Does it matter if I don't reply to Track & Trace text?

[ScribblingMilly]

Someone I met briefly has tested positive with COVID and I've had 'the text'. I'll be self-isolating for 14 days but is there any real need to fill in the forms and give my full name - the acquaintance and I are just on first name terms - and all my details? Does it help with research on how the virus spreads or is it just about keeping tabs on me (which I'm not keen on).

It’s the rule of thumb. You should be 2m at least away from anybody you don’t live with unless absolutely unavoidable.

@ssd

Is this even outside?

Yes - if you’re within breathing, spitting or coughing distance of someone even outside you could get infected.

And yet there's only a 50% chance of passing it on to those you live with. Madness. I would be very pissed off with someone passing on my details. Just goes to show how easily you could stitch people up if you don't like them.

T&T will not work if people don't trust it or if people are not properly supported to be able to comply. Those things urgently need fixing.

Nevertheless I find it alarming how many people would go out of their way to avoid cooperating. I don't mean those who just do their best to make sure they're never a contact, I mean those who would avoid answering or give false details or not be honest about their contacts.

People on here completely lose their shit about things like incorrect mask wearing or sneaking a 7th person to a gathering yet don't seem at all bothered about this.

I know MN is not a hive mind, I don't mean to imply it's the same posters, but can you imagine the response to a thread called 'Does it matter if I don't wear a mask?' or 'I'm in tier 2/3, does it matter if I go to my best mate's for dinner?'

I've just spotted today's mask-related bunfight over in AIBU. It was started about 11 hours after this thread, it's on page 13 already and it's as vicious and nasty as those threads always get.

This is not like wearing a mask or keeping to the rule of 6, this is far more important. Those things help reduce the chance of passing the virus on generally but T&T (if we could get it working properly) is what actively breaks the chains of transmission, one link at a time.

We absolutely have to get this right or we'll be playing the lockdown hokey cokey for months and months.

@Grobagsforever

Outside for less than 15 mins?

Good lord don't isolate and don't give Cummings gang your personal details to sell to their mates.

I definitely wouldn't be agreeing to isolate in this case!

The vast majority of cases have no symptoms and no T&T takes places, so even with everyone obeying these daft rules then it won't help much.

Sometimes the rule following and naivety on here is astounding, along with the lack of basic common sense and judgement of risk.

That's why contacts need to isolate whether they have symptoms or not.