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Covid

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Original poster

How close do you have to be to be pinged by the app ?

25 replies

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 14:17

I've just been pinged for the very first time. I thought I got rid of the app in the summer, but clearly not.

Apparently I was close to someone with covid last week on Tuesday. Makes perfect sense, as I went to the office. Not on public transport though.

How close do you actually have to be and for how long, to get a ping?

I've heard with omicron symptoms come on faster ? So maybe I'm ok and won't get it. I'm tripple vaccinated, but I've never had covid.

My DC is ill at the moment, but has been ill for the last 4 weeks, pretty much continuous colds since starting nursery..

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 14/02/2022 14:57

Last Tuesday was over 6 days ago, so as you should do LFT for 7 days after contact, it’s a bit late. I think to be pinged you have to be within 2 metres, but don’t know if that’s still the case.

ColettesEarrings · 14/02/2022 15:04

Delete the damn thing.

GeneLovesJezebel · 14/02/2022 15:06

My DM got a text last week saying she was a close contact. She rarely goes out so we deleted it and assumed it was a scam.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 15:15

@ColettesEarrings

Delete the damn thing.

I know, I will now. I switched off the contact tracing months ago ! I have no idea how it switched itself back on !

OP posts:

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 15:16

I've definitely found out someone went to office and tested positive afterwards. So it's not a scam one.

OP posts:

MonicaGellerBing · 14/02/2022 15:18

Just ignore it OP and delete the app. The thing was never fit for purpose as it was

BuritoCat · 14/02/2022 15:19

Just ingore and delete. In a few weeks you won't need to isolate so what's the bloody point.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 15:27

Yeah I don't have to isolate anyway because I'm vaccinated, but it's made me nervous to return to office, which is annoying. I would rather just not know.

I'm third trimester and CV. I still think I would be fine most likely.

OP posts:

Bramshott · 14/02/2022 15:27

To those saying ignore and delete - what does that achieve?

You don't have to do anything now once you've been pinged, it's just useful info which you might not get by other means (although in the OPs case they already know via work).

If I was planning to visit an elderly relative I'd rather know I'd been a close contact than not know.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 15:28

@Bramshott

To those saying ignore and delete - what does that achieve?

You don't have to do anything now once you've been pinged, it's just useful info which you might not get by other means (although in the OPs case they already know via work).

If I was planning to visit an elderly relative I'd rather know I'd been a close contact than not know.

I'm with you on the elderly relative visiting or vulnerable etc. I won't be doing that.

OP posts:

RachC2021 · 14/02/2022 15:55

@Bramshott

To those saying ignore and delete - what does that achieve?

You don't have to do anything now once you've been pinged, it's just useful info which you might not get by other means (although in the OPs case they already know via work).

If I was planning to visit an elderly relative I'd rather know I'd been a close contact than not know.

I agree with this. It’s useful information to have. And it was never mandatory to isolate from being pinged by the app (in England at least) anyway.

RedWingBoots · 14/02/2022 16:00

@Bramshott

To those saying ignore and delete - what does that achieve?

You don't have to do anything now once you've been pinged, it's just useful info which you might not get by other means (although in the OPs case they already know via work).

If I was planning to visit an elderly relative I'd rather know I'd been a close contact than not know.

If you are planning to visit someone who is elderly or otherwise vulnerable you should take a lateral flow test before hand especially if you have children in childcare/education.

Then again I wouldn't visit or allow visits from such people if I had a cold or someone in the house had a cold, due to how sick some people I know get with them.

RachC2021 · 14/02/2022 16:01

** It was strongly recommended to isolate when pinged by the app, and I would actually do so, but you could never be fined or get a criminal record if you chose not to.

threecupsofteaminimum · 14/02/2022 16:08

The only person I know who's been pinged recently realised it was a hoax text.

BogRollBOGOF · 14/02/2022 16:14

@Bramshott

To those saying ignore and delete - what does that achieve?

You don't have to do anything now once you've been pinged, it's just useful info which you might not get by other means (although in the OPs case they already know via work).

If I was planning to visit an elderly relative I'd rather know I'd been a close contact than not know.

You could be next to someone who feels fine, is contagious and 12 hours away from it showing on a LFT.

Knowing your phone has been close enough to the phone of someone else is useless information and the removal of contact isolation 6 months ago rendered the app useless.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 16:24

@RachC2021

** It was strongly recommended to isolate when pinged by the app, and I would actually do so, but you could never be fined or get a criminal record if you chose not to.

I'm mostly concerned about myself lol. I'm the most vulnerable out of people I see. Just did a test anyway ( LFT ) and it's negative. So hopefully I just didn't catch it this time. But I did hug the person very briefly.. but I didn't get close after the very brief hug. Maybe I should not hug people hey..

OP posts:

Smashedavacado · 14/02/2022 16:25

If you have been in contact with some at work with covid someone must have given your cover details.
If you previously switched off the app it caht just switch back on.
I have covid at the moment . I gave my workplace details but not the names/details of contacts as I knew 100% that everyone I had been in touch with had already been informed - all triple jabbed & regularly doing lateral flows.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 16:28

@Smashedavacado

If you have been in contact with some at work with covid someone must have given your cover details. If you previously switched off the app it caht just switch back on. I have covid at the moment . I gave my workplace details but not the names/details of contacts as I knew 100% that everyone I had been in touch with had already been informed - all triple jabbed & regularly doing lateral flows.

It's very strange indeed. I switched off contact tracing in summer and never opened the app again. But was pinged through it and the contact tracing is switched on again now.

OP posts:

bagofconkers · 14/02/2022 16:35

Still seems to be some confusion about app ping vs text message.

Text message = someone who has tested positive has identified you as a close contact and given your details to contact tracers who then sent the message.

App ping (you see as a notification on your phone, but not a text message) = you have been in proximity to someone who has since tested positive, but it is anonymous - nobody knows you have been pinged but you.

While there are scam text messages circulating, it's usually possible to tell if it's a scam or not with some quick research.

Smashedavacado · 14/02/2022 16:42

Very true about the scams. One of my colleagues got a text a few days after my positive with a link telling her she had been in touch with someone with omnicrom - this rang alarm bells as no one now gets told.
Alternatively it's not a 'ping" but a message from track & trace using info from your employer.

Smashedavacado · 14/02/2022 16:43

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/scam-pcr-text-messages-nhs-b1988024.html
This is an example of the scam texts.

Original poster

unfeelingwife · 14/02/2022 16:47

Mine was an app ping actually. Not a text, but thank you for sharing the info !

OP posts:

CactusFlowers · 14/02/2022 18:54

@unfeelingwife

Mine was an app ping actually. Not a text, but thank you for sharing the info !

Have you updated the app? Maybe that reset it?

Userno574328537 · 14/02/2022 19:28

Just ignore and delete. I don't know of anyone still using it. J know someone who was pinged after her neighbour tested positive - they were close contacts with a wall in between 😅😅 thing she had already been home for days with her son who had a + case in his case (last summer) so she was really baffled when she was told to isolate for 10 days after not being out for days! Found out it was her neighbour!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 14/02/2022 20:23

@Userno574328537

That was why I deleted it, I live in a flat and had no intention of isolating if a neighbour tested positive so there was no point in having it. I never used it to check in anywhere either.

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