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?

Strangely despite living in a hotspot and with 4 kids in 4 different education settings, we got through the whole of 2020 without a single isolation required.

Since going back in March my son at sixth form college tested positive early April, forcing our family to isolate over Easter. Son at secondary had his class closed and ten days isolating after multiple positives in his form (he was ok). Our neighbour is currently isolating as his 4 year old has it. And my sister, who is a teacher in a private day nursery, currently has two cases in her bubble (obviously isolating now) having only had 1 test positive through the rest of the pandemic, despite being in an area previously riddled with the Kent variant at Christmas.

Does this Delta variant infect the 0-4s more easily?

What if contracting the present prevalent variant of Covid, which seems to have fairly low levels of death and serious illness, (granted, the impact of the vaccines is huge here too) is actually protective for potentially more harmful future variants?

It could mean that a lot of younger people who might not otherwise be vaccinated have some exposure and protection? And help achieve a greater degree of protection at a general population level for future variants?

Just pondering...not sure the ins and outs of it but this has been crossing my mind.

My ds had a positive lft a couple of weeks ago. Had mild coldy symptoms and a headache at bedtime a couple of days before his positive tet - so mild, didn't think much of it at all, and they lasted less than 24 hours. His lft on the day he showed symptoms was negative (low virus levels at the time?). He went to school the next day feeling a little tired but then it was the end of a busy term and that's normal for him.

So, very surprised to get a positive lft 4 days later and we got a positive pcr test result on that same day. The school sent the entire form home straightaway and 4 others in his class tested positive over that week. It could only have come from school as he hadn't been anywhere else.

So, we all went into immediate isolation. Our jabs held firm and his younger sibling didn't get it (we all had negative PCRs a couple of days later). And just to think we wouldn't have had a clue if ds wasn't doing LFTs.

This isn't the delta variant I don't think, as there aren't any recorded cases (yet) in our town (North Yorkshire).

We are in Scotland, my son 10, 3 close friends have tested positive. There primary school sent home aprox 100 kids to isolate due to positive cases within the school. That’s was three classes plus siblings.

I think the anecdotes you will depends on work settings etc. Throughout most of the pandemic no one in my extended family has come down with COVID. I got it in October through November and lots of my colleagues did too. Multiple instances of bubbles bursting etc.

Since the march return things went very quiet with no cases for two months but in mid may a few staff have come down with it and bubbles are bursting again.

I got my jabs early due to bring group 6 and quite a few colleagues have got their first one now. On a positive note there's yet to be a case of reinfection amongst the kids.

Although there aren’t many actual cases at the moment it’s be cause we are only at the beginning of that exponential curve. Doubling only a few is still only a few, but it will take hardly any time before it gets to really big numbers.
We just need a few more weeks to get more people double jabbed.

anecdotes...

DS was in invited to home-test as part of the ONS random sampling

I finally gave DS the test 3 days after he had a clogged nose that sometimes made him cough

He tested negative

Anecdata: Other colds are available

Well we know rates are rising. It’s in particular pockets as ever so not sure anecdotal experience helps any.

Hopefully the vaccine programme will mean people don’t get seriously ill, the NHS can hold up, and the country can stay open - etc.

@Twoforthree

The government said it wasn’t spreading in schools in the autumn. My anecdotal data said it was. There were at least 10 cases in our school including me. We were told to keep it quiet and take down social media posts etc. The government manipulate the data as they want.

Told by who? I'm intrigued.

We had no cases or isolations at work from January-mid May. We've had 3/4 staff isolating since then, a class at the local high school isolating, and most interesting (to me) my BIL currently has covid, after not catching it when my sister worked on covid ICU for months last year! And on normal wards since. They have been the most careful people I know. My sister has tested negative throughout on tests and antibodies, and BIL was due his 2nd vaccine. We are NW though so have been consistently higher than everywhere else throughout, and I can tell cases are rising again, but I'm not worried really, making the most of things being open before boris puts us in a plague tier again.

Cases at my child’s nursery. Cases in several local local secondary and primary schools. Seems to be spreading in those not vaccinated, lots of the nursery workers are young . We are not a Covid hot spot. Hopefully cases will be mild .

My daughters 3 friends all tested positive two weeks ago. Over 90 children (year 9) sent home.

They are the first people I know personally having caught it, for around 6 months.

Oh, we are in an area mentioned on the news regarding the variant found in India.

I'm in Ni. All 4 primaries in a 3 mile radius to me completely closed due to that many cases. Local testing stopped a while back in our area, now restarted.

I know someone who tested positive last week. SE London, caught with a LFT test before symptoms showed. Works in a nursery setting.

5 classes isolating at DS's primary school. They've now shut the school for a week.

North west but not an area currently causing concern. Local school closed to all years except 11 the week before half term because of the numbers who were coming up positive on lateral flows. Cos of missing out of school, this had an impact on the school I work at with lots having to isolate. The official increase in cases is through the roof - hundreds of percent. Fortunately, as we are Lancashire, we are still wearing masks in school.

[quote AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair]@borntobequiet

You can only be sure you're positive if you've had a pcr test so unless you're saying that there's a significant number of people not logging positive test results but telling their friends that they are infected how are large numbers not being included in the data? Can you get a pcr test result without it being done in a proper lab, maybe it's not even possible to not record it.[/quote]
Uh?

All through this pandemic I’ve found the posts about Covid on mumsnet a very good warning about what’s about to come - if that makes sense. I know the data is there but I love your post OP.

We’ve not had any cases at school for at least a month - wonder what tomorrow will bring

The government said it wasn’t spreading in schools in the autumn. My anecdotal data said it was. There were at least 10 cases in our school including me. We were told to keep it quiet and take down social media posts etc.The government manipulate the data as they want

The data was there and the government knew it was spreading in schools in autumn but chose to stick their fingers in their ears and go 'la la la I'm not listening'.

As a scientist OP, I'm sure you're well aware of the importance of using representative sampling if you want your data to mean anything at all. After all, if you relied on Mumsnet, you'd think the average salary was £150k pa, everyone was a size 8 and John Lewis was a normal shop for people to buy their household items.

Nope, not even in our council area which is allegedly one of the worst areas in Scotland. Not for months now. Early March was the last I heard of someone I know getting it.

As a scientist OP, I'm sure you're well aware of the importance of using representative sampling if you want your data to mean anything at all. After all, if you relied on Mumsnet, you'd think the average salary was £150k pa, everyone was a size 8 and John Lewis was a normal shop for people to buy their household items.

Oh dear, another sarky one. I didn't say I was a scientist, I said I had a science background. Not the same thing at all. I'm not looking to draw any conclusions from my anecdotal sampling, it's purely for personal interest.

In terms of being a representative sample though, I'd say MN is spot on. Only one of those 3 criteria doesn't apply to me - sadly I've gone up from a size 12 to 14 during the last lockdown.

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

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?

Im confused the thread title I see on this thread is - Covid Rates Rising Again, Anecdotal evidence - I assumed that Op just wants a conversation about how the increase has translated into their lives, which is something interesting to discuss.

Close family all tested positive a couple of weeks ago. Delta variant and they are not in a known hot spot. Local primary school to me has had at least 10 cases leading up to half term, including my neighbours' daughter who passed it on to her parents. Not sure if they know the variant.

I don't know anyone who has had it since September. Local rate has been around 5 - 10 /100000 for the last 6 weeks and the whole of the county has low rates.