To not test for covid if you feel unwell?

[ValerieCupcake]

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?

Those of us with allergies sneeze a lot and are snotty a lot. If I stayed in every day I sneezed, I'd never be out.

I was told on here I shouldn't leave the house if I'm coughing or sneezing. I'd never go anywhere!

@Notanotherwindow

Iateral flow tests are £2...

Hardly expensive. I'll test if feeling unwell but not otherwise. If I get a positive I'll call in sick like any responsible person.

5 people in our house. 3 kids who are snotty/sneezing/coughing most of the winter, 2 adults with severe hay fever. That’s a lot of tests.

I sense the posters on the thread who are most likely to keep testing don’t have young children?

@LittleBearPad

I sense the posters on the thread who are most likely to keep testing don’t have young children?

Or severe hay fever!

Good point Pink

I get colds all the time. And as an asthmatic they sit on my chest. I also feel a bit cold/flu like whenever I work alot and get run down. Which is frequent. I wouldnt test for every single cold symptom as I would be forever testing. I would only test if I had what seemed to fit covid symptoms. I have done so. Had multiple pcrs when they were available and also lfts. Every horrendous illness I've had that has seemed to be covid wasnt. The one time I have had covid it was mild (tested as had symptoms which matched).

It seems to me that it is unrealistic and disproportionate to test for any cold symptom at all. At the moment testing with covid symptoms seems fair. But at some point even that will need to stop as will time off work if symptoms arent preventing work. Because otherwise people like me will never be able to work. I'll be unable to work when really ill with flu/chest infection which is when I dont work, and also unable to for covid and testing inbetween when having mild colds. It's just disproportionate

Does anyone have a link to ‘current guidelines’ please? I am still testing and currently positive, staying in but was planning to go out again post day 5, (as per advice earlier this year) but the current guidelines I found when googling encourage me to stay at home until I’m negative?!

www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19

I always have a cough. I have stopped testing. Haven't tested since I last had coronavirus. I will not test again unless I need to for an operation or something.

Thanks @LittleBearPad I’ve been going off nhs (pic attached).

No.

I’ve followed every rule going for 2 years. I will no longer be testing. If we’re ill enough to need to stay home- we’ll stay home. Otherwise, life will go on.

I will test, as will Dh. But I can still get free LFTs - I can technically get a pack of 7 tests every 72 hours via the nhs link.

It's important for me that I'm aware of if I have covid to access antivirals as soon as possible, and before the chance of becoming more ill.

It's useful for Dh to test so I can be aware of the potential risk and also it's handy as he goes to see vulnerable and elderly clients, including in care homes, as part of his work.

most people literally cannot afford to take them any more now they’re no longer free so in a way I understand why many don’t/cant

No I wouldn’t test, there’s no escaping being exposed to Covid, not much point really

I test as I get LFTs for free due to being in the vulnerable category. As a result Dh and Dd test too, if they are ill or have symptoms.

Both my work (school) and Dh's (solicitors) ask employees to stay home, paid, for 5 days if positive or have symptoms. Dh can easily wfh. I can do some aspects of my work from home but obviously not most of it as I teach.

Dh tested positive over Easter. After the bank holiday he worked from home until day 6 when he tested negative. He rearranged all of his meetings with vulnerable or elderly clients for the rest of the week, or did them virtually. Others he let know so they could decide.

Practically speaking, for this to work once people who still have a few lying around have used them up, we'd all have to pre-emptively be buying them so we have them in if we feel unwell. That is not going to happen. It didn't even happen when they were everywhere and free, so it certainly won't be doing now when government guidance is to do what they're doing. I don't think it helps anyone to pretend otherwise either.

I wonder if all the posters who say they will, by necessity, continue to work with normal-seeming sniffles, sneezes and coughs will wear a mask during their infection, in order to protect other people?

it was particularly delightful to see a pp saying that the vulnerable simply need to stay in, in order to let everyone else continue absolutely as before.

I have hay fever. Are you suggesting I should be wearing a mask from now until October?

And I'm not an arsehole.

So anyone who isn't testing is an arsehole? You do realise some people can't afford to test?

Tests are £2. Nice to know the price of a child's life.

You can start a fund then.

@HardyBuckette Well hopefully you will never be in the position where your child is dying of cancer but if you do, I will remind you to donate to the fund.

I won’t be bothering.

No, because hay fever is not infectious? This isn’t about virtue signalling to others, it’s about stopping passing infections around.
If we move even a bit towards a culture where masks are normal if we suspect we have an infection, we’ll have fewer infections.