Will you self isolate if covid positive test?

[Monopolyiscrap]

Compulsory self-isolation is ending if you test positive with covid. Instead, people are being advised to choose to self-isolate.
In reality, I think many people will not. I would not get paid if I self-isolate but am well enough to work, so why would I forego a week's wages?

So will you self-isolate if you test positive with covid?

YABU - Yes I will self-isolate
YANBU - No I will not self-isolate

I'd like to think I would. I'm a mental health nurse so I wouldn't be allowed to go into work anyway, as per our NHS trust policy, and I don't see that changing.
I ceetainly wouldn't go into any busy indoor places with COVID but I'd probably go out for a run/bike ride later on in the evening when not many people about. I've had to self isolate once and I was climbing the walls as I'm used to be really active
I cant imagine how it must feel to be someone with a chronic health condition which already limits their life and on top of that makes them vulnerable with COVID, and then to realise that the government doesn't give much of a fuck about you, and nor do your own community. Personal freedoms are important, but then so is collective social responsibility and honestly it'd be nice to live in a society where we actively choose to take care of others, especially the most vulnerable.
HOWEVER I can also see it from the other side. As with most other things, the pandemic has hit the poorest hardest. If I literally couldn't feed my kids or pay my bills if I had to isolate, I'd probably choose to go into work. If I was a single mum in a tower block, living in a tiny flat with no outdoors space I'd probably not want to isolate with my kids. We're not on a level playing field to start with and being responsible during a pandemic is a far bigger ask for some, than it is for others.

Tl;dr, I genuinely think it's a really difficult ethical dillema and I'm not sure I'll ever make my mind up

@WhateverHappenedToFayWray

I tested positive for covid nearly 3 weeks ago and I am still suffering with symptoms. I struggle to sleep at night as I am struggling to breathe. I am young and have no underlying health issues btw.

I genuinely can't believe how selfish some people are. I would feel terrible if I passed it on to someone who was vulnerable.

Yes ,and all those people saying it's just a cold...Well bloody lucky you if that's all you get. I am not old, vulnerable or working long hours and I have been absolutely wiped out by it. I caught it from my mother. She had been to a social thing with a group of elderly friends. They have all caught it. The one who passed it on had tested positive before she went. She knew she had it but she was asymptomatic so decided to ignore it. They are all at least 70. Thankfully my mother has been less ill than I have. Good job really as I couldn't have helped her if she was really ill and my brothers are both vulnerable. If you are knowingly positive and carry on a normal then , as my mother would say "that is between you and your conscience". I would just say "shame on you"

Employers will need to come up with a policy.

We're not on a level playing field to start with and being responsible during a pandemic is a far bigger ask for some, than it is for others.

This is a point that everyone would do well to remember

@Scianel

It has all walks of life, but the average is very wealthy. That's why I don't believe half of posters here don't get sick pay or are on 0 hours

DH is self-employed. He's not on zero hours and he's well-paid but he certainly doesn't get any sick pay, nor would his clients be amused if he failed to show up for a carefully planned job.

Obviously recently there's been more understanding of disruption, but that won't last forever now that the isolation requirements and testing look to be phased out.

I don't really care if that makes him/us selfish, the word has been so over-used over the last two years that it's lost any meaning.
We took an absolutely enormous financial hit at the start of this and trust me we've had no thanks.

Would his clients be amused if he turned up, having tested positive and only told them once they had it and were really ill with it or they had passed it onto an elderly parent.

"Would his clients be amused if he turned up, having tested positive and only told them once they had it and were really ill with it or they had passed it onto an elderly parent."

Yes, deliberately spreading Covid is much worse than postponing an appointment.
This guy can afford to take some time at home when he's ill, just doesn't want to.

If you are knowingly positive and carry on a normal then , as my mother would say "that is between you and your conscience". I would just say "shame on you"

You'd say that to someone with no sick pay provision, struggling to pay their bills would you? Are you going to help them financially?

"The one who passed it on had tested positive before she went. She knew she had it but she was asymptomatic so decided to ignore it. "

I wonder if even if this is now legal in England, you could sue someone for damages if they knowingly pass on an illness?

@TheKeatingFive

If you are knowingly positive and carry on a normal then , as my mother would say "that is between you and your conscience". I would just say "shame on you"

You'd say that to someone with no sick pay provision, struggling to pay their bills would you? Are you going to help them financially?

No she wouldn't.

@Gwenhwyfar

"The one who passed it on had tested positive before she went. She knew she had it but she was asymptomatic so decided to ignore it. "

I wonder if even if this is now legal in England, you could sue someone for damages if they knowingly pass on an illness?

You'd have to prove she knew not that she suspected

Good luck with that

@JustLyra, I don’t pay enough attention to usernames to notice if a specific poster claims on one thread to be a high earner and on a different thread states that they are a low earner or on a zero hour contract. Perhaps you’re right that some posters do that but I expect they are a very small minority.

Personally, I'm telling the truth when I say that I work on zero hours contracts and only get paid for the hours I do. I’ve no way of proving that to anyone here and nor do I need to. The point is that a great many people (whether or not they are MNers) are struggling to make ends meet (even before we get to the fuel rises) or are on zero hours contracts or are self employed or do not get sick pay. Those people exist. There are lots of us, and some of us post on MN.

@Kshhuxnxk

Employers will need to come up with a policy.

Policy for what?

@TheOrigRights

So you’re going to test regularly even when no symptoms whatsoever?

According to mumsnet tests are going to cost us up to £30 per lft

Who will pay that?

There wouldn't be anyone to take my son to school if I self isolated but I would try to minimise contact with others.

I thought it was £30 for a pack of 7 lft.

If tests have a cost people won't test. It's really that simple. Then no one knows if they have covid or not so isolating becomes irrelevant.

[quote Toanewstart23]@TheOrigRights

So you’re going to test regularly even when no symptoms whatsoever?[/quote]
I don't think care homes will remove the requirement for testing for quite a while. If a non-invasive low cost test can minimise risk then I am happy to do that.
My DS1 was asymptomatic when he got omicron - his test meant we didn't visit FIL over Xmas. I think it will be some time until the presence in the population is so low that testing brings no benefit.

I respect other people's choices.

The vast majority claim to be above average earning and the idea that those jobs come with zero sick pay is laughable.

Why? I’ve had several jobs and it’s only in my current job (large financial services company) that I get sick pay. DH is a higher earner than me, but works for a very small company and doesn’t get sick pay. Loads of jobs don’t have sick pay, despite having a decent salary.
But also, my sick pay is for when I’m actually sick. When the law changes, if company policy is to come in if you have covid (unless actually too unwell to work) then I’d have to lie in order to stay at home.

But if you weren’t visiting aging relatives

And you aren’t showing symptoms

You wouldn’t test? Correct? @TheOrigRights

I won't and have never tested so unless symptoms are present I won't know anyway. Hopefully the removal of regular testing will stop the isolation of perfectly healthy people leading to understaffing especially in schools. Obviously if I was ill I wouldn't be going out anyway, I had covid pre vaccines and it was mild, over in a few days, none of the household got it. Life will return to normal and the hysteria will die down eventually.

@Toanewstart23

But if you weren’t visiting aging relatives

And you aren’t showing symptoms

You wouldn’t test? Correct? @TheOrigRights

I haven't really thought about it. Probably not I suppose. I feel like you're trying to catch me out!

With a one-off positive test, yes, I would isolate - it's for a few days and unlikely to happen again for a while. However, the plan is to remove testing and presumbly rely on symptoms in which case, no, I'm not going to isolate 5 days every time I have a sore throat, headache, backache etc just incase it's covid. I'd need to confirm it with a test.

Yes I would. I work from home most of the time anyway, and can get groceries delivered.

I think the compulsory self-isolation should continue for a while longer. I looked at the levels of positive tests by area yesterday, and it is noticeable that areas where people seem to have been forced back to offices recently have the highest levels.

@Toanewstart23

* I don’t blame people for not isolating- I blame the government for not doing something about sick pay and better support for those who are self employed etc.*

The vast majority, me included, just don’t WANT to. Bugger all to do with the government

Well I suppose there are people who think like you. I'd hope that they aren't the vast majority though.