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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go to the theatre with a cold?

129 replies

blameitonthecaffeine · 02/10/2021 09:45

I have a theatre ticket for tonight.

I had Covid 3 weeks ago but wasn't ill. I think I caught it at the theatre (can't know for sure of course but I was sitting next to someone visibly ill and it was hit and crowded).

Now I have a cough and cold. Worse than covid was for me but nothing like bad enough to have given a second thought to pre Covid.

Half of me feels I should stay at home tonight. I was uncomfortable sitting next to the ill person and if I cough or sneeze while at the theatre, I don't want anyone else to feel that way. Even though I know it can't be Covid, they don't know that. And if they catch a cold, they'll have to go through the whole testing malarkey anyway.

The other me half of me thinks that theatre tickets aren't cheap, I'm well enough to go out and that we can't go round avoiding colds forever. If people are happy to be in a theatre they are probably well aware of and happy about the risks of catching a variety of bugs.

Which half would you listen to? YABU = stay at home. YANBU = go to the theatre.

OP posts:
VaguelyInteresting · 02/10/2021 10:29

I wouldn’t go, because passing on ANY virus that is going to potentially result in other people needing to test and isolate for symptoms, feels very unfair.

icedcoffees · 02/10/2021 10:30

Stay home.

COVID is largely irrelevant IMO, nobody wants to sit through a theatre performance while the person next to them is coughing, sneezing and sniffing or blowing their nose!

nofuelshortagehere · 02/10/2021 10:31

Don't go, let the theatre know so perhaps that they can re-sell.

PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears · 02/10/2021 10:32

How do you know it's not still your first infection of covid just lasting a long time? Genuine question. Can that happen?

But even if it's not, if it were me, I wouldn't go. Not only would I be terribly uncomfortable, those around me would be terribly uncomfortable.

The spread of usual winter infections is going to be so disruptive this year with precautionary testing, isolating, cancelling plans, etc. so I'd try to minimize that.

Sorry OP. I hope you feel better soon.

OhWhyNot · 02/10/2021 10:32

I wear a mask at work when around others and in shops

We don’t have the luxury at work to work from home or to send staff home becuase they have a cold and are well enough to be on

It’s life we get colds/coughs we can’t all hide away from home when we have

User135644 · 02/10/2021 10:32

it should absolutely be normal NOT to go to the theatre when you have a heavy cold.

Why would you want to? If you've got a heavy cold you just want to be in bed.

ilovesooty · 02/10/2021 10:38

@icedcoffees

Stay home.

COVID is largely irrelevant IMO, nobody wants to sit through a theatre performance while the person next to them is coughing, sneezing and sniffing or blowing their nose!

Agreed.
TheVolturi · 02/10/2021 10:39

Crikey, it's going to be a long winter if we stay home every time we have a sniffle isn't it? Op can't save the world singlehandedly, most people that go public places have some sort of a cold at the moment!

Innocenta · 02/10/2021 10:45

@TheVolturi Nobody has asked OP to save the world singlehandedly.

Original poster
blameitonthecaffeine · 02/10/2021 10:47

If I felt ill then no, I wouldn't want to go. But I don't have a heavy cold, just a general one. I don't feel tired or unwell. Can't move night, it's the last performance.

I won't go though. Wanted to gauge what percentage of people would think it wasn't ok and it seems most.

I'm surprised though. Especially about the pre Covid opinions. I'm a teacher and probably have a cold for about 50% of winter. That would be a lot of money and social life wasted if I cancelled for every single one. Do people really do that?

Also didn't know you could catch covid twice in 3 weeks. Everyone irl seems to accept that once you've had it that's it for a while. Even the theatre only requires pass, negative test or evidence of recent infection.

OP posts:
marieantoinehairnet · 02/10/2021 10:50

Er No it's pretty selfish to even consider it, you might still have covid, I mean, even the experts have no idea how long it can stay active

Tillysfad · 02/10/2021 10:54

A cold can be a very big deal for a child with early onset asthma, or an older person. Covid or no Covid, the world would be a better place if we respected other people's right to be well too. For those saying no would ever go anywhere then- if you stayed at home with a cold, lots and lots people would be able to go out freely and vice versa.

Teaandtonic · 02/10/2021 10:55

You have a cold where you may or may not cough or sneeze in a 2 hour window.
That's very different to going knowing you're going to be frequently coughing and sneezing.

Go.

TheVolturi · 02/10/2021 10:56

[quote Innocenta]@TheVolturi Nobody has asked OP to save the world singlehandedly. [/quote]
I'm saying, that it's irrelevant what she does. There will be loads more people in that theatre with a cold.

Frogsandsheep · 02/10/2021 10:59

@ButterflyAway

It definitely applies to pcr. I’ve been told repeatedly I can get false positive pcr tests for 90 days and not to take one.
I have had to cancel my bloody holiday because of this!

User135644 · 02/10/2021 11:00

@blameitonthecaffeine

If I felt ill then no, I wouldn't want to go. But I don't have a heavy cold, just a general one. I don't feel tired or unwell. Can't move night, it's the last performance.

I won't go though. Wanted to gauge what percentage of people would think it wasn't ok and it seems most.

I'm surprised though. Especially about the pre Covid opinions. I'm a teacher and probably have a cold for about 50% of winter. That would be a lot of money and social life wasted if I cancelled for every single one. Do people really do that?

Also didn't know you could catch covid twice in 3 weeks. Everyone irl seems to accept that once you've had it that's it for a while. Even the theatre only requires pass, negative test or evidence of recent infection.

I wouldn't think anything of a light cold, unless I had an uncontrollable cough/sniffles. If you're symptomatic then I think busy places should still be avoided where possible (you still have to go to work/do essentials like shopping etc). A simple cold that's symptoms are controlled with a Locket or something is okay.

A heavy cold and you feel like shit anyway and wouldn't want to go anywhere.

LindaEllen · 02/10/2021 11:01

I think it's selfish to go anywhere crowded when unwell to be honest. Like with covid, you never know who you're going to pass it to, and whether they might be particularly vulnerable.

Innocenta · 02/10/2021 11:05

@Tillysfad A cold can be extremely serious, even life threatening, for anyone with asthma. They don't have to be a child or an elderly person. I'm early thirties and have been incredibly unwell as a result of 'colds' several times.

CecilieRose · 02/10/2021 11:07

No, it would be enormously selfish to go. Most people's immune systems are poor right now and a lot of people are being battered by colds. It's really not acceptable to attend a non-essential social event with visible symptoms. Just stay at home.

FinallyHere · 02/10/2021 11:13

Covid aside, how would you feel if you were surrounded by other people with coughs and colds in the theatre.

Thought not.

Don't go.

I'm hoping that one positive result of the pandemic will be that people keep coughs snd colds to themselves.

GreyhoundG1rl · 02/10/2021 11:15

Oh, really... Hmm. Just don't.

Darkchocolateandcoffee · 02/10/2021 11:18

Stay at home. These people have paid a fortune for their tickets and you will ruin it for them.

I know it's harsh but I think that is the only kind and fair thing to do.

Playdoughcaterpillar · 02/10/2021 11:19

Butterfly you are wrong. The advice is not to retest PCR for 90 days. PCR amplifies any virus alive or dead so false positives would be common I'm the period after infection.

P0gM0Th0in · 02/10/2021 11:22

The theatre will probably refund or move the tickets to another date for you. (I had to cancel 2 things when I get tracked and traced a while back.)

beautifullymad · 02/10/2021 11:29

I'd go, you are not covid positive and can't get covid again so quickly.
But I'd wear a mask and explain to people either side of me that you've been advised it's not covid. So they aren't worrying for the whole performance.

If I wasn't comfortable enough to have a cold and wear a mask then I'd not go.

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