Covid Zoe app called me for testing

[Clariman]

Has anyone had the email from the Covid Zoe study app offering you a test? I had the email this morning. I'm a bit puzzled why. Neither of us have any classic symptoms. I recorded being a bit tired yesterday so I guess they've used a random sample of tired people

Booked in for drive-thru this morning.

It's funny because I would have loved a test in the run up to Christmas, but it's the last thing I want just now. Hopefully I'll be getting a vaccine in the next month or so - that's what I want.

C

[UncleEbenezer]

At a guess, it could be random sampling to generate population statistics.

The (only) way to make it truly random is if you are selected independently of what you've reported to them. If you had reported symptoms, they might offer you a test for an entirely different purpose.

[Mike4]

What sort of test?

Is it a lateral flow test or PCR test for current infection? Or an antibody test for historic infection?

They haven't asked me!

[MaraMan]

My wife had a similar email after recording that she had a sore throat. I think they are testing to see if they need to widen the list of covid symptoms.

MM

PS - the test was negative
PPS - It was a stick a stick down your throat and up your nose type of test

[Clariman]

It is a PCR test.

The email says "You’ve recently reported feeling unwell with a particular combination of symptoms", which isn't the case. I clicked the "not feeling myself" button yesterday, but did not select any of the long list of symptoms they specify, but typed "a bit tired, but not fatigued" or words to that effect in the optional box at the end. That was all.

So perhaps they have software that looks for keywords in the optional box and picked up "fatigued", ignoring the "not".

The only other thing I can think is that the previous day I did select one symptom for my other half (I report for both of us in the app), but she is basically fine and no classic symptoms. Perhaps the combination of factors they identified was two people in the same household reporting something on consecutive days.

Who knows.
C

[Julian]

It is a PCR test.

The email says "You’ve recently reported feeling unwell with a particular combination of symptoms", which isn't the case. I clicked the "not feeling myself" button yesterday, but did not select any of the long list of symptoms they specify, but typed "a bit tired, but not fatigued" or words to that effect in the optional box at the end. That was all.

So perhaps they have software that looks for keywords in the optional box and picked up "fatigued", ignoring the "not".

The only other thing I can think is that the previous day I did select one symptom for my other half (I report for both of us in the app), but she is basically fine and no classic symptoms. Perhaps the combination of factors they identified was two people in the same household reporting something on consecutive days.

Who knows.
C

Given that tests are fairly accessible now I wonder whether they are triggering a get-a-test response for any symptom reported, or maybe any symptoms not already on the established-Covid-symptoms list, and might not even be bothering to do any keyword analysis on the text box. I had the same when one day I selected the "I'm not feeling quite right" option with symptoms not on the pick-list list so I entered them in the text box. I was also asked to get a (subsequently negative) test.

- Julian

[Gersemi]

I use the Covid Zoe app - I've now done seven tests. One failed (no result) the other six were negative. My experience is that any time you report feeling unwell in virtually any way they ask you to do test. My are usually for a sore throat, occasionally a headache. I stopped reporting things if they are very minor. I work from home and only go out for exercise (alone or with the OH) or to the local shops.

My understanding is that they do this to build up a better picture of symptoms. A recent article by them (https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/feeling- ... get-a-test) suggests that these minor symptoms are often experienced in the earlier stages by people with COVID-19 before classic symptoms develop, so getting an early test enables to isolate earlier if you do have it.

[Clariman]

A recent article by them (https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/feeling- ... get-a-test) suggests that these minor symptoms are often experienced in the earlier stages by people with COVID-19 before classic symptoms develop, so getting an early test enables to isolate earlier if you do have it.

Thanks for pointing that out. The article explains why I/we were invited. One of us reported one of these symptoms within the last 2 days - not a major one

ZOE COVID Symptom Study app contributors are offered a test if they report any of the potential symptoms of the disease, including:

Severe fatigue
Headache
Change or loss of smell (anosmia) or taste
Persistent cough
High temperature/fever
Diarrhoea
Unusual pains in the chest, abdomen or muscles
Sore throat or a hoarse voice
Severe shortness of breath
Sudden confusion (delirium)
Skipping meals
Skin rash
Changes to the tongue or mouth ulcers.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

A recent article by them (https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/feeling- ... get-a-test) suggests that these minor symptoms are often experienced in the earlier stages by people with COVID-19 before classic symptoms develop, so getting an early test enables to isolate earlier if you do have it.

Thanks for pointing that out. The article explains why I/we were invited. One of us reported one of these symptoms within the last 2 days - not a major one

ZOE COVID Symptom Study app contributors are offered a test if they report any of the potential symptoms of the disease, including:

Severe fatigue
Headache
Change or loss of smell (anosmia) or taste
Persistent cough
High temperature/fever
Diarrhoea
Unusual pains in the chest, abdomen or muscles
Sore throat or a hoarse voice
Severe shortness of breath
Sudden confusion (delirium)
Skipping meals
Skin rash
Changes to the tongue or mouth ulcers.

I'm confused. Of the symptoms above I have 6. My GP has treated me for IBS. I'm actually non-celiac gluten hypersensitive, lactose and avenin (a similar chemical structure to gluten found in oats) intolerant. I've not been asked to go for a covid test? Not I hasten to mention do I feel the need. How can they tell from those symptoms that they should test someone? Am I missing something?

AiY

[zico]

My wife was contacted and asked to do a test, despite not having used the app for months, so I think it may be some kind of sampling - given preevious answers on this thread, sounds like it's not random, but stratified (i.e. they take bigger samples for sub-populations of particular interest, such as people reporting symptoms).

Mrs.Zico found the test quite unpleasant to do, and wasn't keen on the hygiene aspect of tickling your tonsils, then sticking the same stick up your nose. Came back negative though.

[servodude]

A recent article by them (https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/feeling- ... get-a-test) suggests that these minor symptoms are often experienced in the earlier stages by people with COVID-19 before classic symptoms develop, so getting an early test enables to isolate earlier if you do have it.

Thanks for pointing that out. The article explains why I/we were invited. One of us reported one of these symptoms within the last 2 days - not a major one

ZOE COVID Symptom Study app contributors are offered a test if they report any of the potential symptoms of the disease, including:

Severe fatigue
Headache
Change or loss of smell (anosmia) or taste
Persistent cough
High temperature/fever
Diarrhoea
Unusual pains in the chest, abdomen or muscles
Sore throat or a hoarse voice
Severe shortness of breath
Sudden confusion (delirium)
Skipping meals
Skin rash
Changes to the tongue or mouth ulcers.

I'm confused. Of the symptoms above I have 6. My GP has treated me for IBS. I'm actually non-celiac gluten hypersensitive, lactose and avenin (a similar chemical structure to gluten found in oats) intolerant. I've not been asked to go for a covid test? Not I hasten to mention do I feel the need. How can they tell from those symptoms that they should test someone? Am I missing something?

AiY

Consider it "if you start to show any of these symptoms when you wouldn't normally otherwise"
if e.g. the onset of a hoarse voice is shortly after a bottle of Laphroig is not likely COVID
- I was having weekly COVID tests for a few months and as a persistent hayfever sufferer the answer to "when did your symptoms start" was normally "when I was about 12"

- sd

[Gersemi]

I'm confused. Of the symptoms above I have 6. My GP has treated me for IBS. I'm actually non-celiac gluten hypersensitive, lactose and avenin (a similar chemical structure to gluten found in oats) intolerant. I've not been asked to go for a covid test? Not I hasten to mention do I feel the need. How can they tell from those symptoms that they should test someone? Am I missing something?

AiY

The point of the Zoe app is to do research. People are inputting details of their health daily, so if they develop Covid the researchers have a record of any symptoms shown in the previous days. Over time they have refined this and so they ask people showing similar symptoms to get a test. Most of the time these are negative (like mine). As you indicate there are many things that can cause these symptoms. They ask people using the app to get tests to try and refine it to get better at predicting who has Covid. For example early on they noted that loss of taste & smell was a very strong indicator of Covid and this was subsequently added to the list of symptoms that trigger a test for the general population. I don't think they've yet got anything else that is a particularly strong indicator. I'm guessing a bit here, but no one is suggesting that most people with a headache or a sore throat has Covid.

[Clariman]

Well that's quite impressive. Covid Zoe app sent me an email this morning inviting me to get a PCR test. Booked online for 11.30 am. Just received the results same day. Negative.

[Gersemi]

Well that's quite impressive. Covid Zoe app sent me an email this morning inviting me to get a PCR test. Booked online for 11.30 am. Just received the results same day. Negative.

Finally the testing is getting sorted out! Next they'll get the trace bit working - all just as vaccines negate the need for any of it (hopefully).

[Adamkek343]

good Work

[pje16]

Has anyone had the email from the Covid Zoe study app offering you a test?
C

Back in October 2020 at a time when the news was peppered with you can't get a covid test for love or money
I entered some symptons into the app 2 days running, the follwing day I got an email from them saying it would be advisanle to get tested, click here to book.
amazing... a test 2 hours later at a drive thru center (where staff kept their distance as you had leprosy) and the result (which ended up being negatave) came back with 24 hours
I was imprressed by that
Tonight when I get home from work, I taking my blood pressure readings to enter in as part of their latest study

[9873210]

a test 2 hours later at a drive thru center (where staff kept their distance as you had leprosy)

Time for some new idioms, perhaps involving Marburg or SARS.

Hansen's disease is not particularly contagious and is curable. Health care workers would not need anything more than standard precautions, which should be used all the time, even at a wellness checkup on an apparently healthy person.

[pje16]

a test 2 hours later at a drive thru center (where staff kept their distance as you had leprosy)

Time for some new idioms, perhaps involving Marburg or SARS.

Hansen's disease is not particularly contagious and is curable. Health care workers would not need anything more than standard precautions, which should be used all the time, even at a wellness checkup on an apparently healthy person.

I should have said I was referring to the middle ages
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.o ... er-clapper