I've been picked at random to take part in this study that's monitoring the levels of C19, including new variants.
I'm conflicted.
Part of me knows that nothing good ever came out of Imperial college, but am also rather curious.
It would involve a swab test, of course.
Are these studies just another way of fanning the panic and keeping it in the headlines (oh for the chance to ignore the fiasco) or a useful metric available to the rest of us?
I will discount the wilder theories about harvesting DNA.
Must admit, I'm so cheesed with the whole Health business that I've ignored summonses to donate blood (until the mask mandate is removed - they're not going to bleed me dry while suffocating me) and have opted out of organ donation - just to keep some sense of ownership of my own body. I don't trust any bugger any more.
I got this letter too today. Only way I would take part is if I could somehow sabotage the experiment in protest.
It sounds like you have already made your mind up. If something feels uncomfortable, then don't do it.
I was part of a twins study at the start of all this a year ago and did 3 rounds of testing from every part you can think of (yep, even had to collect my poop), but when I started feeling uncomfortable about how my data was being used, I stopped.
Back then I felt it was for the greater good when I didn't have any suspicions. I've been part of many twin research tests over the past 20+ years so had no qualms about it.... things seem so different now.
I would still do twin research but I would not go anywhere near any attempt to bolster the current government agenda. Not sure if that helps at all... but for me there is a line between being part of a solution and contributing to the BS.