The government are threatening to stop the ONS COVID survey, it’s an essential and reliable tool to help assess our risk in the community.

[Appletree12345]

Please sign my petition to urge the government to keep the ONS covid survey. It’s the most accurate source of data to help us assess our risk of catching covid in the community. Today for week ending 12 Feb 2022 the ONS reports 1 in 20 have covid in England, 1 in 25 in Scotland and Wales and in Northern Ireland 1 in 13 . This is high. If the survey stops we won’t know this information. Daily cases on the government dash board and reported on the news are only people with symptoms, who take a test and bother to report the positive result. If free tests go next week the daily cases will plummet because they will not be reported. This will create false comfort and underestimate our level of risk. I want us all to get back to living, but I want to be in control of my own destiny. Many thanks. The link is:

chng.it/6wMPSLZy

[Wobbies]

Signed.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Wobbies]

Thank you.

[Prunes]

Do you use the Zoe app? There is daily information on there which they report by region eg London, North West etc not just by country, and by age group too.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Prunes]

Yes I’m on the Zoe app. Results mirror the ONS rather than the government daily cases, but the Zoe app is known as a ‘self selecting’ sample. That means people chose to participate so the sample could be bias to older age groups or vulnerable. They weight the results to match back to the population so it is a good source and large sample. The ONS however is a random sample of the entire population. They test everyone so the results include people with no symptoms and unaware they have covid. Zoe will not pick these cases up unless they develop symptoms or get a test without symptoms. Both are valuable, but ONS data is even higher than Zoe as it includes non symptomatic. Hope this helps.

[Prunes in reply to Appletree12345]

Yep I'm aware of all that. But if the ONS one gets ditched then at least the Zoe one is better than the government dashboard.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Prunes]

Agree 😀

[springcross]

Done.

[Hopefulfuture]

Done

[MadBunny]

Done 👍

[Lolabridge]

Done

[Blueskysunshine]

Signed

[Sheila_G]

Done. Thank you.

[Lyndylou34]

Signed.

[Circledancer]

Signed

[Plumcrumble]

Done 👍

[dippyd09]

Signed

[Silverknee]

Signed and shared

[Hidden]

Done x

[Frances_UK]

This study, and testing, are the government's eyes and ears on Covid. The government is deliberately switching off its eyes and ears so it doesn't have to face any consequences of its policies. Signed, but doubt it will have any impact on a government that doesn't want to listen.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Frances_UK]

I fear you are correct. If they scrap it I’m thinking it could be a case of discrimination against older, disabled and vulnerable individuals as it removes a vital tool to help live with covid. Perhaps a charity will support legal action for compensation to fund an equivalent survey or force the government to reinstate.

[Hidden in reply to Appletree12345]

This Government continually breaks Equality Law. We are doomed 🤪.

[alton]

Signed