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Original poster

I’ve just been pinged as a ‘close contact’ but have now idea how

66 replies

Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 22:14

My NHS Covid app just pinged and told me I’m a close contact of someone who has Covid and that I must isolate for 8 days.

I have no idea where this has come from. I’ve not checked in anywhere for absolutely ages and I don’t know personally anyone who’s tested positive.

Has this happened to anyone else? I’ve got two young DC and this’ll make life so bloody difficult.

I think I’d feel better about it if I just understood what’s got me in this situation

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 03/07/2021 22:48

@Rainallnight

Yes, hands up, I did not understand that. Sad
I bet lots of people didn't.

We have lockers at work. You have to remember to switch the scanning off or you could get pinged just by your phone being by one in the next locker. Hmm

espressoontap · 03/07/2021 22:52

It's a huge pain in the arse. My DH got pinged after he'd been to the pub, yet his mate who also went, and has the app and tracing on, didn't! He stuck to it of sorts, just went for his daily exercise in the evening etc.

goddessofmischief · 03/07/2021 23:02

It works via Bluetooth doesn't it? I only ever have that switched on if I'm connecting my headphones or a speaker, I turn it off when I'm done otherwise it drains battery. Does the app scan without you having opened it as long as Bluetooth is switched on? Only ever used the app to check in somewhere once.

Original poster
Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 23:04

Thanks @KaybeeL. I’m going to do a lateral flow test just now and see and see what happens. I’d normally do both school runs both days and that doesn’t feel responsible now.

But I’m also responsible for looking after DS, who’s 3, every day and it just feel fair on him to keep him in all the time Sad

OP posts:
Tryingtryingandtrying · 03/07/2021 23:05

Do you live in a flat or terraced house?

Motorina · 03/07/2021 23:07

It’s not tracking you. It’s recording how close your phone is to other phones with the app, on the assumption that the phones are likely connected to their people.

Assuming you kept your phone on you at the charity event then this means that someone who you were close to has been diagnosed with covid.

It’s advisory because the data is anonymous, so there’s no way to enforce isolation. But, given you’ve been close to someone who had the virus at the time, then there must be a risk you’re brewing it.

Original poster
Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 23:07

End of terrace. Neighbours definitely haven’t tested positive. We’re fairly close and they’d have told us

OP posts:
Original poster
Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 23:09

Yes, sorry, @Motorina, not tracking, I was using that as an inaccurate shorthand! It has to be that event.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 23:25

Just waiting for a lateral flow test to cook now

OP posts:
Saoirse82 · 03/07/2021 23:32

Yes, this happened to me and my husband. He got the close contact a day before me, he hadn't been anywhere but the shop as this was in January and we weren't seeing people, I actually accused him of going to a friends house when he was meant to be walking the dog!
The next day I received the same message, it made no sense as I hadn't left the house on the day I was supposed to be in contact with someone and I have asthma so the only place I ever went was to the park to walk the dog, dh was doing the shopping. We isolated anyway but we started thinking it could be from our next door neighbours. Turns out it was, they both tested positive and somehow our phones connected through the walls, I looked it up and it had happened to other people. We isolated anyway but as I said this was in the height of things in Jan when we weren't seeing people anyway.

Sparklingbrook · 03/07/2021 23:35

I wonder if people isolating because they’ve been pinged get paid by their employers? Confused

Original poster
Rainallnight · 03/07/2021 23:37

Well, I’m a SAHM mum who’s supposed to be looking for work and that just gets further and further away every time the kids or I have to self isolate. No one paying me right now.

OP posts:
RichardMarxisinnocent · 03/07/2021 23:39

@HarveySpectorWins

Can I ask a question about this, not being goady I've just seen other threads like this and I always wonder for the person saying don't isolate and don't take any notice of it why have the app in the first place? I don't and can still check in places using the qr code or writing my name down. Why have it if you aren't going to pay any notice?
You can switch off contact tracing and still use the app to check in to venues.
Fiddlersgreen · 03/07/2021 23:40

@Sparklingbrook I think most employers don’t pay you if you’re isolating. I’m NHS and I’m not getting paid to isolate whilst my DS has covid

Sparklingbrook · 03/07/2021 23:43

[quote Fiddlersgreen]@Sparklingbrook I think most employers don’t pay you if you’re isolating. I’m NHS and I’m not getting paid to isolate whilst my DS has covid[/quote]
I would imagine many might ignore the alert because they can’t afford to isolate.
It presumably depends on the employer?

dementedpixie · 03/07/2021 23:48

[quote Fiddlersgreen]@Sparklingbrook I think most employers don’t pay you if you’re isolating. I’m NHS and I’m not getting paid to isolate whilst my DS has covid[/quote]
You can claim SSP if you are isolating due to your ds having covid
www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay

Sparklingbrook · 03/07/2021 23:57

DH just said he knows someone who has been given the option of SSP, make the time up or take it as annual leave.

Fiddlersgreen · 04/07/2021 00:21

@dementedpixie @Sparklingbrook
Thank you both, I didn’t know this. To be honest the only communication I’ve had with my manager was when I told her my DS was positive and what date I’d be back to work. She then changed the online rota and my days are just blanked out

Motorina · 04/07/2021 05:55

[quote Fiddlersgreen]@Sparklingbrook I think most employers don’t pay you if you’re isolating. I’m NHS and I’m not getting paid to isolate whilst my DS has covid[/quote]
Are you bank or on a permanent contract? Because, if the latter, the NHS should be paying you and I would query it with HR. Certainly in my trust we’re paying people if they themselves have to isolate, including app pings. Not sure of the score if I the reason you can’t work is a burst bubble where you are unable to come in because of childcare.

ivfgottwins · 04/07/2021 06:38

@Rainallnight

I’m not ignoring it, for the record. I’m bloody pissed off, though

Well that's the risk you take going to a "concert" in a bloody pandemic 🤷‍♀️

LightasaBreeze · 04/07/2021 06:41

I'm amazed at the amount of people that stick stuff on their phone and don't understand how they work and just use apps willynilly, no wonder scammers are so rife in our society.

CovidCorvid · 04/07/2021 06:42

Dd had this. The only place she’s been to is work. None of her colleagues have covid. She’s ignoring the isolation request. It’s possible it was a customer who has covid but she says she doesn’t get close to the customers or if she does it’s only for seconds, not 15 mins.

Sparklingbrook · 04/07/2021 07:16

@LightasaBreeze

I'm amazed at the amount of people that stick stuff on their phone and don't understand how they work and just use apps willynilly, no wonder scammers are so rife in our society.
It’s not that amazing really. People were told they NEEDED the App to scan the QR code to get into places. So they downloaded it. Then never gave it a thought til a ping came through.
LightasaBreeze · 04/07/2021 07:38

Maybe they should have looked further into it to see how it actually worked...

RumHoney · 04/07/2021 07:43

I did have the contact tracing on as I thought I'd want to know. It then pinged me and the contact date was a day where the only place I went where there were people I didn't know was outside (long bike ride and outdoor cafe stop). So I ignored it but did try to avoid anything inside for the period it suggested. I'm also double jabbed. I now have a new phone and did download the app again for checking into venues but have left the scanning off.