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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Lulu1919 · 22/12/2021 13:57

We've got ten family members on the bank holiday due here for the evening , and I've asked them to LFT that morning.

Emerald5hamrock · 22/12/2021 13:59

I'm amazed how selfish you are OP.

Karatema · 22/12/2021 13:59

My DDIL is demanding this. We have taken an lft every other day and, fingers crossed, so far so good. If we have one positive lft on Christmas Eve we won't be going and I will rush out for Christmas dinners. That's life, at the moment, it can't be helped!

Workinghardeveryday · 22/12/2021 14:01

Why wouldn’t you want to take the test? Because you don’t like doing them? Fear of testing positive?

Why come on mn with this problem unless it is one of the above?

Personally I find it ridiculous. We are in the middle of a pandemic aren’t we. It’s no big task to stick a cotton bud up your nose whether you want to or not to protect the health of the family you obviously love so much and wish to keep safe.... never mind the fact you are going into their home and they are feeding you and looking after you on Christmas Day... sounds pretty selfish to me @Quarks69

JustLikeaJingleBell · 22/12/2021 14:04

Yes of course we'll be testing as we're also visiting older more vulnerable family members

cansu · 22/12/2021 14:06

The issue is that the reason you don't want to test is in case you have covid! Regardless of doing vaccinated or not, you can pass on and catch covid. No, you probably won't be seriously ill and hospitalised but you or someone else could be very unwell still and would also miss out on other things. By refusing to test or being reluctant to, you are basically saying I would rather not know if we have covid so I don't have to change my plans and isolate. I would rather this even if that means I pass covid to other people. It is selfish tbh. I also work in a school and test regularly and am exposed to unvaccinated kids. That shouldn't mean I am willing to expose others!

SnoopyLights · 22/12/2021 14:06

We are hoping to see family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the three of us in our household will be testing on both days before we visit. If one of us tests positive, we won't go.

I'm testing every day anyway as work have asked us to, and I will be carrying on through my leave days for my own peace of mind.

It's not exactly a hardship. Prepping and taking the test takes a couple of minutes, it's no more demanding than properly brushing your teeth, so your teens being busy is irrelevant, I'm sure they can spare two minutes on the day.

cansu · 22/12/2021 14:08

I would just add though that you have expressed what many people secretly do. I think there are many people who feel unwell and don't test or who don't do LFT because they don't want to deal with being positive. This is probably a large part of why cases have never really gone down in the UK even before omicron.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 22/12/2021 14:12

@Quarks69

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!?

Don't be so bloody selfish. Elderly members of the family are going to be there son of course you should test before you go. Tough shit if one of you is positive.
TokyoTen · 22/12/2021 14:13

You should be testing before meeting - it's only sensible!

worriedatthemoment · 22/12/2021 14:16

Where are people getting all these tests to test daily , how many packets do you have stashed away ?
I have been doing throughout and order a packet as and when needed, therefore when demand increases ( as obviously lots were not doing unil recently) i haven't been able to get some
Ordered online sunday and still not arrived and none in pharmacies

worriedatthemoment · 22/12/2021 14:18

@cansu i know of a lot that don't test other than a pcr if symptoms and that includes s lot of elderly people
And its quite clear that many didn't until now as its hard to get lft's online now , I have been getting them throughout and no issue until last week or so

Clymene · 22/12/2021 14:21

@worriedatthemoment

Where are people getting all these tests to test daily , how many packets do you have stashed away ? I have been doing throughout and order a packet as and when needed, therefore when demand increases ( as obviously lots were not doing unil recently) i haven't been able to get some Ordered online sunday and still not arrived and none in pharmacies
You're unlucky. I ordered some Monday and they arrived today.

People with jobs that require testing are given LFTs by their employers

Siameasy · 22/12/2021 14:21

Options:
“No we’re not doing it”. I would be tempted by this. Put the ball in her court.
or
“Yes we’ve tested and we’re negative”

tinkywinkyshandbag · 22/12/2021 14:24

Tests all round for us, I'm actually grateful that we've got them and that we can get together as a family.

LondonJax · 22/12/2021 14:26

@gogohm

We are taking them tomorrow then no more testing as agreed as a family.
Good luck with that. As I've already mentioned, DS got his LFT positive on a Saturday, I was negative (with achiness) and then got a positive LFT a short time later.

Personally I'd be testing on the day of the visit but you take your own chances. Not forgetting that Delta hasn't disappeared, just that we have Omicron too now so two variants on the go at the same time with different levels of infectiousness and different levels of illness associated with both. You don't get to choose which type you get...

OnGoldenPond · 22/12/2021 14:26

It's necessary to protect her elderly parents. Entirely reasonable and can't believe you are moaning about it. Would you really still go if there was a possibility one of you was positive and could infect one of them? A positive test means you are shedding enough virus to be able to infect anyone you have close contact with. Asymptomatic does not mean non infectious!

Stuffin · 22/12/2021 14:27

I am not testing.

IL is out partying and socialising and good for them but they aren't testing and neither will we.

If SIL is hosting then it's either test or don't go. If she isn't then I would go by the host.

Siuan · 22/12/2021 14:28

@gogohm

We are taking them tomorrow then no more testing as agreed as a family.
Lateral flow tests are most accurate if done daily. You can move from not infected to infected within hours. Ideally test immediately before a meet up. Doing them three days before is pointless.
LondonJax · 22/12/2021 14:28

@Siameasy

Options: “No we’re not doing it”. I would be tempted by this. Put the ball in her court. or “Yes we’ve tested and we’re negative”
Then take the chance on

a) Don't come.
b) Fine...then having to explain if one of you goes down with Covid symptoms the day after the visit that, actually, you lied. You'd never come to my home again.

Have the guts to argue rather than being a thoughtless liar.

SuffolkDreams · 22/12/2021 14:30

😆 My DD attended a party last Sun, they all had negative LF tests however two of them now have it only three days later. I only find this funny because the mum is a horrendously controlling woman yet just she couldn’t control this 😂🤣

OnlyAFleshWound · 22/12/2021 14:33

@Siameasy

Options: “No we’re not doing it”. I would be tempted by this. Put the ball in her court. or “Yes we’ve tested and we’re negative”
Why not say what you really mean?

Options: Be a stupid, rude, needlessly uncooperative and ungrateful guest
or
Be a pathetic, cowardly liar who's happy to risk the health of vulnerable people and doesn't even have the decency to be honest about it.

What a foul post.

CoffeeMuggins · 22/12/2021 14:33

@Siameasy

Options: “No we’re not doing it”. I would be tempted by this. Put the ball in her court. or “Yes we’ve tested and we’re negative”
Do you imagine the SIL will then be like "oh, nvm then, come anyway!"? I would tell OP to get to fuck.
OnlyAFleshWound · 22/12/2021 14:33

@SuffolkDreams

😆 My DD attended a party last Sun, they all had negative LF tests however two of them now have it only three days later. I only find this funny because the mum is a horrendously controlling woman yet just she couldn’t control this 😂🤣
You think that two people coming down with covid, and a person who's really worried about it having had them in her house, is so funny that you're rolling on the floor crying with laughter?

Odd

LondonJax · 22/12/2021 14:37

@SuffolkDreams

😆 My DD attended a party last Sun, they all had negative LF tests however two of them now have it only three days later. I only find this funny because the mum is a horrendously controlling woman yet just she couldn’t control this 😂🤣
And that proves why you do the tests on the day of the visit or event. Because, just three days later, two people who were negative, aren't any more.

Apart from that I think you need to give your head a wobble if you think it's funny that someone with potential anxiety about Covid is now made to feel more anxious.