Well that's useful, thanks NHS app!!

FatGirlShrinking · 2021-01-02T22:46:42+00:00

Just got a notification that I have been in contact with a positive case and need to isolate..... For 1 day until 2nd Jan 11:59pm So I got the notification 1 he and 15 mins before my isolation period ends. I haven't been in close contact with anyone but I have been to the supermarket and taken DD to the zoo and a farm park in the last 10 days. Brilliant!

ChittyChittyBoomBoom · 02/01/2021 22:53

Absolutely shambolic.

Original poster

FatGirlShrinking · 02/01/2021 22:57

Just found the bit in the app where you get the exact date of exposure and that was the day I took DD swimming.

Wore masks into the changing room, stayed well apart from other swimmers immersed in chlorine, straight out and dressed, no showers or hanging about so not too concerned now.

OP posts:

DumplingsAndStew · 02/01/2021 23:01

Did you switch your phone off in the locker?

Original poster

FatGirlShrinking · 02/01/2021 23:05

No @DumplingsAndStew so it could be that someone walked by the locker or used the one next to mine I guess.

Nothing I can do about it now anyway but bloody ridiculous being told to isolate for an hour and a bit.

OP posts:

olderthanyouthink · 02/01/2021 23:15

Well you can make up for your lack of isolating by doing this hour in total silence in the dark

nobucketlist · 02/01/2021 23:28

I had the same thing last week. Had to isolate for 4 hours

NotTerfNorCis · 02/01/2021 23:32

How does this app work? Is it tracking you all the time like Google timeline or does it only know when you've signed in to a place?

Northernsoullover · 02/01/2021 23:44

I had a message saying I had to isolate for 6 days. I looked at the contact and I only went out for a pint of milk that day. No standing around, no queueing. I don't know how it triggered. I've switched off the contact tracing now. I can't be isolating for quick shop trips which is my only foray outside the house.

Quarantino · 02/01/2021 23:48

afaik it doesn't actually 'track' you but if your phone (with NHS app bluetooth tracking on) is within close range of another phone (with tracking on) for a set amount of time, it logs as 'contact'. A while ago this was 15 mins within 2 meters but the parameters may have been adjusted.

I'd expect better from the T&T system, does this mean the person only just got a positive test result?

Quarantino · 02/01/2021 23:49

OP did you 'check in' to the pool on the app?

BingeOnChocolate · 03/01/2021 08:32

I have had the same! Where did you find in the app regarding exposure?

Original poster

FatGirlShrinking · 03/01/2021 08:33

No don't need to check in for the app to work.

I do use it if the venue has a qr code up, but it works by using the Bluetooth to register when you've been near another Bluetooth enabled device with the app.

The swimming pool doesn't have a QR code to venue check in, I think because everyone has to book online and use a membership card to enter so they have the record already.

OP posts:

Original poster

FatGirlShrinking · 03/01/2021 08:40

@BingeOnChocolate it's disappeared now but when I still had the self isolate alert in the app there was an info option and when I clicked on that it had my exposure date and self isolation end date. I then just tracked back in my mind to what I had been doing on 23rd December. Luckily with it being a quieter Xmas that was pretty easy to do

OP posts:

frustrationcentral · 03/01/2021 10:56

It could be that the Covid positive person forgot to put the code into the app, or in our case didn't spot the code within the NHS text. DS tested positive during the week and it took us a couple of days to spot the code. Luckily due to Christmas DS hadn't been out so anyone who needed to SI already was doing it!

RichardMarxisinnocent · 03/01/2021 11:01

@Quarantino

afaik it doesn't actually 'track' you but if your phone (with NHS app bluetooth tracking on) is within close range of another phone (with tracking on) for a set amount of time, it logs as 'contact'. A while ago this was 15 mins within 2 meters but the parameters may have been adjusted.

I'd expect better from the T&T system, does this mean the person only just got a positive test result?

Or maybe they only just put details of the positive test into the app?

Dudette87 · 03/01/2021 11:35

I can see how it can take so long to tell you though.

Let's say you were in contact with someone 10 days ago. They might have developed symptoms the next day and ordered a test. The test kit can take up to 48hrs to arrive, so that takes us to 7 days ago. They might have then done the test, registered it online etc, and posted it the following day - 6 days ago. It takes 1 day (possibly 2 days) to arrive at the lab, and then 4 or 5 days to get results due to the rise in test quantity due to Christmas mixing (it was roughly 2 to 3 days before the rush of test kit orders last month).

Additionally the person might have only realised they needed to input their test number into the test and trace app today.

frustrationcentral · 03/01/2021 11:44

@Dudette87

I can see how it can take so long to tell you though.

Let's say you were in contact with someone 10 days ago. They might have developed symptoms the next day and ordered a test. The test kit can take up to 48hrs to arrive, so that takes us to 7 days ago. They might have then done the test, registered it online etc, and posted it the following day - 6 days ago. It takes 1 day (possibly 2 days) to arrive at the lab, and then 4 or 5 days to get results due to the rise in test quantity due to Christmas mixing (it was roughly 2 to 3 days before the rush of test kit orders last month).

Additionally the person might have only realised they needed to input their test number into the test and trace app today.

I agree, it's very easy. NHS app aside, so DS came down with symptoms last Sunday, test Monday, results Wednesday morning then call from T&T on Thursday morning. That means that someone who was a contact of DS's could have been out in the public for 6 days before being notified. After track and trace spoke to me we received texts from them within 2 hours.

DS was a close contact a month ago. I knew anyway as i was told after the positive test, but it took 2 days after the positive test for me to get the T&T call. I'm not sure why we didn't receive a text instead? Surely that's much simpler and quicker

Dee1975 · 03/01/2021 11:46

It’s not really the apps fault. It depends on when the positive test came back and was uploaded to the app. Thankfully they ask you to isolate from the time you had contact. Rather than starting from the day the positive result came through.

Orf1abc · 03/01/2021 11:48

Isn't the idea that the app knows when someone has had a positive test result, the systems are interlinked, so no need to rely on people entering a code? If not, then that's a fundamental flaw in the system..

Bargebill19 · 03/01/2021 11:52

Friend had similar issue - told to isolate for 2 days. A bit late, as she travels for work all over the country. 😳

frustrationcentral · 03/01/2021 12:21

@Orf1abc

Isn't the idea that the app knows when someone has had a positive test result, the systems are interlinked, so no need to rely on people entering a code? If not, then that's a fundamental flaw in the system..

You'd think so wouldn't you! I wonder why it isn't an automatic thing?

Reallybadidea · 03/01/2021 12:25

@Orf1abc

Isn't the idea that the app knows when someone has had a positive test result, the systems are interlinked, so no need to rely on people entering a code? If not, then that's a fundamental flaw in the system..

But how would it "know" that the phone user had a positive test without inputting the code. The app itself is anonymous for privacy.

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 03/01/2021 12:43

I've switched mine off.

I've had Covid and I duly inputted the result in my app. It notified DH and I didn't have any other contacts apart from at work which was already being dealt with by my employer.

Then 2 weeks later, right at the end of my isolation period DH got symptoms and was positive (has to have got it from me as he was isolating).

So now the bloody app and track and trace are telling me to isolate again which I know is not correct.
I am going food shopping today so I've switched my app off so as not to ruin anyone else's week or get irritating calls.

Track and trace appear totally idiotic as far as I can see. They incessantly called me whilst I was at home in bed reminding me to isolate when that was totally unnecessary as I was too ill to get up but they didn't call DH at all although he was the one more likely to go out. They read off a script every call.

Now that he is positive they are incessantly calling him but he is now ill in bed and not going anywhere and his only contact is me who has already had it.

I think the kids (who have been perfectly well throughout) don't have to isolate again from what I looked up on the gov website but stupid track and trace can't give me a straight answer on that at all and say just ask the school to decide!

All in all the app and track and trace have been of no use at all to us and just an irritating hindrance. Why call up ill people repeatedly but not call their contacts at all?? Why are they unable to tie up my records and DHs? Why can't they give accurate advice about the DC?

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 03/01/2021 12:51

It isn't all that easy to see that you have to put the code in the app either. DH didn't do it straight away because it was in a wall of waffling text that he didn't read properly as he was feeling really ill.

He only did it because I knew from my own experience that you should do. If it was left up to him he would have ignored it.

We both got multiple long texts and emails and it was quite hard to see which, if any, you'd have to act on as some appeared to mainly be duplicate info.

If you don't do it straight away they just send the same text again rather than something really short and to the point.

He also found it quite irritating putting in his contact info because you have to set up an account with a password and there's pages of demographic info eg what ethnicity and gender are you etc etc before you get to anything important

They are expecting quite unwell people to engage with it. It is really poorly designed.

wantmorenow · 03/01/2021 12:52

Where is the bit in the app that tells you where and when please?