Covid - should tests still be available without cost?

[Happyspendingthedayinthegarden]

For context: I work for a team that is spread over a wide area across 3 counties. We WFH 40% of the time & travel into the nearest office to work there 60% of our time. Went to team meeting on Wednesday, hadn't seen my colleagues since Christmas &, of course, we were greeting each other with hugs, sat close to each other in an air conditioned room with no opening windows & went to a restaurant for lunch where we were sitting 'cheek by jowl'.

During the course of yesterday I started to feel really rough. I was cold, then hot, developed a sore throat & ended up finishing work early to go to bed as muscles were aching, I was running a temperature of 102.2F & had a dodgy stomach.

This morning I'm feeling REALLY rough. Then a round-robin team Whatsapp message from a colleague to say they've tested positive for covid. I've checked the symptoms & that's probably what I have.

Due to see DD & GC tomorrow - well had to cancel that.

I'm also due to take an 87 year old friend to a hospital appointment on Monday morning. I'm trying to contact her to cancel that. This leaves her in a hole as a/ she has no-one else to take her and b/she has dementia & could well forget that I've told her that I can't do it. I wrote on her calendar to expect me at 11:00am &, knowing how her calendar is her 'bible', she will look at that & wonder where I am. I will have to try to get her to scratch it from her calendar while I'm on the phone, but, since I have such a sore throat & rather croaky, not to mention cranky because I feel like 💩I'm not sure how patient I'm able to be with her.

If it's not covid I could manage my commitments, but, without knowing, I can't take the risk.

AINBU - cost-free covid tests should still be available
AIBU - we should pay for our own (which in practice means people don't have them in their houses in the same way as we did during the pandemic)

We don't have enough money. If you want tests then buy some, but if you're feeling that ill then you shouldn't see people anyway.

If you're that ill, you shouldn't be 'managing your commitments' anyway - it doesn't matter what you have, you surely would still not risk passing anything on to anyone anyway!

This morning I'm feeling REALLY rough.

does a positive Covid test make a difference? If you’re ill you’re ill. To someone with suppressed immune system a virus is a virus and can make you really ill. Why so fixated on Covid?

Yes, you are both right, I shouldn't be having anything to do with an elderly lady if I'm sick with anything. Obviously I'm not thinking clearly.

I feel so bad letting her down though. DD & GC not such a problem. But the elderly lady relies on me & it's an appointment to get her diagnosed & something that I've been working on getting her to agree to for some time. Understandably, she's concerned about getting a diagnosis, but now she recognises that she does have problems with her memory, balance etc & probably better to know so that she can access any support that's available.

I don't understand how free covid tests would have helped in your situation. Because to have avoided it would mean everyone you hugged and sat close to would have had to decide to test prior and stay away if positive, and few people would do that regardless of the test being free. If you're still concerned about covid then it's probably better to keep distance from people if you know you have commitments. Which is just the generic approach you might take to avoid illness of any type.

I've had flu like symptoms that are just coming to an end now after a fortnight - could be covid, could be influenza, could be rhinovirus... does it matter?? I'll stay away from immuncompromised people and keep my hygiene levels top notch when dealing with anything I can't avoid like popping to the shop. Testing to know which bug I had would have been irrelevant.

Why are folk even still testing? If you’re ill and probably infectious then you wouldn’t want to pass it on anyway (regardless of covid!)
I don’t understand the continued obsession with covid.

What is the point of a Covid test if there is no action required if it comes back positive?
We no longer isolate if we have Covid so it is a pointless exercise.

Yabu. Tests are cheap if you want to use them but it makes no difference to wider society. If you’re ill you’re ill and it’s up to you whether you carry on or stay in regardless of which illness it’s it.

If you can’t afford 10 quid get a better job, where you have to go to work every single day.

No. Can’t vote as don’t agree with either option.

If symptomatic of any illness, stay away from the vulnerable if you can.

The pandemic is over. We don’t need to be testing.

I bought a box of 25 tests on Amazon last year for around £18, it was the cheapest way of buying them. You can get 5 for around £5-£6

The NHS can't carry on providing them for everyone.

Not fixated, just would be happier if I knew what the problem was. Somehow people understand better if you can say I have 'xx' rather than 'I don't know what's wrong, but I feel like crap'.

Probably something from my childhood, my mother was singularly unsympathetic to illnesses. She was of the school of thought that you could just work your way through it. Once made my brother (then aged 15) walk 1.5 miles & get 2 buses to A&E because he thought he'd broken his wrist only to get a call from the hospital asking her to bring his PJs etc in as he needed surgery on his broken wrist. 🤕

We test because passing a cold to elderly relatives who are immune suppressed is totally different to passing Covid to them. If we have Covid we have a strict no visit rule. If we have a mild cold we might still visit but will ask them if it’s ok. They can deal with a cold, they can’t deal with Covid.

If you're not well, you're not well. Why does knowing the name of the virus making you ill make any difference?

No, Covid tests should not be free.

You don’t keep away from other people if you’re ill?

No, because now that everyone is vaccinated and / or has been exposed multiple times increasing their immunity, this is as bad as a bad flu. Independent on whether it’s a flu or covid you should stay away from elderly and immunocompromised, cancel social appointments, stay away from hospitals, and take a few days of sick leave to recover.

It seems to me from your OP that if you tested and found out you had Covid, you wouldn’t take your elderly friend to her appointment, but if it wasn’t Covid you would? That makes no sense 🤷🏻‍♀️

I test so that I can go and get IV antivirals.

Tests are actually still free if you're immunosuppressed, you just need to ask a pharmacist. I get mine where my prescriptions are dispensed.

OP I've said you are unreasonable because you shouldn't be going near children or elderly people but surely you can't anyway if your that sick?

However I like to know what's wrong with me and I've stolen got old COVID tests.

Apparently there is a new strain going around that's highly contagious and causing gastric issues again.

Unfortunately I don't believe we learned anything from the pandemic about ventilation, catching sneezes and coughs, hand washing.

I hope you feel better soon op.

No, only illness I get is migraine and I don't need to keep away from people with that.
Last time I had a cold was May 2021 😁

Covid isn't really a thing anymore.

What’s your definition of ‘a thing’?

Surely the point is Covid is more infectious than other viruses I can’t remember the numbers now but that’s partly what makes it so dangerous also it’s not like other respiratory viruses it behaves in some people attacking other organs so I do think it’s really helpful to know if you have it.

The tests aren't that expensive. You could get someone to pick one up.

If you've got a lurgy though you probably should stay away from elderly people.