To think no one is testing for Covid anymore?

I haven't tested since 2021. I think your colleagues who are still testing are insane.

Hardly anyone tests for covid anymore. Don’t need to test if you work for the nhs either, unless you predominantly care for the cev.

Yeah. Go out and get your life destroyed by Covid for ever. It’s also a waste of a life having brain fog, crippling fatigue or even be dead.

Easy to say if you aren't a single mother with cancer, for example 🙄
Is it really that hard to see why other people might want to live?

I always assume no one fancies being ill with covid/flu/cold so when I'm ill I keep myself to myself.

Why?
This is ridiculous!
Until someone says ‘Covid has gone, come back out of hiding?!’ It’s such a waste of your life!!

I only ever tested because my work told us to when we went into office (which was on a rota basis). I tested positive in Dec 21 and had yo isolate for 10 days but that was last time I remember testing.

My company doesn’t have a WFH if you test positive policy anymore.

Yeah, I’m surprised people seem to think they’re difficult to come by. Even Home Bargains sells them.

Who are these people who have symptoms of Covid, so obviously feel poorly, get a negative result and crack on with the visit anyway?

God knows, because if you're feeling poorly you don't need some silly test to tell you to keep away from the vulnerable - you just need common sense

And for those who don't have any, a test's going to make no difference at all

DH runs a business, and employees still phone in sick declaring they have "tested positive". It's the gift that keeps on giving, it seems.

In no reality is covid just like a cold. Even if you just recognise the fact you are x4 more likely to have a clot in the 6 months after having covid and the millions of people off with long covid, you must be able to see it is more serious than a cold?

OP said it was a heavy cold. Not just a cold

I don’t judge people for testing / not testing but I do judge people who go into work while unwell to this extent (heavy cold)

It’s a shame that your colleague felt like they couldn’t call in sick. Says a lot about your workplace…

The colleague with the cold however shouldn't have gone in even if it was just a cold
Most people would lose their jobs if they didn’t went to work every time they had a cold. You can’t expect people to put their job in jeopardy to protect others.
Requiring people to wear a mask when they have a cold could be reasonable though, as they do in Asia.

Genuine Q for people still testing: so you have cold-like symptoms, you test: negative. What do you do then? Is it just covid that you want to identify vs all the other virus/microbes and if yes why?

IMO covid is now classed as a ‘cold-like illness’ and I don’t test as there is no point knowing it is this virus and not any of the many other ones.

I agree I may have been in a conscientious bubble post covid. It did just seem for a few months people were more tolerant and appreciative of each other, for a short while at least. Post lockdown syndrome of sorts.

The want to isolate isn't there partly because of framing, to my mind. The gov is framing the lack of workers as scroungers wanting benefits rather than realistically explaining that it is partly MH and partly long-covid that have caused the increase in unemployment. I don't blame them, because it is largely their fault both spiralled so badly. If they were more down to earth and practical they'd be doing more to actually help the situation, rather than blaming some magical employable dosser who lives the life of riley on PIP through choice.

I didn't see anything like that around me. Not doubting that it was your experience, but you can't assume it was representative. Once restrictions had finished, the COL crisis kicked in pretty quickly so the issue of losing wages became even more pressing. Lots of people I know with in person roles were pressured to work a lot in 2022-3, as places wanted to make up for lost time, catch up on backlogs etc.

It's fair enough to want things from the government, but I remain sceptical that they're capable of facilitating any behavioural change at the moment. People have to want to voluntarily restrict their lives. The evidence of that willingness isn't there.

I was actually talking post lock down - not relating to just covid. There was a general agreement that it was no use to anyone someone coming in sick and infecting everyone with flu or even a nasty cold. People were happy to call in sick and stay at home. I think covid had a lot of opposite reactions because people were being told to stay home rather than by choice. My main issue is the govt not reminding the public that there are vulnerable people around who need shielding and if you think you have covid you should test before going out in close contact with others Information means they have the option at least, people have largely forgotten these people exist because the govt narrative is everyone is over covid.

Surely it depends on your line of work? I'm not in UK but we still test. We can technically still work in full PPE but none of us would risk our clients catching it. I only got it for the first time a few months ago and it was more than a cold for sure. took me nearly 2 weeks to feel back to normal.

People are still testing - DH did one the other day because his sniffle turned shivery and achey and he felt rotten. Negative, but he wanted to know one way or the other. Whatever it is, he's given it to me now.

I was just about to say this.

Who are these people who have symptoms of Covid, so obviously feel poorly, get a negative result and crack on with the visit anyway?

We don’t test, some kits were left over but the liquid evaporated. However we are much more respectful about anyone who is CEV and if we have symptoms we limit our movements, wfh etc.

You know not everyone can work from home right ?
If I was ill.i wouldn't visit a friend with cancer if a colleague had a baby who was so unwell they would be vulnerable to covid and other infections ,maybe they need to isolate themselves ?
Would you expect a colleague to put their own job at risk for you?

"So say you have a friend with cancer or a colleague with a poorly baby , you have symptoms but you would not test ? "

I wouldn't want to be around either if I had symptoms, irrespective of whether it was Covid or not, so pointless doing a test for me.

But for work, unless I was ill as in needed time off work, I would have to go in irrespective of what I had so again, pointless for me to test.

Yes the virus has weakened but it can still be much nastier than a current cold even in younger people .