Apparently people who do a weekly shop are the likeliest to get covid

Makes sense: how many people pick up and look at goods before putting them back. If their hygiene isn’t good …
We still have everything we need delivered from Ocado who do not pick from local supermarkets. With new guidelines coming into force I do not feel at all safe even after three vaccinations. (I’m CEV)

I'm doing a click and collect this week, driving myself there and back, washing hands. Minimally risky I think.
Some newspaper headlines are utter tosh.

Alegrias1

I went and had a look at the study on which this is based. I tend not to agree with the cries of rubbish as the headlines are usually based on good solid research which the press decide to interpret as they see fit.

What I learnt:

Those who went shopping once a week have the highest chance of catching Covid.

Those who went shopping more than once a week have a much reduced chance of catching Covid compared to those who go once a week.

So probably, there are other complicating factors at play and the people who go shopping exactly once a week are exposing themselves to other risk factors as well.

As you were.

Maybe the increased risk for shopping once a week, as opposed to more than once, is that those who go once a week are more likely to spend longer inside the building. Also, you will probably be in contact with the same people for a longer time, especially with a one-way system that means everyone's taking the same route. So although if you go more often you will be in the same building at the same time as more people, it's not so likely you'll be in contact with an infected person for long enough to get a sufficient viral load.

The buses round here have the windows fixed open. They can't do that on trains presumably? I'm planning a longish train journey soon. Any tips?

I’ve come to conclusion that it’s got nothing to do with the actual weekly shop, but more likely to be that people who shop once a week are probably more likely to be working and therefore engaging in other activities such as travel etc that make them more likely to contract Covid. My opinion only.

Maddyone, sounds reasonable. After all it didn’t say ‘in a supermarket’. I go out at lunchtime to pick up bits and pieces.

One thing I remember from school was the teacher telling us not to believe everything we read in newspapers.

This sound to me like very bad research, where all the variables have not been control. So, there is probably a correlation but not a cause.
Unless people who shop weekly live in a bubble for the rest of week it would be almost impossible to prove causation.

Skydancer

The buses round here have the windows fixed open. They can't do that on trains presumably? I'm planning a longish train journey soon. Any tips?

Book 1st class seating less likely to be crowded
FFP2 mask if you are really concerned

pinkjj27

This sound to me like very bad research, where all the variables have not been control. So, there is probably a correlation but not a cause.
Unless people who shop weekly live in a bubble for the rest of week it would be almost impossible to prove causation.

Goodness me, it's not bad research. It's bad reporting.

SAGE report which was the source of the newspaper articles is available to read here on the gov.uk website: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1045002/S1470_Non_household_activities_covid_risk__1_.pdf

maggic

SAGE report which was the source of the newspaper articles is available to read here on the gov.uk website: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1045002/S1470_Non_household_activities_covid_risk__1_.pdf

Thank you Maggic. That is helpful.

M0nica

Should have added;

This does not mean that people did not get COVID, even though they were travelling on the tube, only that those who got COVID did not travel on the tube more frequently than those that didn't.

People really need to read and understand exactly what the researchers did and exactly what their results are actually saying. It is rare for a media report to do so. They are ofen written from press releases released by the relevant university press office and I know from DS, who is a university academic, that the reearchers often get no sight and have no opportunity to change press releases that talk arrant nonsense.

I totally agree that ‘People really need to read and understand exactly what the researchers did and exactly what their results are actually saying. It is rare for a media report to do so.’

Interested to hear of your son’s experience.

Correlation and cause are different. That some folks do their shopping themselves and some by delivery might be a case of social class and/or economic distinction. Poor people from particular groups might well do more shopping weekly and even daily.

Surely infection is more to do with the number of possible contacts and the observation of precautionary behaviours than just actually shopping per se?

It may be untrue but it stands to reason it does make sense to me. Here in the USA most (if not all grocers) allow you to order your groceries online then drive to a designated parking space and pop your trunk. I've been doing it sense the virus started, I love it plus don't we all usually purchase the same products each shopping visit? Easy breezy....I never much liked pushing that heavy cart through the store even when I was younger and no covid to be considered. You simply create an online account, use digital coupons if available, the system reminds you of what you purchased before, you can view your receipts, I recommend this to all seniors. You can complete an order on your cell phone, set your pickup time and date and be done with it. There's a comment section so you can tell the grocer certain preferences, try it, I don't like crowds and being run over by a random cart being pushed by a stressed out 35 year old soccer mom with 3 children in tow!

I shop daily (in a supermarket) and haven’t had Covid.

It’s another way of telling us that if we get it, we weren’t careful enough.

@Aligrias1 oh that did make me laugh !! Thank you ?

?

So as I shop 3/4 times / week I’m ok then! What nonsense!

I must be doomed then because I work in a shop / post office that’s really busy . I would take these statistics with a pinch of salt lol

Skydancer, when doing long distance by train I purposely selected a seat near the carriage door. There was a constant slight change of air each time the door opened and particularly so at station stops. Nothing scientific here as even the brain read can see but it was my 'thinking'. An aside is to beware of using Lumo. I have an tingling

Ongoing and difficult problem with them regarding a refund in voucher form.

Some papers are coming up with all this twaddle that's not all correct, do they not understand it could cause bad anxiety in some people. I sanitise my hands, wear a mask, clean my trolley and I go at 9am when not many are about. I'm also triple jabbed, so to me I can't do much more or I'll just become a hermit. I like to pick my own fruit and veg in the supermarket and maybe notice something different to have for dinner so I shall be going for my food shopping as usual.

We were told in British Columbia that it was one of the safer things,of course taking the usual precautions.

I’ve not had covid....yet. I shop once a week. It’s quite often very quiet. All the people I know who’ve had covid, trace it back to a school or hospital.

Don’t know where this info has come from. Probably the same place that said LFT’s are being withdrawn!