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?

Out of interest when will you go out again?

I have a runny nose, sore throat, headache and exhaustion more often than not so I wouldn't test unless I have a fever. I think I last tested in April.

@ilovesooty

👍

@megletthesecond

Why?!

@orwellwasright I don't know is the honest answer. Sticking to outside stuff for now
The only thing I'm missing is a proper night out clubbing! I would likely go for a meal in a quiet place but I'm not going to say sainsburys when I can shop online and minimise my risk
Makes no difference to anyone else what I do

top because I'm interested to see if I pick it up asymptomatically. I've not had it yet.

Thank you very much @Mrsjayy

@megletthesecond

I wouldnt be using lfts for that

My local hospital is weird.
When I've been for a number of appointments both before and after they said we dont have to take tests/wear masks I've not been asked. One was for a scan!

Yet when I took DS to an allergy test, the letter said please do a test. I rang to check as this was after the guidance ended. They said yes do a test please.
Appointment was for 8.15am. Takes me 45 minutes to get there. Letter said to test that morning or the night before so did night before as had to get up early and get anxious DS to it on time.
We get there and they got really shirty on me. Why did I do it last night? They won't see DS now. Their letters don't say the night before. I had the letter on me.
We got shoved behind a pen. It would've made no difference if we had of been positive. Totally ridiculous. Nurse then comes back and says it's OK that DS had his last night but I have to redo. I'm not the one having the tests, they won't be coming anywhere near me. I refused.
The reason I feel they did all this was due to a cock up when we arrived. They had no record of the appointment. Tried to deny it and said "oh Mum have you got the right day, are you sure" in that patronising way that twits do that makes you want to slap someone. Again, lucky I had the damn letter.
After they heard me on phone to DH about it all and how it's pretty bloody obvious they're going to suddenly find my test is conveniently positive, they popped back and said oh it's OK we will see him now.

So it's worth checking in case you get a bunch of morons with limited admin skills

We normally only test if we are going to see my parents. Very rare sadly.

Today I tested DD2 as she has symptoms and I am meant to be going abroad this week (without DC). She's positive 🤦‍♀️.

I am not testing, nor am I looking for symptoms. Both kids are at nursery with a cough, and most of the other children have coughs and colds too! If the powers that be weren’t scared of covid at the height of the pandemic, I’m certainly not wasting another second of worry on it!

Since the rules changed to the most recent iteration, we've only tested when a very close contact (DH at work - I forget how many days of testing we did) or symptomatic.

However, we have an enormous bulk box leftover from his work when they were still doing testing every other day.

While I still have tests left I'll probably test if and when we have symptoms but won't be paying for LFTs once we've run out. Will just treat it as any illness/flu/cough going forward.

Never. I’d pretty much forgotten it was a thing, to be honest.

I stockpiled a few boxes of tests while they were free, so can test DH and DDs if we feel the need. Would only use when they are ill.
Im still supposed to be testing twice a week for work ( hospital) so am still allowed to order free ones for myself, but cant share those with the family.

I never test. I've never had COVID and never worried about getting it or passing it on.

Honestly though, they’d better hope some new killer variant doesn’t emerge from the woodwork because I can’t imagine many people would give any of Bojo’s proposed restrictions the time of day now.

Two incorrect words there

Gaslighting - no
Pandemic - no

@Topgub

msybe define here? My numbers were from ONS. 4000+ now, less then 200 this time last year.

they're testing using the same method as last year.

people can pretend it's gone away, it hasn't.

Have never tested and never will.

If you need to ask how often to test, what are you doing it for? If you feel the need to test, go ahead. If you don’t, then don’t. Your health choices are personal to you.

So you did all those things pre-COVID? Your health was not fragile then? I’m assuming that whatever your diagnosis is it must be something new.

Nightclubs are probably the dirtiest, most unhygienic places I can think of.

@BigChesterDraws nope, I was diagnosed about 2-3 years before Covid
But covid wasn't about and I've posted about a million times about the differences between colds/flu and covid
My luck with health is that I would get long covid and I don't want to risk it
If I said I had cancer then nobody would say I was being weird for avoiding busy places and covid, my body acts as though I am on chemo but it's lifelong

I test before I visit my mum. The care home has now relaxed it's rules and we no longer 'have to' but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Likewise I have a couple of friends who live with vulnerable family members . My friends are very wary about where they go/who they see, so I would also test before visiting them .

I would also test if I felt unwell .

I don't think you have to test for an outpatient appointment - I didn't back in November. I think you still have to wear a mask though. You have to at my local hospital anyway .

@ReformedWaywardTeen and @shinynewapple22 . Thanks very much for your replies. What a palava & load of bs Reformed! I'll ring the hospital and check as mine is an outpatient appt and do a test the night before just in case.