Civic Duty or Not

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I have received a letter inviting me to take part in a Covid-19 testing research study. It's being undertaken by Imperial College and Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care and is intended to help the Government work out how many people have the virus in different parts of the country.

 The letter actually reads like an invitation to enter a free prize draw: "We have chosen your name at random...Go to the website..Enter your details..If you sign up, we will send you a package.." Until you read the small print on the back and there it is in black and white: "The test...may cause some mild short-lived discomfort."

 Now the dilemma this letter poses is, of course, threefold:
1. On the basis that I had a test only last week, will another one distort the testing figures that the Government proudly displays at its Daily Briefing?
2. Knowing how eye-wateringly uncomfortable the test is, could I actually administer it to myself properly?
3. Is it my civic duty to co-operate and donate my secretions accordingly?

 There's also another big question, namely why, after 3 long months and more of this virus in the UK,  doesn't the Government already have a grasp of which areas of the country the virus is most prevalent in?

 If anybody can supply the answers to my dilemma or to the big question, I'd be most grateful.

Comments

Treaders said…
I don't think I would volunteer, purely on the basis that I doubt I could administer the test properly myself and so it would probably skew the figures. Plus I reckon there are plenty of others who would love to volunteer anyway!
17 June 2020 at 15:17
Caree Risover said…
Can’t decide whether wrestling with the guilt of failing to co-operate might be too much for me though.
17 June 2020 at 15:53
Royce Shook said…
I would suggest that you do not volunteer and you need not feel guilty for two reasons. You had a test a week ago, so the government has your information, and secondly, they sent out an email that said you have been randomly selected. I suspect thousands of others received the same email and enough people will respond so the government will have the data they need. I see that you did your civic duty by getting your test a week ago.
17 June 2020 at 18:04
Caree Risover said…
Yes, I like the suggestion for dismissing the guilt.
17 June 2020 at 20:48
cheshire wife said…
You and me too. I also had one of these letters and decided to sign up for it. You are right - self administering the swab test is mighty difficult. I’ll say no more at the moment.
5 July 2020 at 21:18
Caree Risover said…
I suspect self administration may be leading to a number of false negatives although, fingers crossed, transmission is coming under control at least for the moment
5 July 2020 at 23:08
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