Aibu to not take a COVID test?

[pepstuw]

So bit of back story, I worked in an NHS role where I was exposed to Covid a lot at the start of the pandemic, had my vaccines and in November 2021 it finally caught up with me and I got it for the first time.

Then in February this year I got it again but was only testing positive for 2 days (the day I needed a negative test for an important work trip abroad, typically!) I'm guessing this was Omicron this time but I had 0 symptoms.

Last Weds my stepmum who currently lives with me tested started feeling unwell and on Friday when she took a test it was positive. She has isolated away in her room etc and I thought it's quite unlikely I'll get a third time?!

I have a spa break from this evening to weds and I've woken up today with a sore throat that hurts to swallow. I really just want to enjoy my time away as it was a birthday present from my best friend. Have spoken to her and she says she'd rather I just didn't test until after our trip but she understands it's maybe a bit irresponsible.

As I understand it, 1 in 13 people currently are walking around with the virus and I have been very cautious throughout the pandemic and followed rules. I know it's not even against the law to go out if I did have covid, but knowing I had it would make me feel bad and I would cancel the trip. Is it so selfish to think if 2 years down the line people are so scared of getting covid that they shouldn't be going to a spa etc? If 1 in 13 has it then the supermarket is a higher risk?!

Opinions please

I think you should take a test, it might be negative and could your mind completely at ease and you will enjoy the experience even more. I was convinced I had covid on the morning of a very big event which I would have lost a fortune if I cancelled. I couldn't not test though as I wouldn't have enjoyed the day fearing I was infected. Didn't have it, biggest relief and throughly enjoyed the day.

alltees anecdotal or actual research, viruses cause lots of longterm effects. Its just the volume of people getting it at once that has caused the issue (and I'm not being flippant about it, my own recovery from covid has been very slow and I am still unwell)

The issue is rightly or wrongly the UK response is to live with it, it can not be contained, we can not keep having swathes of the workforce isolating when they feel well enough to work. The spa can not afford to have cancellations. Most spas are run by women who are normally the main carer for children, there is no mitigation in school and children are encouraged to keep their attendance up.

The "crack on" brigade are getting tiresome. Yes, we are all sick of Covid but KNOWINGLY spreading a viral disease that has been known to kill is abhorrent. There's a huge difference between "learning to live with it" and "knowingly spreading a virus with your fingers in your ears saying la la la I can't hear rules and if I just pretend it's gone I can do what I like"

This was a friend's attitude. She had been in contact with covid.
We had arranged to meet up with the kids last week.
She hadn't let us know prior to turning up that she was unwell.
Obviously too late to do anything about it once she picked us up in her car and started coughing her guts up.
She then announced quite happily that she didn't feel there was any point in her doing a test, "We've just got to treat it like a cold now. Carry on with it....COUGH COUGH COUGH"
A week later and myself and the children have all tested positive and isolating now and over Easter.
Feeling as rough as I do with it, I really wish she had warned me in advance so I had a choice not to get in the car with her.