AIBU to not know when to do LFTs now.

[bumblingthrough]

AIBU to not know when to do LFTs now. I should preface with I have anxiety and OCD and I worry a lot about accidentally passing Covid onto someone vulnerable.

I have 2 children, one at school and one at nursery. I mainly work from home, visit the office very occasionally. My husband commutes 3 times a week.

From when LFTs first became available until April 22, we were testing twice a week and coinciding the timing so that we tested just before seeing family or friends, especially older relatives.

Now I don’t know what is expected. I know what the guidance says but I want to gauge what the average person does. Generally we are testing now if any of us have any symptoms, if I go into the office, if we are seeing older family members or socialising with a group of friends inside. But not the default regularity of twice a week i.e. sometimes I might not need to test for a week-10 days.
I feel that maybe isn’t sustainable in the long run, not just financially (although I can and would pay for tests if I thought it was the right thing to do), but also environmentally and when does it end if we are to ‘live with Covid’?

So please can I ask what others do now?

I don't bother.

We’re testing daily when we have symptoms, not at all when we don’t.

I have a stockpile of tests as ds brought them home from school but will only test if I feel unwell. Havent done one for ages

Never tbh.

I tested when I started getting symptoms and when a close contact caught it, and still would, but other that that I have stopped.

(Although if I was going to be in close contact with any vulnerable people I would still take a test). However, when I did catch covid, it took 5 days off symptoms before I got a positive test, so I am more likely to listen to my body than blindly follow the lft result.

We all had covid in March so haven’t done one since and will only do one if we feel ill. DH had to do one before a minor operation 2 weeks ago and has a check up next week so he may take one then, but he’s not been asked to do one.

We test before seeing my parents as my dad is vulnerable and they have asked us to. They are resigned to getting it sooner or later but are still trying to avoid it by wearing masks and limiting indoor public activities.

Otherwise I test when I feel unwell, just so I know what it is. Not otherwise - we mostly socialise with other parents and it's almost impossible to avoid with children in childcare/school. I recently had a cold - didn't bother testing when I just had a slight sore throat and sniffle, but did when it progressed to feeling shivery. Wasn't Covid (I only had it in April so hope to avoid it for a while longer yet!)

Testing isn't expected now you can do a LFT if you feel ill or if you are maybe going away somewhere but it's fine to stop .

I would only do a LFT if I felt unwell. Frankly, I’m completely done with all the covid nonsense now and I just want to forget about it & get on with my life.

I don’t test unless we have symptoms.

I have only tested when I have had symptoms or been in contact with someone positive.

Even when I did get covid I tested on the first day of being poorly and once I started feeling better. No sense in testing daily if I was still feeling poorly. Huge waste of tests.

Not testing at all. Pretty sure I had covid last week but with there being no legal requirement to test nor self isolate, I continued to do school runs etc as normal but rearranged my work a bit to generally avoid people

When I have symptoms or if I am seeing someone vulnerable. Very few and far between now

Never.

Are you getting help/treatment for your anxiety?

We do lfts if I have any reason to suspect someone has covid, so if ds or I have a sore throat, a bit snotty, headache etc, or if I'm going anywhere someone is cev, care home, hospital etc.
We only have about 20 left so using them sparingly.

I tested on Saturday (negative) for the first time in a while. I'm still not feeling right, & will test again tomorrow before going to the physio.

it's all a bit odd now, I'm not sure the testing will make much difference as the vast majority of people seem under the impression it's gone away (despite hospital numbers over 4000, compared to under 200 this time last year).

so, I suppose I'm testing if I feel 'off' or if I'm going somewhere that more vulnerable people will be.

We had covid in March I don't think I've tested since.

I don't test and only would if I had classic symptoms (cough + high temp).

@ATadConfused

Hospital numbers here have dropped massively and even those are people in hospital with something else that have been tested for covid o/a

Hopefully hospitals will be able to stop routine testing soon.

Symptoms or holidays (either just DH and I or if we’re going with a group). A few times recently we’ve both been to some big conferences and I tested a few days after that. It’s probably about 3 times per month but not in an organised fashion.

Same for me. Although I'd also test if someone told me they were positive and I'd been in close contact with them recently.

I am extremely vulnerable to covid and was very ill with it last year. DH is fit but over 70.
I would only test if I had symptoms. Furthermore I don't expect DC to test routinely before visiting me unless they had symptoms.

FFS.

If we felt unwell we would and if we are going away, not going abroad till January so if there are still covid tests required to travel I would probably take some lfts after new year and then keep away from people in the lead up and test intermittently so I can be sure of being cleared to travel.

@ilovesooty

Ffs what?

I test weekly/fortnightly when I visit my df who is in a nursing home receiving eol care.

other than that I would only ask my DP to test if unwell because he’s at risk but not CV from covid and then only to be on higher alert if he took a turn for the worse. His work test when a remote member of staff comes in because they are CEV and currently receiving chemotherapy.

Afaik DD’s school policy is five days off or a negative test for any of the main symptoms so would test then but it hasn’t come up yet.

generally though I just exercise common sense and avoid vulnerable people if any of us are unwell/snotty and give anyone else the opportunity to tell us they’d rather we didn’t see them.