to wonder who is right in this disagreement?

[WiganDiva]

Just had a conversation with my cousin, who is coming on Xmas Day with her family. There will be twelve in total. She mentioned in passing about doing a LFT on Xmas Eve.

It turns out her family are doing LFTs before they go anywhere and meet anyone. And, crucially, she assumes everyone else is doing the same.

We only test when we’ve been a close contact (or symptoms) and are otherwise carrying on with our lives. No one we’ve met or are planning to meet has asked us about LFTs beforehand.

She says this no one asks because everyone is doing them and it’s a given. I think no one asks because everyone is doing what they feel comfortable with and would explicitly ask if they wanted everyone they were meeting to have done a LFT first.

What do you think? This is not about the rights/wrongs of testing but about what people are assuming about other people.

I would assume everyone was being sensible and doing them before large gatherings, yes.

I don't assume that everyone is testing daily, but I know that the people we have contact with do. We all work in places where we have been expected to test daily for the past six weeks. We will continue to do so over the Christmas period.

I would like to assume people do them before gatherings. And will be at Xmas.

It's just respectful really. Id hate to turn up somewhere unknowingly infected and spread it about.

I absolutely would assume. In my planned Christmas Day we are all testing in the morning. If anyone is positive then so be it.
Not sure what I’d do if going somewhere where people didn’t think pretty essential to protect everyone.
Good luck op no matter what you do.

An array of responses then.

For the record, I never said in my post that I wouldn’t test and am willing to.

The issue, as LonginesPrime so perfectly summarised, was the yawning gap between her assumptions and mine.

I do them twice a week for work. My DH is working from home so doesn't bother but will if he's going anywhere he'll spend time near people (eg. meet friends, getting his hair cut, go to a restaurant).

Certainly in my ‘circle’ everyone appears to be doing them before meeting up or going somewhere busy. It does tend to get mentioned in advanced/as you meet too though.

No I wouldn't assume anything covid related. Everyone has their own comfort level. The important thing is to politely discuss and agree to disagree if necessary.

I'm doing them frequently for work anyway, but we all do them before meeting up with groups indoors. Everyone knows someone vulnerable who could be affected, so it just makes sense.

well, as 4 out of 5 of my family have had covid in the last 90 days, there is no point in doing LFT as they can still come back positive.

So we are only reacting to symptoms.

In fact my parents have suugested that none of us do LFT and just meet. They are past the point of worrying about covid, and just want the family together.

I absolutely would assume. In my planned Christmas Day we are all testing in the morning.

These two sentences say the opposite though - are you simply assuming that everyone's on the same page as you and are testing before meeting up, or have you actually discussed it?

If you've discussed it and have agreed on a plan in advance, which is what it sounds like, then you're not merely assuming, are you? You've agreed on a specific plan together to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. That's completely different from not discussing it and just assuming everyone else is also testing beforehand.

@icedcoffees

I don't know anyone who is doing LFT's unless they've been in contact with a positive case.

Everyone around here is just living their lives as normal as far as I can tell. Shops, pubs, restaurants etc. are as busy as ever. People are wearing masks but that's it.

What a bizarre post. The point of taking LFTs is so that people can live their lives normally. How do you know that every single person you see in these busy places hasn't done the intelligent and selfless act of taking an LFT first?

I'm not doing an lft before seeing my bf and his kids but we will before seeing his parents as they're elderly.

I don’t really assume anything other than people will test if they have symptoms or have been a close contact. Otherwise everybody I know has just been getting on with life.

Every family member in my house tested before they came home.

We all test if we are meeting anyone if we haven’t worked that day
We have Covid tests daily for work.

I'm not assuming anything.

I do on days I am meeting someone indoors and ask them to do the same

Everyone has different personal rules, bit I thought it was recommended before Christmas socialising as cases are high so I would do the lft (I'm doing them weekly for work anyway but may do additional ones)

In our family ot would be taken as read, but then we have many school age/university age members. I find the idea that anyone would visit granny without testing a bit bizarre tbh - if I was granny I'd definitely be insisting.

Oh and pre Christmas testing in our extended family has picked up 2 positive but asymptomatic cases, so has definitely been worthwhile.

I would assume people do in the last week or so although for Christmas I have checked people are rather than assumed

I would assume people would be taking an lft before getting together at a family gathering.

Lots of people do them frequently.

And nearly everyone I have spoken to is testing before going to see family over Christmas. Because people 'don't want to kill granny'

Testing before being in close contact is a really good idea. And given the news yesterday about how rapid the onset of omicron can be, then right before departure is the best time.

I dont know how many other people are but I have been since start of December.