To ask guests to take lateral flow test?

[Blue1212]

It's our sons 1st birthday party on Saturday and we are planning a get together in the back garden.

We don't have a massive garden, and although we won't be going over the numbers allowed, it could be difficult for everyone to distance.

My brother qmd his family, has just phoned up to cancel as their daughter has just tested positive for covid, and our dd's school has sent home two classes from her year group today.

Aibu to ask all adults attending take a lft as a precaution?

@Littlecaf - What shocks me is that people who are unable or unwilling to look to return to normality now the vaccine programme is rolled out, weekly deaths are in single figures and hospitalisations near nil due to COVID.

Yet people like the OP are still forcing their views and fears on others. The risk of a group of children and vaccinated adults is negligible at best.

So to insist on a test in my opinion is excessive.

We NEED TO MOVE ON!

As someone else menionted, shall we test for Flu? Seems sensible as it has killed more people of late and is transmissble, and many are un vaccinated.

So maybe mandatory flu tests prior to admission?

It won’t make the party any safer and it will just piss people off.

And how are you going to police this? Ask to see their results at the door?

Be prepared for a lot of people to decline.

@Littlecaf

“It's not a big deal for you It is a big deal for others for a variety of reasons.”

What’s the variety of other reasons?

I’m actually shocked that people think the OP is being unreasonable! It seems sensible to me. Regular testing IS learning to live with it. Literally takes 1 min to do a test then go about your normal day check the test 30 mins later! Parents are supposed to be doing them for primary school ages children and secondary school children themselves. Are you all of doing this anyway? It’s as easy as having a cuppa or writing a Mumsnet post.

Take your blinkers off! It's really not that hard to think why people might struggle, especially when some reasons have been explained on this very thread.

It is not as easy as having a cup of tea. How utterly ridiculous.

Wow! I am really surprised how strongly people are against doing the tests. We do them as a family before we go to events where we will be mixing with anyone vulnerable. It’s not a big deal.
I know they are not 100%, but it’s an extra precaution that might help protect someone.

Personally I have no problem whatsoever with the nasal part of the test, it's the throat part that sends me into a total panic.

@hamstersarse

You might be better testing for flu.

In the week ending 18th June, there were 1069 deaths involving flu, and 102 deaths involving Covid.

And given flu is more deadly than Covid to children, you really must protect them

Children from 2 to 12 or 13 are offered a flu jab as routine plus any with long term health conditions. Personally if I was having a party outside I wouldn’t ask for lateral flows. There are some healthy children who have died and been negatively affected and lots are reasonably poorly for a couple of weeks. Some double jabbed in hospital with covid. If I had a friend who was worried I’d do it to set their mind at rest. I’d expect you to do your school age children aswell though OP, especially given they’ve been in contact. If people can’t/ don’t want to I think you just have to accept that but perhaps a text saying if you feel able please do, obviously I won’t be checking results etc

“It is not as easy as having a cup of tea. How utterly ridiculous.”

Are you kidding? It’s not utterly ridiculous! Take swab out of packet, swab your nose and throat, put in the solution, put solution on the test strip, wait 30 mins. You can go and do something else if you want while you wait! It’s almost as easy as doing a pregnancy test, at least you don’t get wee on your hand!

That. Is. It.

I really don’t understand what the big deal is.

My daughter attended a small 18th birthday last weekend and all asked to complete a LFT. Not a complaint among them all just did it and seemingly happy to do so.

@Littlecaf

“It is not as easy as having a cup of tea. How utterly ridiculous.”

Are you kidding? It’s not utterly ridiculous! Take swab out of packet, swab your nose and throat, put in the solution, put solution on the test strip, wait 30 mins. You can go and do something else if you want while you wait! It’s almost as easy as doing a pregnancy test, at least you don’t get wee on your hand!

That. Is. It.

I really don’t understand what the big deal is.

You don’t care about the plastic waste they generate?

And this is why the virus is spreading. Such a negative reaction from many posters, to a sensible request

I’d decline the invitation, at least for something as (sorry) unimportant as a baby’s birthday where there’s no particular reason to worry. Under some circumstances I’d be happy to isolate- my brother is genuinely extremely vulnerable and I don’t get to see him very often, so I’d happily isolate for a week first so I could see him.

I wouldn’t do an LFT test under any circumstances though. They’re so unreliable there’s no point, and also I’m not really interested in socialising with people who see that performance as important.

I think it's a sensible measure. It reduces risk, but does not eliminate it, but risk reduction is better than no risk reduction.

@Littlecaf

“It is not as easy as having a cup of tea. How utterly ridiculous.”

Are you kidding? It’s not utterly ridiculous! Take swab out of packet, swab your nose and throat, put in the solution, put solution on the test strip, wait 30 mins. You can go and do something else if you want while you wait! It’s almost as easy as doing a pregnancy test, at least you don’t get wee on your hand!

That. Is. It.

I really don’t understand what the big deal is.

Does pissing on a pregnancy test make you gag horrendously? Does making a cuppa make you gag horrendously?

Are you really unable to understand something so simple?

And this is why the virus is spreading.

It really isn't. It's spreading because of idiots ignoring social distancing, isolation requests and basic hygiene.

@SoupDragon

No but neither does a lateral flow test! Are you really unable to understand something so simple?

[quote Littlecaf]@SoupDragon

No but neither does a lateral flow test! Are you really unable to understand something so simple?[/quote]
It doesn't make you gag.

It's a shame you can't understand that not everyone is the same as you.

@Littlecaf

“It is not as easy as having a cup of tea. How utterly ridiculous.”

Are you kidding? It’s not utterly ridiculous! Take swab out of packet, swab your nose and throat, put in the solution, put solution on the test strip, wait 30 mins. You can go and do something else if you want while you wait! It’s almost as easy as doing a pregnancy test, at least you don’t get wee on your hand!

That. Is. It.

I really don’t understand what the big deal is.

That's nice you don't ever have to understand conditions like PTSD and autism. What a lovely world you live in. Some of us don't, though. I had to be put under a GA to have an endoscopy, my PTSD around things down my throat is so bad. Yes, I've had therapy, too, thanks much.

It's unreliable, generates huge plastic waste and the virus spreads because people respire.

I would avoid holding a party. But if I was being pressured by relatives, I would insist on LFT.

I'd just decline. If put on the spot, it would be, 'No, thanks. Here's the gift, have a nice time,' and leave.

@Namenic

I would avoid holding a party. But if I was being pressured by relatives, I would insist on LFT.

As long as you're okay with their not attending due to your insistence.

@Todaytomorrowyesterday

My daughter attended a small 18th birthday last weekend and all asked to complete a LFT. Not a complaint among them all just did it and seemingly happy to do so.

Mine wouldn't have gone.

My friend had a negative lft, positive pcr. They really are quite pointless