To think rates are going down because people are choosing not to have PCRs?

[Glassery]

Two of my friendship group have this weekend told me that they have symptoms, have got a positive lateral flow, but have decided not to go for a PCR test as a positive result means they would have to isolate over Christmas.

Instead they are going to carry on with their lives as normal for the next few days ‘because it would be a shame to have to make the children stay home’ with them.

Personally I think it’s a disgrace but anyway…

AIBU to think the drop in rates over the past few days is not because Covid cases are falling but instead because selfish people don’t want to isolate until 28th Dec?

@whenthedoveslie

I suspect there are plenty of people like me, but also plenty of people who have no symptoms and so don't get tested at all. If DH hadn't had a flight booked he wouldn't have done a PCR test and he would never have known that he had Covid as he had no symptoms at all. I wouldn't have known either as I am consistently a bit wheezy/sneezy/coughing and I'm not any more so now that I have Covid.

And yet another example of idiocy. Selfish prattery. No wonder the UK is in the state it's in. But it is ok, this poster has a cough anyway. ffs!!!!

But that poster has a cough normally. If it's not changed from her usual, why would she do additional testing? As it was, it was found on a pre-flight PCR, otherwise she would have had no idea. Plenty of people test positive with no symptoms, so not sure why you're insulting that poster?

@ChangeChingyChange
My daughter technically had symptoms for
2 days and I put my head in the sand to it.
She had a runny nose and cough
We all have confirmed covid, main symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, slight cough. How do you know she doesn’t have it?

So you ignore the science because Boris is a prick? Well done you, that will show him.

Boris and his amazingly productive prick are my heroes. I hang on his every word.

@ChangeChingyChange that's awful, really. Doesn't it play on your mind that she could be infecting CEV people, pregnant women in their 3rd trimester etc that she comes into contact with?

Christmas being a bit different vs the risk of hospitalisations and ITU admissions and death rates rising….

I despair. I have been working flat out for over 18 months and my milk of human kindness is really being tested reading some of the comments.

I was saying exactly this earlier.

People will just stop doing PCR test because of the impact and rely on LFTs instead. I guarantee as people are due to then return to work testing will restart and cases will sky rocket.

U

@sst1234

When people start to behave in certain way en masse, you have to question the structural reason. Not their individual behaviour. You simply cannot expect people to put their lives on hold for a virus that is no more harmful than the flu since 70% are double jabbed, 40% triple jabbed and the latest variant is less lethal. Covid is not only game in town. The hysteria has to end sometime.

@sst1234 have you looked at mortality for flu and COVID-19? You’re wrong to say it is no more harmful than flu. And there is as yet no reliable evidence regarding the severity of disease that this variant causes. You’re very ill informed.

@whenthedoveslie

I suspect there are plenty of people like me, but also plenty of people who have no symptoms and so don't get tested at all. If DH hadn't had a flight booked he wouldn't have done a PCR test and he would never have known that he had Covid as he had no symptoms at all. I wouldn't have known either as I am consistently a bit wheezy/sneezy/coughing and I'm not any more so now that I have Covid.

And yet another example of idiocy. Selfish prattery. No wonder the UK is in the state it's in. But it is ok, this poster has a cough anyway. ffs!!!!

All I'm saying is that I wouldn't have known if DH hadn't booked a flight. I don't have Covid symptoms over and above my normal allergy symptoms. As far as either of us know we weren't a close contact of a case. There was literally no reason to test if DH hadn't needed a negative PCR to test. We would merrily have gone about our business without a clue otherwise, and there must be tons of people like us. As it was, we did find out and the whole family isolated. One thing that I can be absolutely sure of is that we didn't give it to anyone else.

Whatever state the UK is in, I didn't cause it as I haven't been there for about 5 years.

DH needed a negative PCR to fly.

@ChangeChingyChange

My daughter technically had symptoms for 2 days and I put my head in the sand to it. She had a runny nose and cough but she does have asthma. She's absolutely fine now though so I know its not covid and she's OK but lesson learned I should just do LFTs and accept the outcome instead of putting my head in the sand. I'm just desperate for her not to miss Christmas with the in laws which I know is silly really

Don’t be so sure my daughter’s main symptoms were tiredness and loss of appetite she was well again after a few days and only positive on LFTs for three days however it may have been mild for her but it we’d seen Grandparents and passed it on who knows how they would fair. Christmas is usually spent with loved ones so I can’t begin to understand ignoring potential symptoms and risking my loved ones for the sake of one day.

Sadly a lot of people just cannot afford to self isolate. No work ,no money or SSP which is only £95 week …doesn’t pay rent or bills !

A positive LF should mean the isolate too.

It's not rocket science this is selfish, dangerous and a bit of a dickhead move on their part.

I mean.. why do a LF at all if you are not going to bother to take heed of the result?

#wankers

But that poster has a cough normally. If it's not changed from her usual, why would she do additional testing? As it was, it was found on a pre-flight PCR, otherwise she would have had no idea.

I've had a cough for years and have a permanently blocked/runny nose. I'm not having a PCR every time I cough or snuffle, I'd be isolating permanently!

I should also add that numbers are usually lowest on Sunday and Monday and then rise again on Tuesday so the fact that the last two days have been lower than Friday means very little.

@ohreallynotreally

Sadly a lot of people just cannot afford to self isolate. No work ,no money or SSP which is only £95 week …doesn’t pay rent or bills !

It is almost as if the government don't actually want people to self-isolate. That or the government live in their own little bubble where everyone is a millionaire and just play at being MPs for a bit of a hobby.

@jgw1

Are you joking @jgw1? All the high profile child neglect cases recently and you think refusing to get medical treatment for a very poorly child Is ok?

On this occasion I wasn't joking. I just wanted to know which law had been broken that meant the behaviour was criminal. I am not a whole lot clearer now.

And you were told. It’s neglect not to seek medical treatment for a child with a dangerously high temperature.

Either you’re trolling or wilfully stupid.

@SoSickOfItNow
@LazypuppyIf you would be isolating anyway, why wouldn’t you test?
What if you become really unwell and need treatment but they don’t know what’s wrong with you because your positive PCR isn’t on record?

Because i don't want to legally have to stay in the house. I would use my common sense, but i have a dog that needs walking, and i want to be able to go out for walks myself, positive PCR means you are shackled to your house, why would i voluntarily do that? Pretty sure if i ended up in hospital they do a test anyway, and i would say i have covid.

I don't test. Like a previous poster, my asthma and allergies mean that 75% of the time, I have "classic covid" symptoms. At 10miles each way, I don't have the time or the money to be getting pcrs multiple times a week.

Same with the four year old, he's at preschool, it's rare he hasn't got something cough/snotty and I've come to a point where I can't really bring myself to swab a 4 year old and a 2year old indefinitely. The reaction to this virus is genuinely ridiculous, we can't carry on like this.

@ChangeChingyChange

My daughter technically had symptoms for 2 days and I put my head in the sand to it. She had a runny nose and cough but she does have asthma. She's absolutely fine now though so I know its not covid and she's OK but lesson learned I should just do LFTs and accept the outcome instead of putting my head in the sand. I'm just desperate for her not to miss Christmas with the in laws which I know is silly really

So you basically allowed your positive child to potentially affect a load of random strangers just in time to ruin their Christmas?

You do realise how absolutely awful that make you? It's not 'silly' it's disgusting behaviour. I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself

@whenthedoveslie but that is absolutely not what the poster you berated had done? They have done nothing wrong and neither have I with my child. They had no new symptoms that would indicate testing and no positive LFT.

If I had positive LFT I would definitely get PCR just in case the LFT was incorrect.

However I can see the point in not getting one but only if you self-isolate. The only problem occurs with tracking it. If you isolate for 10 days you're not going to pass it on. I think a lot of people are starting to think that way.

It's a shame but people are completely and utterly fatigue and fed up of it now.

@Badbadbunny

Yes, people either aren't doing the LFT tests or not reporting the positive results.

In my son's flat at Uni, one of them tested positive on Tuesday. The others just beggared off home on Wednesday (early as the term didn't finish until Friday). That just left my son and the positive case. My son couldn't come home as we're both CEV and can't risk him coming home if he has it. He tested positive on Thursday (LFT) and has symptoms.

All his flat mates have since said they've either got symptoms or had a positive test at home. They all used public transport to get home, so heaven knows how many people they infected on the way.

They basically didn't test because they didn't want to risk having to isolate and be unable to get home before christmas.

That's just one flat of 10 people. If that's repeated in other places, it's huge numbers of people out there delaying/refusing tests just so that they can continue as normal and not having to risk isolation.

This has happened to my friend’s son, at uni in London.

They rushed him home early before the end of term by booking a last minute train ticket.

It then transpires (she let it slip) that his flat mates had tested positive. He hasn’t, yet, but has been partying and clubbing since he got home and they’re hosting elderly family at Xmas.

This will be happening up and down the country.

I was quite surprised at friend as she has been ultra cautious and hasn’t been in a shop since March 2020.

*And you were told. It’s neglect not to seek medical treatment for a child with a dangerously high temperature.

Either you’re trolling or wilfully stupid.*

I like that you have used the word wilfully, very clever and so I am sure I don't need to explain this to you, but am going to anyway.

Because the crime that I presume is being referred to is the wilful neglect of a child in the Children and Young Person Act 1933, which builds on the Poor Law Amendment act of 1868 and this part of the act exists to try and deal with the behaviour of a religious sect called the Peculiar People.

The trouble is with the word wilful, which case law defines as advertent recklessness. Since neglect is almost always as in this case as it is necessary to prove for it to be a crime that the act of not doing something was deliberate.

I think it's more because they are running short of tests

@CeeceeBloomingdale I really don’t care what you’ve “been told”, the advice is in black and white on the gov.uk website right now, on the screenshot linked. I am not spreading misinformation, I am spreading the exact information that is being given by the government and will defend myself when someone is rude in the first place.