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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:
Iggly · 12/02/2022 08:08

@Ravenclaws

If I had symptoms I would test. If I were positive I would use my common sense and definitely not go to busy public places, into the office or anywhere else where I'd be likely to spread it to anyone. I think parading around like normal knowing you're covid positive is a really shit thing to do.
^this
Toanewstart23 · 12/02/2022 08:10

* And again that is a problem for your employer to deal with. *

@Iggly

Fine if you’re a big corporate
But what about the millions of small employers with less than a handful of employees surviving on a wing and a prayer?

User0458832 · 12/02/2022 08:11

Most people won't know they have it when they start charging for tests, there will be a few that have stockpiled that will carry on but that's about it.

whoruntheworldgirls · 12/02/2022 08:11

I would but i can work from home so am fortunate in that

Thethreecs · 12/02/2022 08:13

I'm hoping and praying that Ireland doesn't follow what you are doing. I understand we have to return to some sort of normality but it's actually scary to think that for example, my dd who is severely disabled, very, very ill health could go into school to a teacher etc who knowingly has covid but feels 'fine', to work.

I know we take a chance bringing her places anyway but thankfully people here are still wearing masks, SD is gone, but the school kept it in place as all the children are very ill. We still have testing and isolating. It's working so far.

Lots of people seem to be concerned for vulnerable people which is a relief, it can be frightening when people say once they're OK feck everyone else, if you're vulnerable, tough, stay in.

It'll be hard when people travel out of England, it'll be masks on again, SD in some Countries and testing. Please god we all get to the and page soon and don't have to worry about anyone.

Iggly · 12/02/2022 08:13

@Toanewstart23

* And again that is a problem for your employer to deal with. *

@Iggly

Fine if you’re a big corporate
But what about the millions of small employers with less than a handful of employees surviving on a wing and a prayer?

Newsflash

If they have to effectively exploit their staff for their own personal gain, then they have a shitty business model. (Which is something big corporates also do).

Why accept exploitation? We are told by bosses and government that we should accept this order of events…. Why - because they benefit from it, it’s not some sort of natural order.

PinkPansies · 12/02/2022 08:13

I will but I'd be happy to take some steps that would have been frowned upon before - like dropping one of the older dc off somewhere in the car, when you don't have to go out. Or going for a walk on the Moor behind my street where you never pass another person before 10am or after 5pm.

queenatom · 12/02/2022 08:13

If I knew I had it, I'd work from home (my office wants us to do this now if sick) and I'd avoid socialising, but I'd still run errands if I needed to and go out for walks etc.

user468375484 · 12/02/2022 08:13

I'm self employed so if I don't go out to work I don't get paid, and I can't even get SSP. Also not eligible for UC.

Self isolation was never an affordable option for people like me.

Plus - who is going to know when free testing ends? It'll just go back to normal where, for self employed people, if you're well enough to stand up you're well enough to work.

okthx · 12/02/2022 08:13

@Iggly
What are you talking about? Do you think I don’t want to have a fair sickness policy at work? Please take a look around you and see all these people in minimal wages who will be kicked out next time they stay home with something less than a cold and how it will affect them. You will find that most state and government organisations will have same unfair sickness policies “work unless you are dying”, so what can I or others change now? People will not sacrifice themselves, they have another fight to fight - food on the table and all that. Please tell me how can I stop accepting bad sick policy conditions, but at the same time not lose my job and not lose the roof over my head in the process. I have 2 children to feed.

gonetogroundnow · 12/02/2022 08:15

Not testing anymore but wouldn't be isolating even before this rule comes in - I've got animals and children and work and I'm absolutely bored of this BS now.

okthx · 12/02/2022 08:15

And sorry for the typos, it’s a very emotional topic. Only my friends on ££££££ who WFH and enjoy their home deliveries are still concerned about abolishing self isolation. It was always ok for them.

Iggly · 12/02/2022 08:16

[quote okthx]@Iggly
What are you talking about? Do you think I don’t want to have a fair sickness policy at work? Please take a look around you and see all these people in minimal wages who will be kicked out next time they stay home with something less than a cold and how it will affect them. You will find that most state and government organisations will have same unfair sickness policies “work unless you are dying”, so what can I or others change now? People will not sacrifice themselves, they have another fight to fight - food on the table and all that. Please tell me how can I stop accepting bad sick policy conditions, but at the same time not lose my job and not lose the roof over my head in the process. I have 2 children to feed.[/quote]
In the short term, it’s about surviving, I get that.

But in the long term and setting a plan for living with covid, it’s about fighting for a better system such that our economy is not crippled by the next pandemic.

It’s no coincidence that we have poor sickness leave policies and suffered a massive fall in growth during covid.

We should be fighting for better. That means writing to MPs, joining a union, not accepting that what we have now is ok. It really fucking isn’t.

Iggly · 12/02/2022 08:17

@okthx

And sorry for the typos, it’s a very emotional topic. Only my friends on ££££££ who WFH and enjoy their home deliveries are still concerned about abolishing self isolation. It was always ok for them.
I agree, completely.

But the bigger picture is, covid hurt the most those who had the least. And it will carry on that way.

SlashBeef · 12/02/2022 08:23

Nope but I don't plan on testing ever again so I wouldn't know either way.

Toanewstart23 · 12/02/2022 08:23

* Please god we all get to the and page soon and don't have to worry about anyone.*

@Thethreecs

What? Is this what you’re hoping for? Prior to covid were you never worries about your disabled DD?

LyricalBlowToTheJaw · 12/02/2022 08:23

[quote Bumpitybumper]@AFIK
Presumably the majority will therefore be happy for their elderly/vulnerable relatives to be treated by nhs staff with “colds” that haven’t been tested for covid and potentially given a deadly virus
But the elephant in the room is that the virus is being carried and transmitted by a huge amount of completely asymptomatic people and people that haven't yet developed symptoms. Unless the vulnerable are prepared to live in complete isolation then they will encounter the virus at some point, whether it be in the supermarket, at the doctors or through their own family and friends. This is true if we maintain current isolation rules or if we don't, it's just isolation rules might slow down the spread slightly.

Any benefits from the rules need to be balanced against the risks and disadvantages of keeping them in place. For most people (including most vulnerable people), covid is a relatively minor illness and when push comes to shove, we would rather have society where the infrastructure isn't continually hampered by people self isolating, reducing our capacity to function efficiently, effectively and compassionately. I can cite numerous examples in my own life of how people (often vulnerable) have lost so much as a result of the isolation rules. Keeping the self isolation rules has a cost to us all and shouldn't be considered the default or the 'kinder' thing to do.[/quote]
Yy re the elephant in the room, and this is why the term 'happy' in the post you quote is so misplaced.

It's already the case that Omicron is everywhere, lots of people are asymptomatic and that it's being transmitted widely. The current isolation rules demonstrably haven't prevented that, and neither have other provisions like regular testing and mask wearing. Not just here, either. Whether anyone is happy about that or not is completely immaterial. It's happening anyway.

Darbs76 · 12/02/2022 08:24

Of course I would.

roastingmichael · 12/02/2022 08:26

If I ever need a reminder of how horribly selfish society can be, I can come back to this thread.

I'm honestly disgusted about the lack of thought and consideration for other people.

BogRollBOGOF · 12/02/2022 08:26

If I'm ill enough to know I've got it, I'll stay at home and drop superflouous activities as I do with any illness.

But given that when I had it at Christmas, it felt like the worse end of hayfever and I'm now entering my 6 month season of regular sinus headaches and dry throats it's going to be pretty hard to notice. I'm not going to regularly retch to find out, and I certainly won't pay for the discomfort.

If I'm selfish, so be it. I've jumped through the hoops required, had the jabs, spent 6 months having minimal interractions beyond my household because my life and my children's education were frozen and everyone was too terrified to meet, and repeat the following winter. I had countless panic attacks/ sensory overwhelms in public attempting to comply with face coverings before giving it up. I spent 15 months living in DH's office with no escape (the noise carries through the house). It's been the perfect storm for creating a selfish person and clearly society doesn't give a shit about the toll on me, and my benefit from the sacrifices has been very low. So it is me and my happiness first, because I've spent 2 years learning that no one else will do it in return for me. I've been called selfish for 2 years for having the audacity to care about the consequences of restrictions. Here is the monster that you created. You call me selfish, you get selfish.

I spend little time in vulnerable situations and I'm not voluntarily making further sacrifices because I might spend 10 seconds walking past a vulnerable person in Tesco.

None of us is guarenteed good health and having suddenly lost relatives in their 40s & 50s, I'm not wasting any more of my good times.

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 12/02/2022 08:26

I won’t know I have it as I wont be testing.

Alondra · 12/02/2022 08:26

YABU. Yes, I would self isolate. I test twice a week and often the negative antigen test is returned to me. I'll be easy not to test and send back the negative. Until the pandemic is over I prefer to do the right thing.

okthx · 12/02/2022 08:27

@Iggly
I don’t think it will.
Every single colleague of mine have had covid. Without exceptions. Despite the restrictions! Most of them were asymptomatic, some were sick for a week, no one went to the hospital thankfully. Disruption was caused by needing to self isolate those asymptomatic people. They had no need to stay at home.

OMG12 · 12/02/2022 08:28

I will be treating like any other illness, if I’m ill I will stay at home and recover if well I will be carrying on as I won’t know as won’t be testing anymore. With the vaccines and mutation it’s basically the flu, we just need to change our mindsets.

Darbs76 · 12/02/2022 08:29

In my team I will be advising all my staff (who return in 1 months time) that if they have a cough or a cold please work at home that week and make your 40% Office time up another time. They have been working at home for 2yrs so understandably will be worried if they are sitting next to someone who is coughing. Fortunately for us we have the ability to work at home