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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not test for covid if you feel unwell?

167 replies

ValerieCupcake · 07/04/2022 15:14

Well, more like are THEY being unreasonable.

Discussion at work today about covid. Couple of colleagues said they won't test if they get say a sore throat or cold symptoms as we have to live with it. They will just get on with things. Get on with things means going out, going to work etc if they are able to. Even without a test.

Would you test? I would. Am I unreasonable? Or are they?

OP posts:
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Haus1234 · 07/04/2022 17:11

If your workplace policy is now to come in with covid (unless too I’ll to work of course) I don’t really see what else your colleagues can do. It’s not reasonable to expect people to test if they have to pay for tests themselves and to isolate if it just risks issues with work.

WeirdlyKind · 07/04/2022 17:14

@girlmom21

But would you stop at home if you thought you had it?

For a cold or sore throat? Absolutely not.

Absence from work is used against you in disciplinaries, redundancies and when being considered for a promotion

A sore throat was my only symptom of Covid. (PCR test was positive)
girlmom21 · 07/04/2022 17:16

@WeirdlyKind but how often in your life have you had a sore throat and it hasn't been covid?

How many times in your life have you called in sick with a sore throat?

monicagellerbing · 07/04/2022 17:18

Even if you test positive you don't have to isolate anyway OP unless you're too unwell to go out. So what's the point of testing

ArcheryAnnie · 07/04/2022 17:18

No one is purposely going to give you covid

They are not taking any measures to avoid it, though, are they? Even when they know they either have covid, or when covid is a likely suspect.

I am as careful as I can - I wear a clean, well-fitting mask when out and about, I wash my hands regularly, I try and keep a social distance from other people, even when they don't keep a social distance from me. I let tubes go by when they are busy, and wait for the next one. But I have a job where I need to be physically present, so I do need to travel across London and interact with other people in order to earn a living.

If I sat in a cinema throwing knives it wouldn't be a defence that I didn't intend to harm anyone, I just needed to practice my circus act.

You are all so blasé now. If you end up as unlucky as I have, I don't think you will be quite so cavalier about being careful.

LittleBearPad · 07/04/2022 17:25

On the updated list of symptoms (which should have been done ages ago) every possible sniffle could be covid. Anyone with primary or pre-school children is used to colds off and on for months. If it seems like a cold I will assume it is one.

leotardrock · 07/04/2022 17:28

People seem to think that the guidance now says carry on as normal, it doesn't it days take care whatever sort of respiratory infection you have! Which is actually a pretty good thing!

To not test for covid if you feel unwell?
BogRollBOGOF · 07/04/2022 17:34

@leotardrock

People seem to think that the guidance now says carry on as normal, it doesn't it days take care whatever sort of respiratory infection you have! Which is actually a pretty good thing!
Most people live like that anyway.

There's normally a couple of weeks each winter that we get some sort of "cold" then scale back the non-essentials. If we're actually ill then it is days off school/ work.

ReadyToMoveIt · 07/04/2022 17:36

@ArcheryAnnie

No one is purposely going to give you covid

They are not taking any measures to avoid it, though, are they? Even when they know they either have covid, or when covid is a likely suspect.

I am as careful as I can - I wear a clean, well-fitting mask when out and about, I wash my hands regularly, I try and keep a social distance from other people, even when they don't keep a social distance from me. I let tubes go by when they are busy, and wait for the next one. But I have a job where I need to be physically present, so I do need to travel across London and interact with other people in order to earn a living.

If I sat in a cinema throwing knives it wouldn't be a defence that I didn't intend to harm anyone, I just needed to practice my circus act.

You are all so blasé now. If you end up as unlucky as I have, I don't think you will be quite so cavalier about being careful.

I am as careful as I can be, within the limits I have. I do not have the money to buy tests, and I cannot afford to stay at home and not work every time I have a runny nose.
LittleBearPad · 07/04/2022 17:36

@leotardrock

People seem to think that the guidance now says carry on as normal, it doesn't it days take care whatever sort of respiratory infection you have! Which is actually a pretty good thing!
But that’s what people do anyway - or certainly did, barring masks which weren’t used much pre-covid and have variable efficacy.
Picklypickles · 07/04/2022 17:37

I've got one LFT left, I'm not buying any, I simply can't afford to. If I'm unwell I'll stay at home like I've always done with colds etc, if the children are obviously unwell I'll keep them off school and our new advice from school is to get PCR tests if children are displaying covid symptoms.

gettingolderandgrumpy · 07/04/2022 17:37

You can order free tests in England if you have symptoms .I’ve done it myself this week you only have to pay if you just want to keep testing . It’s personal choice imo , I wouldn’t test unless I felt unwell but I can work from home .my employer still requires 2 negative tests before back in office. I can imagine not all employers are like this .

Salome61 · 07/04/2022 17:52

So if you are going on holiday, do you test the night before? Would you still go if the test was positive?

Looneytune253 · 07/04/2022 17:53

Personally I will only test if I felt very unwell and had cough/temp etc. otherwise I'm carrying on as usual.

LittleBearPad · 07/04/2022 17:54

@gettingolderandgrumpy

You can order free tests in England if you have symptoms .I’ve done it myself this week you only have to pay if you just want to keep testing . It’s personal choice imo , I wouldn’t test unless I felt unwell but I can work from home .my employer still requires 2 negative tests before back in office. I can imagine not all employers are like this .
These are the eligibility criteria for lat flows with symptoms.
To not test for covid if you feel unwell?
LittleBearPad · 07/04/2022 17:55

@Salome61

So if you are going on holiday, do you test the night before? Would you still go if the test was positive?
Why are you testing in the first place - do you fee unwell?
Patchbatch · 07/04/2022 17:58

No as I'm not paying for tests. I am fortunate in that I can work from home whenever I like so if feeling under the weather I won't go into the office.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 07/04/2022 18:00

@Salome61

So if you are going on holiday, do you test the night before? Would you still go if the test was positive?
I wouldn't test at all.
gettingolderandgrumpy · 07/04/2022 18:01

I ordered them just clicked I had symptoms as I have @LittleBearPad

funinthesun19 · 07/04/2022 18:02

I’ve got no tests left so no.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 07/04/2022 18:17

@LibrariesGiveUsPower No England is not the same. No free tests are provided at all, even if you have symptoms, unless you are part of a very small group of people who still have them provided if they have symptoms.

Goinghome20 · 07/04/2022 18:20

Been testing every day this week as I have a cold, snotty nose headache and feel rubbish. All negative. Now I have run out of lft I wont be buying any more.

Original poster
ValerieCupcake · 07/04/2022 18:26

@Salome61

So if you are going on holiday, do you test the night before? Would you still go if the test was positive?
That's another thing. Another colleague booked for Egypt flying out Saturday, with her husband and two children. Said they are all going to test on Friday night. What if it is positive? She didn't know what to say.
OP posts:
Salome61 · 07/04/2022 18:42

I was wondering because I see Easyjet have just dropped their FFP2 mask requirement - and are cancelling flights because of staff sickness.

waterboats · 07/04/2022 18:49

Well, I've been abroad throughout the pandemic and we've never ever had free home tests. You were either sent for testing by an official entity or you paid to get a test, but you'd only really do that for a specific reason. Having said that all unvaccinated working people have been paying 15€ per test every 2 days to get themselves tested, for the last 6 months.