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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Supermarket when you’re covid positive

521 replies

GemGEmGemster · 15/04/2022 14:33

Not to start a bunfight, I just want to know. Would you go supermarket shopping when you were testing positive?

OP posts:
LakieLady · 15/04/2022 16:09

No.

If I really couldn't find anyone to pick up a few bits for me, and I couldn't get a delivery slot, I'd do click and collect and get a taxi to pick it up for me.

Tiredalwaystired · 15/04/2022 16:10

To the person up thread - in what situation wouldnt either home delivery or getting someone to get things for you be an option? What have people done for the last two years?

MiddleOfThePack · 15/04/2022 16:10

Nope - I have a husband and 3 adult kids who can shop for me - and you can order online, so no excuse for anyone to go shopping if +ve really.

SpringLobelia · 15/04/2022 16:11

@WhiteCatmas

No. You wouldn’t go shopping with chicken pox, whooping cough or for a makeup lesson with impetigo. Selfish people.
I was on a train to London on Tuesday. The people next to me had a 6 year old with very clear and active chicken pox. I was totally horrified. Because again I am immuno compromised and have never had chicken pox.

I got off the train. I was shocked, and remain shocked at the ignorance and selfishness of people. But tbh covid has rbought this out. I have said many times before about an interaction I had with a school mum who told me that people like my DS1 would have died in infancy in years gone past and so why should her children and her life be affected by trying to protect vulnerables like him. Oddly enough I consider my child to have a life of worth and value. Covid has meant that it has become clear that not only do others not agree- but that others feel okay with being open about the fact they do not think my child's life has worth.

MiddleOfThePack · 15/04/2022 16:12

TBH - I'm currently at home with covid and I wouldn't go out right now anyway - I'm exhausted!

Same as I wouldn't go out if I had the flu, so there's no difference.

Abraxan · 15/04/2022 16:13

Dh is positive and he isn't going to be going to supermarkets or work for 5 days. I went to the shops with dd this morning instead and left dh at home. We have an online delivery booked for Sunday.

He won't fully isolate now as we have an essential journey/job to do on Sunday - well him and dd. Has to be done on that day. But dh won't need to be in contact with anyone else. They will need to eat whilst out but will use a drive through or dd will go in store to collect, and they can eat in the car. We wouldn't normally do this but it's not something that can be delayed. The risk of breaking down or having an accident is minimal I'd have thought. They will have masks with them in case of emergencies though.

Hollyhead · 15/04/2022 16:13

I would seek to avoid it but if it was t possible I would double mask and go at the quietest time possible.

Newbuilddecider · 15/04/2022 16:13

I went at 10 pm

LivingNextDoorToNorma · 15/04/2022 16:15

@LuckySantangelo35 I think you need to re-read bed then apologise for calling me stupid.

I categorically said that I wouldn’t go to the supermarket when i was positive (and I didn’t).

What I said that was that my asymptomatic covid was only detected by free routine testing. Now that the free routine testing has stopped, I am not in position to know if I have it asymptomatically. So I, and many people like me would be in the super market, covid positive and not know it.

golfbuddy · 15/04/2022 16:15

Yes, if I felt well in myself. But I'm unlikely to test positive as I have no access to free tests, and I'd only go if we needed something specific. We get a weekly shop online and don't usually need any top ups.

NumberTheory · 15/04/2022 16:16

I wouldn’t until 10 days after symptom onset. But if I was still testing positive at that point I’d ignore as, unless it was serious enough to hospitalize, you aren’t going to infect anyone.

OverTheRubicon · 15/04/2022 16:16

Ultimately it’s not the law any more so no one would be doing anything wrong. We all need to take personal responsibility to mitigate our own risk, you can’t pin it on others now

How far do you take the legality piece? Is it immoral for someone with flu to visit a care home? Or for that matter, for someone with HIV not to tell sexual partners about their status, on the basis that their partners have the (imperfect) option of barrier protection, and that the illness is not a death sentence for most now there are treatments?

For most vaccinated people covid now isn't that serious, but it's also not a cold. Some people with covid will have to have days out of work on reduced or no pay, and others might get very ill.

When there are no options then fine, or doing an outdoor school run, but why go to the shops?

knittingaddict · 15/04/2022 16:17

I didn't when I had covid recently. I had other options so used those - husband and online shopping.

IggysPop · 15/04/2022 16:17

I wouldn’t go - no. I have other options and would use them.

Learning to live with Covid involves exercising judgement and behaving accordingly. Not behaving as if it never happened/has gone away.

But as others have said, I didn't ever generally go out with other easily spread illnesses. This includes flu.

LuckySantangelo35 · 15/04/2022 16:19

@tomatorich112

Life needs to go on now, we have been locked up for two years. Covid is a mild cold for most, yes a small percentage will have long effect, but that true of many illnesses. Flu can kill you.

I say this as someone who followed every rule for two years, however life is more important. If you have reasons to shield, continue to do so.

You can't expect the majority of society to give up on the joys of life.
They won't, they aren't.

@tomatorich112

How sad if you think going to the supermarket counts as a “joy of life”

neveradullmoment99 · 15/04/2022 16:21

Only if I absolutely had to or it was at the end of my infection and even then I would choose a quiet time and wear a mask. I would hate to give it to someone old or vunerable.

LuckySantangelo35 · 15/04/2022 16:21

[quote LivingNextDoorToNorma]@LuckySantangelo35 I think you need to re-read bed then apologise for calling me stupid.

I categorically said that I wouldn’t go to the supermarket when i was positive (and I didn’t).

What I said that was that my asymptomatic covid was only detected by free routine testing. Now that the free routine testing has stopped, I am not in position to know if I have it asymptomatically. So I, and many people like me would be in the super market, covid positive and not know it.[/quote]
@LivingNextDoorToNorma

Apologies I tagged the wrong person. Sorry

KosherDill · 15/04/2022 16:22

@TimBoothseyes

I would. All the posters saying "do an online shop", well it's not as straight forward as that. If I only needed something like bread, milk or any other staple then online isn't an option. There is a minimum spend, delivery charge, and a picking charge so the costs add up, which many people cannot justify for the sake of a couple of pints of milk or whatever, and newsflash Uber Eats, Deliveroo etc don't deliver to every part of the UK. We don't even have a takeaway delivery option where I live.
In that case I would do without. Or make sure I have adequately provisioned with bread, milk etc. in the freezer in case of emergencies.

"I need bread so I'll just go out and infect others" leaves me speechless.

Couchbettato · 15/04/2022 16:23

No, not knowingly.

ilovesooty · 15/04/2022 16:23

@bridgetreilly

Of course not, and am horrified to think anyone would. Do online or ask a friend to help.
I'm not at all surprised by some of the regular posters who have popped up to say they'd go into public spaces knowingly positive.
MissChanandlerBong80 · 15/04/2022 16:26

@WhiteCatmas

No. You wouldn’t go shopping with chicken pox, whooping cough or for a makeup lesson with impetigo. Selfish people.
I agree and I think the last two years have made a lot of people forget the difference between ‘right’ and ‘legal’. It’s perfectly legal to go and mix with other people with chicken pox or norovirus. Like Covid, they’re both mild diseases for the vast majority of people. But it isn’t right.
Getupoffthesofa · 15/04/2022 16:26

@tomatorich112

Life needs to go on now, we have been locked up for two years. Covid is a mild cold for most, yes a small percentage will have long effect, but that true of many illnesses. Flu can kill you.

I say this as someone who followed every rule for two years, however life is more important. If you have reasons to shield, continue to do so.

You can't expect the majority of society to give up on the joys of life.
They won't, they aren't.

not going out for five days when you have a disease which at most is going to recur twice in one year is not ‘giving up the joys of life’ - it’s not being a selfish c@@@. It is people like you who make the old and vulnerable too scared to go out and put their lives at risk Very few people live in extremely remote places, so remote that someone can’t pick up food or a car can’t deliver. I I speak as someone whose relatives live in a place that is so isolated the electricity board told me they had never visited anywhere so remote. It’s obviously harder if there isn’t money to access these options. Or if you can’t afford not to work. It is ultimately the governments fault for fostering a notion of ‘personal responsibility’ in a Public health crisis and encouraging us to be selfish cocks.
Couchbettato · 15/04/2022 16:27

@TimBoothseyes

I would. All the posters saying "do an online shop", well it's not as straight forward as that. If I only needed something like bread, milk or any other staple then online isn't an option. There is a minimum spend, delivery charge, and a picking charge so the costs add up, which many people cannot justify for the sake of a couple of pints of milk or whatever, and newsflash Uber Eats, Deliveroo etc don't deliver to every part of the UK. We don't even have a takeaway delivery option where I live.
Live without it? It's quite a short timespan, I think you can go 5-10 days without milk or bread.
LivingNextDoorToNorma · 15/04/2022 16:31

@LuckySantangelo35 thank you very much for the apology.

Chooksnroses · 15/04/2022 16:32

I'm very interested in the people who say they would , and I'd like to ask if you would visit a vulnerable relative if you knew or suspected you had Covid?