Employees at Sitel – one of the companies contracted to provide the service – said they were being given quizzes by team leaders to keep them occupied in the day and that prizes were even being offered to those making the highest number of calls to keep up morale. One contact tracer said that in one instance £50 was awarded to the highest ranking caller in each team, who was then put in a draw at the end of the month to win a TV. … [Read more...] about England’s contact tracers ‘making handful of calls’ a month
Nhs
Four key failings of England’s Covid-19 test-and-trace system
Compliance There is little incentive for someone to self-isolate for two weeks if they cannot afford to live on the statutory sick pay of £95.85 a week. There are large numbers of people who cannot afford to self-isolate and know that if they do, they will not be paid, or worse, will lose their jobs. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, and others have called on the government to pay for a “temporary furlough” for those required to self-isolate. Another problem has arisen in some areas: young men appear reluctant to hand over their contacts because they do not want their friends to have to self-isolate. One director of public health said winning compliance from young men, in particular, had been a challenge recently. … [Read more...] about Four key failings of England’s Covid-19 test-and-trace system
Why is the government buying Covid tests without evidence they work?
Many of us working in NHS hospitals welcomed the news earlier this week that the government had purchased 90-minute Covid-19 tests. Rapid swab tests, called LamPORE, and 5,000 machines, supplied by DnaNudge, will soon be available in adult care settings and laboratories. If they’re effective, they could allow for rapid, on-the-spot testing. But there’s no publicly available data about the accuracy of these tests or how they perform, raising concerns about why the government has endorsed – and purchased - them. … [Read more...] about Why is the government buying Covid tests without evidence they work?
Bride-to-be sheds massive 17stone – but is still too mortified to let groom see her naked
“I actually went to school with Phil, and I liked him, but we hardly spoke. I never thought for a moment he might fancy me because I felt I was too fat. Apparently, he felt the same but neither of us had the confidence to speak out!” … [Read more...] about Bride-to-be sheds massive 17stone – but is still too mortified to let groom see her naked
Coronavirus: Is the UK in a better position than we think?
Why? He said it was showing the country was able to identify where the virus was, and he could see signs that different parts of society were "pulling together and saying 'we are going to get on top of this'." … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: Is the UK in a better position than we think?
