Someone please explain this?

[CrazyFoxLady]

DD was picked at random through the post to volunteer to take an antibody test. It was one of the tests that you prick your finger and put a blood sample in, and if another line appears, it means you are positive. Anyway, she gets a faint line that means she has long lasting antibodies.

By now I'm intrigued as none of us have been unwell. So off I went to the government website to apply for one. DD applied for another one as these ones involved posting off to a lab for someone else to check, plus she still wasn't convinced her result was right!

So we did the tests on Tuesday - results came back yesterday. DD is positive and I'm negative! How can this be? We live together and are a very close family, sociable, share meals etc.

My question is this. If this bloody virus is so transmissible that we can't go near another single person, why haven't I got Covid from DD?

I've now ordered the whole household to apply for tests, as this is really bothering me in a fascinated yet annoyed kinda way

Why are some people so so ill, yet others don't even know they've had it? And why hasn't someone with it given it to the whole household? Bloody hell, in my next life I'm going to work harder at school and study science.

Sorry that went on a bit. I guess I just want to let people know it's not just all the doom and gloom that the media portray it is.

Also, to catch a particular illness, a number of different factors have to line up at the same time. The infected person has to be infectious (which for many illnesses is a very specific window), you have to have enough of the right sort of contact with them for the right amount of time, you have to receive enough of the virus for it to actually have a chance of infecting you, your immunity levels have to be low enough that you actually get infected, etc etc. Again, this isn't new at all, but I can sort of understand people being confused about it as the government have deliberately made it seem like you can get infected from the meerest glance at someone from 100 metres away.

People seem also to forget that if no one in your vicinity is infected, your chances of being infected are zero.

@Excited101

They’re very clear that it’s to be a ‘persistent’ cough, don’t go all jumping on the op- if everyone had gone for a test because they coughed 3 times, we’d have caused much bigger issues- ridiculous!

But the definition of a 'persistant' cough is coughing 3 times in 24 hours. I'm an NHS worker too and our OH department are absolutely adamant about this. A new cough is a new cough regardless of whether you normally get one or not. She ought to have had a test whether she usually gets that cough or not, but it's too late now.

If it was September, the old version was less transmissible. The new variant seems to be much more likely to infect entire families once it gets into the house.

Thank you @TheDailyCarbunkle

So basically the government are wildly exaggerating and scaring everyone to death then. It's not that I fail to understand it, it's more that some people are petrified to even leave their houses and this shouldn't be happening. I know it's to stop hospitals being overwhelmed, but we only ever seem to hear doom and gloom and nothing positive. The likelihood of catching Covid is rather slim, but because it is a new virus, let's scare everyone shitless instead

I haven't read the whole thread OP, so someone might have pointed this out already. The antibody tests do not pick up 100% of samples with antibodies against the virus. So you might have had a false negative, especially if your titres were low to begin with, which seems possible given that you had no symptoms.

www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2066

That’s not something that’s published anywhere Rafals I’m sorry, I just don’t think it’s true. Perhaps it’s something that’s discussed in medicine but it’s certainly not how we’re meant to determine a ‘consistent cough’. Happy to be corrected if any actual evidence can be found but I’ve certainly never seen or heard it. It’s not at all believable or sensible.

I found it confusing too.

My dad got covid at Christmas and for the 2 days prior to his symptoms showing, we didn't particularly distance ourselves, all used the same things. Yet my mum, my sister (support bubble so spent Christmas with us), me nor my child got it. I was relieved but didn't understand it as I have read statistically 50% of a household get it.

The 3 adults got tested (community) and all negative. It was difficult as we didn't know when we would be completely out of the woods.

@CrazyFoxLady

Thank you *@TheDailyCarbunkle*

So basically the government are wildly exaggerating and scaring everyone to death then. It's not that I fail to understand it, it's more that some people are petrified to even leave their houses and this shouldn't be happening. I know it's to stop hospitals being overwhelmed, but we only ever seem to hear doom and gloom and nothing positive. The likelihood of catching Covid is rather slim, but because it is a new virus, let's scare everyone shitless instead

When you engage with other people you're bombarded all the time by viruses and bacteria. Most of them cause you no problems because you already have immunity to them or they're not particularly dangerous. Covid is new, so it's much more likely to cause illness due to lack of immunity. It's also infectious - it does spread pretty easily in comparison to other illness (Ebola for example is genuinely deadly but quite hard to catch, similarly HIV isn't easily transmitted). The fact that it's infectious and new doesn't mean though that you're definitely going to get it or that you're going to be ill if you do get it. In fact, the vast vast majority of people who get it are absolutely fine. Millions and millions have had covid without any significant issues. It's new, so it's noticeable. It's not deadly by any measure.

It's worth remembering too that in spite of vaccines there is no possible way to 'stay safe' from covid for your entire life. You can follow every rule, get vaccine and still catch it. Being vaccinated greatly lowers your chances of getting it and of being ill should you get it, but nothing can protect you 100% indefinitely. The good news is you have a far, far greater chance of being totally fine than you have of dying if you do catch it.

Thank you everyone

It really is very bizarre whatever anyone says. However I have found that my mental health has improved loads since I've left SM sites, and I now only tune in to the news on the radio once a day. Does wonders to not think about it constantly.

@Excited101

That’s not something that’s published anywhere Rafals I’m sorry, I just don’t think it’s true. Perhaps it’s something that’s discussed in medicine but it’s certainly not how we’re meant to determine a ‘consistent cough’. Happy to be corrected if any actual evidence can be found but I’ve certainly never seen or heard it. It’s not at all believable or sensible.

Coming to this really late, but I'm afraid you are incorrect - this is the NHS website and has had the same information about coughs since the summer

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'a new and persistent cough, high, temp, loss of taste and/or smell. '

One of those things op not all. Anyway too late now but how anyone would presume a cough is pollen (in September) and not actually a virus where the symptoms are a cough probably explains why infection rates have been so high.

I cough because of hayfever. It starts in February/March and usually finishes in September. Some days are worse than others (obviously). So yes, it is possible to cough due to pollen in September.

Thank you @PinkSparklyPussyCat
Actually my DH coughs all year round and I'm surprised I haven't killed him.

I think you would instinctively know if it was a 'new, persistent cough' and not just a really annoying hay fever one that's just the occasional - and I mean occasional- tickle.

I am not about to batten down the hatches because of a pathetic thickly cough, not sure my mental health can deal with much more tbh.

My original query was about how people in the same household aren't spreading it to each other, yet giving it to Joe Bloggs in the street.

I think my DH would sympathise with you as I also cough if the air is too dry, too damp, too hot, too cold and if I'm stressed! It is much worse for me from Feb/March to September though and I've found wearing a mask makes it worse!