Coronavirus confusion as NHS helpline gives out wrong advice

[Northerner]

No 10 has admitted the NHS 111 online service has been giving out the wrong advice on coronavirus to travellers returning from Italy, as the number of confirmed cases in the UK rose to 373 and a sixth death was announced.

Returning travellers from the European centre of the outbreak in Italy were still being told all day on Tuesday there was no need to self-isolate if they had no symptoms.

This is despite advice from Public Health England released on Monday night advising all people coming from Italy, which is in lockdown, to stay at home for 14 days regardless of whether they feel unwell.

Confused travellers expressed their concerns about the conflicting advice on social media but NHS 111 still had not updated the portal at 5pm on Tuesday – hours after it was first informed of the problem.

Coronavirus confusion as NHS helpline gives out wrong advice

Travellers returning to UK from Italy told no need to isolate as sixth death announced

www.theguardian.com

 

[mikeyB]

I can tell you exactly what NHS 111 is telling folk. A good friend of my daughter has a high temperature, a cough and is struggling to breathe, though not so bad as to warrant panic. She phoned 111 who flatly refused her a blood test for coronavirus because she wasn’t in hospital.

She has sent her son to school, even though he has a persistent cough but feels well. He is in the same class as my grandson.

You don’t find out the spread of a virus if you refuse to do blood tests. I assume this is government policy.

 

[Eddy Edson]

I can tell you exactly what NHS 111 is telling folk. A good friend of my daughter has a high temperature, a cough and is struggling to breathe, though not so bad as to warrant panic. She phoned 111 who flatly refused her a blood test for coronavirus because she wasn’t in hospital.

She has sent her son to school, even though he has a persistent cough but feels well. He is in the same class as my grandson.

You don’t find out the spread of a virus if you refuse to do blood tests. I assume this is government policy.

That sounds completely f'ed up.

 

[Docb]

Am I right in thinking that "testing " for corona virus is done by DNA analysis on a cheek swab and because that is not straightforward, it is best used for confirming a diagnosis rather than screening?

 

[grovesy]

Am I right in thinking that "testing " for corona virus is done by DNA analysis on a cheek swab and because that is not straightforward, it is best used for confirming a diagnosis rather than screening?

I read someone saying they had a nasal swab, for testing.
Also from what I understand all these test have been newly developed , so may have not been totally tested for accuracy.

 

[mikeyB]

It doesn't matter what the test involves. If you don't do it, which is current government policy unless you are at death's door, the point I made earlier still stands. If you don't test everyone with a full house of symptoms, whether in hospital or not, there is no record of the spread of this infection. It is nothing more than a money saving measure which has the side effect of covering up the spread of infection to pretend that the current measures from government are working.

Looks like the Premier League and EFL are showing the way. With a bit of luck the large useless gathering in Westminster will follow suit.

 

[grovesy]

It doesn't matter what the test involves. If you don't do it, which is current government policy unless you are at death's door, the point I made earlier still stands. If you don't test everyone with a full house of symptoms, whether in hospital or not, there is no record of the spread of this infection. It is nothing more than a money saving measure which has the side effect of covering up the spread of infection to pretend that the current measures from government are working.

Looks like the Premier League and EFL are showing the way. With a bit of luck the large useless gathering in Westminster will follow suit.

I said to my other half I reckon they have only done as it is players that gave tested positive.