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Original poster

how many symptomatic people not bothering to test are there out there??

79 replies

alladinisalive · 18/10/2020 17:35

Just wondering how many people there are actually walking around with symptoms who are not testing??? I only ask because when I was in the queue at the supermarket today there was a lady behind me not social distancing from me at all talking very quietly on her phone (with no mask) which made me intrigued to try and hear what she was talking about, the quieter and more suspicious her talking the harder i tried to listen!!!!The words I particularly heard where "you must not say anything to anyone or half term will be ruined. If it comes back positive we will all be doomed. If you dose up on all this you will work through it!!! Therefore I had a quick g;lance at her shopping 2 boxes of paracetamol some cough mixture and a thermometer!!!!

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 18/10/2020 18:27

I know a few who haven't tested, not because of money but because they know better and know for a fact the temperature wasn't Covid it was something else. One of the people saying that's husband is a police officer who of course could have passed it onto all sorts of vulnerable people but they couldn't be arsed to get their son tested and isolate.

NotAKaren · 18/10/2020 18:30

So many not getting tested. You can see why people will think what's the benefit for me to get tested, especially if the symptoms are mild. Days and days waiting for a result, isolation, unable to work, spouse/ partner unable to work, DCs missing school people who don't want to or can't afford to will not put themselves through this.

HIITPrincess · 18/10/2020 18:44

I would probably just carry on working from home without testing, if I was ill I wouldn't be going out anywhere anyway surely?

So isolate but not necessarily test.

ThinkWittyThoughts · 18/10/2020 18:51

The minute they linked a positive test to fines and possible police involvement they put people off testing.

This.

I don't really understand why the govt haven't said: you're not allowed to work with symptoms but companies MUST continue to pay wages. Open a fund for companies to claim support.

Rather than place the burden on individuals, many of whom are living one pay day to the next.

JamminDoughnuts · 18/10/2020 19:13

I don't really understand why the govt haven't said: you're not allowed to work with symptoms but companies MUST continue to pay wages. Open a fund for companies to claim support.

very good point

MillieEpple · 18/10/2020 19:17

Loads. Most are testing for a noticible cough but hardly anyone for 'just a temperature' with a bit of a sore throat or headache.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 18/10/2020 19:20

@HIITPrincess of course, if you can work from home. But many people can't, proportionately those on low wages - pub staff, retail staff, care workers, construction workers. If their symptoms are mild then a good majority of them will just carry on.

Nat6999 · 18/10/2020 19:27

They don't make it easy to get tested, if they had any sense every pharmacy, library, sports centre, school or doctor's surgery would have a supply of tests that anyone could have someone pick up for them & then pop in the post to be tested.

user1471439240 · 18/10/2020 19:29

Now the Police are getting involved in enforcing self isolation, it would be a brave person to give any contacts you think you may have had to track and trace. If you are the reason someone is forced to isolate for two weeks, possibly losing income then it could be the source of serious trouble for you. Perhaps this is part of a double bluff to ensure people do not test. To be honest there is no real lockdown, even in Tier 3 areas.

Witchend · 18/10/2020 19:30

You'll have a mixture:

The people who can't afford to isolate.
The people who don't want to isolate.
The people who have tried to get a test and given up. (not sure how many that is now)
The people who haven't tried to get a test because they've heard how hard it is to get one.
The people who haven't tried to get a test (also for their dc) because they've heard it's painful/awkward etc.
People who are in denial about symptoms. ("I always cough at this time of year")
People who do have symptoms but are putting it down to usual illnesses.
People who don't believe Covid is anything other than a Chinese/Russian/EU/aliens from Pluto conspiracy.
People who hope if they don't actually see a positive case then it won't get any worse.

HIITPrincess · 18/10/2020 19:30

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@HIITPrincess of course, if you can work from home. But many people can't, proportionately those on low wages - pub staff, retail staff, care workers, construction workers. If their symptoms are mild then a good majority of them will just carry on.[/quote]
I totally understand where they are coming from, I was just giving the OP my reason of why I wouldn't test. Not speaking for others.

The system as is, had no hope of working, people can't afford to have no income for 2 weeks especially when it could happen many times over the next six months.

JamminDoughnuts · 18/10/2020 19:37

you are not allowed to test unless it is the 3 symptoms they stipulate, if however you work from home/dont work.. you are free to lie and get a test

if you a household who would be affected by having to isolate on a just in case, you have to think twice

shamalidacdak · 18/10/2020 19:41

@Beautiful3

Loads I'm sure. Numerous people live paycheck to paycheck. Not working can push them into real poverty. The government needs to address this issue by offering a financial package.
Don't people get sick leave for this?
JamminDoughnuts · 18/10/2020 19:43

people dont always get sick leave no and some people may get SSP which isnt great

Tfoot75 · 18/10/2020 19:50

We've followed it to the letter and how painful it is leads me to expect that practically everyone does not follow it tbh. We think we had it in March just before schools closed, dh and I had symptoms which lasted 2 days at most, then 12 days of horror basically as we could not even go for a walk while waiting to see if the kids had symptoms. Based on this experience I expect at least 98% of people would give up around day 7, as it does seem entirely pointless waiting for something that you don't realistically expect to happen.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 18/10/2020 19:53

There should be a big carrot as well as a stick. Anyone who gets a positive result gets £1K. Or possibly more. If we can afford to pay multiple consultants with no public health expertise £7K per day we can afford to pay people to stay at home.

Realistically, this is disproportionately infecting poorer people so I really don’t care that some of my tax £ might go into the pockets of people who don’t need it if it means that people with Covid can isolate (and, you know, rest up and get well).

MiracletoCome · 18/10/2020 19:54

I probably wouldn’t bother as I am retired and would just isolate for the 2 weeks. I imagine a lot of older folk might do the same especially as tests are not that easy to get

amicissimma · 18/10/2020 19:57

"I don't really understand why the govt haven't said: you're not allowed to work with symptoms but companies MUST continue to pay wages. Open a fund for companies to claim support."

To prevent people taking random fortnights off from time to time claiming they had symptoms, they would have to produce a positive test result. So there would be an incentive to get tested. They could refuse to give most of their contacts, though.

cptartapp · 18/10/2020 20:10

My son's football manager has just told the team his wife tested positive this afternoon, yet whilst awaiting her results he was present at the match this morning and his son played the full game. Lancashire.

Kitcat122 · 18/10/2020 20:19

The government pay you £500 to self isolate if you are low income. Not sure if this is everytime or a one off.

MiracletoCome · 18/10/2020 20:24

I don’t think the £500 is for everyone low paid, you have to be on certain benefits, a lot of single people probably don’t get benefits

NotAKaren · 18/10/2020 20:32

@user1471439240

Now the Police are getting involved in enforcing self isolation, it would be a brave person to give any contacts you think you may have had to track and trace. If you are the reason someone is forced to isolate for two weeks, possibly losing income then it could be the source of serious trouble for you. Perhaps this is part of a double bluff to ensure people do not test. To be honest there is no real lockdown, even in Tier 3 areas.
Do the police actually have the capacity to check that people are isolating? If someone is reported to them they may investigate but I doubt they will go around with lists of people checking on them. Plus the NHS app does not record personal data so there will not be a record of those close contacts who have had a message to SI via the app.
Waxonwaxoff0 · 18/10/2020 20:37

@Kitcat122 the £500 is only for people who get top up benefits like UC or tax credits.

Lemons1571 · 18/10/2020 20:41

By the time test and trace call you you’re probably on day 9 or so? So not long to go until the 14 days, maybe 5 days of isolation?

Day 1 - your last contact with person incubating covid

Day 3 - person gets symptoms

Day 4 - person gets tested

Day 7 - person gets results (it’s taking around 3 days at the moment)

Day 9 - t & t get in contact with you and tell you to isolate

Lemons1571 · 18/10/2020 20:42

So by the time the police come round on days 11-12, you’re 97.5% ok if you haven’t developed any symptoms?

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