If you've been vaccinated and do LFT two of three times a week, can you assume you don't have covid ?

[nonaomi]

Is it safe to say, you're quite safe if that's your situation ? Or your situation to be ? If the people you're seeing have also had two jabs and also do regular lateral flow tests ?

The problem with the LFTs is people are using them to see if they are "safe" as in they don't have Covid but they are not supposed to be used like this.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/25/uk-health-regulator-concerned-over-use-of-coronavirus-rapid-tests

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n287

£2.2 billion wasted on these tests!!

If you've both been vaccinated then the risk of transmission is very low and it wouldn't worry me at all regardless of tests. If someone was particularly vulnerable then it might be sensible for them to get an antibody test to go back to normal like that, and I wonder if that will happen on NHS once it's clear who is less likely to have built immunity. If there were suddenly escalating cases in the UK or widespread transmission started occurring aided by vaccinated people then my view might change, but based on the studies so far I will go pretty much back to normal for seeing friends and family. If someone we know chooses not to be vaccinated then we won't have them round, we will see them outside only instead.

Ongoing tests make sense for people with lots of interactions until cases are even lower. I also wouldn't go to a nightclub, jostling-packed concert, nor travel to most other countries right now; maybe next year depending on how things go.

(Obviously presuming that's a week after second vaccine)

I’m having to test twice a week for work, and I’ve had both jabs. The plastic waste makes me feel quite uncomfortable.

I'm in this position now and although I know the risk is not zero, it's low enough that I can go about my daily life without worrying. I'll still wear masks and keep my distance when asked, I avoid crowded places because I hate crowds and always did but once Boris tells me I can meet indoors then I'm good to go and won't feel worried about it at all.

And even though I've struggled so much with my fear of things, I really thought it would all be OK once everyone has had two jabs. But there are clearly people who are even more scared than I am !

Sadly this is a hangover of the year-long fear campaign. They needed that to make people comply, I do understand, but there'll be a large group of people who struggle to just switch that off once they're told it's "safe"

@GeorgeandHarold66 really happy to hear that and logically this is what we should all do once we have been vaccinated and maybe at the LFT as the cherry on the cake.

You're right, it's super tough for some of us. I've lost all perspective on it. Sometimes I'm better and other times I'm worse with it. It's exhausting and I am getting help for it, but when it gets me- it gets me. My anxiety also feeds off other people's anxiety.

I really think it's as safe as it will be, once the outlined conditions have been met, but just the fact that some people still don't think it's safe- stresses me out !

I'm glad to see this thread, it encourages me that most people think logically about this. I know I can too, but sometimes I just can't. Hopefully it will get easier and easier for me and everyone else who struggles with it. The thing that frightens me is that some people don't even know they're being illogical about it. At the very least I know I have a problem.

I also had an antibody test by the way to the poster who mentioned that! So I know the vaccine worked for me, I think..

unfortunately I am deep down one of those panicked, unreasonable people

You are not unreasonable. You have been subject to a campaign of fear. Its perfectly natural for you to feel scared

@BonnieDundee it worked very well on me unfortunately.

Imagine if they told you on the news how many people die from lung cancer every day.. if they showed you shocking images of people with lung cancer struggling to breathe etc. You'd be terrified constantly and if you smoked, you would quit. Or heart disease or whatever - you'd put down that bacon sandwich and eat better/ exercise etc.

But they don't - it's just covid now that kills people. Perfectly healthy people, just like you ! Because you had to go and see that friend.. go for that meal etc..

Had you stayed home, you would have been fine..except, don't go on Mumsnet, because there- people get covid, and they didn't even leave their house once. It came to them in their shopping bags. Not once, but twice they caught covid by not leaving the house and just getting shopping delivered....

Oh and also, don't forget !

Covid can now be ANY symptom of anything. So you're not even 'safe' if you just have a dodgy tummy - that could be covid too. A runny nose ? Covid ! A weird rash ? Covid ! A headache -- you guessed it, COVID!

Don't forget, if you have hay fever - it MAY be covid ! You selfish bastard for not getting a PCR.

Oh and be careful when walking outside, because people on Mumsnet caught it from walking past someone outside. So avoid going outside too.

Your kids are also not safe of course, as they may not display any signs of covid, but will suddenly get really sick from some multi organ inflammation syndrome and be on life support - but guess what caused it - COVID !

Hopefully once all adults offered jabs everything will be totally back to normal...
That’s what the gov have been saying all along.

I personally think we should keep borders closed but allow people to go back to normal now all the CEV and elderly been vaccinated,
Most with both.

I would say it's more like an acceptable risk factor, it's not zero risk but it's way reduced. Like driving a car, there will always be a risk of accident but if you have a modern car in good condition with good safety features, wear seatbelts, are a competent driver and drive carefully avoiding very bad conditions then you have an acceptable risk when you take into account the advantages of being able to travel by car.

I’m in this situation. As long as I feel normal and nobody in my house is ill I’m virtually certain I do not have covid. Not 100% certain though.

Certainly since I and my 70s parents were vaccinated I am more relaxed about seeing them.

i turned down my recent blood donation, i had had a sore throat, even though i have had both vaccines and two twice weekly lateral flow test, i wouldnt want to take the chance

have been doing twice weekly lateral flow tests for months i mean

In a couple of months all that will be allowed anyway, regardless of tests or vaccination status, unless covid throws another curveball variant at us and sends everything off track again lime it did just before christmas.

@99victoria

I'm not doing twice weekly lfts and I don't know anyone who is except my daughter who is a teacher. Why would I? I'm not going places where I am at high risk of catching it and I am seriously concerned about the amount of discarded plastic and landfill which these tests are creating

Absolutely this! When did the environment suddenly cease to matter?

@BonnieDundee

unfortunately I am deep down one of those panicked, unreasonable people

You are not unreasonable. You have been subject to a campaign of fear. Its perfectly natural for you to feel scared

And OP, if you recognise that what you are feeling is not logical and unreasonable, that's half the battle. Good for you Because you're not one of those ghastly people who are haranguing and nagging people in the street and in supermarkets etc - you recognise it is your issue and you are willing to do something about it, rather than expecting everyone else to accommodate your issues. Which sadly we see an awful lot of.

@HesterShaw1 I'm really happy when I see people out and about having a good time. It calms me down and I think, ' good for them, they're not as scared as me '. At the height of this, I didn't leave my house as much as possible, but I don't expect others to do that. It's up to me to stay in if I'm that afraid.

I don't feel comfortable m

@HesterShaw1 pressed send too early.

Anyway I can't remember what I was going to say haha

With both PCR and LFT, there is a period of time after you are exposed to the virus when the test will show negative but you are actually infected. The virus has not yet had the chance to multiply enough to register.

That period is shorter for PCR, but still not zero. So as pp noted, a negative test should not be taken to mean you are ‘safe.’ But then everything you do has some risk.

There is no absolute guarantee - all the measures we have are about reducing the risk of transmission. We cannot totally eliminate it. We need to get our heads round that and then take reasonable steps depending on the level of infection in the community.

I mean, if one person in 30 is infected, there is a significant chance you will meet (or be) one of them. If it’s 1 in 10,000, not so much.

Personally I am following whatever rules remain in place for as long as they do. But when I get to see my mum in a few weeks time, what with her having had two jabs and me having had Covid plus one jab, and probably my second as well, I dare say there will be hugging.

I think that if levels of Covid are low in community it also makes it more likely you are 'safe'

Like you I would feel that I'm a fairly 'safe' person as I'm vaccinated and also undergoing testing at my mum's care home when I visit . I'm not so confident about other family members though if I know they are in contact with others through work and socialising and not really adhering to SD so I'll be more wary around those people i.e meeting outdoors, no physical contact etc

Long term though I assume after people have had both vaccinations, for most people Covid will stop being something to be frightened of catching as will become more like getting a cold (assume this anyway)

[quote nonaomi]@HesterShaw1 pressed send too early.

Anyway I can't remember what I was going to say haha [/quote]

You have to wonder the point of either the vaccines or the tests if after making full use of both you can’t gain any reassurance you don’t have it. Utterly bonkers.

@RedcurrantPuff it should be absolutely enough.

RedcurrantPuff exactly, and things don't feel vastly different from this time last year when there weren't any vaccines or LFTs.