NHS Covid 19 Track & Trace app now available

B9exchange - yes BBC news is now reporting that even if you get your test at Serco testing centre and get a negative result (which most tests do get), the ap is unable to accept that and cannot switch off the alert system.
Seems to be another total waste of public money.

Whitewavemark2

Two tweets with which I agree.

Richard Murphy

Why won’t I be using the so-called #NHS contact tracing app? Because it is actually designed not to process Covid tests done by the NHS. It only processes private sector test results. So it’s not an NHS app, it’s not comprehensive and it’s a Trojan horse for NHS privatisation.

Clive Peedell
As someone who is very proud to have worked for the #NHS for 25 years, can I politely ask every UK citizen to remember one thing today: It’s “Serco” track and trace, NOT “NHS” track and trace.
The NHS is the country’s most trusted institution and we should not let Serco trash it

This is what I thought. The government awarded the contract to Serco, and the app cannot record test results from the NHS, yet it is constantly referred to as the NHS app.

Yes, it seems yet another enormous amount of wasted money we have spent enriching the Tory elite.

WW2 and Franbern, thank you, I had read that too, but was too scared to post it in case I got shot down in flames. I also read that it will only accept positive test results, not negative ones, did you pick that up too?

Indeed, this 'wonderful misnamed NHS app, which is nothing of the sort - just a Serco ap. cannot link up with any test, positive or negative which is carried out at a genuine NHS Hospital or NHS Testing site.

Just another load of incredibly costing rubbish with contract going to Johnson mate. Not really going to be much help at all.

Two tweets with which I agree.

Richard Murphy

Why won’t I be using the so-called #NHS contact tracing app? Because it is actually designed not to process Covid tests done by the NHS. It only processes private sector test results. So it’s not an NHS app, it’s not comprehensive and it’s a Trojan horse for NHS privatisation.

Clive Peedell
As someone who is very proud to have worked for the #NHS for 25 years, can I politely ask every UK citizen to remember one thing today: It’s “Serco” track and trace, NOT “NHS” track and trace.
The NHS is the country’s most trusted institution and we should not let Serco trash it

Flygirl

Nope. Thanks.

Nope to what?

MayBee70

Furret

Now all we need are the sniffer dogs they at Amsterdam (? was it?) airport. They apparently can detect the virus even before symptoms appear in a few seconds.

Helsinki I believe. They can detect the virus @ 5 days before the person develops symptoms and are almost 100% accurate. I’ve read that they are training dogs in the UK and America but haven’t heard any more about it. This could be a real game changer so why aren’t dogs being trained everywhere?

It’s crazy not to. So simple and effective

Nope. Thanks.

Furret

Now all we need are the sniffer dogs they at Amsterdam (? was it?) airport. They apparently can detect the virus even before symptoms appear in a few seconds.

Helsinki I believe. They can detect the virus @ 5 days before the person develops symptoms and are almost 100% accurate. I’ve read that they are training dogs in the UK and America but haven’t heard any more about it. This could be a real game changer so why aren’t dogs being trained everywhere?

Now all we need are the sniffer dogs they at Amsterdam (? was it?) airport. They apparently can detect the virus even before symptoms appear in a few seconds.

pollyperkins

I tried using mine at a coffee shop this morning as was disappointed because as well as the QR code I had to put the number of the venue, plus my name & phone number. What’s the point? I could just have told that to the girl on the door. I thought it would be automatic.
Have I missed something?

Have you a QP code scanner on your phone?

BlueBelle is right about how many people will react to the app. That's exactly what will happen. People will get advised multiple times they've been near someone who's infected, but they just can't afford to take time off work or they live in a household where self-isolation is possible.

If this app is going to work, there need to be other measures in place.

People need to be tested and get the result back with very short time, so they know whether they really need to self-isolate and whether they are infected and their own contacts need to self-isolate.

They need to know that there will be no financial loss if they can't work.

In some situations, they might need alternative accommodation, if they can't self-isolate at home.

That would cost money and need efficiency, but I bet it would cost a lot less than the contracts which have already been handed out and there are efficient people out there.

No, Bluebelle I can never agree that the herd immunity idea you're suggesting is a good one or even feasible. BTW This isn't like AIDS at all!

Why did you ask the question twice BlueBelle if you already thought you knew the answer?

Algerias that is the believed explanation but here’s the real life situation
Bread winner gets information that he/she has been in contact with Corona so he/she Quarantines for ten days ok all good he/ she are fine and whiz back to work two days later they get another ping how many weeks is his / her employer going to keep that employee or worse a self employed person trying to keep their business afloat how many weeks can they take off and
Just because someone comes near you it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will catch Corona virus
Remember all the stuff around not touching someone with AIDS don’t drink out of their cup and don’t shake hands with them!!!

Although the numbers are going up the deaths and hospital numbers aren’t high so can it be a good thing that more people have had it, it has never been proved you can get it more than once apart from one dubious case in HK which was never proven

I've downloaded it too but have a feeling that plenty of people won't.

BlueBelle

“.....,,, and I believe most of UK is in the medium category.”

No. We are high, as is most of the North West.

glammagran“
How else can I ascertain my level of risk visiting a supermarket or chemist?“

Surely assume high and behave accordingly would be the safest course of action?

Apparently everywhere is England has been deemed medium risk or above. Hard to know what the point of the app is. I want to know how many individuals have tested positive in my town in the last couple of days, not last week. How else can I ascertain my level of risk visiting a supermarket or chemist?

My nephew works for an IT company that worked on this app. He told me that an “area” is 8,000 people. So if you are in an urban area, your geographic area is smaller than someone who lives in a rural area.

I believe that many people have good intentions. They want to self-isolate but then find reasons why it's not an option for them. Also, we heard it from our Prime Minister: ”It's very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in a way that is necessary”.
I am not convinced the track & trace app is going to have a big impact.

BlueBelle, this is my opinion. I think the point of the app is to let you know that you have been near to a person that has had a positive test. You are then advised to isolate. I suppose one could then decide not to, but what would be the point of having the app in the first place? People who are not going to act on the instruction to self isolate shouldn't bother downloading the app - but then the effectiveness of the whole system is of course reduced. Its a way of breaking chains of contamination when you can't trace other people by name.

I think all the other bits about the risk level of your area, the checking in and so on are "nice-to-haves", but the real point is the proximity tracing.

Can anyone answer my previous question what is the point of this app please ?
If it’s to let people know that they have been in contact with a sufferer .......but, self isolation is purely optional what is the point ?
If it’s to tell you what’s happing in U.K. you can hear that on the news everyday and I believe most of UK is in the medium category
I d just like to know what it’s going to do to stop this virus

Greta

Rather depressing news on the radio this morning. Only 11% of people in the UK who know they have had contact vid a Covid-19 positive person are self-isolating. Only 18% of people who develop the disease are self-isolating. It seems people want to follow guidelines but then choose not to do so. What does this mean for track and trace?

I've read that before, which makes me wonder how effective this app will be.

That may very well be the case, but it's irrelevant. The point the government is trying to make is that people in the South West should be as careful as people in all other parts of the country, except those where special restrictions are already in place.

For the individual, it doesn't actually matter what percentage of people have infections. You only have to be in close contact with one person for a few minutes to stand a very high chance of being infected yourself. You just don't know where that person has been. It could be that he/she has been in contact with somebody who didn't quarantine after coming back from holiday and has been in contact with the person you've just hugged.

It's now known that the majority of transmission takes place indoors, especially in poorly ventilated areas and between close acquaintances/family. Indoor family gatherings have been responsible for more transmission per head than the mass gatherings on beaches.

I would imagine most people already know if they live in an area with special restrictions. I guess labelling a few more areas "high risk" might make people a bit less complacent.