How can it possibly be a good idea to NOT isolate if a household member tests positive?

[DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo]

As the new rules will allow?

I think it's absolute madness.

We've all had positives over the last three weeks and even though we are all double jabbed, the illness is really, really nasty.

We all tested positive about 5
Days apart, like bloody dominos.

I just can't believe what destruction we would have unleashed had we not had to isolate.

we have done nothing but shrug. It's like we expect vaccination to be our only weapon, whereas at this stage, we need more than that

This is what I can’t get my head around. We’ve just faced an emergency like no other within living memory regarding our healthcare capacity and infrastructure, we’ve been lucky enough to have access to vaccines that mitigate the worst of that but that’s not the whole picture. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic, it’s bonkers that our policies don’t reflect that.

So much of this pandemic has felt like watching a car lose control on the motorway and being able to do nothing but hope there’s not to much damage.

I’d say the car was less out on control and more deliberately being driven at 90mph at a brick wall.

We’ve reduced our speed from 120mph out we’re still aiming the car at a brick wall.

I do find it strange that my kids can be sharing a bedroom etc and if one of them has covid the other will be able to go to school whilst likely contagious themselves.

Dh is just taking ds for a PCR after a positive lateral flow. There is no way on earth is boss will let him isolated tomorrow after the rule changes.

If dh is at work with a positive child ( we will see) what's the point of me not going out? Dh boss has serious heart conditions so I presume he feels invincible after his double vaccination.

It suddenly feels pointless and futile even trying to contain it. If legally you dont need to do something there is always going to be those work places that will punish you if you bent their profits.

So I'd ds is positive dh will be work as expected. However what he wont do is tell anyone as his boss is calling back all the self isolating close contacts on Monday. But he is the type to absolutely blame someone in the office if HE caught it.

Madness but I'm not going to crucify my myself or loose sleep over it. It's their risk to take and our mortgage payments to loose.

How long shall we all keep isolating for? Until we’re all into old age?
I would like to start living my life.

@Greenbuttonsbluebuttons

How long shall we all keep isolating for? Until we’re all into old age? I would like to start living my life.

Well then the government is on your side, you must be very pleased. I’m not really sure what else you’re adding to the discussion

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

I’d say the car was less out on control and more deliberately being driven at 90mph at a brick wall.

We’ve reduced our speed from 120mph out we’re still aiming the car at a brick wall.

This. Except we are not even waiting for pedestrians to get out of the way. People crossing the road can often avoid getting hit, but we put in pedestrian crossings, speed limits etc. We live with it. Here we have removed all road safety mitigations, because "living with it" apparently means trying to have as many accidents as possible.

The car thing only works if you can’t see that delaying accidents to when there is less capacity isn’t a good way to go.

I’d disagree with the idea that we delayed accidents until there was more capacity tbh. I know he said he was with his ‘if not now then when’ rhetoric, but as usual he was lying.

It doesn’t even make any sense. In order for the policy to work you need that peak to come up and then down again before autumn. You don’t try and speed it up just as the schools start going back. At the rate we’re going we’re going to be entering autumn/winter with cases and hospitalisations as high as we can get them.

With a bit of luck people might remember whatever it was they were doing or not doing that made cases start to fall in July before they started rising again.

I’d disagree with the idea that we delayed accidents until there was more capacity tbh. I know he said he was with his ‘if not now then when’ rhetoric, but as usual he was lying.

By he you mean Johnson

I’m talking about Chris Whitty who put forward this to cabinet.

Infection in summer - pre Winter

Yeah but Whitty said there wasn’t really scientific consensus on the idea and it was his opinion it would work. It was very much a ‘some scientists believe and I agree’. It was Boris of parroted the if not now, then when’ stuff that dragged everybody along into believing this was the only option.

And IIRC it applied to opening stuff up. I don’t recall seeing Whitty say we should abandon all precautions and isolation and pretend it’s 2019 again.

No he said we would act with caution. Which if you look at the data we are.

And if only his opinion not the other scientists etc who wrote letters I’m glad he held against criticism

What they predicted was incorrect.

So no he didn’t say 2019 and it isn’t.

I see now why they reckon this wave will be amongst the vulnerable vaccinated. Ie those unlucky enough for the vaccine not to work.
There is likely to be do much COVID in circulation with theses changes that they will be unable to protect themselves.

Allowing people free reign to spread the virus when they LIVE with someone positive is just irresponsible

going out for a walk around the block is giving people free reign to spread it.

Anyway, presumably most people would stay at home or at least only go out for essentials if a member of their household tested positive. The idea is that if you are in a cafe where someone tested positive, you don't need to isolate anymore. Most sensible people will appreciate the difference between the two.

allowing going out for a walk around the block is not giving people free reign to spread it.

Or even "rein"

People keep moaning, but no one is coming up with a serious solution. Now that the vast majority are protected what more can we do without tanking the economy. When would the close contact isolation end and why would it be more effective then than it is now?

@igelkott2021

Allowing people free reign to spread the virus when they LIVE with someone positive is just irresponsible

going out for a walk around the block is giving people free reign to spread it.

Anyway, presumably most people would stay at home or at least only go out for essentials if a member of their household tested positive. The idea is that if you are in a cafe where someone tested positive, you don't need to isolate anymore. Most sensible people will appreciate the difference between the two.

I suspect most people won't isolate even if it's a household member. If they are a child, then school will expect them in. To stay home would be unauthorised absence now I suspect.

How many workplaces will allow for employees to stay home for a week or so just because a household members is positive? My school knows I'm fully vaccinated and I don't need to be home to care for a young child if it was them - no chance we will be granted time off to cover self imposed SI. If people are going to face disciplinary action and/or no pay for a week then they won't be able to SI even if they wanted too.

Yep definitely won't be asked to stay home from school - and neither will close contact / positive family member or possibly even positive themselves ( if asymptomatic/ not tested) children.
But I suspect this is what the gov want - they are the unvaccinated group who can gain immunity from getting it.
Tough if you live with anyone vulnerable.
I wonder if they have decided on an acceptable number of deaths/ complications in children?

@twinkletoesimnot

Yep definitely won't be asked to stay home from school - and neither will close contact / positive family member or possibly even positive themselves ( if asymptomatic/ not tested) children. But I suspect this is what the gov want - they are the unvaccinated group who can gain immunity from getting it. Tough if you live with anyone vulnerable. I wonder if they have decided on an acceptable number of deaths/ complications in children?

I think they have indeed decided that 50/day child admissions is acceptable, which is awful really. Plus long covid. Plus children who will be orphaned. Plus the horrible fear for those children who know they are vulnerable.

But I know, we are all supposed to not care about any of that any more, and get on with it.

I was really upset seeing queues of Irsh children getting vaccinated, why is our government taking this awful risk with British children? I would very much like my children to be vaccinated.

If I am aware I have been in contact I would definitely work from home, as I am fortunate enough to be able to do my job from home.

Also for example if I had spent a chunk of time with someone who then went on to test positive, I would not go and see friends and family.

We have long been required at work and child's nursery for whoever has a stomach bug to quarantine for 48 hours.

Even before covid I was uncomfortable with seeing people who had someone at home with a vomiting bug as it's so contagious. My daughter had Norovirus a few weeks ago, I stayed home with her, WFH and didn't see anyone. Husband went to work as he can't WFH. For me this is nothing to do with covid.

@IrisPurple

We have long been required at work and child's nursery for whoever has a stomach bug to quarantine for 48 hours.

Even before covid I was uncomfortable with seeing people who had someone at home with a vomiting bug as it's so contagious. My daughter had Norovirus a few weeks ago, I stayed home with her, WFH and didn't see anyone. Husband went to work as he can't WFH. For me this is nothing to do with covid.

Yes precisely - the Norovirus rule is not a legal rule, presumably Covid guidance will evolve in this way too.

Anyway, presumably most people would stay at home or at least only go out for essentials if a member of their household tested positive.

It depends if they have the option.

If someone in my household has covid, I will be expected to come to school and teach every child in the school during the course of a week. I don’t have the choice to stay at home. The parents of those children’s probably won’t even be told that my DH/DC has covid!

My DC will have to go to school and mix with hundreds of maskless and unvaccinated children or we’ll face attendance sanctions if someone at home is positive.

Its absolutely ludicrous to allow this rule, the spreadvwill now be ridiculous, so its ok for someone who could be positive or a close contact to then see me, who then sees their parents, we could all end up with it even though stayed in with no life for over 18 months andcall double vaxed! People are in hospital even though vaccinated, there can be mutations due to too many infections. After all this time it is carnage to allow people to walk aroundvand potentially infect after all this time. Im fuming.