Retired DH doing weekly LFT for no reason …..

[GoodnightGrandma]

…….. other than he wants to. No symptoms, no requirement to do it.

YANBU - It’s a waste of resources and it’s adding to landfill unnecessarily.

YABU - none of your business, he can do what he wants.

@MaxNormal

Chicken pox is way more dangerous for adults who haven't previously had it than covid is likely to be though - and most adults won't have been vaccinated against it either. Or you can give someone shingles and that's not pleasant at all.

And if you're frail, elderly or immune compromised you'll be in plenty of trouble from flu. If you're young, flu is actually more dangerous than covid.

You cant give anyone shingles. Shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus you had in the past. You can pass chicken pox from chicken pox and chicken pox from shingles not the other way round

@ImUninsultable

What do you mean by no requirement to do it?

I'm in Scotland, maybe it is different where you are, but we're being asked for every adult to do 2 a week. It's on radio adverts all the time.

Do 2 tests a week and report results.

The only way for any normalcy to return is for everyone to test every week and then isolate if they get a positive. With the vaccine, a lot of people have no symptoms so you dont know you've got it but you'd be spreading it around. Even just going to the shops or out for lunch. You might spread it to a child or to the vulnerable.

You should be testing too.

I'm slightly confused, you do know theres no requirement to do it in Scotland don't you?

They do ask you to test twice a week in Scotland. It's mainly ds that does them for school though

I'm in North Lanarkshire in Scotland and this is what comes up on my fb page regularly

You cant give anyone shingles. Shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus you had in the past

Fair enough, I had that the wrong way around, I still think it's a mistake to trivialise chicken pox in relation to covid. It's honestly like people think that's the only disease that matters or is a risk to people.

I'm in South Lanarkshire and I've never seen that ad or anything similar before.

Tbf I don’t think that IN ENGLAND the advice if testing twice a week has been spread very much.
I’ve inky heard about it on MN and the advice been on the NHS website is as good as the one saying that we should all take vit D supplements (also on the NHS website). Aka it’s there but few people are talking about it!

Dcs have been told to do tests twice weekly. Very few of them actually doit this year. There is a real fatigue around that I think.

The person with chicken pox is supposed to stay home until their spots scab over so that's like isolating from others. Exposure to wild chickenpox is also supposed to help boost the immune system in those that have had chickenpox and help prevent shingles developing. Maybe covid will be the same as some point

Covid is very easily transmitted - that is why everyone should be testing regularly. For every Covid patient admitted to hospital, that’s one less bed available for emergency or scheduled surgery from the huge waiting list.

@dementedpixie @ImUninsultable
Yes but it isn't compulsory which is what I thought was being referred to.

Tbh I’m wondering what is the point I doing them if a lot/most people do the test twice a week and we still have a real high number if people in hospital/dying vs other countries where no one would test regularly like this (eg France)

By testing he is protecting other people though which is as important as protecting the environment and potentially more so. If hebis retired he probably also socialise with potentially older and/or more vulnerable people

[quote Mantlemoose]**@dementedpixie* @ImUninsultable*
Yes but it isn't compulsory which is what I thought was being referred to.[/quote]
I didn't say it was compulsory, just that it was advised.

Also something worth thinking about, viral load is important.
High viral load is associated with more visible symptoms (and higher severity of the illness).
If someone has no symptoms, then, even if they have covid, their viral load will be low. So they will be less likely to get severely ill and less likely to transmit the disease to others…..

I think concentrating to people testing when they have symptoms AND supporting them when they have to self isolate (and I mean real financial support that allow people to actually live from that) is much more important.

@dementedpixie I wasn't sure what you meant, was just in case you had thought it was compulsory

I do the tests twice a week, just as well I did as I had no symptoms but had a positive lft and then PCR.

Most people I know are testing twice weekly, but almost everyone I know has dc in nursery/school. Many of them are stocking up on test packs as it's rumoured they'll stop the free tests next year - you can order one pack a day online, and there are seven tests in each pack. I know a family with piles of them in the spare room!

My DD - retired (79) has Ben doing his once / twice a week since they came out.
It is not going to land full (yet!) as he writes the date on each one and keeps them all - as he does with receipts (keeps) and batteries

@TravelLost

Also something worth thinking about, viral load is important. High viral load is associated with more visible symptoms (and higher severity of the illness). If someone has no symptoms, then, even if they have covid, their viral load will be low. So they will be less likely to get severely ill and less likely to transmit the disease to others…..

I think concentrating to people testing when they have symptoms AND supporting them when they have to self isolate (and I mean real financial support that allow people to actually live from that) is much more important.

Not true for me. I had no symptoms but passed it on to my DS, DF and DH. Just lucky that my DM and MIL didn't get it too.

I am supposed to do them twice a week for work and DD for school.
We don't always do it if I'm honest
I will do it when I remember or if I feel there is a particular need to.
I guess no-one should be criticised for doing what the government advises but I wish they would change their advice.

Personally I am so over sticking sticks up my nose after nearly a year of the twice weekly testing mandate.
We've all had it and we're all as vaxxed as we can be.
Loads of people I know are getting it now but it's barely noticeable for vaccinated people. I can't help feeling this is all an over reaction now
And I didn't used to think that before vaccines. Before then I knew people who were getting seriously sick and dying and I lived in fear of unknowingly infecting someone and killing them but I can't keep up that level of fear for my whole life.
I don't know when it will ever end and we can stop doing this stupid stuff but I am desperate for that day to come now.

@MumofSpud

My DD - retired (79) has Ben doing his once / twice a week since they came out. It is not going to land full (yet!) as he writes the date on each one and keeps them all - as he does with receipts (keeps) and batteries

Sorry but that did make me

I’d love to know how long people who have previously isolated because of flu have isolated for ie how many days? And how did they know this was long enough?

Covid is nothing like the flu. It’s so much more easily transmitted. With flu most people return to normal activities when they are physically able - two - three weeks.

Are people misinterpreting the guidance? In Wales the guidelines say to do twice weekly tests if you are unvaccinated.
Doesn’t mention any obligation to test if you are double vaccinated.

@PrtScn

Unvaccinated or
Vulnerable or
Close contact of vulnerable person or
In a high risk environment

That's a lot of people and far more than just the unvaccinated.

@Parker231

Covid is nothing like the flu. It’s so much more easily transmitted. With flu most people return to normal activities when they are physically able - two - three weeks.

I haven’t known anyone who has still been too I’ll to come out of isolation after the 10 days.