Has anyone else been randomly selected for the Covid survey?

gillybob do you think that it might have been COVID?!

Yes indeed I do Calli despite the efforts of one of the most senior microbiologists in the country they never did pin point what had caused his body to close down as it did . They said it was Legionella , then said it wasn’t, they said he had Sepsis but didn’t know where this had come from ? Ditto the Double Pneumonia . Almost 13 weeks on life support and no official diagnosis . I certainly have my doubts .

it's ZOE NotSpaghetti

I, too, was randomly chosen for the Imperial study (apparently it really is random). Unfortunately my medications ruled me out of the process - I was unwanted.!
However, I daily complete the Zoe Covid study (over four million British people are doing so - please consider joining us) and last month had a few vague symptoms which I reported.

The following day I received an email advising that they thought I should be tested and would I like a test kit? I and my husband (same household) both received test kits - nasal and throat swabs - quick and easy to do and neither of us gagged). A day or two later we had emails: husband negative and me positive. I felt rather like a fifteen-year-old girl must feel when staring at a positive pregnancy test - incredulity, shock and horror!

By this time I did feel ill but amazingly (I have several 'underlying conditions') I didn't become very ill.

However, since then, I have had several infections of various parts of me and have been told that they are all 'very probably' Covid related. I guess there is no accurate monitoring of these illnesses but please do not think that Covid is a walk in the park.

I think that it is true that 'bad news drives out good news' and perhaps there has been a negative slant to Covid reporting. However, I am sure that many British people are not taking the problem as seriously as they should: the R rate in my locality is now up.

What will happen if we don't get a grip on this in the summer months? As we all know, winter brings 'flu and as it seems that no amount of negative reporting will bring some of us to our senses (in terms of not taking preventative measures against Covid now) so what on earth will happen then?

The professor who is running the Zoe study has pointed out that 'it is disappointing to see that the number of daily new cases is no longer falling as they have been in previous weeks'. There is further information which is too much to add here - please think about joining Zoe (reporting only takes a few seconds each day), it is interesting and you would be doing something to help the country.

I'm on the same as you Dannydog. Two blood tests so far anf another eleven months to go.

I've also volunteered for the jab and waiting to hear.

I did the 1 test survey. Almost scared it might be positive even though I knew it wouldn't be. It was complicated enough for me, so it showed me why a lot of tests are never returned. Even had to do an IKEA job on the cardboard box

My 14 year old gd got selected for same one as nannyjan it was from imperial college of London.

I'd have to go through the rigmarole of INR testing first ( warfarin ) to see what the results were then the nurse would press ahead with the test.
I can't have any sort of procedures done without being tested to make sure that the blood clotting was within range, so unless the surgery calls, I won't be having such a test.

We have been doing the ONS for a few months now - we were selected at the very beginning. It has all worked just as they say it will and we haven’t had any problems. The girl rings us to confirm a time on the day it is due, we are on monthly tests now. The payments for each test came as a bit of a welcome surprise!

Good luck NannyJan53. It looks like you're getting the same test as me. Hope you find it simple not like me.

My elderly, (89 and 87) parents have been invited to take part but are too frail to get involved

I was randomly selected for the Imperial College swab test. I found it pretty complicated. Six different items arrived in the pack,of which one was the swab itself and the tube to store it in for return, the rest instructions and packaging. You had to book the courier to fetch the test before anything else, then watch a 5-minute video of how to self-administer the test.
There was a warning that the test was uncomfortable, and I hope I did it correctly. It would be a pity if the test centre could not process it.
Finally, you were asked to go online and complete a survey about yourself including any "underlying conditions". Phew!
I hope it was all worth it.

I did the Imperial College MORI one with the code and one line questions, finger prick, photo upload.

Mine was Negative so I don't think I'll picked for any more further testing.

gillybob

My DH had one about 6 weeks ago . Test arrives then you enter a code into a website and a courier picks it up . His was negative (I knew it owed be) but I remain convinced that he had COVID-19 at the end of last year when he was put into an induced coma in ICU with an unidentifiable illness.

gillybob do you think that it might have been COVID?!
I'm convinced it has been around longer than we've been told officially.

How can one get an antibody test?

@Riggie, the finger prick test for the antibody research study is brutal. I bled quite a bit and had a bruise. I think it’s to make sure you bleed plenty because when I test my blood sugar the lancet is smaller.
As you take blood thinners I think you would quite likely bleed a lot.

I did the Imperial College one, self test at home and upload results. I have no antibodies which is what I expected as I’ve not been ill.
Yesterday, another self test kit was delivered and I shall repeat the process.
I have volunteered for a research into a vaccine but may not be invited to participate.

I have been reporting in daily on the Covid 19 app for months and awhile ago was asked if I would take a test, which I did. Unsurprisingly it came back negative. A recent development on the site is a daily report of how many cases there are currently in your area and also in UK. All very interesting but also helping Imperial College with their research.

I did the one off one and a friend has been selected to do the regular one.
The throat swab made me gag. I don't think I'll be volunteering to do that again unless necessary.

DH was invited to do the Imperial College one. Delivered in the post, collected by a courier. It came back negative, but early in lockdown he had a few days in bed with a fever, which could have been the virus, who knows?

I was invited to an earlier study but when I went through the sign up questions I wasnt eligible so I guess it will be the same for this.

(I take blood thinners and apparently might poke muself with the swab and bleed to death. Wonder what will happen if I need to test "for real")

I did the imperial College one. Finger prick test at home, put blood on test strip, read yourself, put results on net. My antibody test was negative.

Yes, I have. I’m already involved in another as well, which came to me because I previously took part in research into blood donor frequency.

what survey? joke,, actually haven`t heard of any survey!

The test is probably the wrong one. If it’s to say if he’s got it or not (which he hasn’t) he needs the Antibody test.

Yes I have. Still waiting for my test to arrive

I'd like to be part of this research. Can you apply or are you just chosen randomly?