed cases, and/or might have been out and about whilst waiting for test result (as some stupidly do) and triggered the contact with you whilst out. Your 14 day quarantine would still start on their first day of symptoms, so 10 days ago even if they were near you since then. Which leaves 4 days. So it’s possible.

Or it could be a glitch. Which is also possible.

Fetaliving · 07/10/2020 01:31

I do think that either way it is ridiculous and it shows this is all a big mess.

Fetaliving · 07/10/2020 01:35

@supercatlady

Someone at work downloaded app last night, checked the app this morning and it was telling her to isolate for 8 days. Was only at home, partner hasn’t had message.
The app uses Bluetooth which in some cases reads through walls. The virus can’t travel through walls! But the app can’t understand this.

It’s crazy. I wonder if this happened to your friend.

NRatched · 07/10/2020 04:38

In theory it would mean the contact date was the 25th ad a positive result has just happened. BUT, if you didn't even have the app then, then fuck knows. Its a bit of a shitshow really

NRatched · 07/10/2020 04:42

The app uses Bluetooth which in some cases reads through walls. The virus can’t travel through walls! But the app can’t understand this.

If it said to isolate for 8 days though, that would mean date of contact with confirmed case was 6 days ago. If the app was only downloaded last night, then bluetoot is irrelevant as..the app wasn't on the phone until after the supposed date of contact? I would be extremely surprised if the app has the capabilities of backdating contacts from before the app was installed?! And surely, before the app most wouldn't be walking round with bluetooth enabled (its a drain, I would only use it if using the app, if my phone could tolerate app) so even if it could backtrace your movements to over a week prior, its unlikely to be able to do so?

lughnasadh · 07/10/2020 04:44

I'd just delete the app.

It's completely useless, and more trouble than it's worth.

PhilCornwall1 · 07/10/2020 05:51

@Rushjob

Just delete the app and forget it.
Agreed. It's a poorly written application, well the IOS one is.
musicalfrog · 07/10/2020 05:55

I have resisted getting the app thus far and this is one illustration of why.

Dotinthecity · 07/10/2020 05:56

I deleted the App 24 hours after downloading it. It's absolutely useless.