How do you feel about testing/isolation ending?

[Usernumber5253747293]

If it happens ^

I was speaking to a relative earlier and I was saying how glad I will be when and if all the isolation and testing rules end. It's not that I don't take covid seriously, because we really have. I spent nearly 2 years being so anxious about getting to catching it and being fine!! I know not everyone gets away with it's so mildly but my experience of covid wasn't too bad at all!

Anyway, both dc have sen. Isolation periods have been hard (Dd has had covid twice) m, holding down to test them has been hard, waiting for test results etc. I can't bloody wait to feel like I don't have to anymore. We all had covid in December. The isolation period was hell, far worse than the actual illness. My dc were climbing the walls! Dc had barely any symptoms really and found the isolation hard.

Of course if dc were ill I'd keep them off until better as I would have before covid. I've always kept my kids away from people when germy.

My relative is moaning about all the rules ending and how it will spread it! Which is ironic as they were very poorly last month with covid symptoms and didn't test or isolate but that's another story 😅

I just feel people should use their common sense. If you feel ill, stay home. If you have to go out when ill don't go too close to people, wash your hands and practise good respiratory hygiene!

It's a good thing right? Surely I'm not the only one waiting ever so patiently for any announcement over it 😅

If you are infected isolate yourself isolate to protect others. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Have all the reports of people having to choose between food and heating their homes entirely passed you by?

Isn't there a living with covid conference today at some point?

Maybe some clarification and a timescale

@GirlInACountrySong

Isn't there a living with covid conference today at some point?

Maybe some clarification and a timescale

Well, the reports earlier today was the cabinet meeting to sign off on the 'living with covid' policies was delayed (with 10 minutes to go before it was due to start).

Apparently No10, the Department of Health and the Treasury are having a big row.

Reports are speculating its over the availability of tests, particularly free lateral flows, with the Health Department saying they want them for longer, but the treasury is saying no.

Its quite something for this to be unresolved at this stage - just before they were due to give the sign off and the press conference.

So we may or may not get some clarification today. It seems like it is very much still under debate!

Further details appear to be that the treasury told the DHSC that free tests will need to come from their existing budget, there won't be more money forthcoming.
There was then suggestion (by Javit?) that it come from the elective operations budget but Johnson obviously wasn't going for that as it's hardly a vote winner.

Twitter is saying that the website for ordering lfts is now only allowing you to reorder after 72 hours and not once a day as previously.

Thats not really helpful if you are a family of 4 trying to follow the guidance for daily testing if one of you has covid.

How can people make informed choices about their own and other peoples safety if the tools are removed from them to do so.

@RedToothBrush

Twitter is saying that the website for ordering lfts is now only allowing you to reorder after 72 hours and not once a day as previously.

Thats not really helpful if you are a family of 4 trying to follow the guidance for daily testing if one of you has covid.

Yep, I've just tried to order some more and can't. I ordered some for DD on Saturday but I need some for myself as I test daily and I've only got a few left.

No mention of what vulnerable patients should do if they need them.

I thought they would still be available but that we had to buy them ourselves

You can not keep restricting the larger group at a massive detriment to them for the slight benefit of a small minority.

As a society that's the issue. We need to consider the overall costs and benefits to society of any restrictive measures.

Many people, especially the young, have sacrificed a huge amount financially and mentally. We need to decide, as a society, whether these costs are now higher than the benefits of further restrictions.

There is no benefit to me in the care of disabled children, or those confined to mental hospitals but I am happy that they are cared for and happy to pay what it costs.

That may work for you.

But unfortunately it doesn't work for a whole society because if everyone did that, there'd be no money! Where would the money come from?

Most people are 'rational' and aim to work to earn money so that they can look after themselves and their families.

I'm also reading in Twitter that free LFTs will be reserved for the over 80s.

A big fuck you to CEV immunosuppressed people who need to test before they take their medication, and/or need to test daily.

Ending isolation is one thing. Ending isolation and having people walking around with covid and not giving CEV people the tools to protect themselves (while wanging on about them 'taking steps' to do so) is quite another.

@OhYouBadBadKitten

How can people make informed choices about their own and other peoples safety if the tools are removed from them to do so.

I think thats part of the point of ending testing and isolation at more or less the same time.

People can't complain about information they don't have.

@GirlInACountrySong

I thought they would still be available but that we had to buy them ourselves

Well, where do you buy them from?

Theres no sign posting on this. If you are currently trying to follow the guidance for household contacts you need to be able to get hold of them pretty quick.

Even if you found them today for sale, there is no guarentee on when you will recieve them.

Its pretty dire.

I think one reason for the new time limit is because people have started panic ordering to get some supplies in and they want to stop that.

How does it work in countries where routine testing is not free? Do CEV just have to budget for buying tests or is there some way they can get free tests on medical grounds?

Mixed feelings about all restrictions suddenly stopping. Not worried for my immediate family (all had covid twice with zero symptoms both time) but I am worried for vulnerable and elderly friends and family. I for one don’t mind wearing a mask or testing if it means keeping them safe. In terms of isolating, I’m one of the lucky ones where I would be paid regardless, so I guess it’s unfair for me to say I don’t mind isolating 10 days at a time, when for some it means no pay for 10 days.
I just hope that vulnerable and the elderly are not completely thrown under the bus and they have something in place for them to feel safe.

How does it work in countries where routine testing is not free? Do CEV just have to budget for buying tests

That's how it works in ROI, yes.

I'm ECV & really worried, we have stocked up on tests before they start charging for them. I can see further outbreaks & new variants popping up before long as the virus seems to change every 4-5 months.

Absolutely relieved. Perhaps my business will finally recover and I'll be able to stop living off my savings. People have been vaccinated and the vaccines work. We need to start living with this.

@Juno22

Absolutely relieved. Perhaps my business will finally recover and I'll be able to stop living off my savings. People have been vaccinated and the vaccines work. We need to start living with this.

I genuinely hope your business picks up and you (and everyone else who's been so negatively impacted by restrictions) get back on track soon.

However the vaccines don't work for everyone. Immunosuppressed people are unlikely to achieve the same protection as someone who isn't immunosuppressed. That's why so many CEV people are so concerned.

Good luck with everything

Opheliaballs you are right. The vaccines don't work for everyone, I shouldn't have generalised like that.

Putting the social morality of it to one side (and I fully take on board this is a massive "to one side for the vulnerable) then what I struggle with is the inconsistency and quietly forgetting about following "the science".

If Covid still remains a threat to life for the elderly and vulnerable and a threat to the NHS ability to cope then the scientific logical approach should be to continue mandatory isolation and free testing.

However if the issue is that the secondary effects of the restrictions such the economy , government debt, educational impact is so great that it warrants throwing the vulnerable and elderly under a bus then this could have been done 6 to 9 months ago when pretty much everyone over 40 was vaccinated. And thereby saving 6 to 9 months of cost and negative impact.

Covid either is or is not a serious risk and it now seems that the mantra of following the science has quietly been put to one side because people got a bit fed up with the restrictions and Boris needs a ratings boost.

I think part of the argument going on between the department for health and the treasury is about how if the department for health have to foot the bill out of their existing budget that means they have less of a budget for things like elective surgery.

That in itself is a risk to the many - perhaps many of the same people - who have a clinical issue.

So that's it in England? Is it over for them?
Wonder if Drakeford will make an Announcement soon.

@AskingforaBaskin

So that's it in England? Is it over for them? Wonder if Drakeford will make an Announcement soon.

Yes no mandatory isolation for covid in England from Thursday.

@1dayatatime

Putting the social morality of it to one side (and I fully take on board this is a massive "to one side for the vulnerable) then what I struggle with is the inconsistency and quietly forgetting about following "the science".

If Covid still remains a threat to life for the elderly and vulnerable and a threat to the NHS ability to cope then the scientific logical approach should be to continue mandatory isolation and free testing.

However if the issue is that the secondary effects of the restrictions such the economy , government debt, educational impact is so great that it warrants throwing the vulnerable and elderly under a bus then this could have been done 6 to 9 months ago when pretty much everyone over 40 was vaccinated. And thereby saving 6 to 9 months of cost and negative impact.

Covid either is or is not a serious risk and it now seems that the mantra of following the science has quietly been put to one side because people got a bit fed up with the restrictions and Boris needs a ratings boost.

Compared to 6 months ago, we have a new, more contagious but milder dominant form, we got the bulk of the population boosted in mid-winter as summer vaccination was rapidly losing efficacy and we've got through a winter season with relatively normal interactions (no mandates restricting gatherings and capacities) and death rates have been in the normal range with Covid related deaths subsitituting those normally connected with flu which has been conspicuously quiet.

Anti-virals have continued to develop which is of benefit to the small proportion of the population who don't personally benefit greatly from vaccination (although they do benefit from the reduction of impact of spread and contagiousness in the majortity of people).

It's not a novel virus anymore and far more people have been exposed and had unremarkable mild illness over the winter peak. It's now in the category of regular common respiritory infection along with the rest of the colds and flu, and likewise, many people have to live with poor immunity to those and any other illnesses.