People with covid now - how much are you isolating?

[LostOrFound]

Now the guidance has changed and there is no legal requirement to isolate, what are you doing?

We tested positive a week ago and had mild symptoms, fully isolated for 5 days and are going about our normal business now though we are still testing positive, though trying to avoid close contact and indoor spaces and wearing masks everywhere.

I cannot do the throat, so I'm just doing both nostrils. I can't see it's any different than using the nose only boxes.

I got a very faint almost there line on a nose and throat and used a nose only to confirm which came up strong straight away. I reckon if the nose and throat barely caught it when used properly it is unlikely to give you a positive in the early stages of you don't use it correctly.

Sorry don't know what happened to that sentence. I used a nose only to confirm

Urgh, it almost makes sense!

@user1497207191

I'm one of the ECV staying away from people/places as much as possible. My local hospital is swamped, (it's not the greatest when it's not tbh, despite supposedly being one of the best in the country!). They've cancelled most 'elective' surgeries, A&E only for life & death situations etc. I was in there last year (not covid and fortunately in summer when cases were MUCH lower) I have NO desire to go in again!!

I'm sorry if local small businesses are suffering due to some of us staying home to try to prevent getting covid, but if they choose 'back to normal' over sensible 'mitigations' then that's their choice, they must think the 'it's all over' crowd are more lucrative than the 'need mitigations crowd' I have no issue with that, but they can't then whinge that no one is going.

It's not always an easy call for them, but I'm not deliberately putting myself at risk to support their business.

There's a new cafe opening in the village, if they have outdoor seating I'll go for a coffee & buy some cakes for my lovely neighbours, (I can't eat cake).

@user1497207191

I hope your DH manages not to get covid & his cancer is treatable 🌸

Your DS sounds lovely!!

Limiting tradespeople coming into your house is very sensible in your situation. Don't take any of the comments personally.

I got a very faint almost there line on a nose and throat and used a nose only to confirm which came up strong straight away. I reckon if the nose and throat barely caught it when used properly it is unlikely to give you a positive in the early stages of you don't use it correctly

The NHS website used to say do both nostrils if you can't do the throat. When DH had a PCR at a testing centre they did both nostrils as he was gagging so badly. There's no way I can do my throat, I may as well not bother!

@bluebaul

I cannot do the throat, so I'm just doing both nostrils. I can't see it's any different than using the nose only boxes.

I got a very faint almost there line on a nose and throat and used a nose only to confirm which came up strong straight away. I reckon if the nose and throat barely caught it when used properly it is unlikely to give you a positive in the early stages of you don't use it correctly.

@bluebaul

Interesting, thank you.

I know people who have had those differences in results within the same bix if either type of test, so I'm not convinced it's as simple as one type being better than the other.

I can't find anything to say the testing liquid or testing units are any different 🤷🏻‍♀️

@bluebaul. I understood what you meant!! 🤣

@LoveSpringDaffs

I think you are probably right about it not being that simple, I just lost a bit of confidence in the tests when that happened!

The first time I caught covid was from the pub back in the days when you sat at your table and didn't move so there's never a guarantee

Sitting at tables did not bring in enough money. I'm sure our local pubs are happier now everything's gone back to normal and they are earning more. I'm sure they haven't missed the few people who don't fancy coming in for a meal and a few drinks occasionally

I'm sorry if local small businesses are suffering due to some of us staying home to try to prevent getting covid, but if they choose 'back to normal' over sensible 'mitigations' then that's their choice, they must think the 'it's all over' crowd are more lucrative than the 'need mitigations crowd' I have no issue with that, but they can't then whinge that no one is going.

"Sensible mitigations" are very costly for businesses, many of which already have a thin profit margin.

Would you be prepared to pay a premium in order to subsidise these 'sensible mitigations'?

@IcedPurple

I'm sorry if local small businesses are suffering due to some of us staying home to try to prevent getting covid, but if they choose 'back to normal' over sensible 'mitigations' then that's their choice, they must think the 'it's all over' crowd are more lucrative than the 'need mitigations crowd' I have no issue with that, but they can't then whinge that no one is going.

"Sensible mitigations" are very costly for businesses, many of which already have a thin profit margin.

Would you be prepared to pay a premium in order to subsidise these 'sensible mitigations'?

Which is what it comes down to, really. If people actually are, good luck to them.

I'm still able to get tests as I'm in the CEV group who has still have access.
I'm still living my life as before, being careful and keeping up with masks, avoiding crowds and keeping fingers crossed. We are having DSs birthday party outside. (Fingers crossed for sun) I've had my 4jabs and hopefully they will help.
I've been lucky so far but would isolate until testing negative - I have to inform the hospital if I test positive so would follow their guidance , I'm eligible for quick access to treatment/antivirals.
DH is a consultant and has to isolate until he tests negative.
I understand that some people will be put in a very difficult position however I hope people will be mindful where they can.
Despite the government's official position of fingers in the ears, it's all over - living with covid is going to be difficult and pose challenges to individuals, organisations and services and it's still going to be bumpy for quite a bit longer.

I am also related to a covid denier / conspiracy theorist though so I'm no longer surprised by human nature and understand that there have been people all the way through this who have been selfish arses and a change in law will make no difference to them.

@Eyedropeyeflop

I carried on as normal. Work, shops etc. I felt fine.

Maybe you're the person I caught mine from? Or you've given it to someone like me - coming up for two weeks off work, on steroids because my breathing is shot, my DH now has it and we're stuck indoors on sick pay utterly miserable, because even if we were heartless enough to do so, we're too ill to go out.

I've never supported the legal mandate over locking people down as there will always be the few occasions where it absolutely can't be helped, and anything that keeps government power restrained (especially Priti Patel) is a good thing. However knowingly going out and mixing with others when you're ill, whether it's covid, the raging shits or chickenpox, is morally wrong.

I'm currently isolating, 5th day today and back to work tomorrow. Symptom free now but still positive, following the new guidelines I guess this is OK?

I would like to isolate if I caught it but I don’t get paid sick pay and my employer has said she wants me in regardless as she has had enough and feels we must all get on with it. I am a PA for her, she is disabled and just can not see that she would be vulnerable but she simply won’t pay me. She also expects me to come in if she or any of her family (she lives with her parents) catches it.

@MyfriendArchie

I would like to isolate if I caught it but I don’t get paid sick pay and my employer has said she wants me in regardless as she has had enough and feels we must all get on with it. I am a PA for her, she is disabled and just can not see that she would be vulnerable but she simply won’t pay me. She also expects me to come in if she or any of her family (she lives with her parents) catches it.

None of that stops you being responsible in other ways, i.e. not going out to shops, cafes, pubs, theatres etc, spreading it around, not going on a flight spreading it, etc.

Presumably you'd at least wear a mask on public transport and in the workplace and sanitise/wash your hands etc????

It's not a binary choice of taking precautions versus not taking precautions. If there are things you really HAVE to do, then fair enough, but you can still restrict in other ways and take precautions.

[quote LoveSpringDaffs]@user1497207191

I hope your DH manages not to get covid & his cancer is treatable 🌸

Your DS sounds lovely!!

Limiting tradespeople coming into your house is very sensible in your situation. Don't take any of the comments personally.[/quote]
Thanks for that. Yes, his cancer is treatable but not curable, and requires him to be on chemo permanently (along with a cocktail of other drugs), which really take it out of him, so he'll never be the same again, and will always be limited as to what he can physically do, plus a much reduced life expectancy as the effectiveness of chemo/treatments will start to wane and organs will start to fail.

Just typical that it all started just before Covid, so he's been unable to actually get out and enjoy life whilst he can. He's already struggling healthwise in some ways, so we have to do what we can, when we can, and unfortunately, the high numbers of Covid infections at the moment doesn't help. The chemo has caused suppressed immunity so he's at the highest risk of not surviving covid if he catches it!

We've pushed our son out to live in a student flat at uni, whereas he'd intended to live at home and commute (he'd already chosen our city Uni before DH was diagnosed). We don't want him mixing in lectures and socialising and then coming home potentially with covid.

I've had to scale back my business as I can't risk meeting clients in person, catching it from that kind of contact, and then taking it home to him!

I fully understand people who don't get paid when off isolating, but there are also people who are struggling because of the elevated risk of covid due to the high rates at the moment. It's a shame that it's become so binary as to those taking precautions and those taking no precautions at all because they no longer care!

@MyfriendArchie

I would like to isolate if I caught it but I don’t get paid sick pay and my employer has said she wants me in regardless as she has had enough and feels we must all get on with it. I am a PA for her, she is disabled and just can not see that she would be vulnerable but she simply won’t pay me. She also expects me to come in if she or any of her family (she lives with her parents) catches it.

I don't get sick pay, have 2 jobs. One job didn't want me to come in when the rest of my family were positive and I was testing negative. So had to take to weeks off that job unpaid. Then I had to take this week off when I finally came down with it! So that's 3 weeks off now. My other job I was still allowed to go in when my family had, which should be the case. So many workplaces have different views it's seems. My partner luckily has been able to get overtime to make up for my loss of earnings otherwise we would have really struggled.

Caught it on holiday two days before end of it. Flew home without testing as I wasn't isolating abroad.

Tested the next morning, positive.

Didn't bother isolating, went about life as normal

@ITSupport

Caught it on holiday two days before end of it. Flew home without testing as I wasn't isolating abroad.

Tested the next morning, positive.

Didn't bother isolating, went about life as normal

And then people wonder why it's spreading so fast at the moment!

Covid is not going away , it's funny how people get on the moral high ground it's a cold

Maybe majority of people should take care of there own health so covid won't affect them and I know some people can't help it but you can't stay in for rest of your life

@Gymgo

Covid is not going away , it's funny how people get on the moral high ground it's a cold

Maybe majority of people should take care of there own health so covid won't affect them and I know some people can't help it but you can't stay in for rest of your life

Trust me, its not a cold. It may been like that for the lucky few, but I'm laid up with it and my cousin's kidneys were failing even with a milder variant until she ended up in ICU. Don't assume everyone reacts to it in the same way that you do - just because we're not locked in the house any more doesn’t mean we have go back to the usual British low standard of personal hygiene we were used to.

@Gymgo

Covid is not going away , it's funny how people get on the moral high ground it's a cold

Maybe majority of people should take care of there own health so covid won't affect them and I know some people can't help it but you can't stay in for rest of your life

Yes, of course, my OH can cure himself of incurable cancer by eating a few more apples and cutting down chips can't he?

In fact, he was already very healthy, never smoke, barely drank, healthy diet, not overweight, etc. Lots of cancers AREN'T related to lifestyle you know!

@EatSleepRantRepeat

just because we're not locked in the house any more doesn’t mean we have go back to the usual British low standard of personal hygiene we were used to.

Yes, it's pretty grim how so many people have gone back to not bothering washing their hands after going to the loo,
caughing/sneezing without making any attempt to catch it in a tissue/hankie etc.