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Original poster

Christmas morning Covid test being demanded

859 replies

Quarks69 · 22/12/2021 08:27

Is everyone else having these? My sister in law has demanded this from my side of the family as her elderly parents are going to be at the dinner. With a family of five and three are my busy teens I am worried that we could end up with no xmas day if one of us is asymptomatic (for the second year running obvs).

I do get that we are in bonkers times, but Was so looking Forward to seeing everyone, including my parents, that this is making me cross...isn’t this the point of the jabs!?

OP posts:
2022HereWeCome · 22/12/2021 09:35

Well I think the world has gone a bit mad and I think the obsession with testing is unhealthy in different ways.The reality is a cold can be dangerous to some people, ditto flu, ditto chickenpox, ditto various other viruses, ditto bacterial illnesses ...

OP are all family members doing a LFT including the elderly relatives? If so you really have a choice to do one or not go. it's not fair to lie about it.

FWIW we are only meeting my elderly parents and no one is bothering to test unless we have symptoms. It is just making our mental health worse to keep obsessing about testing/Covid

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 22/12/2021 09:35

@Newjobnewstart

Just say you tested and it's negative. I'm not testing unless I have symptoms. Lfts are the most reliable anyway so u could still be positive even with a lat flow.
How selfish if the host has asked. I'd be so pissed off if I found out anyone I had been in contact with did this
CrapDrawer · 22/12/2021 09:35

People like me have been putting themselves at risk daily, to teach your children. I am fully jabbed, wear a mask and take lfts bi-weekly.

OP you see there is a risk then? You working is a risk to you and you’re happy to take the tests for work just not to reduce risk for vulnerable people in case your Xmas is spoiled. I’m a teacher too and I will make sure to do LFTs this whole week before I see older relatives in Christmas Day. How can you care so much during term time and not in the holidays?!

TwoBlueFish · 22/12/2021 09:35

I’m testing and have asked my guests to test as well. It’s quick and easy so why wouldn’t you.

JustLyra · 22/12/2021 09:36

Is everyone really testing all the time? Do you have any faith in the jabs?

I have absolute faith that the vaccine will reduce my chances of catching it and if I do catch it that it’ll make me much less unwell.

However, I’m also aware that DH’s Granny and my Dad4 are more vulnerable to it because they are elderly (despite being vaccinated) and immuno- compromised so we’re still testing to protect them.

The point of LFT’s is because you could be asymptomatuc

JabNotInArm · 22/12/2021 09:36

Personal I'd do one Christmas Eve evening. I know everyone says they can change quickly, but dealing with potentially bad news on Christmas Day isn't an ideal scenario.

Straight out of the Trump School of Logic.

PlanktonsComputerWife · 22/12/2021 09:36

There will be people on here claiming to be taking a LFT before they go for their morning wees, soon.

The more people screech about how hypervigilant they are, the more I smell bullshit.

GiltEdges · 22/12/2021 09:36

@Thatsplentyjack

Hang on, you don't want to test incase one of you is asymptomatic? So you want to live in ignorant bliss and go spread covid to her elderly parents so you can all have a lovely christmas day?
This is basically exactly what OP is saying, whether acknowledged or not.
Gunpowder · 22/12/2021 09:37

I know there was a shortage of LFTs 5-10 days ago trackand but I think that’s been resolved now, hasn’t it?

I think if one lives in an area of high prevalence, wateraddict’s approach is quite sensible.

BornOnTwelfthNight · 22/12/2021 09:37

No we’re not testing as we have no extended guests this year, but if it was a mix of several households then it would be sensible to do so.
If your sil has requested you test then you should. If you don’t want to test then don’t, Stay at home!

Being jabbed doesn’t give you the guarantee that you won’t catch or pass on covid.

If you’re worried about not getting a Christmas dinner then get yourself down to the supermarket and buy some food in “just in case” then you won’t go hungry.

JabNotInArm · 22/12/2021 09:37

@Newjobnewstart Just say you tested and it's negative. I'm not testing unless I have symptoms. Lfts are the most reliable anyway so u could still be positive even with a lat flow.

How irresponsible. LFTs aren't the most reliable but still have a good chance of showing a positive if you're contagious and they're surely better than nothing

Chr1stmasCarole · 22/12/2021 09:38

*People like me have been putting themselves at risk daily, to teach your children. I am fully jabbed, wear a mask and take lfts bi-weekly.

But feel free to get on your high horse*

I'm in the same boat as you here op and will certainly be testing just before I set off on Christmas Day. I genuinely don't understand why people wouldn't want to do this.
I mean, yes an asymptomatic positive would spoil your day but what if you didn't test (or lied about it as one pp suggested Hmm)
Imagine living with the guilt of passing on a virus to a vulnerable person when you could have prevented it.
Not worth it to me 🤷‍♂️

BellaChagall · 22/12/2021 09:38

I've actually had to read the OP 3 times because I thought I'd misunderstood. Unbelievable.

Missushbb · 22/12/2021 09:38

@NandorTheRelentless i don't know what the point in your post was. i did get a pcr. my point is lateral flows didn't pick up an infection, so all you people who are so smug in doing your lateral flows, you could still bloody have it!

LAMPS1 · 22/12/2021 09:38

Yes we are all testing before getting together and appreciate that others do the same, especially for elderly parents. Can’t believe anybody would think not to do that for their elders. Selfish not to test in my opinion. This time last year we all wished we could have a rapid result test and now we have it. It’s not 100% reliable but it’s a much better situation than last year. Why not take advantage of that. Surely you are used to testing by now.

JustLyra · 22/12/2021 09:38

Just say you tested and it's negative. I'm not testing unless I have symptoms. Lfts are the most reliable anyway so u could still be positive even with a lat flow.

That would be a disgusting thing to do.

If you don’t want to follow someone’s request to help protect an elderly relative then decline their invitation.

Lying is a ridiculous thing to do.

KingofQueens · 22/12/2021 09:39

Of course you should test. We are all going to test on Christmas morning here - from 7 year old to 73 year old.

Hangthetowels · 22/12/2021 09:39

We are all testing and it's perfectly reasonable in my view.
So you'd rather not know you had covid and potentially spread it to someone elderly??? Is that what you just said?

lynntheyresexswappers · 22/12/2021 09:39

What?! This is why you're meant to be taking LFT regularly, Incase you are asymptomatic!
What if you did have it, and spread it to the elderly relatives? I suppose that doesn't matter as long as you have a nice day.
This is one of the most abhorrently selfish things I've ever read. And even more concerning that by your replies you seem to be a teacher! I don't have much hope for the children you teach if you lack basic common sense and human decency Confused

Exhausteddog · 22/12/2021 09:39

We are going to another family member who is hosting. There will be 10 people, one of whom is very elderly (over 90) so we have agreed to test on Xmas eve. We test twice a week as a matter of course (although tbh the kids haven't tested since they broke up from school because they haven't been out. ) but the others don't generally. We are not asking the older person to test as they would find it difficult to get a test I think.

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 22/12/2021 09:40

Why is using the word ‘demanding’ dramatic. It means we can’t go unless we do it. As opposed to ‘asking’ which is just a request.

You are right that it is a demand but it is a reasonable demand. She wants her elderly parents and in-laws to be as safe at Christmas as possible. And if you wont support her in that then she has every right to decide you're not welcome.

People like me have been putting themselves at risk daily, to teach your children.

And I am grateful, though I don't have school-age children myself. But that doesn't give you the right to put your elderly relatives at risk.

BrutusMcDogface · 22/12/2021 09:40

Yabu, very very unreasonable, and utterly selfish.

Hangthetowels · 22/12/2021 09:40

@Thatsplentyjack

Hang on, you don't want to test incase one of you is asymptomatic? So you want to live in ignorant bliss and go spread covid to her elderly parents so you can all have a lovely christmas day?
My thoughts exactly?!
JabNotInArm · 22/12/2021 09:40

Both sets of parents are old not vulnerable.

Where have you been for the last 2 years, OP? Old is vulnerable. And vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness from a baseline of no jabs, therefore older vaccinated people are more at risk than younger vaccinated people

caringcarer · 22/12/2021 09:40

Doing a LFT takes about 3 mins. Of course you should do them before going out. Just get a joint of meat in as back up, just in case one of your immediate family test positive and you can't go. Everyone I know will be testing before visiting others, vulnerable or not.

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