Over 80% of Britons not heeding COVID-19 self-isolation rules, study

Over 80% of people in Britain are not adhering to self-isolation guidelines when they have COVID-19 symptoms or had contact with someone who has tested positive, a study has found.

A majority were also unable to identify the symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The research raises major questions about the effectiveness of England’s Test and Trace programme as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to keep a lid on rising infection numbers with new restrictions.

The research, led by King’s College London, found that only 18.2% of people who reported having symptoms of COVID-19 in the last seven days had not left home since the symptoms developed, and only 11.9% requested a COVID-19 test.

It also found that only 10.9% of people told by the NHS Test and Trace scheme to self-isolate after close contact with a COVID-19 case had done so for 14 days as required.

The government last week introduced fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($12,780.00) for breaking self-isolation rules, and are offering a 500-pound support payment to low-paid workers who lose income from quarantining.

The researchers said that financial support for self-isolating could encourage adherence.

Just under half the participants were able to identify the key symptoms of COVID-19 of cough, a fever and a loss of sense of taste or smell.

The study used data collected between March 2 and Aug. 5, and was based on 42,127 responses from 31,787 participants aged over 16.

As of Thursday, Britain had the highest death toll from COVID-19 in Europe, at 41,902.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-trace/over-80-of-britons-not-heeding-covid-19-self-isolation-rules-study-finds-idUSKCN26G14F