Current guidelines are irresponsible

[Rookiemistake]

I am on my second bout of Covid in 8 months despite being fully vaccinated. I have been ill both times, pretty incapacitated for two days and a bit more functional for the last three. Regardless, it has been disruptive and I am healthy with no underlying conditions. My teen ds has also had it for the first time. He was similar to me and about to start mocks for his A Levels.

Talking to someone the other day and they said it'll be like flu and we'll learn to live with it. It's not like flu. I'm 43 and I've had flu twice in my whole life yet I've already had this twice in less than a year.

I have stayed at home and will do until I either test negative or reach 10 days and am not symptomatic. However, I could if I choose, just go around as normal. My ds was allowed back into school after three days if he felt well. He didn't go but he could have as he was feeling much better by day 4. He would have still been spreading it and there are kids at school and on his bus in the middle of their GCSE's. I just think we are being entirely irresponsible. This is not a cold.

I'm not advocating a full lockdown but I think there needs to be more stringent controls if people are knowingly positive.

What do others think?

You take whatever measures you see fit. You isolate yourself as much as you are comfortable with, and can afford to.

I have absolutely zero tolerance for anymore restrictions, mitigations, precautions, whatever you want to call them, "light" or otherwise.

I am a responsible person. I would not knowingly put others at risk. Sadly others do. My sister is immunocompromised. She has gave a lift to someone who knew they were symptomatic but refused to test. She now has Covid. Her 10 day holiday, the first she has had in three years since her husband passed away, has been cancelled. She is not able to take the medication for her health conditions and is very poorly. She is likely to take a lot longer to recover than me.

I don't think this will be an isolated incident. Many people will walk around thinking I'm alright Jack without any concern for the impact this has on others.

I agree OP. Living with less covid seems like a good idea - for health, education and economy.

It cannot be up to individual choice, it only works as a collective decision.
YANBU

Some of us don't get paid if we don't go to work, some of us therefore have no choice. Already lost business and house thanks to Covid! The future is grim!

First how do you know you've only had flu twice? As with covid flu symptoms range from asymptomatic to life threatening. Unless you've been tested for flu on the same scale we've tested for covid (ie twice weekly) throughout your life you have no idea how many times you've had flu.
If you want to stay in for 10days and have the luxury of doing so, then do it. But don't expect the rest of the country to follow you.

I don't get paid if I don't work. I don't have a choice to stay home and isolate. Already had 2 bouts of it so next time I won't be testing or isolating I'm afraid.

Masks don't work, vaccines don't work. It IS like colds and flu. We will all have to learn to live with it.

I'm totally opposite to you. I don't wear masks, I have not taken the magic medicine, I have never had a test, I have been in enclosed proximity to people that were infectious with it numerous times and I haven't had so much as a sniffle.

We have spent nearly a trillion pounds on this minor virus and what do we have to show for it? Crappy masks scattered all over the landscape and oceans, a huge mountain of single use plastic medical waste, public sector departments still like the Marie Celeste, with driving licences and passports taking months to get issued, MPs mates getting rich from dodgy PPE contracts, GP's being seen less often than a blue moon, not a single extra doctor, nurse or hospital and inflation running at nearly 10%. Bargain.

Some of this thread resonated with me. twitter.com/njbbari3/status/1472807489582231552?s=21&t=ZorebmKtgK3ool9mNUaOCQ

I'm sure I caught it off someone at work, and they had come in potentially still positive.
I've been off work for one day and I'll at work ( another day ) probably spreading it?
We encourage people working I'll so...what can people do?

The people at work who have had it have had a nasty time with it, extremely Sick and sore throats etc.

Utter nonsense op. Get a grip.

We have spent nearly a trillion pounds on this minor virus

Tellthe families of the hundreds of thousands that have died that it's a 'minor virus'

Good for you you haven't caught it. Don't assume if you do you will get it mildly. Very fit and healthy people I know have been absolutely floured by it.

The immunocompromised are at a greater risk from all infections irrespective of covid and should take enhanced precautions regardless.

The offer of a lift should have been withdrawn as soon as she knew the person was displaying symptoms of an infection. It really doesn't matter what that infection is.

Restrictions on our civil liberties were only acceptable when lives were at risk.

YABU

I'd rather have a bout of Covid than return to any kind of restrictions.

@MajorCarolDanvers

Many of us are still in the 'lives at risk' category. People ARE still dying & numbers are increasing with B4 &B5 variants.

it's nuts that people are no longer testing or isolating when positive.

The many are still the huge minority.
We can’t afford to have people isolating for 10 days and can’t afford free testing. It’s taking away money from other problems and health issues that are killing far more people that covid is.
Its unfortunate for the majority who get this badly but for the vast majority it’s a very mild or non existent illness that they will probably get 2/3-4 times a year.
No way can we afford isolations for 10 days every time for years on end. Absolutely bonkers to think we can!

As I am sure you are aware, the vast majority of deaths occured in elderly people or those with underlying conditions.

Should I tell the ten of millions who survived that it was a population-devastating virus and that the environmental, financial, social and healthcare cost was well worth it?

Lots of seamingly healthy people have underlying health conditions for starters and ended up on ventilators and in intensive care. Not all are elderly either.

Way to go saying they and the elderly don't matter.

You don't get to say their lives don't matter and that it was a 'minor virus'.

The guidance is 5 days ,but only guidance.

I think I caught it off a colleague who came in with symptoms.
I spent two days feeling slightly dizzy and weird then one day feeling absolutely drained and ill, breathing over everyone at work then the following day positive.

I've had one day off work and will possibly have to have another off on Monday.
That's 2 days off. How many more people did I infect?
How many days lost there.
It's fine if people can work through it but I could barely keep my eyes open or think straight on the day at work. Walking was a huge effort.
I'e I can't see the sense in making anyone feel obliged to work when ill with a highly infectious virus.

@JuneJubilee

It's hard but you are also at risk from chicken pox, norovirus, flu, and every other infectious disease.

That has always been the case.

On a public health level the wider ,population cannot be expected to restrict their lives and freedoms unless there is a societal level risk to health.

If you have seen the carnage of the restrictions (in terms of national debt, impact on education, NHS wait times for other illnesses, mental health etc) and still think we should impose them, you are completely and utterly mad.

Anyone mentioned the millions, including children who can no longer walk, with long Covid yet?

The problem is you have to be knowingly positive

And how many are actually testing now given the testing costs?

The UK isnt alone - went to Italy over half term and it was like covid no longer existed there

Most ppl I know are doing similar to us which is testing only if we are fairly certain it's COVID anyways, if positive, isolating for as long as we can. So I can work from home and it's not a problem, DH can't so I'd isolate longer than he would for example.

I had COVID 3 times in 4 months earlier this year. Was shit but I was off work I'll for about 3 days in total. The other days I was more or less fine and could have just kept away from people in the office.

@MajorCarolDanvers

none of those other things have such an impact on diabetics as Ovid (let alone other underlyings). Diabetics made up a large percentage of the deaths from covid, much much more so than chicken pox/flu etc.

im not asking for lockdown, just some people not to be so cavalier in their DGAF approach, not even wearing a mask when they're infectious.

but it's ok, I'm getting used to the fact that those with underlying issues don't actually matter.