Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Are you lft testing as precaution.

134 replies

KCee30 · 27/12/2021 21:22

We've just had covid but genuinely curious what others are doing. Many people are saying they are doing regular lft tests because so many people have covid right now and before seeing vulnerable family members.

We haven't lft tested since our isolation ended which was in the last week.

I've been surprised today that my parents and siblings are not doing regular lft's! I know they aren't compulsory but my grandma and uncle who live together and see my family regularly are vulnerable due to age or health issues - but triple boosted.

My grandma doesn't really grasp how serious covid is. She's pretty healthy but still a risk in 80's! She's pretty chilled about it.

My parents and siblings are all going out and about too which of course they can but 2 of my siblings are totally unvaccinated as don't want it, the other has had 2 jabs but refusing booster. Parents are double jabbed but don't want booster! No mask wearing etc. I know you can still get covid with jabs but transmission is reduced.

We are meant to be seeing them this week. If we hadn't already had covid very recently I'd be really concerned but I'm hoping that because we've just had it, that we will be protected but say we had delta, concerned about omicron.

OP posts:
MerryChristmas21 · 28/12/2021 06:48

[quote gloriousgolden]@santaclothes does it genuinely not concern you the sheer volume of plastics being thrown into the LFTs?! 🤯[/quote]
There's a fuckton more plastic used if you put someone in hospital

SquigglePigs · 28/12/2021 07:01

Not regularly as such but we did before family arrived for Christmas and we will do again before we meet friends for New Years Eve. I'm not doing them every day if we're just pottering about. The amount of plastic waste generated by all of this is horrifying so I feel like it's important to find a balance.

User754390 · 28/12/2021 07:10

People are also doing them when they have Covid and are are in isolation, they should be just done on day 6 and 7 but some seem to be doing them on days 1-5 also, just to see.

shrunkenhead · 28/12/2021 07:11

I appreciate some people need to test regularly because of their work, family gatherings, parties etc but I know others who treat it like a day out! "Ooh let's go get tested today!" I also think if people tested less there would be less self-isolating, less work days missed, kids doing the in/out school hokey-cokey and generally less disruption to life.
We can't go on like this forever.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 28/12/2021 07:14

it takes more than half an hour
i do it twice a week

MrsLargeEmbodied · 28/12/2021 07:17

i feel confident after i have tested and i go to work or meet people, it is a weight off my mind

Etinoxaurus · 28/12/2021 07:22

@WheelieBinPrincess

But why do you think it’s necessary to test every day?
Because I woh and see people everyday.
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 28/12/2021 07:36

Anyone running out... just managed to order online.

MerryChristmas21 · 28/12/2021 07:37

@HackAttack

Nope, only done it for travel or if sick, can't imagine why I'd do it just because
You don't need to 'imagine' you just need to 'listen' - so if you have covid but are not yet symptomatic, you don't pass it on to other people, who may get very sick & may even die. But if being 'cool' is more important than that to you...
MerryChristmas21 · 28/12/2021 07:39

@shrunkenhead

I appreciate some people need to test regularly because of their work, family gatherings, parties etc but I know others who treat it like a day out! "Ooh let's go get tested today!" I also think if people tested less there would be less self-isolating, less work days missed, kids doing the in/out school hokey-cokey and generally less disruption to life. We can't go on like this forever.
You think people unknowingly passing it on will cause less disruption, riiiiight
Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/12/2021 07:41

@MerryChristmas21 but you CAN pass it on to other people before your LFT shows positive. My work colleague passed it on to me that way.

User754390 · 28/12/2021 07:42

Yes, I thought there was a couple of days before it shows up on a test that you could pass it on.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/12/2021 07:44

@User754390

Yes, I thought there was a couple of days before it shows up on a test that you could pass it on.
Exactly. My colleague was a close contact on a Sunday, she did LFTs before coming into work every day but she didn't get a positive until the Friday evening, by then she'd already infected 2 of us so it was a waste of time.
andi62 · 28/12/2021 07:45

Tested 3 times, 1 pos, 2 neg. People think lfts are free, well they cost 8 quid each, taxpayers have to pay that back - eventually.

GoodnightGrandma · 28/12/2021 07:46

I LFT twice a week for work, even though they don’t provide the tests and I’m rapidly running out.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/12/2021 07:47

LFTs aren't going to stop you passing Covid on if you've got it. It's highly likely that everyone who gets it will infect someone else so the moral superiority on here is ridiculous.

UnsuitableHat · 28/12/2021 07:51

Yeah I’m doing them most days at the moment.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 28/12/2021 08:06

at work we are socially distancing anyway, mask when close, although a lot of time we forget

MrsLargeEmbodied · 28/12/2021 08:06

it is not morally superior to take an lft twice a week

Siameasy · 28/12/2021 08:19

@MrsLargeEmbodied

it is not morally superior to take an lft twice a week
It is on here! Obviously to be truly superior you need to take one every half an hour.

In answer to the question, no I don’t do any asymptomatic testing.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/12/2021 08:23

@MrsLargeEmbodied

it is not morally superior to take an lft twice a week
It's morally superior to claim those who don't are "selfish" and spreading Covid when you can spread Covid anyway no matter how many LFTs you do.
ceeveebee · 28/12/2021 08:36

I was testing twice a week as required by work, Le testing every time we are due to meet people indoors which meant almost every day last week, only one day this week though.

I do worry that they give a false level of security though and people dropping their guard because everyone in the room has a clear lft. I know many people who were negative on lft but positive on PCR even the same day, they really aren’t as reliable as some people think. I think the false negative rate has been said to be as high as 40%.

Chewbecca · 28/12/2021 08:42

I was able to order some this morning if anyone is still short.

santaclothes · 28/12/2021 08:43

@shrunkenhead

I appreciate some people need to test regularly because of their work, family gatherings, parties etc but I know others who treat it like a day out! "Ooh let's go get tested today!"

Are you mixed up? Nobody has to go out, you do LFTs at home. It's a 5 min job, 20 if you include the waiting time to read the test.

Squaffle · 28/12/2021 08:54

We’re in London, so we tested last week before visiting relatives for Christmas and again today as doing similar. After today we don’t have much planned so we’ll revert back to twice-weekly testing for me and DH (both if our workplaces require this) and only testing 5 year old if symptomatic/close contact.