Are people still testing for Covid even if they don’t have to for work/family members?

[Lucky457]

Just that really! I used to test for covid whenever I had any cold/feeling unwell symptoms but I’m wondering if people who don’t need to test for work or elderly/immunosuppressed loved ones are actually testing? I don’t work in a medical setting or care home, nor does my husband. Our eldest relative is 60 and well. We don’t have anyone immunosuppressed in our friends or family circle. My little girl has recently started at nursery and has a constant runny nose/sneezing/cough that she’s passing on to her baby sister and I think that’s what’s making me wonder if most people are testing still, as I’d be spending a fortune on tests in that case the way my little ones are picking things up. I’m just curious what others do.

Sorry didn't mean to quote you. Sorry about your mum.

I would if I had to go to see my mum when ill but I can just keep away instead fortunately.

In July...

I felt awful Tuesday/Wednesday, ached all over. I am taking relatives to a family funeral tomorrow, so I'm testing. Negative each day and I am feeling better, no signs of cold etc. If I was positive, I would not attend funeral. As I know I'm negative (will test again morning), I will go.

Surely if tests are available, you test.

I have tested when I felt really unwell and thought it might be Covid. I have a heart condition, so it’s useful to know.

Thanks. We are a month or so after Covid and her dementia has not returned to how it was before - it's had a real impact on her mentally.

She's still gorgeous though

No problem don't test and havent done since 2022.

Knowing if it's Covid or not doesn't chance my behaviour. If I'm ill I avoid people as much as I can.

Of course. It kills people. It disables people. The evidence of long term harm to health is unequivocal. We test. If positive we isolate until we test negative.
long covid hit me like a truck in 2021. I am still not back to full health. It made my blood clot and left me unable to walk, or look after my children!!
The minimising of the risk posed by covid is a public health scandal.

I test for many of the reasons other people have given, and also because it could be an important bit of my medical history if I get covid and am unlucky and end up with long covid. I'd rather have a documented positive test for covid than just be reporting to the GP "well I had this virus that might have been covid...".

I know i don't fit your criteria but will share anyway.

We all test (two adults, three teens) when we're suspicious. I am on immunosuppressant medication and my son is T1 diabetic. Getting a bad virus would be rough on both of us so we take reasonable precautions.

Having read the other comments, a few important points:

1. if you don’t test, then you develop long covid (as 1 in 10 infections lead to this) it will be a lot harder to convince your GP covid caused your lasting symptoms.
2. it will also be harder to claim PIP/benefits/access to long covid clinics if you didn’t test positive initially.
3. if you don’t test, then you infect someone you love with it, and they go on to develop long covid (as 10% infections do) then you will know that was your stupid, thoughtless fault.

This thread is full of selfish, mindless people. Do some reading. Long Covid is affecting millions. Including children. There are 110,000 CHILDREN with long covid in Eng & Scot alone. That number doubled last year.

This pandemic has revealed so much about people. None of it good.

I'm so thankful there are still people like you out there. It's very bleak for those of us with Long Covid. 🙏

Hear hear 👏

I do and I’d wfh if positive. An office based colleague is immuno compromised. COVID still has the capacity to do strange things, sent my blood sugars into the diabetic range recently when I had it, I’m not diabetic.

Currently have covid and feel so ill, as soon as I felt unwell I tested and got a positive result. I work in an area with extremely vulnerable people in a medical area so we are required to test if we get sick. To be honest I'm so fed up of people saying 'oh it's just like a cold'..no its not. My mother got it end of last year,she has cancer and we honestly thought we were going to loose her as she was so unwell . Thankfully she pulled through but it took her a long time to get over it. Everyone I know who's had it lately has been very sick with it and say its way more than just a cold..and these are all fit and healthy people. Honestly it's not that difficult to test and just stay away from people for a few days. I think people have become incredibly selfish with an attitude of ''I'll do what I like as we were in lockdown for so long and I'm not going back to that again''.

Yes but because of my work and I visit many different settings

If I felt coldy I would test to try and keep away for DP. He's not clinically vulnerable but both times he caught COVID he had a cough for three sodding months afterwards.

Someone my dd works with told her today she rested positive yesterday. Highly likely dd will catch it. I'm a carer for my elderly parents. Mum is extremely cv. So bc of this selfish person, I'm going to have to stay away for God knows how long til I'm sure it's safe, leaving them to struggle along on their own. I'm so annoyed.

Yes, i had it for the first time recently.. if i'd gone to work (small independent business) and others became as ill as i initially was, the business wouldve had to close, with huge repercussions for our clients.
I'm Self employed, so although it cost me a lot financially, i didnt go back until i tested negative.. its the responsible thing to do.

Did she at least wear a mask near your DD?

Inaccurate statement. For many people, Covid is definitely not like having a cold. I've been floored for over a week with Covid and 11 days later, I'm still exhausted and suffering with ongoing headaches. I'm a healthy, fit person who is very rarely ill.

I test when feeling unwell because I wouldn't go to my workplace or public spaces with Covid and inflict it on others. If it was just a cold, I would go about my business as usual, while doing my best not to pass it on of course.

But how many are treating it as contagious? Some say it’s just a cold and yet they go to work and socialise with “just” a cold.

No, don’t usually test and doesn’t change my behavior anyway.
but I did test (positive) a couple of weeks ago when I felt really poorly. I ordered some from Amazon. It was funny/weird, a real throwback to lockdown.
but I tested because my DO wasn’t being very sympathetic 😂

No. Working in a Tesco Express so quite a small shop. Dd said she wasn't respecting her personal space, using her till screen, moving her water bottle, hacking away 😕. Dd has plans with her boyfriend this weekend. She's gonna get it I'm sure. I can't see my parents, Dh mum has been in hospital twice this month with non covid related breathing issues.- we were due to watch football with them in Sunday, now we can't. So, so fed up!!!

I had covid last week and was due to see my 93 yo dad. Of course I tested as that could kill him as his age.

I am also grateful to those who test

I have an 11yo DS who is immunosuppressed and he is eligible for antivirals if he has Covid, so I don't have the luxury of proclaiming it's just a cold @gojumpjump. The more people who test, the less chance there is that our child will knowingly spend time in the company of someone with Covid. I fully understand that he could catch it anywhere, but that can't be helped. Nothing wrong with minimising the risk though.