So bloody cross with my Mum.

[mioz]

DM lives alone and has bubbled with my household. She came over yesterday for a cup of tea, all completely normal. She text me today to say she’s been for a COVID test as she’s had a sore throat for 3 days. I am absolutely fuming with her for putting my family at risk and for being so sneaky and not even mentioning it yesterday. How do I get past her behaviour ☹️

VinylDetective: This. You don’t understand what bubbling means.
.......
What does it mean then?

Bubblng means someone living alone can be essentially regarded as part of another household. HTH.

That's what I thought, ie two (maybe more) households joining. Thank you, Vinyl.

2 of us in our household had sore throats so got tested before Christmas as my mum, who we bubble with, was supposed to be coming. As we are all out and about for work and education (and 2 of us are essential workers) we have tried to keep our lives as normal as possible whilst being safe and sensible.
We didn’t get results back for 4 days so my mum couldn’t come for Christmas Day. 3 of us were positive so we are very relieved that we took the better safe than sorry approach. Still not had any symptoms other than tiredness and sore throats.
And, yes, we lied to get all of us tested. I make no apologies for that. The testing centre was empty when we got there and idea that those living in the area next to me are entitled to testing and we are not is ridiculous. It is just another example of this government’s chaotic and clueless approach to everything which means that we have no chance at all of anything improving any time soon and getting back to some type of normality.
OP - I would never have not told my mum and I think your mum was wrong to come and see you without giving you the information you needed to make your own decision.

@pepsicolagirl

Sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, seizures, altered consciousness, diarrhoea, headaches, extreme tiredness, joint pain, nausea, nose bleed, vomiting, rash, muscle ache, loss of appetite, high temp or fever, new continuous cough and a change to your sense of smell or taste. A lot of people also report achey or sore eyes.

All considered symptoms but you need to have one or more of the 'top 3' to get access to a test.

I've had or have 13 of the symptoms on that list (and my GP is aware) but I can't get a test where I live because I don't have one of the 'Big Three'.

So I'll have to lie.

What a bloody 'system' - it encourages less than optimal behaviour.

@ithinkyouareveryrude

You don’t get a COVID test for a sore throat so if she’s downplayed her symptoms then you are right to be cross.

However if she’s just got a sore throat then she’s lied to get a test which in itself is appalling or you need to cut her a break because a sore throat alone is not indicative of COVID and could be any number of ailments.

Appalling? Whats appalling is the government sticking rigidly to the main 3 symptoms. If you have read the fucking thread you will see how many people have presented VERY differently with symptoms. I'm glad people have lied because the ones who DID turn out to be positive have been able to isolate accordingly. I've spent some of this year contact tracing and when I have asked for movements before and after symptoms onset the amount of people who apologised profusely for being a gadabout was very high. Often saying 'I thought it was a cold until I lost my sense of smell' quite often 3 - 4 days after they presented with sore throat or sinusitis..

I would be annoyed with her!!!

Anyone under 50 and not vulnerable should expect to get the virus at some point. This is now beyond doubt. (For the more vunerable it's now a race against time to vaccinate those most at risk because the spread is uncontrollable).

People should be careful visiting the elderly. Even with the sore throat, the risk was on her in case she had a different virus and you had Covid without knowing.

Agree to get a grip. Sore throats not even a main symptom. I've currently got a sore throat your mum shouldn't have even got a test for that.

Covid or no Covid, why visit someone when you have a sore throat/feel ill? It's so thoughtless

Yes hope we learn as a population to maintain some of the better hygiene measures we've learned help to stop spreading viruses

Very strange responses here OP. Of course you are within your rights to be annoyed. I’d be furious! And no, I don’t agree that most under 50s should assume they’ll get the virus. We should all try our very hardest not to!

I’d be annoyed. A friends mum came for Xmas dinner with “a bad head cold”, which she announced on arrival. Hasn’t had a test as she’s sure it’s a cold!

Can't believe posters on here still in denial about a sore throat being the first symptom in most cases reported on here with this new strain 🤦🏻‍♀️. I've still got signs of a sore throat 2 weeks after covid. If you have this symptom, please get tested.

@EarlGreywithLemon

Very strange responses here OP. Of course you are within your rights to be annoyed. I’d be furious! And no, I don’t agree that most under 50s should assume they’ll get the virus. We should all try our very hardest not to!

This is what is being assumed within the Government and SAGE.

The older variants were just about controllable with lockdown/restrictions. The new one isn't - it's just too transmissible.

This is why they have changed policy on 2nd vaccination jabs. They are in a race against time to save as many people as possible.

I’d be annoyed too. Even a normal cold isn’t desirable and you certainly wouldn’t want to give that concern to a beloved family member during these times. Hope no one else gets it and she recovers soon.

@starfro

Anyone under 50 and not vulnerable should expect to get the virus at some point. This is now beyond doubt. (For the more vunerable it's now a race against time to vaccinate those most at risk because the spread is uncontrollable).

People should be careful visiting the elderly. Even with the sore throat, the risk was on her in case she had a different virus and you had Covid without knowing.

Op's mum is not elderly, she's middle aged.

She felt poorly , ordered a test should be in self isolation

Not visiting you

Yes she is in your bubble but she doesn’t live with you soshouldnt have come round till had test results

I'd be upset with her too. If she went for a test she's obviously considered it may be covid (to put it mildly) and yet she's out and about mixing with people.

You don't say how long before yesterday she last visited you, but I'd also be irritated that now you ALL need to isolate until at least her (hopefully negative) test result is back, and longer if she's positive, as bubbled people are treated as one household. If she'd not seen you for a few days before yesterday you'd potentially be looking at a much shorter time off work etc.

In the current climate, people are very sensitive about any kind of illness. Our school doesn't want children coming in with any symptoms of illness, Covid-related or not. If a child is sniffing, or has a sore throat, or a tummy ache, they have to stay at home.

Lots of people just want to stay away from ill people. I think your Mum should have mentioned it to you. I think it's a bit thoughtless for people to be mixing closely with others if they have any illness whatsoever at the moment. That's a bit obvious.

People are right in saying that a sore throat is not a symptom that you can get tested for Covid for though - you have to have one of the listed symptoms.

Sore throat isn’t generally a symptom. I mean it can be but for a sore throat alone I wouldn’t get a test myself because I’m prone to throat infections and I’d had to camp out at the test centre 🤣Because she doesn’t have one of the main symptoms technically she doesn’t have to isolate. Annoying - yes but she’s in your bubble anyway. If it did come back positive you’d have to isolate anyway.

I'd be annoyed. Even if you don't get the virus, you could be stuck isolating. I hate when people don't mention they're unwell, it's selfish.

Actually baffled by some of these responses, I definitely don’t think you’re being unreasonable, OP.

Had a similar situation with my DM who we’ve bubbled with, a few months ago when pubs were open. She had seen a friend for a drink (well distanced apparently) and then had been to our house to visit my then 1yo DD, before announcing a few days ago that said friend hadn’t been feeling well. Turns out they both had Covid, though thankfully didn’t pass it to us.

I was, although concerned for them both, pretty annoyed that she hadn’t mentioned that to us before visiting. Bubble or not, I see no reason why that means we lose all common courtesy and would risk spreading such an illness to our family. I’d feel the same if it was any other contagious illness.

And as far as symptoms go, surely we all know by now that the variance is absolutely huge? DM had no temperature, a mild cough for a day or so in the middle of it, and though she did lose her sense of smell, this was around 2 weeks after symptoms had started and it came back very quickly, so with such a potentially serious illness, why risk it?

Are you not concerned more than cross?

I believe in Australia they’re told a sore throat is a symptom that they should get tested for.

Who knows, maybe in the U.K. we have different symptoms than the rest of the world or maybe we have an incompetent govt running an incompetent test and trace system where we aren’t told all the possible symptoms for fear of overrunning the system? 🤷‍♀️

Actually baffled by some of these responses

Yep, me too. But that's life on MN at the moment. Everyone seems to have taken leave of their senses.