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How many of you have been ‘pinged’ by the COVID app?

Started by vanilla.coffee, August 26, 2021, 05:24:05 PM

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vanilla.coffee

I got 'pinged' yesterday by the covid app on my phone.
Alert arrived in the early hours so I didn't know until i woke up when my alarm went off at its usual time. (I have my mobile on do not disturb at night)

I followed the app screen prompts answering questions and clicking next until the final screen which informed me I don't have to isolate as I'm double jabbed.
I didn't realise that after the 16th Aug so long as you've had both jabs you don't need to isolate.

However it recommends that I have a free PCR test and it provides a click here button to book one.

I've taken 4 lateral flow tests so far - all negative.

I don't know what the parameters are that determines I've been in close contact with someone who's subsequently tested positive but I seem to recall you need to be within 1 metre of someone for 15 mins for it to be deemed a contact but I could be wrong. And I thought the app had recently been updated to make it less sensitive or some such as too many people were getting 'pinged'
The only person I've been in close contact with is my wife and she's not tested positive so I've no idea who has triggered my app to alert me.

What I will say however is the instant fear I felt when I saw this alert on my phone was truly palpable.
I'm struggling with anxiety because of all this last 18 month caper as it is and the alert just ramped my anxiety right back up again.
I'm tempted to delete the app as the fear it's triggered is distressing.


Anyway, too long didn't... etc
Any of you guys been 'pinged' yet?

I've been pinged about 5 times now, living in London most of my friends have had the same as there are so many fuckers around it's impossible to escape. It led to a spell of making low-key plans with friends and them constantly being cancelled for a couple of months due to isolation orders among the group. The anxiety has reduced to the point now where I'm double jabbed and don't have to isolate and so took the PCR and am on my way after the last occasion, but I remember the first couple of times finding it incredibly frustrating to play it (fairly) safe and yet wake up to see that alert and know you're quarantined again and feeling like it would keep happening for eternity.

I got pinged after my second jab, so someone in the queue, waiting room or the nurse had it. I never went closer than 2m to anyone other than the nurse and I was with her for less than 10 mins.

It's worth remembering that phones, particularly older or budget ones, can be a bit shit in terms of knowing where they are, especially when trying to judge things down to the metre, so I suspect there's a fair amount of "brute force" pinging going on. It wouldn't surprise me if it had just pinged everyone who'd been in the surgery during the time my "contact" was there.

popcorn

Quote from: Huxleys Babkins on August 27, 2021, 09:46:42 AM
It wouldn't surprise me if it had just pinged everyone who'd been in the surgery during the time my "contact" was there.

That's exactly what I'd expect it to do. Person A and Person B both check into X location. If they both checked in within Y timeframe (day? hour?) and Person A has covid then Person B gets the ping. I wouldn't imagine it to be any cleverer than that, like try to work out exactly how close A and B were to one another (among other things it would depend on them both carrying their phones all the time inside the location), or work out when people left the location.

This is all just speculation by me though, I don't know shit.

edit: I might be completely wrong about all of this, it might be based on bluetooth proximity.

amateur

Quote from: vanilla.coffee on August 26, 2021, 05:24:05 PMI'm tempted to delete the app as the fear it's triggered is distressing.

Given that the app is optional, and you no longer need it in order to check in to pubs/restaurants, I would suggest protecting your mental health and bin it off.

You can protect both yourself and others from COVID with a range of measures (masks, free lateral flow tests, two shots of HOT VAX, basic hygiene and decency) and the app is notoriously wild with who gets pinged - so I wouldn't let it be another thing stressing you out.