[Technology] Where's my ping?

[Bry Nylon]

Most of it is under 30s and those with kids. Presumably you’re neither of those groups?

Sadly not under 30 but I have 2 kids, aged 10 and nearly 12. Plus I have been using the gym every weekday since it re-opened on April 12th and had a quite a few days and evenings out in Cambridge recently, which has been rammed on each occasion.

Just seems odd that apart from one person, who has already posted on this thread, I just don't know of anybody that has been pinged. Even the staff in my local shops, the staff and personal trainers at the gym and the staff at my kids' school seem to have escaped.

 

[BNthree]

Maybe they’ve done what a folks have done recently and uninstalled the app? Dunno but you’re definitely an outlier with regard to this.

 

[Bozza]

Bluetooth proximity is about 5 meters or so. So if they were out somewhere sat down and opposite side of the table, one could be in range the other not

The app doesn't work like that.

Low Energy Bluetooth, in optimum conditions, can have a range approaching 100 metres.

The app uses the strength of the signals it receives from other phones and time to determine a risk factor. Above a certain threshold, this could trigger a "ping" to the other phone if one of the phone owners tests positive and tells the app of that fact.

The rule-of-thumb seems to be within 2 metres for 15 minutes or more, but given the two variables at play - distance and time - I would assume that if you were significantly closer (or the signal strength suggests you were significantly closer) than 2m you could reach the threshold for a ping in less than 15 minutes.

 

[Bozza]

More tests being done (lateral flow tests at home) and a more easily spread version of the virus (Delta variant) means more people carrying the virus and finding out they have it. That means there are more people to alert that someone they know they they’ve been in contact with has the virus (being pinged).

I might be misinterpreting what you're saying here, but the app isn't "someone they know they they’ve been in contact with".

Our ping will have been because of someone we DON'T know testing positive, but the app determined we'd been close enough to warrant a ping to us when that person, whoever they are, told the app that they'd tested positive.

This is distinct from test and trace which is the manual phone calls and texts etc from a team who get contact information from those who test positive and let those they've been close to that they have to self-isolate.

An app ping isn't a legal obligation, whilst a T&T alert is a legal obligation, and you may receive calls and/or knocks on the door to ensure you are isolating.

Know a teacher that had to do 5 isolations in a row (with few days between each) due to kids in their classes testing positive. A different friend got pinged and when isolation finished went out for a pint to celebrate. Mate that they saw there tested positive 2 days later so my friend had to isolate again.

Again, neither of these sound like app pings. The whole of my son's year at school, including the teachers, missed the last week of term, not because of pings, but because a positive case and deemed close contact.

 

[Bozza]

The app doesn't work like that.

Low Energy Bluetooth, in optimum conditions, can have a range approaching 100 metres.

The app uses the strength of the signals it receives from other phones and time to determine a risk factor. Above a certain threshold, this could trigger a "ping" to the other phone if one of the phone owners tests positive and tells the app of that fact.

The rule-of-thumb seems to be within 2 metres for 15 minutes or more, but given the two variables at play - distance and time - I would assume that if you were significantly closer (or the signal strength suggests you were significantly closer) than 2m you could reach the threshold for a ping in less than 15 minutes.

Just to add, based on our ping, from what I recall about our movements that day is my guess is that we were over 2m from whoever tested positive, but for longer than 15 minutes, so the extended length of time pushed us over that threshold.

We tested throughout and none of were positive at any point over the 10 days.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Asda is a complete mess (even more than normal) out off 20 delivery drives today 7 could be completed due to pings

Tomorrow it could be even less

 

[Sirnormangall]

Despite of carrying on pretty much as have done over the last year or so, I have yet to be pinged and only know of one person that has. Yet when I listen to the news it seems like half the populations' phones are lighting up like Christmas trees?

I don't especially relish the idea of 10 days self-isolation but it does feel a little like I'm in a parallel universe compared to what I see being reported.

Obviously you’ve not been out on the town with my teenage boys.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

A lot of ping envy at my Sussex workplace as 3 people have got 10 days ‘off’ currently.

 

[AlbionBro]

Even through house walls or work lockers so they say .

I keep hearing a vibrating noise through my neighbour's wall, she never seems to answer her phone, it goes on forever, and it always ends with a groan, as if she missed the call.