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?

[quote MrsSSG]@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.[/quote]
If all teachers got tested for a sore throat your 5 year old's school would be closed, again and again and again for a few days each time whilst they wait for results....how would that work out for you then.

Yes to what @MoreW1ne says. As a parent I don't expect teachers or pupils to get tested every time they have a cough for the next six months. The testing system can't sustain it & people who definitely need tests - those presenting with multiple definite symptoms, those who have been in contact with a confirmed infection, those who have close contact with genuinely vulnerable demographics - will miss out on rapid testing.

@Nibor1991 If you have developed a cold check your symptoms against the official guidance for where you live and make a decision. People are getting frustrated because there are so many posters who think they know better than the scientists, government, Doctors and anyone else and they are spouting complete crap.
People are then going and getting tested for everything and anything. There was one last week where a child had earache and the family ordered tests for all seven family members. A waste of resources. Lab time for processing tests being slowed down by people with either no symptoms at all or none of the official ones ordering tests.
I just can't understand why people refuse to follow official guidance but will happily go with whatever someone on Mumsnet says.

@rainbowunicorn very rude repeatedly calling posters idiots!
My post clearly explains that the U.K. government guidance is not to get a test with a sore throat.
This however is in direct contradiction to the Covid Zoe App who sent my friend for a Covid test based on only having a sore throat and sure enough they came back positive! That has been repeated many times by others including posters on here.
If you are worried and don’t want to waste the governments tests when you don’t have the symptoms, then maybe download the app and that will likely send you for a test if you report a sore throat 2 consecutive days I believe.

So, people are not being idiots. You CAN have Covid with just a sore throat. The WHO acknowledges it as one of the many symptoms too. The fact is we don’t have capacity to test every person with a sore throat, hence current advice.
Also, of course most peoples sore throat is not going to be from Covid, no one is saying that it is! Colds and other illnesses will be around just as they are every other year too.

To be fair, the Zoe app sends people for a test who report a very wide range of symptoms, it's all part of their research. They didn't specifically send your friend for testing because they think a sore throat is a major symptom, although it's certainly on the WHO's symptom list.

Great that she tested given that she was positive though.

I had my 'usual' tonsilitis at the start of April, with a high temp for days. I've used Zoe since it was launched, but tests weren't given out then.
I still think it was my usual, but don't know for sure (son was in Italy skiing and 3 weeks later developed a high temp). 2 weeks later I was ill.

It's really difficult to know what to do, being mindful of test shortages, but I saw on a thread yesterday a few posters (not keyworkers) stating that they and their family members have taken more than one test, all negative. I do wonder if these were for every little sniffle and if this has contributed to the waste.

Something to consider:

covid.joinzoe.com/post/back-to-school?mc_cid=bd6f59275b&mc_eid=6384b795be

It’s not a symptom listed as needing a test or any other action.

I do wish this would sink in with people, do they not ever listen/read news or able to google?!

Although, phe have sent very firm messages to school leaders this weekend re symptoms and to only test with the three main ones.

I don't particularly agree but we are following directions.

ohhoats wasn't being selfish, she was following the guidelines as a teacher.

Not one of the symptoms to test for ..so crack on

If you google rhinorrhea and coronavirus, you’ll see it’sa common symptom. It’s a runny nose. One of the most common signs of mild COVID is a headache. The problem is, the vast majority of runny noses and headaches are obviously not COVID, so they are not listed as symptoms requiring a test. Unfortunately, lots of people have misinterpreted this and now think that if you have a runny nose, you couldn’t possibly have COVID.

Unfortunately, lots of people have misinterpreted this and now think that if you have a runny nose, you couldn’t possibly have COVID.

Lots of people including PHE and local health directors.

Wish I could share the emails we've been sent by slt via PHE!

Yes Nellodee, Googling brings this.

Wtf do we do?!

www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/latest-evidence/clinical

But a sore throat IS a common symptom of covid - 49% of adults report having a sore throat. Every other government around the world recognises that, including The WHO.

Our government are not expanding this symptom list for reasons unknown. Maybe because they didn't order enough tests again, maybe they want to pretend the number of cases are lower to protect the economy, who knows?!

But the important thing here is that people are correctly informed. Regardless of political beliefs, I think most can agree that our government hasn't been great at keeping ahead of the curve in this pandemic and I would just urge people to use their common sense and instinct rather than putting blind faith in a government that has other factors to consider rather than just the public's heath.

You can 'consider' it all you like, until the government change guidelines you don't have to do anything for a sore throat. My DS has woke up this morning saying his throat hurts but we aren't doing anything about it unless any other symptoms develop.

Whenever I get a cold I get tonsillitis and it is really unpleasant. As soon as the kids went back to school they came home with sore throats but got better in a couple of days - I have felt rough for over a week. But I don’t have a cough, temperature or loss of smell at all even though I ache all over and my throat feels like it has knives in it.

I haven’t had a Covid test because this happens to me at least twice a year and I don’t have any of the three main symptoms , but I would urge people with ‘normal’ colds to wfh if possible, and try their best not to spread it even if it isn’t Covid - for some of us, even normal colds can be quite debilitating.

ohhoats is simply following the guidance from the government and her employer. The majority of posters on here are adamant that this is necessary for the benefit of children so it is a bit hypocritical to then complain a teacher is being selfish for following it.

You could pick holes in that guidance being inconsistent with who information or being well informed or whatever but staff members have to follow what has been published. It may or may not be the case that a teacher with a side throat has covid but it has always been fairly obvious that this would happen eventually and it has been decided that it is worth to risk. Very unfair to slate an individual for it, especially as we have all been told not to use up tests unless we have the 3 main criteria. There doesn't seem to be enough to go around at the moment!

That's your choice @Jrobhatch29. Of course, you don't 'have' to do anything.

I'm just concerned that the government is not keeping up to date with current developments even though the data is there and we could find ourselves in another unnecessary lockdown, including schools closing again, because their symptom list is so restrictive.

More testing is the key to getting out of this mess, not less

I can understand why they don’t have all the symptoms triggering a test. I’ve made these figures up to illustrate.
Let’s say 60% of all COVID cases have a cough. 10% of all coughs are COVID related.
Now perhaps 70% of all COVID cases have a headache. But only 0.1% of all headaches are COVID related.
Although headaches are definitely a symptom of COVID, they would make a terrible trigger for the test or for self isolating.
This is why the we cannot assume the symptoms that trigger isolation are the main and only symptoms of COVID.

I've had a horrid sore throat since last weekend, which has since developed into a cold - the joy of being back in school!!

It's not a symptom so no isolation. I've taught all week with it.

I used the ZOE research app and it did send me for a test. Came back negative.

The government keep telling us all not to get a test unless you have the three symptoms, or you get a research request via a couple of sources.

They've reiterated this several times this week.

We can't all isolate at the first sign of a sore throat or a cold. If I'd self isolated this week for a sore throat until my result cane back I'd have missed 4.5 days of teaching. Who is going to cover me?! Will you be happy for your children to be sent home for the week in such cases?

Have a small glass of whisky, I would probably wait a few hours as its slightly frowned upon to have with cereal in the mornings.

@aragog the government have said this, but I don't agree with their stance and it's the opposite of what other countries are doing. This government are ignoring the data and offering false reassurance.

We need to know the correct figures if we have any chance of being prepared this winter - in terms of enough PPE, enough tests, enough ICU beds.

And the tests should stop the need to isolate. You can have a test and the results back within 48 hours.

The irony is, if it is Covid, it can spread and close entire schools. My children need their education. Not enough testing is risking that.

Thus is exactly why the testing centres are overloaded. You crack on with your life and get some strepsils ....