Being honest, who else is doing this?

[HonestTest]

Talking to a group of friends who are split between what they now do in regards to Covid. None are CEV.

Some still testing for every symptom on either LFTs or PCRs and isolating if positive as previously required for up to 10 days (or early if neg day 6/7).

Others, like me, now not testing at all even with potential symptoms and just staying in until they feel well enough like they would have in 2019 whether that's 3 days or 10.

What are you doing now?

When tests start to cost I imagine we'll see the number of people bothering with them drop but it's been very freeing to not have to bother anymore with the circus of scrambling to find a box of gold dust lfts every time my DC or I sneezes and just treating what could be potentially Covid (I wouldn't know) like anything else.

(I appreciate the answer to this will be entirely different if you are CEV and that these people will still have access to free testing and will understandably want to do so).

We're still testing with possible symptoms and/or after close contact with positive cases.

I don't really see why you think it would be different for people who are CEV. I'm not CEV but I test because I don't want to infect others who might be.

We are still testing if any of us have symptoms. Not for ourselves (we are young / healthy) but to protect anyone we come into contact with that might not be. That sounds pious, which isn’t how I mean it - I have a strong guilt complex

I’m testing if I have symptoms. We are currently isolating because we are positive and I will continue to do so until I have two consecutive negatives or it’s day 11.

I’m testing when I’ve got symptoms or if I’m going to see someone vulnerable in an indoor setting. I had covid recently and found out on an lft. I was pleased I hadn’t exposed anyone who could have had a bad course.

We test if we have symptoms or if we’ve been in close contact with someone. Or before I go to work.

I don’t quite think it’s right to treat it as a cold/flu virus because it clearly isn’t. We don’t all need vaccines for the flu, we don’t need three vaccines in less than a year (!) for colds/flu and colds/flu don’t cause brain and heart damage.

So I’d rather do my bit and keep the spread low.

testing with symptoms. As are loads of people i know - in fact, I assume the ones who aren't are keeping very quiet about it, as everyone in my office now is (it's absolutely rife - we have 25 people confirmed positive in a company of 60 right now and another 10 at home as they're unwell but not positive... yet) and they certainly are in my DDs class.

We don’t all need vaccines for the flu, we don’t need three vaccines in less than a year (!) for colds

Tbf you could argue that a large number of us didn't NEED vaccines for Covid. Before vaccines it was still a mild illness for most (not all I am aware). As with most other vaccines, surely we've been vaccinating young, fit adults not because they need to be vaccinated but because it helps slow the spread to those who do? I don't believe I'd have been in a terrible state with Covid had I not been vaccinated as a 20 something healthy adult. I got vaccinated because it seemed like the right thing to do in general not because I felt any pressing need for my own health if that makes sense?

What will those of you do when testing is no longer free? Not goady, genuinely curious.

Surely for a lot of people who can't afford to keep paying for tests (that's why I said it will be different if you're CEV because you won't need to pay), it will all become redundant in a few weeks time anyway? Unless people plan to stay in every time they have cold symtpoms just in case?

Lots of people I know have tested positive recently, so I assume that most people are still testing if they have symptoms. Those who have tested positive are isolating too.

There will always be a minority who aren't bothered, but I actually think the majority of people are responsible and want to do the right thing so that they don't put others at risk.

@AlexaShutUp

Lots of people I know have tested positive recently, so I assume that most people are still testing if they have symptoms. Those who have tested positive are isolating too.

There will always be a minority who aren't bothered, but I actually think the majority of people are responsible and want to do the right thing so that they don't put others at risk.

How does this work when tests are no longer free in April though?

Will people still be considered selfish for not testing then? Or is this the point where it will become acceptable to carry on as normal?

The level of harm that covid can do is higher than the flu and colds which is why they decided to vaccinate all adults

Have you missed the research coming out which shows that even mild cases of covid can increase your risk of heart damage regardless of underlying health?

Covid is causing long term damage and people are ignoring it.

The answer is not to take away low cost testing. They could have made it cheaper by providing tests at cost via pharmacies or libraries.

Me - I’ll buy tests. I’m uncomfortable with what I’m reading in the likes of BMJ and reputable scientific publications which talks about the impact of covid and don’t want to spread it.

I’ve also written to my MP to ask for the scientific basis for lifting measures which confirms that they were not following the science. Chris Whitty says it’s not over.

It is not over even if we ignore it.

To me, carrying in as normal is being interpreted as pretending we are back in 2019 when covid didn’t exist.

Sadly, that’s wrong because it does exist. We should be adjusting our ways of life to reduce the spread.

Simple measures like air filters in schools and workplaces could make a world of difference! Why can’t we even have that?

It may not be the answer to take away free tests but that's what they are doing. And if you're in a position of being able to afford to keep buying them then you're fortunate. Lots of people won't be able to. Will they still be considered selfish then?

There’s so many threads on this.

People will do what they want- some will test and others won’t

I wouldn't judge someone as selfish if they couldn't afford the tests, no. Personally, I think they should have remained free.

We will buy them when we run out of our existing tests, at least while cases are high as they are at present.

I'm not really talking about simple measures that could be put in place like air filters and things. Like yes I understand small things could be done but your average Joe has no say over that.

All they can do is either buy tests which won't be affordable for a lot of people, carry on as normal or stay inside every time they have slight cold symtpoms (for me with a young child that would be every fortnight!).

What do you expect from your average person come April when free testing goes?

@HonestTest

It may not be the answer to take away free tests but that's what they are doing. And if you're in a position of being able to afford to keep buying them then you're fortunate. Lots of people won't be able to. Will they still be considered selfish then?

I don’t blame them, why would I?

I place the blame squarely at the feet of this government. They’ve taken away the ability for people to follow their public health advice.

As a result, people will turn on each other for not doing the right thing - which is to follow the advice of testing and isolating if positive.

Instead we should be turning on the government for putting people in this impossible situation.

The Tories do this all the fucking time, and I hate them for it.

Stilltesting with symptoms or as a close contact. So many people I know have COVID in the household. Amazed we have avoided it so far.

Lots of people I know have tested positive recently, so I assume that most people are still testing if they have symptoms. Those who have tested positive are isolating too.

It's the same with the people I know. It seems like most people are still testing, especially if they have symptoms. Most of those I know who are currently positive are quite unwell with it, very fatigued, headaches and bad coughs. I can't imagine them going back to work before their isolation ends.

@HonestTest

I'm not really talking about simple measures that could be put in place like air filters and things. Like yes I understand small things could be done but your average Joe has no say over that.

All they can do is either buy tests which won't be affordable for a lot of people, carry on as normal or stay inside every time they have slight cold symtpoms (for me with a young child that would be every fortnight!).

What do you expect from your average person come April when free testing goes?

Sadly the average person won’t be able to test if they can’t afford it.

As I said I blame the government for that, not them.

I've been ill since Saturday, cough, temp, chills. Went into the office for the first time in forever on Thursday. I've been testing on LFTs a couple of times a day a day as we have loads that teacher DH has brought home from school. I haven't been out because I'm sick, I certainly wouldn't go to work even without the LFTs, I wouldn't take flu into work.

I have taken a PCR, waiting for the results.

When they're charging for them, I won't bother. So many others won't, I'll use common sense and if I'm unwell stay at home, same as BEFORE.

I'm no longer testing at all, I haven't had any symptoms this year so far but I still won't test. If I'm too ill to go to work I won't go, but if I had cold symptoms and felt well enough I'd go into work.

I am testing with symptoms or having been in contact with anyone positive, and before going to work. I am not CEV and am triple vaccinated but do not want to spread it.
I am able to wfh but tests are not free where I live.
I dont think I needed three vaccines for my own sake - but I do think that if the only people who took vaccines had been thoses that are CEV or over 80, then we would likely all still be in some form of lockdown.

When they're charging for them, I won't bother. So many others won't, I'll use common sense and if I'm unwell stay at home, same as BEFORE.

I think this must surely be how it goes come 1st April. With the cost of living going up how many can really afford to keep flittering money away on LFTs especially those with large families and young children who get ill all the time.

Unless people plan to stay in for 10 days every time they have cold symtpoms, it will have to be a case of carry in if you're well enough, stay in if you're not.

What do you expect from your average person come April when free testing goes?

I think it will be a real mix.

There will be some, like you, who aren't bothering to test even when the tests are free anyway. Those people will presumably carry on as they are at present.

Then there will be those who would have tested if they had been free, but don't want to pay so won't bother when charges are introduced.

There will be some who really want to be responsible but genuinely can't afford the tests. They won't be able to keep testing.

And then there will be people like me who will be slightly annoyed at having to pay but will suck up the cost a)because we can and b) because we think it's the right thing to do.