Grumpy thread

[Jay_Benson]

Well people on here are far too happy and what we need is a proper grumpy thread. I will start.

My FiL has COVID - he is 85 and has an underlying health condition so, whilst his chances are not great, they are not too bad at the moment.

When we first asked for a COVID test - on Christmas Eve IIRC - it was refused as he didn’t meet the three standard criteria despite being a typical fit for the way elderly people present their symptoms - sleepy and reduced appetite in my FiL’s case but also including confusion in other cases - in addition to the “normal” three symptoms (headache, fever, loss of taste / smell). The test was again refused on Christmas Day and early on Boxing Day. He was admitted last night and was finally tested then and lo and behold he tested positive.

So as a result he probably infected his wife who then went on to church on Christmas morning - I know that they were socially distanced but that just reduces the risk, it does not eliminate it. My family has also been exposed unnecessarily on Christmas Day - including my daughter who is an Health Care Assistant in the NHS and will now have to self isolate along with us - so costing the NHS an additional money to get cover in for her. But it is OK as they saved the cost of a test on Christmas Eve - twats.

The ineffective UK Test and Trace system is costing lives - hopefully not my FiL’s or MiL’s lives - because they are trying to penny pinch. Why this system is not being managed by professionals within the NHS - yes, looking at Dido Harding and the other the Tory cronies - for its management appointments process is utterly corrupt and this time corruption is costing lives again. I trust the NHS to get things right pretty quickly, this “service” is hampering the ability of the NHS to treat people early enough as they won’t test people unless they meet criteria that have been superseded months ago and when they do test they don’t get in contact with people quickly enough, if at all.

Sorry, I needed a rant and I can’t be bothered with Facepalm today.

[Threewheelbonnie]

Yeah, but we all went out every night in the summer and clapped for them, voted for this lot over the other even less palatable ones and got a day off for Christmas, so it must be fine

I feel your pain and frustration and wish you and your family well. Absolutely Get it off your chest if it feels better and then go battle the lazy, penny pinching, arse covering idiots.

Andy

[Jay_Benson]

Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie

Yeah, but we all went out every night in the summer and clapped for them, voted for this lot over the other even less palatable ones and got a day off for Christmas, so it must be fine

I feel your pain and frustration and wish you and your family well. Absolutely Get it off your chest if it feels better and then go battle the lazy, penny pinching, arse covering idiots.

Andy

The Test and Trace service are not part of the NHS - they are a service that has been cobbled together by private companies, at a very significant cost (£22+ billion and rising) and by people with very direct links to the UK government. Cynical? Moi?

They have not been in contact with any of our family since the FiL tested positive - they have another 24 hours until they have failed to achieve their stated target of 48 hours. In reality I don’t expect a call to any of us. They have a target of contacting 80% of close contacts and normally achieve around 50% or less. they have never hit their target.

[Tim Cullis]

This evening I had a notification from the NHS Covid app that I have been in contact with someone who has the virus and that I need to self-isolate for two days until 23:59 on Monday 28 December (tomorrow).

This warning implies that the contact I had was on Friday 18 December so I suppose the person has either only just been tested, or has been waiting patiently for test results. In the meantime eight days have passed in which I could have passed the virus to my family.

I personally feel fine and will comply with the restrictions for tomorrow.

The way the app works, the NHS doesn't have a clue who I am, and that's just fine with me.

[Jay_Benson]

I wish I was surprised by this delay Tim but, sadly, I am not. That it was with the app is worrying as the impression is that as soon as the initial person identifies as being positive the alert goes out to all contacts immediately.

There is something wrong with the system that is built on very old versions of Excel - I really hope that the system improves dramatically but tracing is thought to be only truly effective when the infection numbers are significantly lower than they are in the UK now. Which makes the decision in March / April to abandon the system they had all the more unusual.

The systems that are in use by local authorities in the UK seem to be more efficient and rigorous than the national ones when they are given all of the available information - something they weren’t initially - but even with partial information they have consistently performed better than the very expensive contractors and government lacking that have been brought in - you have o wonder at the reasons for ring fencing the national system away from a co-ordinated effort by local authorities through something like the Local Government Association.

[Grant Johnson]

It's all super frustrating - here in Canada, there is a test and trace app - that only works in two provinces, and for everywhere else "they're working on it". So "we" are depending on people's memories of where they've been, and as a result our numbers are going way up.

And despite lots of things done right, they are still not mandating masks everywhere in public. Stupid. According to an article I read earlier today, those areas that locked down tight and early have by far done the best.

Waffling and cowardice are endemic in pollies, and the world suffers for a lack of vision.
We feel your pain, and sympathize with all who are suffering from this.

[Jay_Benson]

I have lost a pair of glasses that I had just repaired. They are either in the garden buried under a load of logs or in the pile of debris waiting to be burnt - or in the house having been put “somewhere safe” or in the workshop. I really hope they aren’t in the workshop as it is going to be harder to find them than either the garden or house - not that my workshop is disorganised, much.....

Due to realising more and mor that I am forgetful as time goes on - not senile, just realising that for important stuff I am forgetful but trivia I have a great memory - I have a couple of spare pairs. I am looking again at laser surgery or lens replacement but I don’t like the cost benefit ratio enough at the moment to go fo it.

Hurumph.