Are we unusual?

[MattDillonsEyebrows]

Are we unusual in that the four of us in our family have never done either a lateral flow or PCR test?

We are a family of four, me, DH, DD5 (just finished reception)& DD4 (just going into reception after the summer).

We had one period of isolation for DD5 before Christmas and DH had to isolate last year when a work colleague tested positive but at the time, the advice was just to isolate, no need to test.

Since then, we’ve had no symptoms no school, (DD5 continued school during lockdown 3), nursery or work bubbles burst, and no pings on the app. I don’t think we’ve been reckless, we are double jabbed, and wear masks but we’ve never had symptoms so never tested.

I feel we have been exceptionally lucky, but also, a part of me feels a bit weird because none of us have ever done a test and I’m wondering if if we are unusual or others are similar to us?

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair in England, everyone should now be testing according to the NHS website. And prior to that, it was parents of nursery and all school children.

Prior advice:
www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff#history

Current advice:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/regular-rapid-coronavirus-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms/

Why did you send them in, do you not care about vulnerable children/staff in the school @Hallyup6?

I would have said exactly the same as you a week ago (except I've only had 1 jab not 2)
My daughter had a bad cough this week and we tested her for the first time and it was positive. Younger DD has the symptoms so presumably has it too.

My daughter who is 10 has never had to do one, the only time she has had a temperature all year it was very very clearly chickenpox instead!
None of us had done one until last month, unfortunately my year 2 child has had bubbles closures twice which have required a PCR both times so we broke the streak. My husband has never done one
We are very lucky usually with children not getting many bugs or temperatures. They often gets the (ridiculous I know) 100% attendance award as they're just generally quite lucky and avoid bugs. Chickenpox has been it this year (both of them).

My eldest does them for school and I test with him. Buy youngest (primary) hasn't done one and neither has my oh. I'm in Scotland so testing is for secondary aged kids not primary.

But know from conversations at work etc, not many are doing lft and these who are, are not doing them regularly. My work have never asked for them. Oh's have done on a voluntary basis - 3 positive in the first week of testing , all tested negative with pcr. They lost 2 days wages. Unsurprisingly testing levels fell and management were less keen to push them.

I've literally just done my first ever LFT because I've got a hospital appointment in the morning and wanted to be on the safe side, particularly as I can't wear a mask. I'll do another before I go out tomorrow.

DD also did one out of curiosity but it was her first, too. DH has never done one. He wfh, I don't go anywhere much (a walk now and again when I'm able to, supermarket a couple of times a week, and pub for one drink last weekend). We don't see anyone, we haven't visited anyone or had visitors for years and don't socialise with others (no friends or family). DD lost her job at the start of LD1 and hasn't found anything else so has barely been out of the house - however she's starting teacher training in a few weeks, complete with work placements, so we expect things to change then!

Me and DH are double jabbed and DD will be in two weeks, incidentally.

@Tiddleztheelephant

Sounds like that's in you tbh. The lateral flow tests are there to pick up asymptomatic cases and keep others safe from asymptomatic spread. I test for work but also when I'm meeting a high risk person or going to a higher risk activity EG choir practice. Most of my friends and family do similar. Your family aren't doing this and you have every right to make this choice but it's not really an achievement

Exactly this! I can’t see any achievement in not having done a test yet. We’ve been LFT testing twice a week as we have dc in school, I work in early years and dh is in a really busy workplace. We have elderly/vulnerable family and it just makes us feel better that we aren’t spreading COVID around when we see friends (we all test before meeting up).

I don't get all the fuss about people not using LFTs, they are not reliable so are as useful as a chocolate teapot.

DH has tested a couple of times before hospital appointments, going into the office etc.

DS has to test when he was still at sixth form college but I think it fizzled out after a few weeks.

I work from home and haven't visited anyone in a care home or similar or met up with anyone inside so haven't needed to test.

@igelkott2021 they are better than not doing anything. Obviously even with a negative LFT I am still cautious around vulnerable people and I am not going round hugging many people. But LFTs have picked up positive cases which wouldn't have been picked up otherwise

Just the two of us, both retired and never tested but no work or schools to worry about and had no coughs or temperatures, though we only tend to get colds every 3-4 years anyway

My 7 yr old has never needed to test and we've not had a bubble burst or been contacted to isolate at all. DH and I tested once last summer as the city council were doing door to door testing for everyone in the city so we did that.

No temperatures, coughs or loss of taste/smell in the last year and a half so no need to test and as we don't have a secondary school child and both DH and I work from home now no need to do LFTs.

We're a family of 4, kids have just finished Y2 and Y3.

I'm the only one of us who's had any test at all, when I had to go to A&E.

We've only had one period of isolation (DS) and no bugs / coughs / temps to warrant testing. Bearing in mind we're in what has been a Covid hotspot, we've done well. I barely know anybody who's had it, in reality.

We are in Ireland so don't do lateral flows but we went for a whole 18months until about 3 weeks ago without any of us needing to test. My dd then got a cough just after school broke up at the end of June and got a pcr which was negative. It's been lovely not being ill for so long!

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@igelkott2021 they are better than not doing anything. Obviously even with a negative LFT I am still cautious around vulnerable people and I am not going round hugging many people. But LFTs have picked up positive cases which wouldn't have been picked up otherwise[/quote]
I disagree. I think they're worse than nothing. Someone gets a (false) negative and then feels much more relaxed about visiting people, they're less likely to social distance etc. L

As a single person I have never done one, and my parents haven't done any eithier.

We are 3 adults, (1 working in care homes), non of us have had to isolate. Then in the care home has to test (LFT) at start each shift and weekly PCR as instructed by employer (otherwise wouldn't test).
All double jabs and took part in the trial to test for antibodies.
All also took blood tests to test for antibodies before the jabs.
None of us have hd covid in the last 18 months (and hopefully will never get it)

Other than residents in the care home, I actually don't know a single person who has tested positive for covid

@TheGenealogist

We are a family of 5, 3 secondary age children and the only person who has had a PCR is me - once. Not because I had any symptoms at all, but because I was going to a specific place of work with lots of other people for one day only in February and needed a negative PCR first.

Never done LFT tests. None of us have ever had any symptoms which indicated Covid.

LFT are for people with no symptoms

@HungryHippo11 I still use other mitigating factors too as well as LFTs

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@HungryHippo11 I still use other mitigating factors too as well as LFTs[/quote]
I'm sure you do, but a lot of people don't. Even subconsciously. If you think you're "safe" you'll be less concerned about social distancing, seeing elderly relatives, meeting in larger groups etc.
I mean "you" as in anyone, not directed at you specifically.

I don't know anyone who is testing regularly except for a few people who are required to by their employers, and most people I know have school-aged children. We're a family of 4 and I've had one test before an op, then DH and I had to do LFTs before a school visit, and that's it. DD is in nursery but she's never had a fever or cough since the pandemic started. I've been out of the house the most and did the antibody test a month ago which was negative, and the adults have been double jabbed since May.

@Hellocatshome

*We are a family of 5, 3 secondary age children and the only person who has had a PCR is me - once. Not because I had any symptoms at all, but because I was going to a specific place of work with lots of other people for one day only in February and needed a negative PCR first.

Never done LFT tests. None of us have ever had any symptoms which indicated Covid.*

Why did you decide your 3 secondary age kids shouldn't take the lateral flow tests?

Because they decided they would rather not. And I don't feel strongly enough about it to force the issue.

Not particularly.

I had suspected COVID last March. Temp, cough and loss of taste and smell, breathless and tight chest followed by really bad post viral recovery. No testing done then.

I work in education so from January have done LFT twice weekly but that's due to requirement.

Not had any symptoms requiring testing since last year and been double jabbed since April.

I've also been cautious when out and about and always wear mask and still do in shops.

Our school bubble hasn't burst at all either.

DH and I were part of a postcode scheme for testing so we tested monthly for about 6 months. DS (4) has never been tested. Nursery have never asked us to and no bubbles have burst so far (touch wood!)

Not that unusual.
I did a couple of PCR test via Zoe app - not standard symptoms, a few LFT when visiting an office. DH only had one PCR two weeks prior to elective surgery last autumn otherwise he wouldn't have had any tests.
Children had no tests to date - over the age of highschool - one isolated for 3 days because of the app.
And during all this time none of us had the standard symptoms to warrant a PCR test and haven't been contacted by Test&Trace either. Constantly relatively low rates throughout the pandemic in our area though.

@Hallyup6

We've never done one either. Family of 7, never downloaded the app, refused consent for secondary aged child to do lfts and never tested any symptomatic children.

Seriously?

Why do you think it's boast worthy to have been so irresponsible?