Why do some people get wound up if others test for covid?

[Adaytoday]

What is it about testing for covid specifically that seems to wind people up?
AIBU to find it really odd? People don’t seem to have the same reaction to any other test.

YABU - it is not odd to be wound up because another person does a covid test

YANBU - it is odd that some people get wound up because another person does a covid test

Other viruses can and do trigger autoimmune diseases though. COVID isn't special in that respect. Long COVID obviously was a thing, probably because it was so new to our immune systems then. It's not new anymore. Often you can't even be sure what if anything did trigger an autoimmune condition, and there's no point panicking about viruses possibly causing them or you'd never leave the house.

To be clear, I'm not talking about the effect they have on people who are already immunocompromised, but surely the difference between flu and COVID in that respect is negligible also? It's not like yous go hang round immunocompromised person with heavy viral symptoms just because you were negative for COVID.

Well you can have mild or even asymptomatic flu so it’s not guaranteed someone will know for definite they have flu so could still spread it around.

For me, my dad tests because he saw how unwell I was with Covid. If he’s got a snotty nose and it’s a cold, I’m not too bothered as I’ve had a lot of colds in my life and been ok
I just really don’t want Covid again as I was unwell plus the fucking about of getting antivirals, having bloods done etc is just a pain
same with people with chicken pox

it’s also a balancing act as I’m neutropenic but for life rather than temporary so I’m a bit less strict than someone who is temporarily neutropenic as I also need to live

I agree some people will avoid mixing when ill regardless of a test result and that others will go out when ill regardless of a test result. There are good reasons for doing something in between though. People are accumulating far more covid infections than flu ones so it's more of a burden and the consequences aren't just autoimmune conditions but sometimes months of fatigue or long covid. It would also make sense to treat covid and flu differently from all other viruses so to test for both. Saying well if you're not going to stay at home for every virus there's no point staying home for covid or flu would be pretty short-sighted from a productivity point of view alone, but also for everyone's general health, and there are tests for both. That doesn't mean it's OK to go out with everything else, just that preventing some illness is better than doing nothing.

Im not aware of anyone getting wound up over testing/no testing for COVID since 2022.

Would the tests even still work on the new strains?

They still give the jabs for elderly & immunocompromised but I don't think they even get tested any more.

Interesting (to me anyway)!

I don’t get wound up … just don’t understand why people need to test for Covid. I agree sick is sick, do you need a test to know this? No I don’t, I don’t believe in spreading sickness, covid testing and flu testing isn’t needed as far as I’m concerned. Go ahead though if you feel you need it, I don’t need this in my world.

I can answer this - research shows that one of the risk factors for developing long covid/ME is getting back on your feet too quickly after covid/influenza. Even if it's a mild bout.

So if you know you have the flu, or Covid, you can adapt accordingly, be a bit gentler with yourself, avoid sports or stress.

Of course the tests work on new strains because new tests come out to record the new strains.

I’ve got family members and friends who are immunocompromised. I don’t want to give them Covid so I test whenever I feel ill as I need to keep them safe.

Yep. If I roll my eyes at ordinary people testing, it's because I'm absolutely done with the COVID period and want to put that all behind me. I don't know why anyone wants to hang on to it.

Having said that, my DD is a nurse on a ward full of vulnerable old people, so she tests.

It's not about wanting to hang on to thr covid era. I had a really traumatic time during covid for various reasons and hate things that remind me of lock down, for example. But acting as if it doesnt exist is just like an ostrich with their head in the sand.

I dont want to have covid (I tested and have it right now) and dont want to isolate from my family but my DS has a really important event coming up that he needs to be well for, and my parents are elderly. So i am taking extra precautions because it is covid. Last time I had it I was in bed for 2 weeks and developed heart problems. I domt want to risk giving that to anyone.

Where I work the tests are sold until their expiry date so some have been produced 2 years ago?!

You are lucky that you don’t have any health conditions that make a Covid infection significantly more likely to end up with you being hospitalised. Getting antivirals because you know you have a Covid infection is critical for some of us… that’s why we test. I don’t test because I know I’m sick I test because not knowing what it is can be major.

Do you not realise other viruses could make them seriously unwell too? You should just stay away when you are ill.

I know a few people who test and then proceed to isolate (can with their jobs) and expect everyone else with a sniffle to test and isolate as well regardless of circumstance. One particular colleague is awful and it does wind me up when she lectures me from her high horse about how important it is to test for every bit of runny nose, to isolate, etc as we all need to do 'our bit'. Whatever that is.

I don't know anyone who tests but I can't say I care if people do, makes no difference to me..

I don't test because it's pointless, if I'm too ill to go to work then I phone in sick and I'm also too ill to be doing anything remotely exciting. I have to do the school run and potentially go buy some paracetamol but that's as far as I'm going.

If I feel a bit "meh" with a sore throat or slight cold symptoms then I go to work and carry on as usual. I can't stay off everytime I feel a bit run down, I wouldn't have a job by the end of the year!

Lucky you. Some of us do though, as we could get very unwell indeed.

No one I know gets upset about it.

I can understand why people want to try and never think about the pandemic. What I do not want them to forget is those who lost loved ones, some of whom died because of decisions made that are in my opinion criminal. Matt Hancock and Boris Johnson should be in prison.

I am a teacher and still test. It just means that I cut myself some slack in terms of allowing myself to recover.

Covid damages the immune system unlike flu, it’s quite dangerous to have it and to spread it.

Because you can test for it and them stay away from people. Having had covid once I have no desire to ever have it again

how do you stay away from people? do you just not work or leave it leave the house with cold like symptoms? You realise that this is a completely unworkable position for most people.

You can minimise mixing even if you can't avoid mixing completely. You can also wear a mask and use tissues to "catch" your coughs and sneezes. You can wash your hands more frequently. Simple precautions that everyone should be doing anyway are more important when you've caught something.

yes when I went back my old work 3 years ago, I was feeling unwell and told them my eldest had Covid but I was negative and they kept saying “why did you test” and I replied “because we work in healthcare and my other practice told us to test whenever we felt unwell and I didn’t want to spread it” 🤷🏽‍♀️
YANBU