No need to isolate worrying me.

[Bellabelloo]

The girl I sit next to at work has a sister who she's just been on holiday with, 7 hour car journey, shared a room, live together, tested positive yesterday. She did a PCR today, negative, so is now allowed to come to work. I feel a bit uncomfortable about this, but guess it's the 'new normal'. How would you feel?

I would think that life just needs to start to get back to normal.

So she did and lft 1st pos, then a pcr neg.

That is why you do a pcr after a pos lft.

Sorry. I wasn't clear. Her sister has tested positive yesterday. Her test today was negative. But they live together and have just got back from a long trip travelling together and sharing a room. My worry is that she may have been exposed too, but just not have got it yet, or could catch it from her sister. But she doesn't need to do any more tests now.

It's one thing not isolating when someone you had one lunch with comes down the 'rona. But (in my view) quite another when you're returning home every day to share a kitchen, a bathroom, maybe even a bed, with the sick person. I feel that the household members of a sick person should definitely still be isolating but the government says not.

I'm also worried about these scenarios, but I've come to terms with people just not caring enough about others around them who might be vulnerable. Some will recognise that they might later turn positive and wear a masks etc, but others just won't be bothered and will say you're overreacting. So, if possible, figure out what you can do to protect yourself.

I think its utter bonkers and makes no sense. I don't understand why they're bothering to test people at all now, tbh

This is the chance we take

And where personal responsibility comes in.... distance/masks/sanitiser..... at the v least

@DumplingsAndStew

I think its utter bonkers and makes no sense. I don't understand why they're bothering to test people at all now, tbh

Yep its been puzzling me too.

I suppose businesses can't afford it anymore. I know we struggle

And customers are vile, they won't accept we are short staffed due to many isolating or finally using some annual leave

Scenarios like this concern me too OP. Completely understand your feelings but unfortunately I think this is the new normal. I feel that not catching COVID is like playing a game of space invaders and trying to avoid the 'attackers'!

Things will get interesting when schools go back. While I was against repeated isolations for whole year group bubbles, I'm just thinking what the impact on spread will be if those with siblings or family testing positive continue to attend school, have sleepovers, birthday parties etc.

As long as she is double jabbed more than 14 days ago she can come to work but is supposed to follow some guidelines if possible. Unless told by track and trace to isolate

It’s nuts in my opinion

It wouldn’t worry me at all. We need to get back to some sort of normality. How long would you like this to drag on for?

I'm also worried about these scenarios, but I've come to terms with people just not caring enough about others around them who might be vulnerable

I don't think this is very fair. Many people can't afford to isolate - if they don't work they don't earn. It's not about being selfish or uncaring necessarily.

Are you fully jabbed OP?

When my children get covid I will still be ‘allowed’ to go to work in an unventilated room with no masks at all and no possibility of socially distancing from 30 unvaccinated people. Then I’ll have a different 30 unvaccinated people in the room each hour for five hours. It’s total and utter madness, and won’t help bring back any sort of normality.

It’s utterly bonkers. Whilst I still don’t agree with it, I can sort of see the logic with the no isolating for a work colleague for example, that might not have been constant close contact. However, the fact that if someone in your household tests positive and you don’t have to isolate is utterly ridiculous IMO. Cases are just going to start ticketing again.

I thought you should take a pcr test not a lft if a close contact although you don’t have to. I agree we have to move on with life but I think employers should be insisting on pcr then back to work if negative IMO .

I totally agree with you. When I tested positive my DH and DS went and did a PCR the following day and both came back negative. 5 days later they both tested positive. DH works in a school and DS had a part time job in Tesco. How many people could they have infected had they not isolated as soon as I was positive? It's bonkers.

Yes I work on a school and am uncomfortable about going back in September but I just have to hope my double van will protect me. Also that my 4 children don't catch it otherwise I will be off work.

@Imnothereforthedrama

I thought you should take a pcr test not a lft if a close contact although you don’t have to. I agree we have to move on with life but I think employers should be insisting on pcr then back to work if negative IMO .

The colleague did take a PCR.

I would also feel uncomfortable. Totally understandable. Are there any other precautions you can put in place at work? Increase distance? Wear a mask? Work from home?

Yeah I went to a child's party yesterday (outdoors) . 1 of my friends came and 2 people in her household have tested positive 3 days ago. I was hoping she wouldn't come as I just wanted to get my children and leave. I felt so uneasy and stayed away from her the whole time.
Surely if the person who is negative should be testing regularly if they are allowed to carry on as normal.

It is nuts, OP, but now, those are 'the rules'.

We are all double jabbed in our house, and came down with Covid 5 days apart. Lateral flows were negative, only PCR positive.

I'm 3 weeks in and still not well.

Do you have to wear masks at your desks? I would if were you.

The idea is that now we have vaccinations and treatments we start to move towards treating it like other viruses.
For example you wouldn’t be this concerned if your colleague came into work and said her sister had flu, would you? Or another nasty virus?
The contact isolation has to stop at some point.

I'm hoping work places will make it very clear what they expect. Mine ask for a negative PCR and ask you do LFTs every day for seven days, reporting the result. In the short term, you'd like to think most reasonable people would do some LFTs anyway in these circumstances to as they'd want to reduce the risk of passing covid to anyone they can't chose to avoid for a few days, ie work colleagues, anyone on public transport they use.