Be honest, if you felt slightly ill on holiday would you get tested or just get on with it?

[Honey12346]

Inspired by the thread of a poster's child testing positive

I'd only get tested if I had one of the qualifying symptoms so no, not if I just felt a little bit ill.

At the moment it's incredibly hot in the UK. I'm menopausal, so the weather is making me even sweatier than usual, and I also regularly have a slightly upset tum in this sort of weather. I also get some sort of allergy to pollen or dust or something - so am sometimes coughing and/or runny nose. I really wouldn't plan to test because of these symptoms alone. Combine them with a recent trip to London, involving tube travel etc, and I did decide to do a LF test this morning - all fine!

If I thought it was Covid I'd get a test but as I cough all the time and sound like I've got a permanent cold anyway thanks to hay fever it would be hard to know!

I'd follow the same rules as I do at home and we've all tested for one of the "big 3"

To date DC1 and DC3 have had a test each and DC2 (my 'coughy' child) has tested about 7 times

All negative - thankfully.

@Crunchymum

Arghh the coughy child! I’ve got one too!! And man at our local testing site recognises us

If I thought it was Covid I'd get a test but as I cough all the time and sound like I've got a permanent cold anyway thanks to hay fever it would be hard to know!
My poor son has this, he's had so many crazy tests this year because of having to go to the doctor for hay fever and asthma. We were saying how we wished the symptoms were more definite

Pcr tests not crazy tests!!!

If other half or I had a temp, loss of smell/taste or new cough I would book a PCR. If we were generally feeling a bit ropey we’d take a lateral flow and if it was positive book a PCR. If the kids were poorly then I’d carry on but OH/I take daily LFT. They are both so young my understanding is if they catch coronavirus they are more likely to be asymptomatic than to have any of the typical symptoms. They are also so young they don’t understand why they are taking the tests and last twice we took the 4 year old one of us had to hold her down while the other tested. I’m just not prepared to do that to her when we are on holiday. We won’t be doing any indoor activities bar swimming in the private pool that comes with our holiday let so even if she has it risk of passing it to anyone else is minimal. If they were in school or holiday clubs etc I’d get a test but the 2 weeks we have booked off in August no way am I doing it

Test

CEV person in the household, so we might need to ring hospital for advice is symptoms bad or if covid confirmed. Plus activate the plan for keeping CEV person away from potentially infected person, and look ahead to planning his to arrange a whole 10 days without contact

We'd get on with it, but probably stick to outdoor activities. We're in a self contained cottage. DH and I are double vaccinated, plus we all had covid (kids included) at start of year. I think we'd all have mild symptoms.

Test.

Its incredibly selfish to be in holiday accommodation and not inform them...what about the next residents

@Willyoujustbequiet

Test.

Its incredibly selfish to be in holiday accommodation and not inform them...what about the next residents

They should be cleaning thoroughly enough regardless of a positive test!

I'm taking some lateral flow tests with me and will test a couple of times regardless of symptoms. Would definitely test if I felt ill.
I'm mixing with a couple of vulnerable people though and also it would be relatively easy for me to just drive home if positive. So testing makes sense in the circumstances I think.

Test. Don’t want to risk continuing to spread covid around and contributing to infection rate and can’t take risk with vulnerable family even if though they’ve been doubled jabbed.

Would use LFTs and book PCR if necessary.

@Willyoujustbequiet

Test.

Its incredibly selfish to be in holiday accommodation and not inform them...what about the next residents

And not inform them of what?

I don’t think people understand what the aim is with LFTs. It’s about trying to sweep up some asymptomatic cases through mass testing, not reassuring yourself that a sniffle isn’t covid. I’m not personally of the opinion that people who feel a bit poorly on holiday but without the three main symptoms are selfish if they don’t test for covid, but if you are if that opinion then I don’t know how you can let yourself off the selfishness hook if you would rely on LFTs over PCR test and associated self isolation while waiting for a result.

Realistically though Cataclysmic, if everyone self-isolated for 24/48 hours whenever they had a headache, a sniffle, a sore throat, joint aches, upset stomach, or felt a bit tired, then the country really would grind to a halt. LFTs seem to me to be a reasonable practical compromise at this stage for symptoms which might possibly be Covid but almost certainly aren’t - they’re pretty good at picking up symptomatic cases.

I’m completely on board with your realism, and if people want to do LFTs for whatever reason they like then that’s fine too, it’s the accusations of selfishness/going on about what decisions other people will make that I take issue with.

I feel slightly ill most days and sometimes quite ill but I just get on with it
Treat it myself with herbs and homeopathy, rest when I need to

Only if I had a COVID symptoms- not just if I was feeling generally unwell.

I wouldn’t test
I had my first test ever yesterday and that’s only because I’m abroad and need it to return
I’m double vaccinated and wouldn’t isolate with symptoms or a positive result

I’m done

Every adult has been offered vaccine

Tough if they’ve refused

Unfortunate if not fully immune but they can isolate now

My kids haven’t isolated for past 6 months dispite scho sending home

Everyone I know is the same

It’s undoubtedly selfish to not take a test when it’s recommended to but people do tend to be and I think most people at this point have some limit to how compliant they are willing to be. I think suggesting people are selfish for not taking a test when they don’t actually have a symptom the system for booking a test accepts or meet the other criteria is ridiculous. If everyone tried to take a test every time they felt a bit unwell there wouldn’t be enough slots for people with the “main” symptoms/who are close contacts needed back at work for Key services etc. They may well be the wrong “main” symptoms but there could be a good reason for that (like that other symptoms are so common the whole thing would fall over).