To think no one is testing for Covid anymore?

Are you paying?

And if it isn't Covid, you still don't know what you've got. What did you do pre-2020?

Everyone should test. Some people, like me are immunosupressed and our lives may depend on other people being careful. It's basic good manners.

If people are still testing for covid, after all this time, they have health anxiety. You only get one chance at this incredibly short life, make the most of it instead of being worried about what you may or may not have.

I'd be happy to test before I met with potentially vulnerable people but there don't seem to be any tests around any more. I've recently looked in one major supermarket and two different chemists and none of them had tests visible.

My DP works in theatre in a big hospital. They’ve been told not to test, and to go to work if they are well enough.

The same advice has been given to my organisation.

Never have and never will.
Feel very ill - rest
Feel bit rough but ok? Crack on

I have to work regardless

I don’t test, in fact I don’t remember the last time I heard someone say the word ‘Covid’ in real life.
I was pro tests and masks during the pandemic, but now it just feels like a fever dream from the past.

But can't other illness do that as well or is it just covid?

Same! I won't do anything different. It's just curious

My consultants advice is be sensible basically
I did get covid when I listened to people who said oh it's fine now and I caught it on Christmas Day 2 years ago

3 weeks off work, monitoring by hospital at home, anti virals and 3 months to get back to a vague level of fitness plus the money I lost being off work plus the risk of long covid

I don’t think people are ‘sick of Covid’ at all, it doesn’t even cross their mind anymore.

I last tested in December 2021 coming back from holiday.

What difference would it have made? Presumably you would still have gone on holiday?

those who test- why do you? If you do it so you can isolate/shield why only do this with Covid? Any cold/flu respiratory virus can be harmful to the clinically vulnerable, so either you take precautions with every sniffle or possible virus, or you don’t. There’s nothing special about Covid any more.

Yes it’s a mystery isn’t it? I guess my first thought would be that they needed something for them or their family in IKEA, didn’t necessarily have someone else to go for them, and they work during the week so this was when they were available to go, if they are single parents they may need to wait until the DC are at football practice etc. And my second thought would be that someone not capable of figuring that out must not be very bright.

I still do test. I just don't agree with this "It's only a cold" because I've seen Covid have a devastating impact on people. My best friend has had long Covid for two years and is still unable to work, uses a mobility scooter. She was a very healthy 40 something before.
My mum ended up in hospital with Covid, nearly dying. I have another friend who has been suffering with long Covid since April 2020. For two years she could barely leave her bed.
All these people have had many colds and never become seriously ill with them.
So yes I'll continue to test because I never want to see anyone else go through what they've been through.

Thanks.

The only people I know who are still testing have complex health concerns.

No one else I know tests or even thinks about testing.

The colleague with the cold however shouldn't have gone in even if it was just a cold

Meanwhile in the real world - get real.

People should stay away from others if they have any heavy cold whereever possible
I have had 3 heavy colds this year...and lost my sense of smell twice (once with a cold, once without)
Two of those I tested - and both were negative.
But in all cases I stayed away from work and other people.
The lateral.flow tests may nut be accurate with the new and different strains...and also depends when you test (and they aren't free)
But any heavy cold is going to be very unpleasant and potentially life threatening for vulnerable people.

I know not everyone can stay away....I have thus debate at work as I can work from home but others can't and I know they feel.pressure to come in as they don't feel sick enough for a sick day.

Exactly the same here. I never caught anything either and I'm classed as clinically vulnerable! The tests were even confirmed, by the scientist who developed them, not to be effective in testing for Covid, because that's not what they were developed for!

There are actually estimates that are much higher than one third. It's hard to be specific, because we don't test much for flu and the people we do test are usually ill. This one for example is 75%.

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/seasonal-influenza/facts/factsheet

There's a systematic review here.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586318/

What we do know is asymptomatic flu infection is really common.

I can't remember when I last tested. Couple of years.

YABU to think no-one is testing for Covid any more.

I tested in Jan as a. I had a colleague who had confirmed covid, b. I now had identical symptoms and c. I'd like to know if I have it, as I missed the last jab, so it's helpful to know I've had an immunity booster. It was covid. Otherwise, I don't test and have no tests left now.

Exactly, so many people wearing grotty fabric “chin hammocks”-utterly pointless