General Chat

An increase in 'cold calls' lately may be the result of genuine people/authorities trying to advise you of potential infection.

I know what you mean Andysmum and, as I said 'ways and means' - but I do think that icy cold and snowy weather will put the kybosh on quite a bit of outdoor activity.

If we get this flu that has been mentioned several times we will all be in for a dreadful winter.

Gawd, it seems as though I am pessimistic when usually I am the opposite! :-(

I wouldn't bank on that, JoyLouise. Judging by what I've seen some youngsters wearing in cold weather, they would probably be quite happy outside, as long as it's dry.

Talking of 75mile radius, I have just done some quick measuring on Google Maps, and, in a straight line (quite impossible round here!!) I could be asked to go to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Isle of Skye, Carlisle or Belfast. :-| :-|

I think most people realised that, Rollo, judging by those who did not travel miles for a test.

Anyone see Tony Blair last night (midnight or thereabouts)?

He is not a person I would ever trust, I'm afraid, but he said one thing that I agreed with. When speaking about coronavirus and his family he said that for them as for the rest of us, Christmas this year will be different from previous ones because everyone will have to play it safe still so no parties etc and only immediate family for dinner.

He also said that if a viable vaccination is found in 2021 then we may be able to get back to what we think of as 'normal' Christmastimes.

They'll have to close the pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes if they expect the young ones to toe the line that way, I think ..... and even then they'll probably find ways and means. It'll just be a little harder for them to congregate in big numbers as the cold weather will preclude outdoor parties.

Under UK law any medical treatment or test can only be administered with the consent of the person involved. The only exceptions are young children and people without capacity.

Tests relating to covid fall into this voluntary category. Thus nobody can be "told" to attend a test centre anywhere let alone a long way from home. People can only be invited to take a test, which they may decline if they wish, without giving any reason.

If the government wants to make covid testing mandatory then it would have to legislate. It would be up to the devolved parliaments whether or not to follow suit.

It is hardly a surprise that testing and tracing are going badly in areas of the country with a high rate of cases and low incomes. Isolating for two weeks is not really an option if your only income will be sick pay combined with a risk of becoming unemployed on top.

I thought Van Tam was excellent. Explained things well and prepared to have a personal view.

I'm still waiting to hear if anyone caught him paying a visit to Northumberland (where his wife's family is) while he was resident in Durham. :-0

It does not seem to be beyond the realms of possibility that a hop over the county border took place.

I fully agreed with J Van Tam's statement - the one that seemed to preclude him ever standing on the rostrum again.

:-D :-D :-D

It saves people going to 'Specsavers' :-D :-D

Obviously driving miles for a test must be the brainchild of Dominic Cummings.

My niece lives in Dubai. They've had cheek swab testing since March.
She (and everyone else) has to go to the local clinic - that's LOCAL clinic once a fortnight for a test - or else they're fined.

Yes, forethought appears to be missing from not only the Bozo, but most of his Government! :-D :-D

It seems tests may be limited, as well. That's useful (not)!

Maggie, we are talking about bumbling Boris and co here aren't we. :-D

Well, the government has now said it will limit the service to offer only test centres that are within a 75-mile radius.

It would be more useful, if they thought things through before declaring them!"

It's obvious that we haven't changed from the 14 days either, Sylvia, judging from granddtr's experience. If she'd tested positive it would have been isolation for 14 days from the date of the test that she took.

As it was, it was 14 days from the Saturday evening the sufferer joined them. Gnddtr was told about her on the Tuesday, had the test locally on Thursday and got the negative result on Saturday after which she was told to isolate for seven days as a precaution.

We've never changed from having to self-isolate for 14 days, and it can be upto 3 weeks quarantine if you are actually recovering from covid from the last day that you had any symptoms.

The simplistic differences between the two ...............

Self-isolate ............... you can go outside your property for a walk so long as you do not meet or talk to anyone else. You can't go shopping, for coffee etc

Quarantine ........... you are not allowed off your property until the time is up, but you can go into your garden or onto a balcony. No talking or meeting with anyone, and preferably separate from other non-infected members of your family except for a caregiver.

Just edited before your post, names, and you are right.

You're absolutely right about the need for several tests. All my negative result really showed was that I was free of the virus on the day I did the test.

Someone failed their geography exams.

Joy Louise, probably adds up to about 14 days

Just read that someone was told to take their sick toddler from Cardiff to Blackburn! They did eventually get a local one.

Not much good in one test, is there, when you need to do at least one more a couple of days later in case you're incubating the disease - and even then it may not show for a few more days.

It seems to be a crazy waste of money to me. If government funds run to two or three tests per individual within a week and tests are comfined to those displaying at least two symptoms that makes more sense.

Gndtr and partner were told to get tested two days after someone they did not know plonked down too close for comfort to them and their pal. They had to each self-isolate before the test which came two days after they found out.. After a couple of days they received negative results but were told to keep self-isolating for another seven days just in case ....

..... so it makes one long trek for one test seem a waste of everyone's time. Who would be prepared to do that trek again a couple of days later knowing that they'd still have to stay away from people for another seven days at least?

No easy way out of this is there folks?

I don't envy the lives of medics of any sort when winter comes and panic sets in with people who have the slightest cough. My hat comes off to them.


[Edit: the day gnddtr came too close to a carrier, two days later when she learned she had done so, then two more days before the test and two further days to learn the result come to six days, so together with the seven days they were told to isolate from others after they received a negative test means the grand total was 13 days - so that 14-day period that was spoken about very early in lockdown has not changed has it? I may be wrong but I think the government and the general public still have a mountain to climb which is not going to happen this side of Christmas, I think.]

My daughter had a test through the post.
The problem was, the confusion :-S

To get results, a bar code had to be sent back with the test
Inside, by a bar code, it said 'This is your unique bar code'.
This was sent off.

Unfortunately, the bar code they wanted, was the apparently random one on the envelope the test was sent in, not the 'unique' one inside!
Daughter wasn't the only one to make this mistake.