Sore throat - what now?

[FunorFitness]

I have developed a sore throat, I get one several times a year and this is the exact same one I always get.

What do I do now? Do I have to isolate, do I have to get tested? How do I go about it?

Does the family have to isolate until it goes or until I have been tested?

A sore throat is NOT one of the UK recognised symptoms of covid. Just self-manage it like you always do. Should you develop a persistent dry cough, temp over 37.8 or loss of taste/smell - then you attempt to book a test and isolate the whole household.

Nope you don’t because our government has decided not too include sore throats, despite it being widespread knowledge that a sore throat can be a symptom, sometimes the only symptom, of Covid (even if it isn’t in your case OP).
It was my friends only symptom, she got a test from the Zoe Covid App and she did have Covid .

Dd had this a few weeks ago and immediately I thought Covid. But yes like pp said its not an official symptom. So we did nothing. 🤷‍♀️

My dd had slight cough and very mild sore throat I called 119 and got her tested.

Our symptoms list is old fashioned isn't it.
I'd go on what the symptoms actually are rather than what phe tells us they are.

I don't suspect it's COVID, I have this exact sore throat several times a year every winter. I am due back into the office this week, I might stay home (working) until it's gone anyway I don't want to turn up and get sent away again.

OP, our official government guidance does not include sore throat as a symptom, so you are not breaking any rules by going into work. Having said that, the government has deliberately chosen a narrow list of symptoms and it is clear beyond reasonable doubt that a sore throat can be a symptom of Covid. So if your work are relaxed about you continuing to work from home, I would continue to work from home until your sore throat has cleared up. I would definitely keep away from anyone elderly or medically vulnerable for at least 10 days from the date your sore throat started.

Why do you think you’ll be turned away from work? Who will know you have a sore throat?

That’s setting aside the question of whether or not it could be covid.

I would have mentioned it, I would feel like I was being deceptive otherwise.

The snot has arrived now so defo my usual sore throat and cold but I will just carry on working from home until I feel better anyway.

Just follow the official symptoms. It’d be unlikely to simply have a sore throat alone. You’d probs be feeling unwell, hot etc. Colds often start with sore throats & sometimes they develop into full blown ones & sometimes your body fights it off & you feel better in a couple days!

Follow the list, people did get all the symptoms of covid long. Before covid

For some unknown reason, our government still has such a narrow list of official symptoms. But a sore throat is a very well-known symptom of Covid (along with a headache, chest pain and shortness of breath, which again isn't listed!).

If you can get tested easily, especially with a home testing kit, then I'd do it.

Sore throat is on the WHO's list of symptoms. I don't know what we should do at the moment. A month or two ago when test centres were standing idle I'd have said "Get tested!". Now there appear to be massive shortages in many areas.

I'm a teacher. I have had a sore throat since last weekend, I've done nothing about it because our school risk assessment says only to do something if you have the three main symptoms.

@ohthegoats don't you think you should get tested out of some kind of social responsibility? An outbreak in a school could close the whole school and put vulnerable people at risk?

@ohthegoats My young children have just gone back to school after so much disruption in their lives, including seeing me suffer from a serious covid infection which I'm still recovering from 5 months later. My 5-year old son now has asthma because of covid. I think you're being quite selfish.

If it’s the “usual” sore throat then just press on.
If it felt different to usual I would get tested.

don't you think you should get tested out of some kind of social responsibility? An outbreak in a school could close the whole school and put vulnerable people at risk?

She is following the rules. If every teacher with a sore throat stayed off and got tested with no other symptoms, we’d have about four schools open due to staff shortages.

[quote MrsSSG]@ohthegoats don't you think you should get tested out of some kind of social responsibility? An outbreak in a school could close the whole school and put vulnerable people at risk?[/quote]
I really wish people would stop making their own rules up. You might prefer people to test for a sore throat but it's not the guidelines so you can't go round calling people selfish for following the rules they've been given!

I think you're being quite selfish.

For adhering to the NHS official testing rules?

People at my office have been sent home and for tests due to a sore throat or snotty nose, so I'd be questioning it too. Even though it seems a bit ridiculous.

People at my office have been sent home and for tests due to a sore throat or snotty nose

I hope they challenged whoever was telling them to do that. It isn’t following nhs guidelines.

@PurpleDaisies it was the bosses who decided, me who questioned it! No-one has had anything wrong since so I'll be interested to see what happens next time someone says they have a sniffle.

I noticed lots of ads on social media today from the local council asking people not to get tested if they don't have one of the three symptoms. So that pretty much settles it for me.

Second wave here we come...

What a mess our government have made of this , there should have been local test and trace and a healthcare team linked to schools and local business to give advice . Parents and workers will be dammed if they do, and dammed if they don't either go to work or isolate or get a test , everyone and everything is playing by different rules .