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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Will you self isolate if covid positive test?

953 replies

Monopolyiscrap · 12/02/2022 00:47

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

OP posts:
Terfydactyl · 13/02/2022 11:37

@User0458832

I thought it was £30 for a pack of 7 lft.
Dont quite see the difference? £30 for one or seven tests, still out of my reach.
GirlInACountrySong · 13/02/2022 11:41

@Pinkyxx covid will never be 'gone' though

It's never been the case that we will take precautions til it's gone.

RedToothBrush · 13/02/2022 11:45

[quote GirlInACountrySong]@Pinkyxx covid will never be 'gone' though

It's never been the case that we will take precautions til it's gone. [/quote]
So many people are caught in the mentally of there one day being zero covid and being unable to break out of it.

Pinkyxx · 13/02/2022 11:48

Irrespective of anything I can't get behind any argument against basic steps to prevent the transmission of disease. Particularly a disease which continues to kill hundreds of people a day. The Covid19 policy in this country has been one the most lax in the world and I find it hard to understand the apathy in this regard. Maybe I see things differently because I've lived with chronic disease my entire life and lost so many people over the last few years.

I'm outraged at how disposable we all are.

CrinklyCraggy · 13/02/2022 11:48

It depends what becomes the norm I think. Will we even keep testing, what would what would the point if you don't need to "do" anything?

Plus employer's policies, if employers want you in because there's no need to isolate many people will have no choice. If you're going to work, avoiding the shops seems pointless

As things stand I'd probably be careful. Avoid vulnerable people and crowded places, but if the norm does become to treat it like a cold, I'd carry on as usual, unless I was too ill to do so.

Toanewstart23 · 13/02/2022 11:49

@Pinkyxx

Irrespective of anything I can't get behind any argument against basic steps to prevent the transmission of disease. Particularly a disease which continues to kill hundreds of people a day. The Covid19 policy in this country has been one the most lax in the world and I find it hard to understand the apathy in this regard. Maybe I see things differently because I've lived with chronic disease my entire life and lost so many people over the last few years.

I'm outraged at how disposable we all are.

What “basic steps” are you explicitly thinking we ALL take
Pinkyxx · 13/02/2022 11:51

[quote GirlInACountrySong]@Pinkyxx covid will never be 'gone' though

It's never been the case that we will take precautions til it's gone. [/quote]
I don't believe I suggested it would ever be gone. I can't see how Covid19 could be eradicated, it's not like small pox or measles.

Preventing the spread with proportionate measures to is the only way to learn to live with it. I simply disagree that removing all measures and pretending it's nothing more than a sniffle is the way to go. Others are free to disagree or have a different view.

Ipadflowers · 13/02/2022 11:52

Yes, just like if I had the cold, with symptoms, I’d stay home. No symptoms I’d not test.

Pinkyxx · 13/02/2022 11:53

@allToanewstart23 everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only option available.

Ipadflowers · 13/02/2022 11:54

I will treat it as exactly like any other viral infection, such as flu

Yes, this, cold, flu, Covid they are all viruses and I shall behave th same for all three.

RedToothBrush · 13/02/2022 11:57

@Pinkyxx

Irrespective of anything I can't get behind any argument against basic steps to prevent the transmission of disease. Particularly a disease which continues to kill hundreds of people a day. The Covid19 policy in this country has been one the most lax in the world and I find it hard to understand the apathy in this regard. Maybe I see things differently because I've lived with chronic disease my entire life and lost so many people over the last few years.

I'm outraged at how disposable we all are.

People die.

They die of multiple different causes.

Some measures to contain covid have caused indirect deaths.

ilovesooty · 13/02/2022 11:57

The government policy of deliberately making it difficult moving forward to even be aware that you may have covid means that adaptation will be necessary. I hope very much that if people are actually unwell the culture of expectation of being at work regardless will change but I'm not holding my breath. There are too many zero hour contracts and too many people ineligible for sick pay and they can't be expected to stay at home any longer if asymptomatic and put their income at risk.

I shall continue to ask any face to face clients not to attend if they feel unwell and will undertake to do the same. I'll test for as long as I reasonably can given that covid isn't going away.

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 13/02/2022 11:58

[quote Pinkyxx]**@allToanewstart23* everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only* option available.[/quote]
And who are you proposing finances that? Are you campaigning for sick pay reform?

user1496146479 · 13/02/2022 11:59

@peboh

I won't be testing, so I'll behave how I would with any other illness. If I'm unwell and feeling badly, I'll stay at home as I always have done. If dd has a fever, or is feeling badly in herself, I'll keep her out of nursery. If dh is unwell and badly, then he'll stay off work. At this point we need to use our common sense, as we always have done in the past. We don't need to government to tell us we have to stay at home if we're unwell.
This with bells on!
ilovesooty · 13/02/2022 12:03

One measure I'll certainly take is to continue to wear a good quality mask in crowded indoor places and on public transport and I think it might be helpful if people did that (if they can).

ilovesooty · 13/02/2022 12:06

The difficulty is that a lot of people will go to work when unwell, either because they are put under pressure by their employers or because they won't get paid otherwise. This is about something wider than covid alone.

Toanewstart23 · 13/02/2022 12:07

[quote Pinkyxx]**@allToanewstart23* everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only* option available.[/quote]
Oh come on

Most of the time people are asymptomatic

So give me your solution to that?

AskingforaBaskin · 13/02/2022 12:10

[quote Pinkyxx]**@allToanewstart23* everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only* option available.[/quote]
So can I send you my PayPal and you cover my bills while my husband chills at home off work?

Theluggage15 · 13/02/2022 12:25

Sorry Pinky, you’re wrong. The U.K. response to covid was ranked one of the strictest in the world. Obviously disappointing people weren’t welded in their houses!

GirlInACountrySong · 13/02/2022 12:26

nobody seems to care about the extra strain at work on the people who are going in.....who covers sick or isolating colleagues? no extra people to bring in to cover so existing employees end up running round covering 3 peoples jobs

ive done the for 2 years and i'm at burnout stage. stressed and feeling rundown. as are many other colleagues. we are retails no chance of things slowing down

the public have been vile throughout.extra stress.

sorry but we need people back at work to do their fair share

LyricalBlowToTheJaw · 13/02/2022 12:32

I don't disagree that Asia varies in terms of poverty levels but take a look at their Covid response vs our and more importantly the level of deaths / ongoing cases. I think you'll find they choose, and continue to maintain, an approach that minimizes transmission of disease. the government stepped in to provide relief to all impacted. I'm not sure I feel comfortable with the draconian quarantine measures but culturally it's unsurprising.

The ignorance.

Asia is a vast continent, containing dozens of countries and billions of people. Do you think the pandemic responses of eg Yemen and Japan have much in common? That the Syrian government stepped in to provide relief to all impacted? That nobody in India went hungry due to their restrictions?

Quite clearly you just mean the parts of Asia that are a convenient argument device. Thinking you can sum up incredibly diverse experiences and responses in a couple of sentences and use them as an argument device is gross.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 13/02/2022 12:33

[quote Pinkyxx]**@allToanewstart23* everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only* option available.[/quote]
OK, you pay my bills then.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 13/02/2022 12:36

@AndAnotherNewOne

I can't believe how many selfish people are prepared to spread Covid around to the rest of the population.

It's still killing people.

Why would you put people at risk?

I expect you're too selfish to wear a mask when you go out infected as well.

Again, you pay my bills if you don't like it.
tigger1001 · 13/02/2022 12:36

[quote Pinkyxx]**@allToanewstart23* everyone keeps their germs to themselves i.e. stay at home when you are contagious. Unfortunately that is the only* option available.[/quote]
You do realise the biggest issue you have with this, is people don't generally realise they are contagious? Ie they pass on the virus before they have symptoms (if indeed they get any symptoms).

And once again it ignores the very basic issue of sick pay. Many, many people do not get anything over basic ssp. Many people face the start of disciplinary proceedings after a certain amount of sick leave in a year. And many businesses are struggling with having high absences of people who are not actually ill.

It's not a black and white issue. It's one of the reasons why the governments cannot wholly rely on sage recommendations as whether people like it or not it is a balancing act between economic and health needs. Poverty kills too.

Covid isn't the only issue we need to consider. I do wonder where all the angst is when flu kills thousands in a bad flu season. No one seems to bat an eyelid at that. It's not reported daily. Many people carry flu asymptotically so don't isolate as they are unaware of having it. There isn't the same blame culture surrounding it.

I honestly think we will look back at this period in time and wonder what the hell we were playing at when the full cost of restrictions are known.

Toanewstart23 · 13/02/2022 12:48

I reckon @Pinkyxx won’t be bacj