Do the measures work, or is it luck that you haven’t caught Covid?

[Alexapourmewine]

Just that really...

Do the masks, distancing, ventilation all really work?

Is it just pure luck that you haven’t caught it, or is it that you haven’t actually been In contact with a positive case.

SO many people I know who have tested positive, swear they don’t know how they caught it.
Swear that they’ve distanced, worn a mask, washed hands etc, but still caught Covid.

So do the measures actually work?

It raises the question, is Covid in the air? Or do you have to have been around a positive person?

Before masks became mandatory, they were saying that czech republic and slovakia had done better than we had because right from the get go they made masks mandatory.

Then Czech Republic had an enormous surge, had the highest infections in the world at one point and their hospital system nearly collapsed. So not exactly poster children in the longer term.

I think it's both.
I think there is a luck element, combined with natural immunity and then measures also assisting.
I work in care and we've had 5 staff members either get symptoms and isolate/test or the regular PCR test come back positive.
They got it at different times, over the course of this and so didn't infect each other.
No other members of staff, or the residents tested positive after any of these infections.
That can't be purely one or the other, but a mix of the two. Obviously we're up close and personal with the residents, and while administering care we can't always be 2m from each other either, we also can't have ideal ventilation in the temperatures we've had recently - easier in summer.
But we wear PPE, hand wash, sanitise, clean etc, don't wear our work clothes outside work and vice versa and weekly testing helps identify positive cases that are asymptomatic quickly, to reduce exposure.
I think luck has played a part, and I fully expect it will come, at some point because luck runs out and the measures aren't an absolute guarantee.
I've worked with 2 staff that have later tested positive, I also travel on public transport (though not at traditionally busy times due to shifts) and wear a mask and sanitise my hands when I get off the bus. I'm sure there's times I haven't, times I've not 💯% done it all perfectly, and as I said the measures aren't an absolute guarantee, so I think that's the luck element at play.

I work in ICU, a few close shaves when exposed to patients who tested falsely negative and on huge amounts of oxygen flow (70ltrs). At that point we didn't have to wear any kind of mask and the exposure was fairly lengthy. I didn't catch it.
Dp caught it from who knows where - works alone, outside. Socially distances from clients. And then passed it to me. He did have a very high viral load according to track and trace, so maybe that's the issue ?

It’s funny how some people have never caught it and other people have it twice or even 3 times as someone said on here the other day. I’ve never had it, neither have any of our family and none of us have stayed in doors every day not even in the first lockdown, we all work, go shopping, we’ve been to London multiple times on the train and tube before this lockdown. I do think some people must be more susceptible than others. I do think sd and hand sanitizer works, i’m not so sure about masks, especially home made ones.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

Supermarkets are mostly high ceilinged and well ventilated and people don’t stand around in the same place in them for long so I don’t know either way. I certainly wouldn’t rule out someone catching it at the supermarket but it must be pretty unusual to breathe a lot of the same person’s air the way you might in a tiny unventilated room.

I work in a supermarket and have done all through when there was no social distancing/ gloves/ screens/ limiting numbers into shops etc. Touch wood, I've not had it, the few people at work who've had it can trace where they got it from and not one of them caught it from work. To be fair, we don't live in a high case spot but obviously we get people in from all areas, so who knows?

I think a lot of it comes down to the health of your immune system and health in general. Me and my husband are both never ill with colds, flu, stomach bugs or anything and are both very athletic. We have had several instances where we have been around people who have tested positive but never got it ourselves (negative antibody tests). We have not been in the slightest bit worried about catching it so have been out and about to what ever has been open throughout, went to 4 indoor gym classes a week, husband plays rugby so close contact at matches and training twice a week, baby groups, restaurants and cafes, having friends over indoors from July- November, had a baby in July so have been to lots of medical appointments etc. everyone I know who has caught it has had it from being at work (factory and manufacturing setting) or from someone who works in healthcare or teaching.

I've stuck to the rules and as far as I'm aware none of my household has had it. The only people I personally know who caught it, caught it in hospital.

I honestly don’t know. I teach in a school. I’ve been in full time since September and am not really able to socially distance from the children (primary). In the first lockdown I was in on a rota system and back full time from June. Touch wood I’ve not caught it. BUT I don’t go to supermarkets (very rarely) as have a regular delivery slot, we haven’t been out of the country, we did go on holiday in the UK in the summer but it was self catering rather than a hotel. We don’t take the kids to playgrounds. Parks yes, places where there is equipment, no.

My year 7 child was commuting on a public bus all of last term to and from school which I was so worried about.

I really don’t know!

We went to two busy gigs in the three weeks before lockdown.
I've just got on with living life without imposing extra caution on myself, but would think the measures limit chances of exposure when you compare what we're doing now to then.

I think it must be partly luck. I haven't had it as far as I know (had antibody testing in the summer that was negative and have been doing lateral flow testing at home for a while). I am a nurse, not working directly with covid positive patients, but still I work with a lot of people each day that I can't keep 2m away from (my patients, my patients are allowed a relative each, my colleagues), I get a bus to and from work, my DC have gone to school at least a couple of days a week throughout and have been in contact with confirmed cases twice each since September. You hear of people who have not been anywhere except walks where they are able to remain 2m away from other people but have still caught it. I do have a generally good immune system though. I am exposed to a lot of other viruses in other years at work, especially various respiratory viruses and norovirus, and DC bring things home from school/ nursery, but I am rarely ill, but I wonder if that is much help against a new virus.

Personally it's almost entirely the measures - the more measures I took the luckier I got.

My mums care home has avoided the virus for the past year. They take every precaution they possibly could. Last week a carer tested positive (her DH works in a risky job too. She wasnt at fault). She had been with 10 residents. Obviously the whole place went into panic mode. But, not one resident caught the virus and all tested negative after 10 days. The measure obviously have some effect.

Luck. Am a teacher. Probably have had it, would be more surprised if I found out I hadn't had it.

I've been out and about every day and not caught anything

My BIL has been working from home since March. DSis is a teacher and they also have two teenagers, one of whom has been at school up until lockdown.

BIL tested positive a couple of weeks ago and although he can't be sure it seems likely that he caught it when he went to visit his mum who died in hospital (not of Covid obviously) Strangely enough DSis had exactly the same symptoms as he did but tested negative. Neither of their kids got it.

None of us has had it (me, DH and adult DD), as far as we know anyway.

Apart from one bus journey last summer I've never worn a mask. DH and DD do. DH has wfh since early March and DD has been at home the whole time (lost her job/uni closed at the start of first lockdown). I only leave the house to go to the supermarket twice a week and a walk now and again. We have had no contact with anyone outside the house since DH finished work. I've used public transport twice last summer when rates were low, DH and DD not at all. Nobody has come to the house apart from deliveries. We wash our hands when we get home and after taking deliveries but we don't wash shopping or anything.

It does seem quite random, though. I know people who have been even more cautious than us and still caught it, but I also know people who have been in and out of other people's houses, had parties and all sorts and not caught it. It's just luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time - all anyone can do is reduce their risk of that happening but nothing eliminates it completely.

@Anonanon12

I wonder if it's something to do with it being able to infect some types of people more than others. It doesn't make sense that some people don't catch it whilst sleeping next to their partners who are positive etc. My Mums boyfriend had it, but she never caught it, yet people are catching it without really going anywhere. Not sure what would make a virus able to infect one person and not another but it puzzles me how it can cause such a massive pandemic yet some people just don't catch it when around it enough, that you'd think they would

Well this has happened to us with the sickness bug. Everyone caught it but me!!! Its weird.

My brother had it. In fact he must have been presymptomatic and infectious when I saw him. He handed me a drink and neither me or my elderly mother or my other brother caught it. While the ambulance people were taking him away, my mum was right next to him as was my brother but noone caught it.

I assume for me luck. I work with many people who have had it, in close quarters. I haven't had it. I did a meeting in March 20 with eight other people and was the only one of them not positive a few days later. That said I am really good with mask wearing and changing and with washing and sanitizing my hands... but so are they! I suspect the French study earlier in all this suggesting smokers have less chance of catching it may have something to it...

I've generally a good immune system, rarely have a cold, can't remember when I last had flu. I worked with covid patients week in week out most of last year, never caught it. Got quite blase tbh.
Dp caught it, high viral load according to track and trace. Gave it me and it floored me. Only resuming work tomorrow after almost 3 months. I was fit, long time runner, gym goer, very active, normal bmi and never smoked. Work that out. I do have asthma though but well controlled.

I just have very little risk of exposure.
SAHM
DH WFH
DCs have only been in school Sept- Dec and their bubbles had no issues.

I go to the supermarket late at night when it's quiet every 7-14 days. It's the only public indoor space I've been to in months. I've had to stop wearing face coverings because of the sensory issues that they cause, which is partly why I go for quiet times.

Family live at an awkward distance and have been subject to additional restrictions since September. Not seen family since then.

I do go and exercise outdoors with people. I did little indoor socialising even when it was viable because the weather was reasonable enough.

I'd be unlucky to pick it up at that level of contact.
I did have a cold last March when we were just at the washing hands stage. Had a flurry of minor colds in Sept/ Oct when we finally began to mix more.
Ironic as it's been a healthier winter, but I haven't been able to take advantage of it because my motivation to leave the house has been rock bottom. The irony.

Pure luck. I went out once after Christmas to a small shop near me. Stood by the door (outside) ordered what I needed and went straight home. I had a mask on from the minute I left the house, got home, changed, washed hands etc and still bloody caught it (symptoms started 2 weeks ago and I'm still sick).

It was either that 20 min trip or a delivery (was disinfecting things and washing hands). Honestly couldn't have been more careful.

I'd add that I have been working from home since March last year.

@okokok000

Pure luck. I went out once after Christmas to a small shop near me. Stood by the door (outside) ordered what I needed and went straight home. I had a mask on from the minute I left the house, got home, changed, washed hands etc and still bloody caught it (symptoms started 2 weeks ago and I'm still sick).

It was either that 20 min trip or a delivery (was disinfecting things and washing hands). Honestly couldn't have been more careful.

My friend just told me her DH is positive after the same situation. He went to the shop for milk and bread, in and out, and they have had 2 takeaway deliveries. He is super careful, wipes everything, washes his hands, way more than her. He is positive (thankfully mild) and she and the 2 kids are negative. Bizarre.

Well presumably measures are working in terms of things being closed so not been able to go anywhere to get close enough to people to catch it.