I think it boils down to test and trace fatigue.

I guess I'm fortunate enough not to have had any dealings with it, far less enough to have fatigue from it. Still, I'd like to think that most people would be responsible and respectful enough of others to report a positive result.

I suspect there is a very significant number of people who are not reporting positive LFT results, but most will at least be telling their close contacts privately so that they in turn test/isolate. There is definitely T&T fatigue out there.

I would definitely get a PCR after a positive lateral flow. On two seperate occasions, with different brands, family members got a light postive and then a negative PCR the following day. They were double vaxed and one was boosted.

There are other reasons for getting a PCR. Yes some are sequenced, and that provides valuable research data - we have a daily 30 minute call just to discuss sequence trends and for example it gave us the ability to warn schools with immuno-suppressed teachers that things were moving fast. Also it gets linked to "recovered from COVID" aspect of passes, just in case future PCRs for travel don't work too well. That has largely been processed out of the UK but is sometimes a factor with overseas PCRs. Then PCRs fairly reliably throw up variant Omicron, and while we need to keep a calm approach to this, the more information the better.

Get well soon DaveS, hopefully you can spend your self isolation period keeping us up to speed!

Daily data:

Cases 42,848 (39,567 last Saturday)
Deaths 127 (131)
Patients admitted 812 (770 on the 23rd)
People vaccinated up to and including 3 December 2021:
First dose: 51,068,961
Second dose: 46,491,583
Booster: 19,809,442

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now up 2.5% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is down 3.6%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 118.1 today.

Now confirmed with the follow up PCR. I was hoping for a false positive. At least today my very minor symptoms are even more minor.

Keep safe and comfy

Does the mask requirement in retail apply to staff as well as customers? I was in Eataly today and probably only 20% of staff were wearing masks.

I think it's not mandated in places where people will eat and drink, and of course many establishments (Coop being one of them as I remember) won't enforce it. Plus you can obviously claim that you have some sort of exemption. Don't even need to make up an excuse... Bonkers, but apparently the virus is a gentleman and it respects that.

Most of Eataly is retail though.

I'm not saying that it makes sense...

Government pick and choose which rules they’re exempt from when it suits, so not surprised many of the general public take the same approach.

Daily data:

Cases 43,992 (37,681 last Sunday)
Deaths 54 (51)
People vaccinated up to and including 4 December 2021:
First dose: 51,094,640
Second dose: 46,527,302
Booster: 20,258,417

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now up 5.4% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is down 2.1%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 118.6 today.

Not a single side effect after the first two shots with Pfizer but my moderna booster has me floored. Up all night with chills, feeling in general pretty awful today. I'm very surprised!