The UK response - Part II - read OP

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116561#Comment_118116561

Don't think anyone has a problem with the counting. Most people won't be paying the slightest bit of attention to the numbers anymore.

It's only if something odd happens to the numbers which make a big jump appear, such as no reporting one day meaning double count the next day, that anyone would be paying them any attention. Those of us in here watching numbers and discussing it online are not normal people.

S.M.B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116326#Comment_118116326

That's good to hear. The concern must be that uptake has significantly slowed down since that milestone has been reached,

S.M.B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116615#Comment_118116615

In fairness to VinLieger, I think his line of questioning has all stemmed from Aegir stating the following in a discussion about Covid & national consciousness.

When I was there last week, the impression I got was that people are starting to lose faith with the numbers.....

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116995#Comment_118116995

Yep, in agreement there. Nobody is losing faith in the numbers, they just don't care about them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118117182#Comment_118117182

That might have been a better way of putting it. People are rationalizing it differently

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118059939#Comment_118059939

Do we have to have the Zero Covid debate again? And why it was impossible here or in the UK (and everywhere else in Europe for that matter)

S.M.B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118117338#Comment_118117338

People more than likely are using their opinion on the integrity of the numbers as a way to help rationalising the normalisation of the current infection/hospitalisation/death rates. You were just reporting on your impressions rather than endorsing it. VinLieger n my opinion would be right to point out that this feels very much like an irrational attitude to start having now as very little has changed when it comes to the reporting of these numbers in recent times.

For people to feel completely at ease with the current status then some degree of rationalising is necessary.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118118291#Comment_118118291

Smokers will always tell you they won’t get cancer because…,,

The general consensus from friends I was socializing with was yeah, it was great night out and we all probably picked up covid, but **** it, I’ll do an antigen test before I go back to work in case.

brickster69

Operation warp speed getting into full drive now with 360,000 boosters launched today. Looks like next weeks target of half a million a day is well within grasp.

bob mcbob

For me I think the situation here is that there is acceptance that delta is just too infectious to control and it will only end when everyone susceptible to the virus has gotten it.

However I do think that the rules in England are a bit too lax, in Scotland you have to wear a mask in shops / public transport. As these are necessities, for people shielding as well, masks should be worn. Hospitality venues less of a necessity but even here there are differences as some venues catering for older customers seem to be more strict with the rules and those for younger customers less so.

devnull

Has anyone on here had a PCR test in the UK after being contacted by NHS Track and Trace? I don't have any symptoms.

I got an email and text at 5.45pm to say I'm a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and that I should self-isolate if I am not double vaccinated (I am) and order a PCR test whether I have symptoms or not.

I've ordered the PCR test to home address as local testing centre was closed recently, but a little nervous as I'm due to take a flight next Friday to support someone close who has a serious medical condition diagnosed and worry I won't get the result in time.

When do you think I might get the test and the result? Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

S.M.B.

Do you order it the same way you order a PCR test if you are symptomatic or is it a different service? I can only tell you my experience about the latter which I've had to do numerous times over the past year, mostly on behalf of my nursery aged son. Also worth noting I'm London based as it may differ elsewhere.

Day 0 - Place order

Day 1 - Receive test normally between 12.00 and 14.00. Scramble to get test done before the 15.00 collection at the priority post box across the road.

Day 2 - I once got a result back the evening of day 2.

Day 3 - I mostly received my results back on day 3 but there's the odd time it's arrived in the early hours of the morning of Day 4.

Overall I've been very impressed with the speed of the service.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118124933#Comment_118124933

Thanks.

Order in the same way, appears that what happened is that someone has given track and trace my telephone number and email address as a close contact to require me to get tested.

I'm in quite a rural area but got a notification from Royal Mail a few moments ago that my test kit will be delivered between 9.30am and 12.30pm today. My area has a priority postbox with a last collection time at 12.00pm this afternoon, then nothing to Monday so hopefully the test comes earlier rather than later.

Was worried when I might get the test seeing as it was Friday night I got the alert and the weekend etc, but seems that if it's delivered today even if it' not picked up until Monday, I should get result in plenty of time for Friday.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118126346#Comment_118126346

Got kit this morning at 11:15, popped it into post about 11:40 before last collection time of 12pm.

Now fingers crossed the result comes fairly quickly and is negative.

devnull

Got my test result this afternoon, negative as suspected.

Friend of mine who lives in Germany has travelled from Germany to the UK a few days ago and has now been pinged by test and trace 2 days into a hotel stay because someone on her flight tested positive. UK is not recognising her as double vaccinated as her vaccines were not in the UK so she now has to self-isolate in the UK.

Only the hotel are saying that she needs to leave their accommodation as they are not a self isolation hotel and therefore she needs to return home to isolate, but since she doesn't live in the UK and she cannot legally travel. So she's having to phone track and trace in the UK to ask what to do since she's been told to self isolate in her accommodation or face a fine, but is not being allowed to self isolate by the hotel.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118131947#Comment_118131947

The UK should recognise the EU vaccine certificate. They certainly recognise the Irish one.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118133641#Comment_118133641

They recognise it for when you enter the country, but if you are contacted by NHS test and trace you must isolate for 10 days even if you are double vaccinated and even if you have a PCR test that is negative, unless your vaccination was given in the UK since when someone tests positive in the UK or is a close contact, if their vaccine was not in the UK then their vaccine no longer counts, even if it counted for purposes of entry to the country.

The official Department of Health and Social Care wording is

If a person has been vaccinated abroad they are required to self-isolate if they test positive or have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, even if they have received a vaccine equivalent to those approved by the MHRA for use in the UK. Our domestic verification process currently only recognises the vaccination status of individuals who received their vaccine in the UK.

It's a bit ridiculous that effectively two people can be on the same flight, and get the same message from NHS Test and Trace, having both had the same vaccine, but the person who had it in the UK can skip self-isolation, whilst the person who had the vaccine in any other country, needs to self isolate even if they subsequently take a PCR test that is negative.

At the moment my friend has to seek further advice on Monday since she's been told f she leaves self-isolation she is committing an offence and could be fined £1,000 per day but the hotel are saying that they are under no obligation to provide self-isolation facilities.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118133720#Comment_118133720

How were they pinged? Do you not have to have this turned on or an app installed to get this?

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118133802#Comment_118133802

You can either be pinged through the app or through contact tracers. Everyone who flies to the UK from outside the UK and Ireland has to fill in a passenger locator form electronically on the gov.uk website with their flight number, which also has to be provided when you book your day 2 test to take after arriving from the UK.

When someone a few days after arriving back tests positive, either via day 2 lateral flow or a PCR test soon enough after arrival back, the contact tracers then trace everyone who was on that flight who then get a text / email to the contact email address and telephone number provided on the passenger locator form.

The email / SMS starts like this

NHS Test and Trace has identified you as a contact of someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19. You must now stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days from the date of your last contact with them, unless you are exempt. You should now visit your NHS Test and Trace account to provide personal details. You should do this even if you think you are exempt from self-isolation. This helps us to advise you on what you need to do as a contact and give you advice on how to protect your family, friends and local community.

Chris_5339762

We don't have to worry about being pinged, as there is no control over Ireland to UK travel and never has been during COVID. At least we don't have to worry about that nonsense.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118133864#Comment_118133864

Ok, I didn’t realise you had to do that outside of the uk and Ireland.

Thanks for clearing that up, seems a bit silly to be honest!

astrofool

After some of the loons tried to misread the UK data report last night (while at the same time claiming they stopped running the reports), I came across the bit of information that 98% of adults in the UK have SARS-COV2 antibodies.

This should explain a lot why the UK has been able to open up everything and drop the mandates, effectively SARS-COV2 is no longer novel for them, so the way to live with it is antibody boosters for the vulnerable and treatment, the case counts matter less and less as everyone has been exposed at some point already (via infection or via vaccine).

It also means that any vax/unvax data from the UK doesn't really work anymore as the majority of unvax will likely have antibodies through infection anyway (even the vax/unvax data from young people will start getting skewed more and more by this effect).

The cost was obviously quite high with increased number of deaths, but it has allowed them to open more fully and live unrestricted:

COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report - week 43 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Would be interesting to see what the % is for Ireland.

gallyind

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149705#Comment_118149705

Well done, that is good data, when you look ta hospilations etc. in the UK, it makes sense. Im off to florida next week, the media wont talk about it, but cases are way down, a recent report from TEXAS 90K said 75%, antibodies..

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149705#Comment_118149705

Current antibody levels didn't allow the UK open everything up, that decision was made months ago when levels were much lower. I'd imagine antibody rates among adults in Ireland are similar given the vaccine uptake and may even be higher among young adults/teens Ireland given the earlier start in vaccinating 12+.

You could say attribute current antibody levels in the UK to having dropped measures but similarly you have to attribute the deaths to it too which I don't think would reflect well on that policy. The big question is how many deaths will other European countries have to endure to get to the same antibody levels.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167814#Comment_118167814

Our unvaccinated to vaccinated hospitalisation rate is about 12-16:1 vs. the UK which is 2-5:1, we have some way to go yet.

And yes, you have to attribute deaths to it, they will have an inquiry in the UK as to why they kept or sent people to care homes to die instead of treating them in hospitals and the answer will be they didn't know any better even though they did and that will probably be the end of it over there.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168170#Comment_118168170

I don't get the point about unvaccinated to vaccinated hospitalisation rate (which I'll take your word is accurate). Presumably those figures are just for a very recent point in time and don't tell us much about what went before.

If that rate for the UK a couple of months ago was the same (or higher) than Ireland's currently, when the pool of unvaccinated was much higher, they likely had more people in hospital (causing unnecessary strain) and more deaths. Ireland's higher rate now likely has less negative impact given the level of vaccinations plus boosters given out.

An inquiry in the UK as to why they kept or sent people to care homes is pointless, as you say, and easy to brush under the carpet. Plenty of other issues there more worthy of an inquiry.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169034#Comment_118169034

You can find the UK numbers in their weekly report, the Irish numbers are reported every few days as well. UK has twice as many ICU beds as we do, so can handle higher severe rates but have been consistently sailing "close to the wind" with their hospitalisation numbers. We've had empty ICU and hospitals for long periods in case they got out of control (I think we should have had a full reopening back in August post main vaccination done which would have helped us in this regard). It doesn't really help where we are now but does explain how and why the 2 countries have different restriction levels in place (even if Ireland is mostly on the unvaccinated).

Seth Brundle

In classic Yes Minister fashion, labour are looking for details of a call in which Randox were given a £347m government contract having failed to deliver on a previous £133m contract...

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1460983127153823746

devnull

Probably the minutes will appear in a few days by the sound of things.

JP Liz V1

A third case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in the UK, the Health Security Agency has said.

The person is no longer in the UK but had visited Westminster in London.

It comes after the government set out measures in response to the variant, including mandatory face masks in shops and on public transport in England.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59453744