Christmas morning Covid test being demanded

[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!?

It's definitely the sensible and responsible thing to do and I think your SIL is right to insist on testing.

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

Had both jabs and got it. Seems the only reason you don't want to test is in case it positive. Which is exactly why you should test!! And for what it's worth, everyone I know is routinely testing before visiting others.

She can ask, not demand. Having said that we're testing between now and xmas before my Mum comes, as well as other days where it's been discussed with friends and we're doing as a mutual thing before meeting up. As much as I'd be disappointed on missing out, I really couldn't live with myself if I passed it onto someone else right now, and all that that entails.

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*

Old is vulnerable to COVID

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

I do have faith that the jabs will lessen the likelihood of death or serious illness but it doesn't mean you can,t catch it and feel grotty. Testing means you can avoid spreading it.

I'm pretty relaxed about things now but if my host wanted me to test to protect her elderly parents then I'd do it.

“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?”

Yes of course I’m testing before meeting a group even if they aren’t old/vulnerable. I’m double jabbed but still felt incredibly poorly for days when I had COVID. If I can prevent others feeling that way why wouldn’t I? I just don’t understand your logic/level of being self centred.

Sensible to me. We are all going the same. I don’t see the issue.

So your SIL is hosting your family of 5 for Christmas Day and she asks you to do a simple 1 minute test to minimise the risk to her elderly parents. And you think this is unreasonable!!!
Everyone I know is testing. We are all jabbed but do not want to pass on a virus that while you may avoid hospital and death due to jab, may nevertheless quite poorly. My fully vaccinated friends who have had it were in bed for days.
Yabvvvvvvu

I like the seatbelt analogy.

Vaccines, LFT testing, judicious mixing/socialising, good hygiene, ventilation…. It’s like a Swiss cheese approach to minimising risk - one thing on its own can’t prevent transmission but together these things massively reduce risk of infection. This is particularly important when considering vulnerable relatives and avoiding their need to harmfully shield or go in to hospital. Why wouldn’t you?

Sounds absolutely reasonable to me. We have two friends coming for Christmas dinner and we will all be testing beforehand. I know a number of people who caught Corona despite being double jabbed, it makes sense to do what you can to minimise risk so that you can still enjoy the festive season.

We do. I'm struggling to get hold of lft's now though and it doesn't help that we are a family of 7 so we need a lot.

We will be testing too as we have vulnerable family members and both my and my daughters jobs are high risk for contact. Last year my daughter had a positive LFT on Xmas morning so we had to do PCRs on Xmas day! Obviously didn't see anyone last year as household ended up isolating until new year. Keeping fingers crossed this year as I was in close contact with a positive colleague on Friday.

Yes, everyone who is due to gather this Xmas in our family are testing first.

Honestly if one of you did have it you could give it to her elderly relatives?

Seems reasonable to me, I assumed everyone was doing this

You’re being very unreasonable and selfish. You’d rather not know you’ve got covid and spread it to vulnerable older people than have to stay at home it one of you is carrying it. The vaccinations work amazingly at reducing the risk of serious illness and death but even when triple jabbed some people remain vulnerable including the elderly. What could be a mild infection in younger people could still be very serious or fatal in your SIL’s parents. Everyone I know is using LFTs before meeting family and vulnerable people. You really need to do one a few days before and one just before you leave to ensure you catch any infection as LFTs are less sensitive than pcr tests.

@NoNameHere12

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!

Because if you have a reasonable viral load, the LFT will be positive, it may be falsely negative at the stage your viral load is low, but then you're far less likely to be shedding enough virus to pass it on.

A PCR 'looks for' different things & will show +VE sooner. That's why people keep saying LFTs 'don't work', but they do.

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

Jabs reduce the risk, they don't eliminate it completely.

You have to look at it on a population level. Even amongst the vaccinated, there is a risk. If 1% of people become ill and 1% of those die and half the population spends Christmas Day with relatives, that's still hundreds of thousands of people who get sick, and potentially thousands of people who will die due to the exposure. Plus keeping the virus in circulation for even longer.

@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?

That’s what I took from this…

This is about the lives of vulnerable people. You seem selfish beyond belief.

Sorry to clarify- I work for social services and we have been asked to test on the days we go in ( approx 2 days per week )- the other days we are work from home at present. Don't worry I am not overly contributing to the shortage of tests...

@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.

And this is the problem.....

Not sure of the relevance of the "busy" teens?

It's absolutely ridiculous isn't it?!

I gave my SIL a lift somewhere and she DEMANDED I stop texting while driving for her to get in the car! How dare she require something perfectly simple of me to ensure her own safety?!

Yabu and everyone should be taking LFTs if they want to spend tine indoors with anyone outside their household, especially if that will include vulnerable people. Yes it would be frustrating and sad if the test was positive. It would be worse if you were positive and didn't know it, and infected a vulnerable person who then died. That would be bad.

Just do the test. And make sure that everyone who is planning to come has a backup plan (eg ready meal in the freezer) for if they get a positive.

No one likes having to self isolate but failing to do so (and that includes failing to do the tests to find out whether you need to) is really irresponsible, selfish and immature.

My DD tests before she goes out socially - tested before her works xmas party last week and was positive! Good job she tested.
We will all be testing for Xmas day as meeting family but sitting at separate tables

No, I wouldn't ask my guests to test. Vulnerable people should assess their own risk and don't join any gatherings if they are worried.