NHS Covid app - told to isolate

[MolyHolyGuacamole]

Hi, I've been contacted by the app tonight and told to isolate for 12 days (I'm aware that the app is meant to update soon to reflect 10 days isolation instead of 14 days) which means that I came into contact with someone 2 days ago. I don't know who it is. I have 2 questions about this and would be greatly appreciative if anyone could give some insight:

1. What EXACTLY does it mean that I had contact 2 days ago? Does it just mean that that's when the person got a positive result, and that I could have actually had contact with them more than 2 days ago? Or does it mean than someone I had contact with had symptoms but hadn't tested yet, then got a test and results in the last 48 hours? On Saturday I was in a shopping centre going into several shops, but alone.

1. Has anyone that's been contacted through the app, where it was anonymous, actually gotten Covid? Did you get tested?

Thanks, I'm just quite stressed about this so close to Christmas!

It means that the amount of time you spent in contact with someone was enough that it makes sense for you to isolate because you might be incubating an infection. This is all based on probabilities and unknowns and taking reasonable precautions which are proportional to the level of risk. You won't know whether or not you are infectious until a few days after you start being infectious so anyone you have close contact with over the coming days will be at risk. So do everything you can to keep that number as low as possible. Yes this will probably spoil some Christmas plans but this is only one Christmas and it is better to wait a few extra days to see your family than to put them at risk.

Not knowing exactly who or when or where this contact took place is a built-in feature which is seen by most people as desirable, not a problem. You can't tell exactly what triggered it, and the anonymity this grants is what convinced a lot of people to install the app, which is necessary as it is useless if not many people use it. You accept not being able to know exact details of the contact that triggered you being told to isolate, and the corresponding benefit is that your own data is also anonymous to others.

My understanding is you have been within 2 metres of someone with coronavirus for 15 minutes or more recently.

It means you had contact with them 2 days ago (on Saturday). As you have just been alerted this means they have recently received their positive result.

Contact is established using Bluetooth. It's looking for 15 minutes within 2 m or 30 minutes within 4 m. Did you have to stand in a long queue or stop for a coffee at any point?

@Flagsfiend

It means you had contact with them 2 days ago (on Saturday). As you have just been alerted this means they have recently received their positive result.

Contact is established using Bluetooth. It's looking for 15 minutes within 2 m or 30 minutes within 4 m. Did you have to stand in a long queue or stop for a coffee at any point?

Yes I would have done both of these on Saturday. Thank you for explaining a bit more about how it works!