Double Jabbed tests positive. Non jabbed tests twice weekly - Negative.

[eekbumbler]

Looking for opinions really - my double jabbed mother and her partner have been travelling around England and South Wales for the last few weeks in their motorhome. Mum has just tested positive for covid after feeling a bit 'odd', partner has tested positive but is asymptomatic. They only took a test after Mum feeling ill.

I haven't had the vaccine but test twice weekly - so far always negative.

The amount of shops, restaurants, cafes etc they must have been in on their travels makes me wonder who you would feel safer with esp with asymptomatic partner...

A couple in early 70's double jabbed who dont feel they need to test, ot me - in 40's unvaccinated but testing twice weekly.

Interestingly it made me think of a gp who was on tv last week who has to test as part of her job, asymptomatic too, but tested postive both lateral and PCR so of course had to self isolate.

I'd be interested to hear opinions - and not a vax vs anti vax free for all, but as a situation that has happened and could have spread the virus through a few towns at least.

I suppose my AIBU is in me thinking I'm the safer bet to be around.

People who are double-jabbed can still catch COVID. But they are much less likely to be seriously ill or hospitalised.

Testing twice a week isn’t going to stop you catching COVID - or lessen any chance you may have of being seriously ill.

Also - waffling on before bed... If Mum had come home positive without knowing, she could have passed it on to me and daughter - whereas I'm viewed as the 'hotspot' being unvaccinated - however testing twice weekly at least (cos we have loads of the things) then I know I'm pretty safe.

Why haven't you had your vaccination yet OP?

@CherryMaple

People who are double-jabbed can still catch COVID. But they are much less likely to be seriously ill or hospitalised.

Testing twice a week isn’t going to stop you catching COVID - or lessen any chance you may have of being seriously ill.

I'm well aware of this

that does not address the issue at all though of double jabbed travelling everywhere poss spreading it.

I've already had it, I'm not frightened of getting it again, but at least I know I'm negative whereas they didn't know they were positive.

Nobody ever said vaccinations would stop everybody getting it.

@season2

Why haven't you had your vaccination yet OP?

Personal choice.

Okay so all replies so far are saying they prefer the carriers / spreaders that are vaccinated but unaware as opposed to the unvaccinated that is aware.

Odd.

Nobody said that

@EmergencyHydrangea

Nobody said that

Fair enough, but nobody answered the question either.

You didn't actually ask a question.

No the person testing is only negative at the time of the test and has the same chance of infection as another un-vaccinated person who doesn't test and can easily pass it on to others. Your double jabbed but infected parents are "safer" both to the community because they will carry a lower viral load and be less likely to transmit and also less likely to get very ill, take up a hospital bed and put nhs staff at risk.

Your mother probably only tested positive through being in contact with an invaccinated person.

I wouldn't want to be around someone who is unvaccinated through 'personal choice'. YABU.

Two things:

1. of course someone travelling around a lot is going to be more of a risk than someone who doesn't have much close contact with others. You haven't said if this is the case for you, just that you test a lot, which says nothing.

2. people who are vaccinated are less likely to pass it on. You have no way of knowing if mum's partner caught it from her, or from the same person she caught it from - and a partner is a much closer contact than anyone else anyway.

In conclusion I'm not sure what you are on about.

@Downtheladder

Two things: 1) of course someone travelling around a lot is going to be more of a risk than someone who doesn't have much close contact with others. You haven't said if this is the case for you, just that you test a lot, which says nothing.

2. people who are vaccinated are less likely to pass it on. You have no way of knowing if mum's partner caught it from her, or from the same person she caught it from - and a partner is a much closer contact than anyone else anyway.

In conclusion I'm not sure what you are on about.

This

People who are double jabbed are much less likely to contract it, and if they do, they're much less likely to transmit it. Therefore even if they hadn't known that they'd caught COVID, there's a much lower chance that they would be passing it on.

The Delta variant is very transmissible - did you see the case in Australia that was tracked to two people just walking past each other in a shop? If you're not vaccinated, you could very easily pick it up between your twice-weekly tests.

Also, I'm assuming you're doing the lateral flow tests - they're not especially reliable. This was written about the MHRA guidelines:

"Therefore, it has emphasised that lateral flow tests are only authorised to be used as a “red light” test in order to find infectious people and ensure they self-isolate quickly, and not as a “green light” for people who test negative to enjoy greater freedoms.

This is because, unlike PCR tests, lateral flow tests cannot detect very low levels of coronavirus in a sample. This means the test may not give a positive result if you have only recently been infected; are in the incubation period; or if you have mostly recovered."

So during your twice-weekly tests, even if they come back as negative, you could possibly be getting a false negative especially if you've only recently been infected. Presuming you go on to test positive on your next test and don't get another false negative, that's a minimum of a week you're spreading COVID around. And of course, that's assuming you've got a good technique in carrying out the test. If you're not collecting samples properly, the results will be even less reliable.

Having had COVID before provides virtually no protection at all against the variants currently circulating.I was reading a report earlier today which showed that natural immunity is more or less worthless against the Delta variant. A single jab offers weak protection but double jabs offers excellent protection.

So yes, I would feel much safer around your parents.

The wording of your post OP feels very much like you're trying to make a point about vaxxed vs unvaxed, and how the latter is safer but I have to say I firmly disagree with your logic. Twice weekly testing is giving you a false sense of security - and while you might be feeling brave about the risk of catching it, the same might not be the case for the people you spread it to and infect.

Your mum and her partner are fortunate to have had the vaccine before catching co-vid. She could have ended up very unwell, even hospitalised.

Being vaccinated isn’t pointless, it reduces your chances of catching it and spreading it.

To be honest, I’m sceptical that lateral flow tests taken at home are all actually done correctly. I reckon people are more diligent with the PCR.

If anyone is worried about Covid, I would rather they test than rely on the vaccine.
I have nurses visit me at the moment and one removed her mask because she is double jabbed. I am not jabbed at all, and it did make me feel uncomfortable if I am honest. But I guess NHS staff get regular tests too.

I also have friends who have just tested positive despite being double-jabbed. i wonder how rare it really is. I really hope they do just get it mildly as they both have health conditions. i think everyone who can should get the vaccination and I think those who have been vaccinated need to still be careful.

I think it's probably a big shock for you that someone so close got sick.

I was wondering this the other day, knowing very little about the vaccine, I thought you could still get it and pass it on being vaccinated, so therefore being vaccinated might make you less careful about being round people with social distancing etc

but @ExhaustedFlamingo has explained it differently.

I still think there is research to be done on it and its going to be interesting to see what happens in the next 6 months

My 2 family members were part of the Oxford vaccine trials. He was double jabbed last year and she had the placebo, he caught covid this year but was totally asymptomatic (and he's 70 and diabetic) and it was only flagged as he was being tested weekly as part of the trials. He didn't however pass it on to his wife who was at the time unvaccinated. So yes, you can still catch it if you have both jabs but you are much less likely to get sick or to spread it so I would much rather be around a vaccinated person over someone who takes fairly unreliable LFTs twice weekly, I would consider you to be much higher risk OP.

The question assumes people are worried about catching covid. I'm not. But if I had to choose, and I was bothered either way, I would choose to be around a person regularly testing negative over a double jabbed person.

Bloody brilliant news that your mother and her partner have had the vaccine - it explains why they are not very unwell (just feeling "odd" or without symptoms). I'm so relieved the vaccine is working as well as it is, makes me feel like I've made the correct choice in having it and I am less worried for my vulnerable relatives knowing they have too. Thank you for this post OP, it's good to know it's working!!

I will always prefer the vacinated in all instances as those being vaccinated are doing something for the community and trying to reduce the impact of the virus. LFTs are better than nothing but aren't reliable.

You're not safer to be around. You're just likely to get iller if you do get it.