Government set to announce those with positive LFT will not need PCR

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news.sky.com/story/covid-19-around-a-million-people-isolating-due-to-coronavirus-in-uk-as-testing-rules-set-to-be-relaxed-12509316 COVID-19: People who test positive on lateral flow tests won't need follow-up PCR, govt to announce - as 'around a million' isolating 

Whilst this sounds like a good idea, what about those of us who have recently had positive lateral flows and negative pcrs? There seems to be a lot of us.

Yes, it's just not a very good point when made in response to someone saying we ought to treat covid more like norovirus. There is a vast difference between the two at present and for covid to be treated in the same way as norovirus would require a significant shift.

Agree with your last paragraph though.

Sorry, I didn’t realise you didn’t make the original post I quoted @VikingOnTheFridge.

Aside from that, I’m not making a direct like for like comparison between norovirus and covid past the fact they’re both communicable diseases; just pointing out that when someone is saying ‘we need to get on with things like we do with norovirus and flu’ that they’re glossing over the fact that we very much do have common infection control measures that can be enacted for both viruses along with other infectious diseases. We don’t just shrug our shoulders and ignore it when either start looking like they’re getting out of hand. The effects of those actions are less intrusive on a population level because we haven’t had similar levels of infection of a communicable disease for a long period of time so don’t experience it in a regular basis.

It’s not realistic to apparently call for less action than we take for other established illnesses.

@rrhuth

My asymptomatic teenager has to isolate for ten days and miss six school days. It’s ridiculous.

It isn't ridiculous is it, because it is to stop someone else becoming seriously ill. It is only 'ridiculous' if you don't think it through.

But if Covid is something we are likely to catch over and over again then it's not practical to isolate every time. I wouldn't isolate for 10 days with anything else once I felt well enough to work.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

There isn't anything else you would be likely to catch at the moment that is causing the whole system chaos and high admissions. The situation is what it is. We just have to deal with where we are.

I understand that @rrhuth but if covid is here to stay which it clearly is we won't be able to continue isolating in the future if we catch it and are fit to work.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I understand that *@rrhuth* but if covid is here to stay which it clearly is we won't be able to continue isolating in the future if we catch it and are fit to work.

The trouble is we don't know what is next, do we?

If the next variant is milder, we will not need to isolate.
If the next variant is more severe, we will need to isolate.

I think part fo the problem the UK is in the mess it is is a desire to decide what we need to do 'if' rather than dealing properly with what we need to do now.

The things we definitely should be focusing on are ventilation, air filtering, decent mask supplies, strengthening resilience in NHS etc because that is what woudl stop us getting into such a mess.

But no one knows whether we will need any restrictions in e.g. November 2022.

The uncertainty is hard to deal with but pretending we know what is coming is making our response less effective.

@Cornettoninja

Sorry, I didn’t realise you didn’t make the original post I quoted *@VikingOnTheFridge*.

Aside from that, I’m not making a direct like for like comparison between norovirus and covid past the fact they’re both communicable diseases; just pointing out that when someone is saying ‘we need to get on with things like we do with norovirus and flu’ that they’re glossing over the fact that we very much do have common infection control measures that can be enacted for both viruses along with other infectious diseases. We don’t just shrug our shoulders and ignore it when either start looking like they’re getting out of hand. The effects of those actions are less intrusive on a population level because we haven’t had similar levels of infection of a communicable disease for a long period of time so don’t experience it in a regular basis.

It’s not realistic to apparently call for less action than we take for other established illnesses.

Oh I hadn't actually realised you thought I had! Missed that completely.

But the gulf between the way we currently treat covid and the way we treat norovirus is actually massive. It's fine to disagree with the point that our approach to covid should be more in line with that for things like norovirus, but it's a different point. The fact is that however bad a norovirus epidemic might be, we don't apply criminal sanctions or levy life changing fines. Of course people feel very differently about the approaches.

The fact is that however bad a norovirus epidemic might be, we don't apply criminal sanctions or levy life changing fines.

We would if the risks were as high. It is because Noro tends to be relatively easy to contain and the risks are much lower that we don't need to apply such sanctions.

@rrhuth

The fact is that however bad a norovirus epidemic might be, we don't apply criminal sanctions or levy life changing fines.

We would if the risks were as high. It is because Noro tends to be relatively easy to contain and the risks are much lower that we don't need to apply such sanctions.

That doesn't address my point.

My argument is that it's daft not to recognise the significant gulf between the way we treat covid and diseases like norovirus, that people being asked not to come to work or school for 48 hours bears no comparison to the covid legislation.

The uncertainty is hard to deal with but pretending we know what is coming is making our response less effective.

I'm not pretending I know what's coming, I'm saying that no matter what happens long periods of isolation aren't sustainable any let's be honest it'll get to the point where people won't take any notice and go out anyway.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

The uncertainty is hard to deal with but pretending we know what is coming is making our response less effective.

I'm not pretending I know what's coming, I'm saying that no matter what happens long periods of isolation aren't sustainable any let's be honest it'll get to the point where people won't take any notice and go out anyway.

That is true.

The Times is saying, as of about half an hour ago, that the government will stop providing free LFTs in a few weeks. In keeping with policies being floated in the right wing press first, sounds plausible. I expect it would be after the Omicron wave is over.

Sorry, cut off.

Still potentially free in care homes, schools and for symptomatic people- latter is interesting.

@VikingOnTheFridge

The Times is saying, as of about half an hour ago, that the government will stop providing free LFTs in a few weeks. In keeping with policies being floated in the right wing press first, sounds plausible. I expect it would be after the Omicron wave is over.

I guessed this was coming, I just didn’t expect it until the Spring to be honest.

@VikingOnTheFridge

Sorry, cut off.

Still potentially free in care homes, schools and for symptomatic people- latter is interesting.

It did cross my mind whether eventually they will start telling people to use LFTs for symptoms and slowly do away with PCRs.

They will put the onus on businesses to not for LFTs and it’ll be their policy if you need to isolate or work from home.

Well, a few weeks might mean spring? What's a few, more than 2 and less than about 9? There was some leaked policy memo or something saying April, but that was out pre-omicron.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

The uncertainty is hard to deal with but pretending we know what is coming is making our response less effective.

I'm not pretending I know what's coming, I'm saying that no matter what happens long periods of isolation aren't sustainable any let's be honest it'll get to the point where people won't take any notice and go out anyway.

If you don't know what is going to happen, the statement 'no matter what happens' is nonsense.

We don;t know what will happen. That has been the hardest aspect of this whole bloody process, but the reality is none of us know.

We just all hope.

@VikingOnTheFridge

Well, a few weeks might mean spring? What's a few, more than 2 and less than about 9? There was some leaked policy memo or something saying April, but that was out pre-omicron.

One worrying aspect right the way through has been they have set a timeline and then not changed it when events/changes have occured.

We will see, other countries don't use LFTs anywhere near as much as we do, so maybe it will not be too much of a problem.

I think there are many ways to manage covid, the main requirement is a competent government

Exactly @rrhuth. This was first mentioned back in July and payment systems were set up in the autumn.

www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-readying-payment-systems-charge-rapid-covid-19-testing-sources-2021-10-06/

And despite omicron, they're going ahead, according to these reports.

I won't be testing if I have to pay for LFTs!

If you don't know what is going to happen, the statement 'no matter what happens' is nonsense.

It's not nonsense. We cannot keep isolating for 10 days FFS!

I think we do know, realistically, that we're going to see non-compliance with isolation regardless of how bad case rates might be. Simply because of the finances.

There is often a cost to isolation, particularly where a person works outside the home. If this isn't being borne by someone, be that the state, the employer, or the worker themselves/a loved one through savings, then the isolation isn't going to happen, can't happen.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I won't be testing if I have to pay for LFTs!

If you don't know what is going to happen, the statement 'no matter what happens' is nonsense.

It's not nonsense. We cannot keep isolating for 10 days FFS!

I would never have thought we'd need to do it the first time, but here we are.

I do wonder if there's going to be a move to get private sector employers to pay for their own employees tests.

Viking

I don’t think so

Private companies likely don’t even want to test their staff

Particularly because the isolation now likely causes more hassle than the virus itself