Covid rates rising again - anecdotal evidence

[Tulipomania]

Rates seem to be clearly on the increase among the young and unvaccinated.
Having not heard of anyone I know having it for several months, last week I heard of two cases in my network, one in the Northwest and one in London (both fine, but positive).
Other experiences?

Do you read the news at all ?

I don’t know anyone who’s had it for over a year now.

Nope nothing here for ages and local hospital was covid free last week.

I still don’t know anyone who has had it

6 cases in one class at my primary school in the past week or so.

Yes I read the news, I'm well aware of the stats. I'm asking for people's actual experiences, as it's more relatable than data.

There really is no need to be rude and patronising.

That's interesting KatherineOfGaunt - are you in one of the areas identified as a hotspot in the recent media coverage?

More relatable maybe, but hardly more accurate. Anecdata is not evidence.

Group of about 10 Y11s sent home to SI (contacts of a positive case in school), also heard there other schools affected but don't know the extent personally. This is not a hotspot area.

So it feels more like a reminder that it's not done away rather than impending doom

ColettesEarrings my Post title was quite clear - looking for anecdotal evidence. That may back up the Science. That shows rates are rising.

Jeez, what is wrong with people this morning...

I am in South East London and the secondary school aged children of 3 of my friends have had to self isolate all through half term due to a positive case in their bubble (that is 3 different schools). All 3 schools high proportion of Indian families. There were a lot of people coming back from India a few weeks ago and self isolating at home and it seems their family members, free to go out, may have spread it. But the children’s cases were initially picked up by lateral flow tests and it is good that parents are doing the responsible thing and testing.

I also think a lot of positive cases may be going undetected because there is less testing happening at the moment - so rates may be higher than the science is showing in some low case areas.

That's good that parents are testing Sunny.

Not meaning to be snarky but why would there be any need for anecdata when we have probably the most actually monitored thing in the history of the world?

I don't know anyone with it currently, you aren't suggesting that means the actual scientific data is wrong I assume.

@Tulipomania

That's interesting KatherineOfGaunt - are you in one of the areas identified as a hotspot in the recent media coverage?

I had to Google to check, but no. Although cases in my county have risen by over 130% in the last week.

@Tulipomania

I also think a lot of positive cases may be going undetected because there is less testing happening at the moment - so rates may be higher than the science is showing in some low case areas.

That has always been the case, no one has ever suggested that the numbers going to test centres represent the whole number of positive cases.

The ONS has a whole random testing system devoted to and reports every week on their estimates of the population level of cases. And it'd not based on them asking their friends

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

Not meaning to be snarky but why would there be any need for anecdata when we have probably the most actually monitored thing in the history of the world?

I don't know anyone with it currently, you aren't suggesting that means the actual scientific data is wrong I assume.

There isn't any 'need' for most threads on MN!

@ColettesEarrings

More relatable maybe, but hardly more accurate. Anecdata is not evidence.

I take it that OP is merely asking for people's experiences. I know there is a worldwide pandemic, I know that cases are rising exponentially again.

However, since the start of this all I still don't know anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

As a msoa we've had 0-2 cases for around 2 months now. As a district we have a rate of 3/100000. Apart from one day the hospital trust (so 2 hospitals) has had zero cases for over 2 weeks and none in intensive care for longer than that.
Local primary school has had no bubble closures in the whole pandemic.
I know people who had it in the first and second waves (and a good number of us that highly suspect we had it before it became fashionable), but no-one since Feb.

But we also have well above average vaccinated, with almost 80% at first dose and 62.8 having had both. We must be getting close to herd immunity here. I went to an outdoor class a couple weeks back and of the 12 of us with ages ranging from 30 to 70 only 1 hadn't had both doses and she is due to have her 2nd in a couple weeks.

I don't know of anyone who has had it for months, either amongst friends or in the community. We live in a village but near several towns, and our ward has had fewer than 3 cases (could be zero, but we are only ever told < 3 or exact number of cases if over 3) for a number of months. One of our nearest towns in particular has been quite the hotspot right the way through, but even there it is now finally at the low levels of other surrounding urban areas probably no one left to catch it there! We are on the borders of SE/East of England.

You misunderstand @EdithWeston I'm not asking why the OP started the thread but why she says “Post title was quite clear - looking for anecdotal evidence. That may back up the Science. That shows rates are rising”

Why could science possibly need to be backed up by whether anyone knows someone who has covid

That's such a strange thing to think that I'm wondering about the thought process behind it.

And then the next logical step, if posters don't know anyone are we to conclude that the actual test results are somehow wrong?

I’ve still only known 2 people test positive since the start of the pandemic.

I’ve had two really bad bouts of ‘flu’ since the start which I am convinced were covid (even had the breathing problems) but tested negative!

OP isn't looking to 'back up science' but just trade anecdotes and experiences (exactly what she says).

I think you are creating 'steps' that really aren't there!

What are your current experience?
Or do we already have the answer from the criticisms in your earlier posts?

DP went to a birthday party in a pub described it as 'not that covid safe". Yesterday got a text that several guests had tested positive . London

I don't personally know anyone who has had it since January but there were cases at a local secondary school at the beginning of the month. I'd have thought most of the cases are in the Delta hotspots and I don't live in one of those or know anyone that does.