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 😅

@TizerorFizz

Well the stats are on Johnson’s side right now. I’m no fan of BJ but I want to live my life!

Which stats? The only ones I would even vaguely trust right now are the ONS ones - everything else is plagued by changes or weaknesses in how they are used / reported, making the true picture incredibly hard to ascertain.

@AndAsIfByMagic

And yes it is too much to ask people to isolate when they’re not unwell. If people are actually ill then yes stay at home and get better, like every other illness, but if people have very mild symptoms or are asymptomatic then no way should they have to stay at home anymore. It’s now up to each individual to protect themselves if they want to, rather than the burden on the whole population and this is how it should be.

The way for individual people to be protected is for the infected to stay away from them and also to wear masks in crowded places if you no longer test. It's still very much the thing in this area in shops, buses etc. By now everyone should know that you wear a mask to protect others not to protect yourself.

You have to trust others to protect you or never leave the house or is that what you think should happen?

Do the decent thing.

masks are long gone....and cases are falling...so wheres the logic?

and where does the lost wages come from? you going to pay people to isolate are you in your little fairytale world?

1 in 20 people in England (that's 5%) had Covid in the last ONS survey, for data up to 12th February.

Scarcely 'gone'.

Which stats? The only ones I would even vaguely trust right now are the ONS ones - everything else is plagued by changes or weaknesses in how they are used / reported, making the true picture incredibly hard to ascertain

ONS and excess deaths are good to look at

Cases are falling and iirc excess deaths are below five year average.

I think even the most negative are finding it hard to use stats as a way to keep things in place

If it's all about saving Johnson's ass, why are Norway, Sweden, Denmark and ROI doing the same thing?

What their motivation?

(It's worth pointing out that this, while lower than the Omicron peak, is higher than at any point in the year leading up to omicron)

Do all of these other countries have recent infection data at the 1 in 20 level? And have they all also ditched testing?

Do all of these other countries have recent infection data at the 1 in 20 level?

Not sure of the exact figures, but ROI has had higher rates than the U.K. for quite some time now. The Scandi rates are high also, but as with all of these countries (including U.K.) they have passed the omicron peak and hospitalisations are falling

And have they all also ditched testing?

In ROI, PCRs are being phased out for general population from the end of this month, I think they're being retained for the over 65s. We never had free LTFs.

I know Norway is getting rid of the requirement to isolate.

@cantkeepawayforever

I can foresee a couple of possible issues:

• There will be increasing pressure on / disapproval of employees who are genuinely ill and who need to take time off, with what is currently considered a 'reasonable' time off work for 'at the more severe end of non-hospitalisation but still nasty' Covid rapidly becoming a disciplinary matter.

• In settings where the risk is asymmetrical - for example schools / universities, where staff are much more likely to be ill for longer that students - there will still be significant issues in providing a normal service by staff, but a far increased expectation that they will do so for an almost normal number of students. We already see this with schools, where Ofsted is continuing a schedule of inspecting schools against the same or even increased benchmarks, even where many staff are away. Many students have had cover teachers for weeks or months, and this is not going to change, because these staff are ill, not isolating when well. Maintaining a safe ratio of adults is going to remain a critical issue in primary schools in particular.

• In settings where there are a large number of vulnerable people - care homes, hospitals and other medical settings - controls will remain or even become more stringent because without testing and isolation, they will have to work on the assumption that all visitors could have Covid, and use this as the basis for risk assessment. So rather than this 'freedom' meaning these settings will return to normal, they will in fact have to remain even more vigilant and controlled.

• CEV individuals could easily become more isolated again for exactly the same reason.

For average, healthy adults who live and work in places mostly frequented by average, healthy adults - yes, this will be a nice development.

This sums it up nicely.

I've been taken down with the office lurgy a couple of times over 20+ years. Both of those outbreaks involved the vast majority of the 200 staff to be off sick for a minimum of over a week. Cost the firm a fortune as staff had to be drafted in from other offices to cover work. One was a vicious flu and we ended up with a couple of hospitalisations for pneumonia and those staff were off for months.
It made me think, we need to get away from a presenteeism culture where people feel they have to go in when sick or where they want to prove how hard they are by giving all their colleagues norovirus. It costs the employer a lot of money and goodwill with customers and staff when it goes badly wrong.

I also think employers should legally be obliged to have safe working practices when it comes to illness. I think we should be able to sue them for negligence if they for example force ill people to come into the office, even if that is by the threat of no pay. Not saying it's possible of course.

I will not return to the office until my employer will share their planned covid procedures with me as I'm CV. Interestingly occupational health were entirely on my side and said they are not recommending that any CV person with a job that can be done from home returns to the office for at least a couple of months.

I can't think anyone will want to become a teacher given what they are exposed to and how they are treated. I expect to see a lot more online schooling due to staff absences or continual supply teachers - one of my children has never had a maths teacher - ti's been textbooks and supplies and they are now in year 10.

I also think hospitals will restrict visitors as they are currently doing. I'd expect birth partners not be allowed to be present with covid. I expect all visitors will be asked to test for covid. Maybe testing in hospital to get a visiting pass will become the next thing.

As CV, I have had no life for 2 years - no shops, no eating out, no cafes, no holidays blah blah blah. Before covid flu could have taken me out but not that likely and there are good protocols for anti-virals etc. With covid it's not just respiratory - it can cause problems such as blood clots, heart issues and we're just not good at spotting or treating them.

I expect the majority of MN will say that the CV and elderly don't deserve a life in any case, at least not if it impacts on the well. Those of us with health issues, may be seen as drain, but a lot of us work, fufill community roles, pay taxes etc. The way a lot of posts I have read (not just on thread) read to me that a lot of MN's don't care if elderly or CV people die as then at least they are not paying taxes to support them. In response, it was a post viral thing that made me CV could happen to anyone.

@cantkeepawayforever

Do all of these other countries have recent infection data at the 1 in 20 level? And have they all also ditched testing?

Other countries don’t do national level covid surveillance programmes like ours so there’s no direct comparison, but based on reported cases it looks like this.

Don’t know about testing. Free LFTs was never a national policy in many other countries though so that bit at least hasn’t generally been in place to remove elsewhere.

We were something of an outlier in that respect. Most other countries didn't.

those that work in offices or can wfh ...all well and good

but in retail we are trying to cover 3 peoples jobs at times, the absence is high with isolating. we are rundown ,knackered and stressed....there is no cover

and customers expect the same standard of service

we can't goon like this...then the isolating staff come back saying they felt fine and were bored!!

time to end isolation for omicron

I’m fed up of hearing all the CV comments
Some are high risk yes but many cv are 4 vaccines in so aren’t actually vulnerable at all

The bloody queen is 95 and still working with covid honestly some people need reality chefk

@Watapalava

I’m fed up of hearing all the CV comments Some are high risk yes but many cv are 4 vaccines in so aren’t actually vulnerable at all

The bloody queen is 95 and still working with covid honestly some people need reality chefk

I'm 4 vaccines in, and they've just announced a 5th is likely Some of us have no antibodies whatsoever from the vaccines - that's why there are priority PCR and treatments because some people are still likely to need treatment as soon as they've tested positive

Such a privileged attitude. Guarantee you are someone who has no idea what it's like to be living hand to mouth.

What a stupid comment. Privileged to want to protect the vulnerable?

Logic bypass right there.

@Watapalava

I’m fed up of hearing all the CV comments Some are high risk yes but many cv are 4 vaccines in so aren’t actually vulnerable at all

The bloody queen is 95 and still working with covid honestly some people need reality chefk

I have covid and am jabbed and much younger than 95. I cannot work. My DH is the same but much worse than me.

and where does the lost wages come from? you going to pay people to isolate are you in your little fairytale world?

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

And masks aren't long gone. No need to lie. Many places still require them. And still will.

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

🤦‍♀️

@AndAsIfByMagic

and where does the lost wages come from? you going to pay people to isolate are you in your little fairytale world?

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

And masks aren't long gone. No need to lie. Many places still require them. And still will.

A lot of people don't get sick pay. Many get ssp which is nothing like someone's actual wage for the week, and some get nothing at all. Surprised you didn't know that.

@AndAsIfByMagic

Such a privileged attitude. Guarantee you are someone who has no idea what it's like to be living hand to mouth.

What a stupid comment. Privileged to want to protect the vulnerable?

Logic bypass right there.

the vulnerable have the tools and knowledge to protect themselves now

@AndAsIfByMagic

and where does the lost wages come from? you going to pay people to isolate are you in your little fairytale world?

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

And masks aren't long gone. No need to lie. Many places still require them. And still will.

sick pay? no,mostplaces do not give unlimited sick pay...some don't pay at all

we have a RAG process and i'm not wasting a sickness for something mild if i feel well enough to work!! after your third absence in a rolling year you are on a disciplinary with potential jobless!!

so a flippant 'sick pay' wont pay the bills, neither will ssp

@AndAsIfByMagic

and where does the lost wages come from? you going to pay people to isolate are you in your little fairytale world?

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

And masks aren't long gone. No need to lie. Many places still require them. And still will.

I'd love to be privileged enough to be this naive

Another issue I have is that thousands of people were sacked from care homes for not having been vaccinated. Are we now going to allow covid positive people to work in care homes? If so, I don’t see how this can be reconciled with the mass sacking of staff who tested negative but who were unvaccinated.

I guess we will have to wait and see but surely there’ll be special rules for high risk settings.

It's called sick pay. It's money you get when you can't work due to illness. Surprised you didn't know that.

I think your just trotting out these silly comments fishing for bites now. 🎣

They're just cronies, they are all in on it... Bloody Norwegians and Swedes and Danes, trying to distract the British public and save Johnson's arse!