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

Meanwhile in the real world - get real.

The only people I know who are still testing have complex health concerns.

No one else I know tests or even thinks about testing.

Thanks.

I still do test. I just don't agree with this "It's only a cold" because I've seen Covid have a devastating impact on people. My best friend has had long Covid for two years and is still unable to work, uses a mobility scooter. She was a very healthy 40 something before.
My mum ended up in hospital with Covid, nearly dying. I have another friend who has been suffering with long Covid since April 2020. For two years she could barely leave her bed.
All these people have had many colds and never become seriously ill with them.
So yes I'll continue to test because I never want to see anyone else go through what they've been through.

Yes it’s a mystery isn’t it? I guess my first thought would be that they needed something for them or their family in IKEA, didn’t necessarily have someone else to go for them, and they work during the week so this was when they were available to go, if they are single parents they may need to wait until the DC are at football practice etc. And my second thought would be that someone not capable of figuring that out must not be very bright.

What difference would it have made? Presumably you would still have gone on holiday?

those who test- why do you? If you do it so you can isolate/shield why only do this with Covid? Any cold/flu respiratory virus can be harmful to the clinically vulnerable, so either you take precautions with every sniffle or possible virus, or you don’t. There’s nothing special about Covid any more.

I don’t think people are ‘sick of Covid’ at all, it doesn’t even cross their mind anymore.

I last tested in December 2021 coming back from holiday.

My consultants advice is be sensible basically
I did get covid when I listened to people who said oh it's fine now and I caught it on Christmas Day 2 years ago

3 weeks off work, monitoring by hospital at home, anti virals and 3 months to get back to a vague level of fitness plus the money I lost being off work plus the risk of long covid

Same! I won't do anything different. It's just curious

But can't other illness do that as well or is it just covid?

I don’t test, in fact I don’t remember the last time I heard someone say the word ‘Covid’ in real life.
I was pro tests and masks during the pandemic, but now it just feels like a fever dream from the past.

Never have and never will.
Feel very ill - rest
Feel bit rough but ok? Crack on

I have to work regardless

My DP works in theatre in a big hospital. They’ve been told not to test, and to go to work if they are well enough.

The same advice has been given to my organisation.

I'd be happy to test before I met with potentially vulnerable people but there don't seem to be any tests around any more. I've recently looked in one major supermarket and two different chemists and none of them had tests visible.

If people are still testing for covid, after all this time, they have health anxiety. You only get one chance at this incredibly short life, make the most of it instead of being worried about what you may or may not have.

Everyone should test. Some people, like me are immunosupressed and our lives may depend on other people being careful. It's basic good manners.

And if it isn't Covid, you still don't know what you've got. What did you do pre-2020?

Are you paying?

We can get anti virals

We test when we have flu-like symptoms - so fever, feeling grotty, heavy cold. But not for a sniffle. Mainly so we know and can avoid people for a bit, especially our parents who are in their late-70s.

But that said, I had Covid very mildly last year (literally just a cold) and only tested because a few of my friends I'd been with had it bad enough to test and I was curious. So who knows whether I've had it mildly other times too. I will say that when I had it so mildly, I didn't infect anyone else - not even my partner.

You do know all these things can also happen with the flu? But then it's called "post viral fatigue" rather than "Long flu". Vulnerable and the old and young can and do die from the flu, but we've lived with that without testing for years...

Most other common viruses don't affect the body in the way Covid does. Covid for someone with particular blood cancers is bad news

I think a lot of people are getting ill because the Govt want us to have moved on. By not allowing free testing they've swept it under the rug while they wang on about people being too sick to work because they want to be on benefits. It's a joke. As someone who has immunocompromised friends I think it is outrageous that the Gov has put the onus on them to stay home and keep out of everyone else's way because they want the cheapest option for the country. It's not working out that way after all, because so many are off long-term sick from covid and more can't risk being in work.

And for how long should they be spending tax-payers' money on free tests? They spent billions on the Covid response and that all came out of our pockets. So many other important things to focus funds on. Enough.

Used Dr Google and had a guess. I have elderly in-laws and parents I think it's worth it as they aren't in the best of health. Satisfies my curiosity as well.