To think no one is testing for Covid anymore?

[TwoTimesShoeShop]

A work colleague has just messaged our team WhatsApp in a bit of a rant as they've got Covid. They are blaming it on someone who came into the office earlier this week with a blatant heavy cold thing. Colleague with cold is saying that they don't think it's Covid, but haven't tested and don't plan to, and that Covid colleague could have got it from anywhere.

It's now going into an argument about testing - a couple of people are still testing any time they get cold symptoms, but most are saying they won't bother. Covid colleague says we all need to test now as we were all in on Monday together for a meeting.

AIBU to think no one is testing anymore, and it's not necessary?

The only time I've tested is becuasee PILs had some tests in the drawer and we're very worried about how ill I was and my strange array of symptoms and wanted to rule it out... glad their mind jumped to that and not a pregnancy test 🤣

So what she has covid? I've got a chest infection right now, had a stomach bug last month, had that 4 month cough shit last year, flu over Christmas. None of it was covid, but I still felt like death so what exactly is still so special about covid?

Unless you have been living under a rock surely you know that not everyone has the luxury of working from home and are expected to go towork even with covid?
What's the point in testing if you can't isolate anyway?

I had covid recently that I picked up at work on a rare office day, I tested because I had also seen a friend who works with vulnerable people so wanted to ensure she was aware if It was covid. It doesn't hurt to be conscientious in certain circumstances

I only ever test if we are going to see one of our family members who has terminal cancer or GMIL who has very complex health issues and qualifies for antivirals. GMIL is one of the poor souls who during COVID wasn't even supposed to be opening her windows. I haven't bought any, I'm just using up the packs we have. GMIL got lots of free ones due to her health issues and MIL was regularly popping down to get the free test boxes when they were available to the public for using for hospital appointments for terminal family member and GMIL.

Day to day I don't test.

What is the advice for CEV people now? The ones I know (including DH) don't do anything different any more.
My CEV niece did all the shielding the first time around, among all the furore. She did get covid later, and it wasn't bad at all.
I am really surprised that people are still actively shielding.

But if they're unwell and it isn't covid, is that then just fine for them to visit? What if it's flu (which can be mild, you don't always have to be bedbound with it).

That's what I don't understand about testing before visiting someone vulnerable. My gran was shielding and is CEV, she's just got out of a long stay in hospital. I wouldn't visit her if I was ill, whatever it was. A covid test wouldn't change it because I wouldn't want to pass on any virus.

One third of people with flu are asymptomatic.

If I interacted with vulnerable people I would test, and have done when my wife was working with a vulnerable client, just in case. But otherwise no. I haven't actually been ill in ages, come to think of it, and had covid 3.5 years ago.

Or people who have no option but to go to work even with covid ,so what's the point in testing when you can't stay at home and isolate even if you wanted to?

Unless you meet criteria for anti viral what is the point of testing? You should be avoiding close contact with others if you have ANY respiratory illness.

I don't test. Everyone should be Vaccinated now and it's nothing worse than a common cold these days

The colleague with the cold however shouldn't have gone in even if it was just a cold

Lots of people can't be vaccinated or because of drug interactions the vaccines aren't as effective for them.

It's lovely you think it shouldn't be more than a cold but that's not my experience at all,I was ill for a month, properly ill and 2 weeks of that in bed,it floored me. I lost my taste/smell and it has never fully returned ,a cold has never done that to me . I am fully vaccinated. I dread getting it again. My father ended up in hospital,he's CEV but has never been in hospital with a cold. I have a friend who has been off work for a year with Long Covid and a friend's teenage daughter now has a heart issue triggered by Covid.

Do you have a source for that?

I test as I like to know if I have it or not. Also means I can avoid any vulnerable people I know.

It amazes me that people still believe it is nothing worse than a common cold. I have had plenty of colds with no lasting effects.
I had covid twice, one time I barely noticed I was sick and had no lasting effects. The other time resulted in a flare up of my arthritis, being in terrible pain and hardly able to function and increased meds.

Edited to add that I had 3 vaccines at that stage.

The effects of Covid are unpredictable, thats what makes it different. Just because it may have been nothing worse than a cold to you, doesnt mean its like that for everyone - surely people can see that?

A lot of people dont act with comment sense when they are ill. I was away with a friend recently and she brought her very ill daughter with us. Her daughter had a sore throat, unable to speak, high temps for days, no appetite, fatigue and cough. She insisted she wouldnt test her for covid as "covid is no longer a thing". I spent the time trying to avoid her daughter as I am on immuno suppressants and was afraid of getting sick potentially resulting in another painful flare up.

So you’ll happily spread your cold because it’s not called covid?

I don't because it makes no difference to me.

I've been feeling crappy for a week now, I've taken one day off work but I can't take anymore off because I don't get paid. I've been off once this year with one of the kids when they were sick so it's bad for my workplace because they are short staffed and more money lost.

I still have to take the kids to school too and I haven't been upto anything else so I don't need to test to tell me to stay away from people.

I'm not wasting money by testing either when I have symptoms or "just incase" when it makes no difference to my choices.

I would love to hibernate all week but I can't even take holiday because I need to save my days to cover half of the school holidays so we aren't paying childcare.

We don't even struggle for money, we aren't loaded but we don't worry about paying the bills or food so if we struggle with having unpaid time off imagine if you were already having difficulties putting food on the table.

Nobody purposely goes out trying to spread whatever virus they have, it's just a fact of life.

How classy to post this right after a post pointing out that people with relatives who have cancer are still testing.

Exactly, so many people wearing grotty fabric “chin hammocks”-utterly pointless

I tested in Jan as a. I had a colleague who had confirmed covid, b. I now had identical symptoms and c. I'd like to know if I have it, as I missed the last jab, so it's helpful to know I've had an immunity booster. It was covid. Otherwise, I don't test and have no tests left now.

YABU to think no-one is testing for Covid any more.

I can't remember when I last tested. Couple of years.

There are actually estimates that are much higher than one third. It's hard to be specific, because we don't test much for flu and the people we do test are usually ill. This one for example is 75%.

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/seasonal-influenza/facts/factsheet

There's a systematic review here.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586318/

What we do know is asymptomatic flu infection is really common.

Exactly the same here. I never caught anything either and I'm classed as clinically vulnerable! The tests were even confirmed, by the scientist who developed them, not to be effective in testing for Covid, because that's not what they were developed for!

People should stay away from others if they have any heavy cold whereever possible
I have had 3 heavy colds this year...and lost my sense of smell twice (once with a cold, once without)
Two of those I tested - and both were negative.
But in all cases I stayed away from work and other people.
The lateral.flow tests may nut be accurate with the new and different strains...and also depends when you test (and they aren't free)
But any heavy cold is going to be very unpleasant and potentially life threatening for vulnerable people.

I know not everyone can stay away....I have thus debate at work as I can work from home but others can't and I know they feel.pressure to come in as they don't feel sick enough for a sick day.