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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:
Heronwatcher · 22/12/2021 08:37

I’m testing daily at the moment as levels are so high near where I live. I think standard guidance is 2-3 times a week, hopefully you’re doing that anyway. But yes it’s entirely reasonable and surely if one of you is positive you’d rather know. I think you need to give yourself the proverbial mumsnet head wobble here. And if you/your kids are out and about at the moment the chances of someone testing positive is pretty high so maybe get some decent food in just in case the worst happens.

HalloHello · 22/12/2021 08:37

How are you shocked by this? The Scottish government slogan is 'flow before you go!' We have been asked to do LFTs before meeting up or going to events for ages now. I'm very confused. Very selfish to think your SIL is wrong. None of us are vulnerable but we always test before meeting up.

Tibtab · 22/12/2021 08:38

All my family are testing as We couldn’t risk making our older, vulnerable relatives sick. Christmas isn’t normal this year and we can’t pretend it is! Let’s face it, we’re going into lockdown again before the new year.

egglette · 22/12/2021 08:38

You say she's "demanded" it from your side of the family but I doubt she's doing/has singled you out to spite you. Yes it would be crap to miss out on Christmas again this year but if your plan involves seeing elderly/vulnerable people I think you just have to take the hit and be prepared to do something separate if you test positive.

onemouseplace · 22/12/2021 08:38

I would think this was a windup, if I hadn’t had a conversation with a school Mum who was indignant that her ILs wanted them to test before staying with them the week before Christmas in case it ruined Christmas with her family the week after. The mind boggling selfishness and entitlement just astounded me.

HelloDulling · 22/12/2021 08:38

Of course that’s what we’re doing. I’ll test on Xmas Day and Boxing Day, ahead of seeing relatives in their 80s. It’s hardly a bother, and strangely I want to protect them, and would prefer not be be responsible for them getting Covid.

EdithWeston · 22/12/2021 08:38

We would test in these circumstances, it's very sensible

WhiteMochaExtraCream · 22/12/2021 08:38

I tested my son last weekend because we were going to a crowded place and he was positive. Completely asymptomatic. I never would have know had I not tested. We were supposed to spend Xmas with in-laws who all are considered vulnerable and I'm so glad I tested as at least helped reduce the spread to other family members. Your SIL request is fine in my opinion.

DailyMailHater · 22/12/2021 08:39

I thought that was pretty standard this year, I am taking and LFT an hour before I see people at the moment just to be sure and Christmas Day won’t be any different, have emergency frozen roast potatoes etc in freezer in case we don’t make it to Christmas Day at Brothers House

BetterthanIthink · 22/12/2021 08:39

Seems pretty normal and sensible to test beforehand.
My mid twenties son and gf test everyday as they are going out to parties, busy pubs / restaurants etc . As are all their friends .
My sons partner tested positive yesterday . No symptoms at all .
Unfortunately that’s their Christmas plans scuppered now but better than passing it on to others .
We can have a big Sunday dinner when she’s no longer isolating.

NoNameHere12 · 22/12/2021 08:39

I’m not testing unless I have symptoms, it’s all gone a bit weird now.
I’m not sure why people are so convinced LFT are so reliable!

Original poster
Quarks69 · 22/12/2021 08:39

@EishetChayil

I can't believe you're even asking this! Why would you endanger elderly people's lives just so you can have your jollies?
Of course I don’t want to endanger lives. I guess my issue is that we have all been jabbed. If we get it, it’s not going to endanger lives. Both sets of parents are old not vulnerable.

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

OP posts:
BruceAndNosh · 22/12/2021 08:39

@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.
Are we allowed to call people stupid or is it against the MN rules? Asking for a friend
icelollycraving · 22/12/2021 08:40

Of course she’s reasonable. I test daily at the moment. We will all test before leaving for Christmas. I’ve bought the whole Christmas lunch in case we can’t go. The Turkey can go in the freezer if not needed. I like to be prepared for every eventuality.

ApolloandDaphne · 22/12/2021 08:40

We are all testing before we meet for Christmas. It is only sensible.

Figgygal · 22/12/2021 08:40

I wouldnt have thought about not testing spending a day inside with multiple others
I dont even think its unreasonable in the slightest

IncompleteSenten · 22/12/2021 08:40

Sounds fine.
Doing the test doesn't give you covid. You either have it or you don't. It's better to know.

Surely you'd feel dreadful if you were asymptomatic and later found out her vulnerable relatives were in intensive care after catching covid very possibly from you.

WabbitsAndWeasels · 22/12/2021 08:42

My sister had a friend stay at hers until Sunday, upon returning home they immediately tested positive, she's staying put even though she is currently negative. Luckily she won't be alone but you won't either. There's still time for you to get a chicken in (put in the freezer) and a few veg and a frozen dessert as a back up. There's no need for Christmas to be ruined by a positive test.

SheWoreYellow · 22/12/2021 08:42

@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.
They were saying lateral flows only picked up 70% of positives (but a very low false negative rate - ie it’s really rare for a LFT to say a person has covid when they don’t), but some recent studies are saying they pick up 80-90% of cases. Definitely worth doing for such a small amount of effort.

“The peer-reviewed paper, published today in Clinical Epidemiology, uses a new formula to show that lateral flow tests (LFTs) are likely more than 80% effective at detecting any level of Covid-19 infection and likely more than 90% effective at detecting those who are most infectious when using the test.”

icelollycraving · 22/12/2021 08:42

One person out of the 12 we are seeing is not jabbed, one under 12, two vulnerable, five had boosters, the rest double jabbed. Lateral flows etc is normal!

LynetteScavo · 22/12/2021 08:42

If your sister in law tests positive you won't get Christmas dinner, so I'd have some back up food just incase!

Billyliarohdear · 22/12/2021 08:43

We've also bought foods that would suffice as Christmas dinner and bunged them in the freezer in case if a positive LFT on Xmas morning.
Plans are to spend it with my CEV Mum and Dad but there's no way we would go there without taking tests first.

Dishwashersaurous · 22/12/2021 08:43

The whole point isnthat the jab is completely effective therefore still substantial risk to vulnerable people.

The advice is to test before seeing people as you might have it and could pass it on to people, even those vaccinated, and some of those people could be at risk

Jackiebrambles · 22/12/2021 08:43

We are all testing, us and our young kids, before my parents in their 70s come to us. We’ll test again before seeing the in laws who are in their 80s a few days later. I just think with this new variant we have to. I’m also worried one of us will have it but better to know and then we can keep away, shitty though it will be

NoOtherShadeOfBlue · 22/12/2021 08:43

Everyone I know is testing every day this week including Christmas Day and has some emergency food in case of a last minute cancellation. Last year, we unknowingly gave covid to a vulnerable relative on Christmas Day and living with that was far worse than it would have been to miss out on the festivities, however lovely they were. Luckily our relative recovered but it could have been very different. If we'd had lateral flow tests last year, we would have known to isolate (we didn't break the rules btw, where we live we were allowed to mix three households on the day) and would have saved a lot of worry and suffering in the ensuing weeks. I'm very glad to have vaccines, boosters and lfts making it much safer this year but one measure alone isn't enough against this virus - we have a range of mitigations and we're using them all.