Do you have confidence in the test, track and trace strategy?
7 months later into the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK and after a decline of the R rate during the summer, it is on the rise again.
We were being enticed to ‘eat out to help out’ during August, now schools are back and workers are being encouraged back to the office.
Just when we were moving forward with ‘baby steps’ we now have to retrace our steps. Currently, the lawful limit on gatherings in England is 30 people. The number of people that can attend social gatherings will be slashed to six in England from Monday following a rise in coronavirus cases across the UK.
Vaccine trials are underway and test, track and trace was designed to keep on top of the virus in the meantime – but is it actually effective?
Matt Hancock said there had been an increase in people seeking tests when they have not got symptoms of Covid-19.
One school sent a whole year group for tests, which is “not appropriate”, he added.
Mr Hancock also described how some people who were going on holiday had sought to get tests, which is “not what the testing system is here for”.
People seeking unnecessary tests meant that it was harder for those who needed them to be tested, he added.
Many people who tried to access a test on Wednesday morning were met with the error message: “This service is currently very busy. More tests should be available later. If you cannot book a test now, or the location or time are not convenient, try again in a few hours. Warning: Do not call the helplines – you will not be able to get a test this way.”
The free tests are available to people with symptoms of coronavirus – a fever, new and continuous cough or a loss or change in sense of taste or smell – and for some others such as those who have been instructed to do so by a doctor or local council and some essential workers.
When asked whether the test system is failing, Mr Hancock told Sky News: “I completely reject that accusation. In fact, quite the contrary. Firstly, we have the biggest testing system per head of population of all the major countries in Europe and we built it essentially from scratch.
“Right now, we have the highest capacity for testing that we’ve ever had – increased compared to last week.”
“And that testing means that we can find these cases, and therefore help keep the virus under control with the contact tracing system as well.”
“However, in the last couple of weeks we have seen an increase in demand, including an increase in demand for people who are not eligible for tests, and people who don’t have symptoms.”
What are your views? Have you had experience with the testing system? Do you have confidence in the test, track and trace strategy? Are you aware of people not following the guidelines and getting unnecessary tests? Is the system at fault or the people accessing it?
What are your views?
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We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
aim in life ,now ,to remain unfound and unnoticed ,impossible to
trace shadows. who could be possibly bringing the virus across the Channel There must be a couple of million of these "Can't Track or Trace " individuals .
My doctor phoned me to tell me that I had Vaginal Thrush ..So I said ."It must have been a hell of a long SWAB ""
And then they wander why people don't trust them!
( Or their spreadsheets.)
If all the spread sheets do not correspond between all the different departments involved then chaos will reign. " It's an IT glitch " well there you are.
All these tests were done in fhe hospital lab. The current tests are being farmed out , I gather to third parties, and we should know to which company our results are sent so if they don't turn up, we can start asking why.
No news is not necessarily good news with these tests going missing.
Was it Bo Jo or Matt Hancock or Laura Kuenssberg probably not, but rather someone in the NHS procurement department [very large ].
No one will be sacked for gross incompetence, but rather, ranks will close up, and Whitehall mandarins will adjust their stab proof vests to their back's, and life will go on, and the matter will be swept under the carpet, as usual.
Until they can establish if you've already had it (quite likely for a lot of people I would think) and that you have developed an immunity to it, it all seems very pointless.
I will continue to use my own common sense and keep well away from others and not venture into crowded, enclosed spaces.
By the way, at the moment there is no evidence to suggest you become immune to the virus, that was confirmed today by Professor Witty during his Covid-19 update.
I'm like you, I will use my common sense and keep away from as many people as possible.
Far from being alarmist, the statistics are as accurate as they can as they are reported daily to a central database. Only time will tell the actual toll from the disease.
Keep safe Yodama.
Just watch the TV and just listen to all of the words being uttered by these people and just try to compose their views into something resembling a straight forward answer to the problem. ....... Answer they just do not know but will pontificate on the subject until their time is up for the interview. How can Boris lay down a straight forward path with all this confusion.
In April/May he had daily reports on the number of deaths. Hardly talked about now. Then we had to be 2 metres apart which we complied with . Not so much now. One metre seems the norm. People don't keep the distance in e.g. supermarkets. Then it was the R number which is now being talked about as it is now over 1.
Now we are at testing which I am sick of hearing about. We all know what to do if we think we have it. Isolate for 14 days alone.
I am now in a local lockdown. I have my bubble group of one family [of 2] and that will be it till lockdown is lifted. Do I like it ? No, but I would rather stay safe. Acceptance of the pandemic is key here. Sadly a lot of people are not accepting this and are not realistic about how it is affecting the WORLD.
I don't think there is any evidence of a strategy - we aren't "following the science", we're reacting to the level of infection.
Whilst it should, I don't believe the track and trace part will work either because too much emphasis in this country is put on individuals' rights to say 'no'. Those who know their 'rights' will just refuse to comply with any requests as they do with the requirement to wear a mask.
Interestingly in my observations of mask offences, I see mainly 30s/40s strutting round with smug faces and no masks, older people wearing the masks incorrectly with their noses poking out the top and younger people (teens/20s) wearing the masks correctly.
Anyone else find this curious?
As to whether this is an act of law, and maybe enforced as such, is being debated.
I was in Morrisons today in a small market town. A loud mouthed fool was shouting at a member of staff about his rights - haven't they all got rights? He had no intention of using a mask and wanted the world to know his prowess. A few of us gathered around and dealt with him quietly. The pity is, the staff member, a young girl, stood about five foot three to his muscle bound six foot odd. Brave little soul wasn't the least intimidated by him. I was proud of her.
Referring to our government ... philosophically, there are two competing forces in our world. Intelligence and wisdom. It seems to me so many of the world's problems are caused by intelligent fools who lack wisdom or at least the vision to see the outcome of their actions.
that be not realize that there are probably hundreds of thousands of ' asymptomatic 'people walking about, not knowing they are carrying it as they have no symptoms.
Hence many of us older people who are not really vulnerable have probably had the virus and unaware of it. Just can't see it going away in a hurry !!!
No, this isn't going to be allowed to go away, it's too useful to the powers that be, and far too much money is being made out of it by unscrupulous operators. Reminds me of a good war; there's always those who will make fortunes out of other's misfortunes or death.
I cannot but wonder at the gross mismanagement of our testing effort; so much on our local news bears out precisely what you say. As for your family situation I just don't know what to say. I cannot enter into the state of mind your great niece must be in.
Will no one in government learn that to accept the lowest tender will always spell danger, has no one in Government ever been in the commercial world ?? Its no use using the old mantra "it offered the best value for money for the taxpayer " oh really !!!
All components – administering tests, processing samples in laboratories, and contact tracing – are contracted to private companies. Multinational consultants Deloitte handle testing logistics, including collection of statistics, and in turn appointed outsourcing companies Serco, Mitie, G4S and Sodexo, together with the Boots pharmacy chain, to run drive-through or walk-in test centres.
There was already an experienced system in Public Health, but they chose to ignore that, instead giving money to private companies with no experience of Trace and Track. Some European countries also had a tried and tested system but that was ignored in favour of paying private companies to develop our own.
A single mother with a young child developed symptoms and was told to travel 100 miles to a test centre, even though she explained she didn't drive. She was just told to ask someone to drive her!
At least we're not in a military conflict with Moscow or Beijing. Would Johnson outsource the military response to Disney Corp?
At the beginning of this COVID disaster I wasn't too worried. China's figures can't be trusted one way or another and we have, as Jeanmark has so rightly pointed out above, a robust and quite efficient Public Health system. Foolishly, the government outsourced response services to companies with a track record of inefficiencies and who had no prior knowledge of dealing with a pandemic.
What worries me far more than COVID is the present, and near future, state of the country. So many shortsighted and expensive decisions have been enacted; such a gross level of national debt taken on; a National Health Service in disarray ... I could go on.
It has been stated in the press more people are likely to die from lack of appropriate medical treatment than COVID has killed on the worst government figures.
Government = Simple, well, it's the simplest way I can think of the destroy a prosperous country overnight. We voted Conservative in December. We got Corbyn on steroids in March.
Not for nothing have I been calling for a direct democracy and removal of the top one third of the Civil Service. But it won't happen now.
Of course, our headless chickens frighten the life out of me. My wife and I often ask, what next? But, something more fundamental lingers in mind.
Successive Prime Ministers, at least since Wilson, have negated Magna Carta, the 1689 Bill of Rights, and quite a few other enduring Acts whose content is historically placed even above the monarch in terms of lasting incorruptibility.
For example, the right to trial by jury is replaced by three judges when convenient to the State. Successive Acts have removed our right to self-determination, the right to rear our children according to our beliefs, the right to attend a place of worship and so many more.
We now have a Prime Minister who is behaving as a war leader when no war exists - illegal! Enacting lockdowns and thereby depriving people of their rights to associate freely; to conduct their lawful business without hindrance. He has even dispensed with the Commons - all power is gathered into his hands. Even Churchill couldn't pull off that one!
Cameron and May intended to draft a Bill of Rights to supplant Magna Carta etc., but these historic guarantees may not be amended or negated, unlike a new Bill of Rights.
I believe deeply our historic rights and guarantees must first be restored in full; additionally, a politician, or even Prime Minister secretly signing over control, of our armed forces to another power, for example, or committing high treason in any way must be addressed in a court of law before a jury with full press reporting. The full force of our former Treason Act must be restored.
Only then may we elect another government, they knowing their limitations and penalties for national betrayal. Perhaps the great British Public would have more confidence in their country and it's leaders if their securities here were guaranteed beyond amendment. I know I would.
I believe what we are saying between us, the system is terminally broken, like a bowl of rotten fruit, do what we may it isn't ever going to become wholesome again.
Therefore it must bee discarded as worthless to us and something more reliable and dependable put in place. On that note, may I put a bid in for Minister for Agriculture? I might bruise some vested interests and big landowners but the nation would be fed good, nutritious grub.
I'd propose you for Head of the Civil Service (good gold plated pension there). You've got more wisdom and integrity in one hair than any incumbent I can recall! Did I say hair? Sorry, it's a saying in my home village from long ago.
I find it incredible that we still don't seem to be on top of the system of testing and I have no confidence at all that there is a concrete strategy in place - not sure where Boris is, but it feels that he is not at the helm - keep seeing him in hard hats around the country! I feel very uncertain about the winter we will be facing.
So many mixed messages stay in, go out, meet friends, stay in don't meet friends! Go on holiday, don't go on holiday, quarantine but don't get a test - get a test but we don't have capacity!!!!