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Original poster

Do you still do lft when someone requests, given implications for work/school?

61 replies

Notdoingthis · 19/03/2022 21:39

If someone asked you, would you do a lft if you had no symptoms, and would you test the kids too?
If we detect Covid, that means at least 5 days off school, and potentially 5 days less pay this month as the kids are young and can't be left alone.
Next month we would not test as even the tests cost money. But this month, people still seem to be testing a lot.
I can understand that people don't want Covid, but I am getting really sick of the anxiety I feel when asked to test. I am sure lots of people will tell me I am selfish to question testing, but I feel like every time we are nearly reach a milestone, nothing gets easier.

OP posts:
sunflowerdaisyrose · 19/03/2022 21:40

I will only test now if we have symptoms, at which point I test without anyone asking, but only lateral flows, not PCRs. We have all had it with king last couple of months too.

Casmama · 19/03/2022 21:43

My dad has cancer so is at greater risk from Covid and this undoubtedly impacts my view but I would absolutely do a LFT if asked and often do without being asked

zaffa · 19/03/2022 21:44

@Notdoingthis

If someone asked you, would you do a lft if you had no symptoms, and would you test the kids too? If we detect Covid, that means at least 5 days off school, and potentially 5 days less pay this month as the kids are young and can't be left alone. Next month we would not test as even the tests cost money. But this month, people still seem to be testing a lot. I can understand that people don't want Covid, but I am getting really sick of the anxiety I feel when asked to test. I am sure lots of people will tell me I am selfish to question testing, but I feel like every time we are nearly reach a milestone, nothing gets easier.
I think you have the choice not to test, but it would only be fair to give the other person the choice not to spend time with you. So provided you are honest about declining to test and accept that you / your child could be excluded from a social event, I think that would be a fair compromise? I think it would be unreasonable to decline to test but not to tell the other person and still expect them to socialize without knowing if you have covid as it is clear they don't want to take any risks.
Original poster
Notdoingthis · 19/03/2022 21:46

Yes I agree with you Zaffa. Awkward conversation though.

OP posts:
GeneLovesJezebel · 19/03/2022 21:46

I have to test for work

BeenToldComputerSaysNo · 19/03/2022 21:55

Yes I do. Agree with what @zaffa said.

zaffa · 19/03/2022 21:58

@Notdoingthis

Yes I agree with you Zaffa. Awkward conversation though.
I think that part of living with it is that no one should be made to feel uncomfortable to make these choices. It shouldn't be one way either - I think if someone feels so strongly that they won't meet up with someone who isn't testing then they need to accept that others will feel comfortable doing so and they may be the ones left out too. It's difficult because we aren't all in the same storm at all anymore. If I get covid and I'm asymptomatic, I work from home and still get paid. If I take sick leave I still get paid my usual salary. If my daughter is sick or nursery closes then we make a plan with emergency care and annual leave and I still get paid. So i test, and I get people in my house to rest too. A lot. But not everyone has those options, and they don't get paid or they are at risk of losing their jobs or their homes aren't places they want to isolate in for 10 days and so they also make choices that are possibly unpopular but are in their own self preservation interests. I think you should be able to openly say you are choosing not to test for social meet ups and then come to a consensus. Either you don't meet up or some of you meet up at different times or it switches to virtual - there shouldn't be a stigma though anymore and we should all work together so we come to a compromise everyone can live with.
Original poster
Notdoingthis · 19/03/2022 22:04

Thank you for the above post. It speaks sense.

OP posts:
Dawnofthefed · 19/03/2022 22:09

No, I finished testing a while back. I can't see myself testing myself or the DC again.

HundredMilesAnHour · 19/03/2022 22:24

Yes I test on a regular basis still. As rates are increasing again, I don't want to put those around me at risk. Some people are vulnerable, some people have long Covid and catching it again can make it worse. I don't want that on my conscience.

Boosterquery · 19/03/2022 23:13

I would test if asked. However, I could work from home if Covid positive but well. My DC are adults, so I don't personally have the issue of whether to test DC.
I think zaffa talks a lot of sense. I think that part of learning to live with the virus is recognising that people vary hugely as to how much "Covid risk" they wish to take in their personal lives, and we need to accept that other people's attitudes to Covid risk may be different to our own without one person being right and the other wrong. I do think we owe each other honesty, so you if you are not willing to test you should be honest about that.

KnowingMeKnowingYouAhaaaa · 19/03/2022 23:22

We won't test anymore unless we go to visit an elderly relative in a care home. We only tested our children a few times anyway the trauma wasn't worth it. I've never tested our youngest (just turned 1). My husband is the only one to test positive the entire time (in feb), I'm pretty sure we've all had it at least once though.

Picklesandbeans · 19/03/2022 23:26

Have to test for work and now DC been asked to test by the school as rates so high. I know someone who died from covid who wasnt high risk so I test and will test my dc. I feel it's quite important to protect others. Weve all had it...twice!

CrabbyCat · 20/03/2022 06:03

We aren't testing twice weekly when asymptomatic anymore, but are testing the kids when they have symptoms. We are also still testing before seeing GPs, who are in their late 60s. Once free tests stop, I suspect the only tests we will do is those before seeing GPs. The kids are being hammered with cold after cold. I think from their perspective keeping them home if they are actually poorly with whatever the latest bug is and sending them in if not seems more proportionate than using a test to treat one specific bug differently.

KatherineJaneway · 20/03/2022 06:10

I test regularly as there is such a lot of Covid around and I don't want to give it to anyone unknowingly.

Ilostit · 20/03/2022 06:13

@Casmama

My dad has cancer so is at greater risk from Covid and this undoubtedly impacts my view but I would absolutely do a LFT if asked and often do without being asked
Is he at higher risk though? As long as he is jabbed he shouldn’t be.

I think people are confused at those who are getting very ill with Covid (or dying) it’s generally the unvaccinated

Ilostit · 20/03/2022 06:14

@Picklesandbeans

Have to test for work and now DC been asked to test by the school as rates so high. I know someone who died from covid who wasnt high risk so I test and will test my dc. I feel it's quite important to protect others. Weve all had it...twice!
When did they die? Not being obtuse. But were they vaccinated? Which variant do you think it was?
Stuffin · 20/03/2022 06:22

No I wouldn't and would be happy to say no and if that was a problem for the person requesting it then they can choose not to see me.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/03/2022 10:11

No. School request that we still do them but I don't. If someone was insistent that I do one before meeting I'd just say sorry, I can't meet you then.

megletthesecond · 20/03/2022 10:12

Yes.
But we still do them once a week anyway.

oasissummerfruits · 20/03/2022 10:16

I'm 6 months pregnant and would never have asked anybody to test, however my friend came over for lunch last week and it wasn't until she got here that she said her husband and child had tested positive and she hadn't been feeling great that morning.

I've now got covid and haven't been able to get out of bed since last Monday, feeling awful. I had it before very mildly but I think being pregnant has made it harder for my body to fight this time.

So I'd say maybe if you've been directly in contact or have symptoms then to test, or just let people know so they have the choice whether to risk being so close to it.x

Jules912 · 20/03/2022 10:21

Yes, as the only people requesting are very vulnerable. Work have finally dropped the requirement to test before coming into the office, I suspect because they've realised soon they'd have to pay for the tests if they still wanted us to.

WTF475878237NC · 20/03/2022 10:22

Absolutely. I would hate to infect someone else.

jytdtysrht · 20/03/2022 10:43

Depends who's asking and why.

For example, it would have to be a serious, legitimate cause for concern for me to test my 16yo and risk him being put out of school for GCSE preparation.

SpringRainbow · 20/03/2022 10:47

Nobody has asked me to test since Christmas/ New Year.

I suspect most people around me have stopped testing because everyone around me has stopped mentioning testing even when they have had symptoms.

However, in the unlikely event that I am asked to test then provided I can get hold of a test then I would test.