Is anyone still isolating with covid?

[Whattodonut]

My sister is- she caught it from a friend who hadn't mentioned she had a temperature when they met up. (Another thread- I'm annoyed about that on her behalf!)
She's done 3 days positive and says she's going to isolate until she's negative. She has a toddler who her DH is of course looking after but it means he'll be missing work to look after toddler until she's well.

She's worried about passing it around- our parents are elderly and I think I'd be angry if someone who knew they had it gave it to them. She does feel like shit but then if it were flu she would also feel like shit and carry on because... toddler.

What would you do?

If I was her I wouldn't know I had COVID, because I wouldn't have tested for it. I'd just be ill and coping with a toddler. Obviously if I was really ill I wouldn't be going out socialising or hanging out with elderly parents.

You won’t need to test with the new variant there is no mistaking it for anything else! It is bloody grim.

We’ve had it multiple times.

I’m solely responsible for 3 children through the week. I have to get the school aged one to school so have to go outside. I also have animals that need cared for, shopping to do etc.

My husband, who is a teacher, was told to work even if positive as long as well enough, as was I by a different employer.

Must be nice to be able to isolate and rest but I’ve no idea how people are managing it.

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GSD20
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Must be nice to be able to isolate and rest but I’ve no idea how people are managing it

Lots of people are still able to work at home so it’s not difficult for them. I think those that can without hardship should, really, to counter those who don’t have the choice.

To be fair it could affect people differently. COVID was like a bad cold for me but my DH spent three days in bed with it. Depends I guess.

The current guidelines around covid are that if a child has it but feels well then they can still go in to school. That says a lot! My friend's that are teachers have said it is absolutely rife in schools currently.
It is being treated like a cold/flu nowadays, a large portion of the nation is well vaccinated, a lot of people will have it and not even know because tests aren't freely available to everyone. I wouldn't pay money for covid tests to then lose money by staying at home.

And I know several people that have had the latest variant. Two didn't even know they were ill. Another two just thought they had a cold. One was able to WFH but felt like crap and didn't go out for two weeks.

Just like any other viral illnesses, people are effected differently. Personally my view on covid is that it should now be treated like the flu and people should use common sense rather than relying on being told what to do by the government who had parties while they told us all to stay inside and not see our friends/family, anyway.

Puffinsandcreeks · Today 12:46
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And I know several people that have had the latest variant. Two didn't even know they were ill. Another two just thought they had a cold. One was able to WFH but felt like crap and didn't go out for two weeks.

Out of interest, how did they know that they had the latest variant? Our tests just indicate a positive, not what it is. Did they assume? Presumably, we have the latest variant, in that case, me after 3 1/2 years of avoiding it. Feel like crap, much to my surprise. I never get ill, whilst the family drop with colds around me.

I had it earlier in the year and isolated for more than a week in the end, bar one trip to Tesco. I knew I might get it because I was in the car with my brother who had tested positive. We naively thought if we both wore masks and had windows open I might be ok.. but I was not 😢

My mum has cancer though so I need to be super careful. She can get an anti-viral injection to help if she ever does get it though.

The covid I had was far worse than a cold! The body aches I had (before even resting positive!!) were horrendous and I felt so ill with for weeks.

I have had every variant since the start and sailed through all but the first one, but this last one is ferocious and I am fit, healthy and young(ish) and I am not kidding when I say I am now very worried how the hospitals will cope with this surge as we head into winter.
Both of my healthy neighbours were hospitalised (early 70s) vaccinated. No wonder vaccinators are working 7 days a week. We could be in real trouble.
It hurts to even look at MN and I am too ill to even watch Netflix.

Self-isolation is now pointless. This blame game of demonising those who either don’t test or who go about their by daily business whilst infected but feeling well is futile and misguided; the virus is with us to stay and is now just one of the new seasonal epidemics we’ll face annually. Community transmission is currently so high it’s far too late for isolation to make any difference. It’s actually probably better in the long run for maximum spread now to avoid pressures on NHS beds in the depths of winter when flu also starts to gain a foothold. Blaming individuals is a hopeless endeavour and just harks back to those very dark days of the early pandemic.

I did. I had it two weeks ago, worked from home and stayed indoors. Felt awful but couldn’t really keep away from immediate family members so much (kids, DH) and went back to work once I tested negative and felt up to it.

This is the second time I have had it and felt a lot worse with this variant

I agree! We almost need to infect everyone now whilst it’s so mild outside, and we avoid a nightmare this winter.

Well I wouldn't go out with it, I'm not a tosser. I'd carry on in a sense, work from home and order food in for 5 days, after that it's unlikely I'd still be contagious.

Hear hear!
Absolutely sick of being called a murderer, selfish, a tosser whatever for understanding how viruses work. If you want to martyr yourself crack on.
The brainwashing and blaming others is coming back and I hate it. We have to live with this.

@IkeandKyle
spot on

It’s not martyring yourself if it’s easy for you to do.

I have, and it was fine. I felt rough, don't get me wrong. But was still able to wfh with it.

I had it in Dec 2020 and felt more unwell then, and still wfh then too.

My Dad had covid last month, he has all sorts of other conditions including asthma and COPD and was fine.

Which shows you can't make a comment such as yours as everyone reacts differently. I nearly died from glandular fever, no one cared then!

I have a head cold but have aches with it similar to how it felt when I had covid. I used our last antigen test today (more for curiosity really) to test for covid and it was negative. Tbh I wouldn’t have isolated and won’t be buying any more antigen tests either.

The new variant has only been circulating for a few weeks, so I think you had the old version. I accept it’s different for everyone, but I know not a single person that has this one would ever describe it as mild.

I do. I can't get past the fact that I could pass it on to an elderly person and it kill them.

Hear hear!
Absolutely sick of being called a murderer, selfish, a tosser whatever for understanding how viruses work. If you want to martyr yourself crack on.
The brainwashing and blaming others is coming back and I hate it. We have to live with this.

So you're fine then with people coming in and mixing with you when they have Norovirus, Chicken pox, Flu etc? After all they're just viruses that we have to live with and some people don't get them that bad anyway.

I think anyone mixing with people when they know they have a contagious illness is a bit of a tosser. That opinion isn't going to change whether it's covid or something else.

But the elderly person could easily pick it up in Tesco’s or on a flight or at the dentist.

How would you ever know it was your covid infection? You can literally catch it anywhere!

@Balloonhearts I agree with what you're saying because as a massive emetophobia I fall apart when I hear of any sickness bugs (😢), however, staying at home for a day or so with a cold to tummy bug is totally different then people isolating for a week of so when they have covid. Life just doesn't support that any more. I wouldn't be allowed a week off work, my children wouldn't be allowed a week off school (using the idea of a week looosly!). If you have noro schools and (a lot of) workplaces won't allow you to return, but it isn't like that with covid anymore.
So whilst I totally get what you're saying, it isn't fair to make people feel like terrible people for not fully isolating with covid because for the majority of people it just isn't possible and it's not what you're advised to be doing.