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).

The gov are not advising people to test and isolate from 1/4.

Do one in 16 people have flu, norovirus at the moment? I assume not. This is a very contagious virus. I would rather know I am not passing it on to vulnerable family members

if anyone is concerned about people being out with potential covid then they can be the ones to stay in or wear a protective mask

But that's not how masks work, Overthebow. My mask protects you, your mask protects me. Your decisions are my business because they affect me, and my decisions are your business because they affect you.

Oh, not the bloody masks again!

They do not work.

If masks are so good at protecting other people, why are rates through the roof when we're still wearing them? I'm guessing that NS would say "Well think how high they'd be if we weren't wearing masks"

@RaraRachael are most people wearing FFP2 masks?

No idea - we just wear the disposable ones we get at work. I've only ever seen people wearing those or cloth ones - no idea what a FFP2 mask is.

Agreed @WouldBeGood and no bugger is wearing them anyway!

FFP2 are the white cone-shaped ones, like a wee pouch shape. Less of the fabric touches your face but they are just as hot and uncomfortable as other sorts of masks. Also a lot more expensive.

Medical grade masks do give protection to the wearer. And this strikes me as a much more sensible approach for those who are concerned than relying on other wearing masks of limited value, badly.

We've been wearing the fabric ones at work, like knicker gussets. Lots of people with bad coughs and chests while wearing them as they get wet quickly and stick to your face. We've only just stopped wearing them.
I reckon what helped us the most was the absolutely obsessive use of hand sanitiser. We were squirted every 20 mins. I do still use sanitiser in shops but the masks are long gone.

I agree @TheKeatingFive - if you’re worried get yourself some fancy masks. Leave everyone else alone.

I would need to test if considering calling in sick to work as I wouldn't be paid for the first day for anything else. I need to be paid. If I didn't have a test then I might have to drive in to test at work.

But if we are now treating COVID like any other illness surely you don’t need a test to prove it for sick pay purposes, and you are staying off work because you are I’ll. I assume you don’t need proof for norovirus, flu.

@toomuchlaundry

But if we are now treating COVID like any other illness surely you don’t need a test to prove it for sick pay purposes, and you are staying off work because you are I’ll. I assume you don’t need proof for norovirus, flu.

We don't normally get paid for first day off sick so I would go in to work unless literally in bed or in the loo. We do get paid if it's Covid because my workplace doesn't allow us in.

But that's not how masks work, Overthebow. My mask protects you, your mask protects me. Your decisions are my business because they affect me, and my decisions are your business because they affect you

Thanks so much for writing this @ArcheryAnnie - so clear and so true!

There are some MNers that will be wearing a mask in 10 years time. You know, "just in case".

It's the modern day comfort blanket of choice.

@ArcheryAnnie

if anyone is concerned about people being out with potential covid then they can be the ones to stay in or wear a protective mask

But that's not how masks work, Overthebow. My mask protects you, your mask protects me. Your decisions are my business because they affect me, and my decisions are your business because they affect you.

There are masks which do protect the wearer.

Even if the tests are too expensive after April and the rules have changed, if we have symptoms it is possible for some people to WFH and most of us can wear a mask and open windows or meet outdoors socially. Masks are cheap, and a good mask will protect both sides. Windows can be opened for free. OFC the government should also act on public health advice and if they don't mandate sick leave and isolation support and public transport / school masks and air filter standards and so on we should be writing to our MPs to demand that they do. If covid goes on spreading unchecked we may well face a situation with much worse variants, and with such high case numbers it can lead to health care system collapse etc. In fact, looking at the numbers on long covid we will all be paying a high price for the pandemic for many years in the future, not just in disabled lives but also a tax burden on every working person that prevents a speedy return to 'normal'. So the more we all do now to stop it ripping through society the better.

And that's quite apart from the still very significant social and personal and economic cost from the loss of life that we are experiencing even in quite highly vaccinated countries such as the UK

Look at Scotland, ffs. Masks do not work.

Brain shrinkage all around with this pish.

And that's quite apart from the still very significant social and personal and economic cost from the loss of life

Against this we have to compare the very significant social, personal and economic costs from restrictions/isolation.

@ExMachinaDeus

But that's not how masks work, Overthebow. My mask protects you, your mask protects me. Your decisions are my business because they affect me, and my decisions are your business because they affect you

Thanks so much for writing this @ArcheryAnnie - so clear and so true!

It isn't. Medical grade masks do offer protection to the wearer, the evidence for this being rather better than the evidence for the real world efficacy of non medical grade masks against Omicron.

The problem is that not everyone who'd benefit from them is able to afford them. I'd like to see the state provide financial support for people in this position to access the best quality masks.

Not testing at all