Covid and isolating?

[kaylz1234]

I've currently got covid. 😩 Question - do you think I should be isolating whilst I have it? I know technically I don't have to any more... but should I try and avoid people? I'm still taking my daughters to school, just trying to avoid standing close to people. Still going shopping etc. But what about meeting up with friends? Going to parks/day trips? Should I tell my friends I've got covid? Or am I overthinking this? 🙈 Help! **

How do you feel? Why did you test?

I work in the NHS. We don’t have any tests available to us. If we have any respiratory symptoms (no matter what the cause) we should stay off work and also if we feel too unwell to work. Other than that we are expected to be in work. Whether or not I agree with that is irrelevant here, it’s just for information.

in your shoes I’d let people I was meeting know the result of your test and meet outside if they were happy.

I tested because I felt absolutely dreadful - but didn't have a runny/blocked nose so I knew it wasn't a cold. I guess I just wanted to rule it out, except the test came back positive 🫠 I think there's just that stigma around it isn't there 🙈 If it were just a cold I wouldn't be bothered, but knowing it's covid I worry my friends will be angry/judge me if I go about our usual meet-ups without warning them. But then I don't want the questions of "why are you doing school drop off with covid?" or "do you not think you should be at home if you've got covid?" etc 🙄

Well I’d definitely judge you if you met up with me without warning me. You’ve said yourself you felt dreadful, what if someone’s plans are ruined or they pass it onto a vulnerable relative because you put your own self interest first and don’t even give them the option to stay away from you for a few days?

Of course you should be avoiding people if you have Covid. As a minimum you need to tell people before you meet them so they have a choice about if they want to meet you.

Honestly!! I can't believe you even have to ask.

People still catch Covid. People still get ill with Covid. People still end up with long Covid.

You could be the person who passes on Covid to someone who ends up like this:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/05/i-could-bench-press-100kg-now-i-cant-walk-lucys-life-with-long-covid

Have I just gone back in time and woken up in 2021? In my life no one has mentioned covid or tested for covid for years. Do the tests even work properly anymore given how much the virus has probably mutated?

Just go by the rule that if you feel awful, stay at home, and if you feel better, carry on as normal. Just like any other minor illness.

I’ve got it, didn’t need to test as I have the same exact symptoms as last time. Only place I’ve been is to the pharmacy that’s it and I wore a mask. In my occupation if someone’s ill we ask them to test and if it’s positive they isolate for 5 days.

I wouldn't be meeting friends if I felt ill with any respiratory virus. Surprised anyone is testing for covid anymore

If you feel dreadful, you don’t go out on jollies no matter what the illness is. Surely that’s basic common sense?
Getting the kids to school and staying away from others as much as possible is one thing. Getting food is an essential and you can get in and out of shops quickly and with a mask. But everything else? Cop on love.
I’m no Covid maniac the way some are, but if you’re ill, you’re ill. Testing and knowing the virus behind feeling so ill helps no one. Stay home and rest. That’s it really.

I had it recently and felt wiped out,worked from home and even when I felt a bit better I stayed in, to try to fend off the fatigue. So technically I isolated I suppose. There are people in my team who care for elderly parents, including one has just had major surgery so it felt responsible to stay away. Get well soon.

I think that if you're ill you should stay at home. You can probably do school pickups as long as you stay well away from people.

There are some folks who are still vulnerable either because they were not able to be vaccinated or because the long covid wiped out there immune systems or both. You need to think of those people.

I wouldn't be meeting friends but other stuff - school run etc is OK.

We have all just had it here. Not sure where it came from but it's really impacted my mum's dementia - so I wouldn't want to risk friends having to deal with repercussions

Yes please. Covid has and continues to ruin lots of lives.

If you feel dreadful, regardless of what it is, why are you meeting up with friends and giving it to them?

Just stay at home if you feel terrible and go out and about when better. Just like with any other illness.

I haven't tested for Covid for at least a couple of years, if not longer. I won't be restarting anytime soon.

Avoid meeting with people unless you have told them and let them made an informed choice. It's still killing people. I lost my wonderful OH to it in March. If we had been told our visitor had it we would have canceled the visit and he would still be here.

I am so sorry

Yes please stay away from people, it is extremely infectious and a lot of people are getting very ill right now. I have been off work for 3 weeks, and it is messing up my life and everyone at my work place

Im in the middle of chemotherapy. I would be pissed if. you didn't tell me. And secondly failed to actively avoid me
There will be lots of people you don't know that have similar health issues.

Thank you for being considerate. So many are not

Advice is to treat it the same as any other illness as in if you feel dreadful then avoid others.

I tested because I felt absolutely dreadful

If it were just a cold I wouldn't be bothered, but knowing it's covid I worry my friends will be angry/judge me if I go about our usual meet-ups without warning them.

If you felt absolutely dreadful, I wouldn't particularly want to meet up with you even if it was just a cold! I don't want to feel dreadful.

Totally agree.

The thing with COVID is it's so variable. It's not like any other minor illness, it can kill you or disable you for life.
Most people will recover and some lucky ones will be asymptomatic or it will feel like a regular cold. However, for some it will be like flu (pretty rough), some will be so ill they will need hospital treatment and some will sadly die.
Long covid is awful and debilitating and often affects middle aged women.
COVID does all sorts of insidious damage to our immune systems, brain and blood clotting. Please don't pass it on if you can.
I think a sensible approach is keeping your distance from people and not meeting up indoors. If you want to meet in the park, I would suggest asking the people you're meeting whether they are ok with that first.
Indoors keep windows open and mask when you can to avoid passing it on to others in your household.
Hope you feel better soon.

I've got Covid currently! Tested because yesterday I felt a bit under the weather but may have had to go and help an elderly relative who lives abroad and didn't want to take more than a cold with me and this morning I felt rubbish. I work in a school. I'm not going in. Despite being short staffed (whats new?!?) they don't want that around them!!! Stay at home.
if the pandemic taught us anything - I think it is that we should value our health more - and rest when we are unwell.... not push ourselves to the point of exhaustion and potentially make others sick in the process. I hope you feel better soon.

I tested positive this morning. I tested because i felt terrible and I am due to go away with an immunocompromised friend on Friday. I am isolating because i feel awful and wouldn't want to inflict it on anyone else. I now can't attend a couple of appointments or go to a gig and the weekend away but i would rather not be responsible for making others sick.

I don't understand the dilemma. If you feel awful, you don't want to meet up with friends no matter what your ailment is. So if invited, say you're not feeling too good and wait till your symptoms have faded.

Taking kids to school is different, they have to go so you have to do that, with sensible precautions like not getting too close to anyone. I'd do the same even if it was 'just a cold' because 'just colds' can be bloody awful.