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Covid

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Original poster

Paying for LFTs

78 replies

Raindancer411 · 23/02/2022 12:39

Hi all

Just wondered, will you bother paying for a LFT after they are not free anymore?

I probably won't unless I need one to visit someone vulnerable, but just if any of us get cold symptoms, just to hide away more. Seeing as I may not know if my cold is just a cold anymore...

OP posts:

Blubells · 23/02/2022 21:15

Aren't you infectious two days before even testing positive??

Waxonwaxoff0 · 23/02/2022 21:46

@Blubells

Aren't you infectious two days before even testing positive??

Yep. Last year my colleague came into work on a Monday having been a close contact of a positive case the day before. She was testing negative on LFTs right up until the Friday when she got a positive. By then myself and another colleague had already caught it off her, we tested positive the day after.

Cherryblossoms85 · 23/02/2022 21:47

Nah, fuck that.

pourmeanotherglass · 23/02/2022 22:42

It isn't clear at the moment what will be expected for NHS staff.
Currently we are still wearing masks, distancing where possible, isolating for household contacts and testing twice per week.
We had an email after Boris announcement this week asking us to continue with all this.
Ive not seen anything about access to testing for NHS staff in April. I dont think its fair to expect us to pay for tests if they are required.
If we're not testing any more this will bring new problems. Do i need to work from home every time i have a sniffle just in case? Or do i do what i would have done pre covid, and assume its ok to go in with a cold if i feel well enough and dont have a high temperature?

mum2jakie · 23/02/2022 23:11

No, wouldn't pay to test. We still have a stash of unused tests at home as the kids keep bringing them home from school

wondersun · 23/02/2022 23:29

Before symptoms start you are quite infectious with covid and some people are infectious and never show symptoms so I would reconsider re visiting vulnerable relatives.

Overthebow · 24/02/2022 02:59

No I’m not going to pay for tests and I won’t be isolating for a cold. If I’m too ill to go out I won’t go out, but other then that I’m going about my usual life from now on.

ifonly4 · 24/02/2022 07:49

Yes, there are times when I'll test, ie when I see elderly family, an ECV friend, our hypochondriac friend (won't go out unless people have tested and he can distance, so sad) and also if I have any reasonable doubt - I've just had covid, felt rotten for a week and am now finding myself breathless - I can't do this to anyone else. So guessing I could test a couple of times a week, It's going to be a hard year for many financially with hard decisions to make.

CharacterForming · 24/02/2022 07:54

Many ECV, especially if their condition means that they aren't protected by vaccination, will continue to test regularly so that they can start taking medication immediately if they get Covid - that's a completely separate process.

I've got a bit of a stockpile of LFTs which I'll use before visiting vulnerable people and if I have symptoms - they'll probably last me a while.

CharacterForming · 24/02/2022 08:01

@wondersun

Before symptoms start you are quite infectious with covid and some people are infectious and never show symptoms so I would reconsider re visiting vulnerable relatives.

But that's an argument for vulnerable people not ever seeing anyone - or not until Covid levels in the community go down to the (say) 1 in a thousand level which doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon and would probably be literally impossible to achieve with Omicron even with the most draconian lockdown measures.

Some ECV people might feel that they're happy with a safer life lived entirely online or at a distance and that's their choice, but that's not going to be most peoples choice, especially now we have decent anti-vital drugs.

SuperAsymmetry · 24/02/2022 08:29

@crossstitchingnana this mythical £500 payment would have been nice when me and my DH both had covid at the same time.
As we're just over the threshold for benefits we weren't eligible, yet between us lost out on so much more than this in income. It's a farce and should have been assessed much better.
What was I supposed to do?
As it happens I had to borrow off family to get shopping that month.

Certainly won't be putting us in that position again.

Snoopsnoggysnog · 24/02/2022 08:34

@Xenia

I have never done a test., In fact I feel I should get a massive tax refund to reflect my lack of cost to the NHS and zero cost of me re. tests.

BuyDirt · 24/02/2022 08:36

I will buy them once we have used up the ones we have. I’m in the habit of testing before mixing as I’m not vaccinated so will just carry on.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 24/02/2022 21:17

I won't. If anyone wants me to test when they are no longer free then they can pay for the test

Dghgcotcitc · 24/02/2022 21:18

Unlikely maybe if visiting someone very vulnerable! But I wouldn’t to visit my mum for example who is 70 but in good health.

ExcuseeeeMe · 24/02/2022 23:52

Absolutely not with the rise in energy prices and food. I have nothing left to spare .

wildthingsinthenight · 24/02/2022 23:56

Yes as I test before visiting my parents. My dad is CEV

BluebellsGreenbells · 25/02/2022 07:42

Genuine not goading question but why would/do the ECV/immuno compromised need to test twice a week?

They need anti viral medicine quickly - in some cases.

Abraxan · 25/02/2022 12:52

*Genuine not goading question but why would/do the ECV/immuno compromised need to test twice a week?

To access antivirals quickly - they need to be given by day 5.
Also some need to stop their normal medication to avoid further issues

Yes, a PCR may be free but these take longer to get the results.

The medication I need to stop I inject on a Monday. So I need to know on a Monday morning ideally, so I don't inject myself.

Antivirals are currently only available with a pcr but knowing asap with an lft means you can get some of the other stuff in place whilst waiting for the results.

Riseholme · 25/02/2022 12:56

@xenia
I've only ever done a test so I can travel.

ShadowPuppets · 25/02/2022 13:00

Absolutely not if they’re not free (although tbh I’m not testing loads at the moment).

The latest chat among the senior leadership at work is whether they’ll be paying to provide them to us weekly. Would be very interesting if some workplaces did that. Not sure there’s much point but hey ho.

nearlyspringyay · 25/02/2022 13:01

Nope

Wizzbangfizz · 25/02/2022 13:08

I'll never test again unless forced to go travel so won't be buying any.

ScarlettSunset · 25/02/2022 16:20

I will be once I've used up the ones I already have, in order to visit my parent who is in a care home.
I do worry about others who won't be able to afford to though. If there was a 'buy one, donate one' scheme, I'd do that so that someone else's relative in a care home didn't miss out on visitors

WombatChocolate · 25/02/2022 16:25

I wouldn’t pay for tests for work etc.
If I was going to visit an elderly relative then I would.

Someone up thread said they wouldn’t as the elderly relative could take one themselves…..missing the point I thought. Doesn’t everyone want to protect their own vulnerable friends or relatives from it? Cases of Covid will remain high, so unless we test we won’t know we have it, to avoid giving it to our vulnerable relatives.

I would pay to do that. And then if I had it, I wouldn’t go to see them.

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