Corona Virus: How Are We Doing?

[fossyant]

Why are people testing? Is it a requirement of their job? Do you test for other illnesses?
Glad you are feeling better @PaulSB and hope that cough and fatigue declines @steverob

Same here. Curious, and due on holiday again next week. Just picked up a stinking cold. Streaming sinus 🤧 and now it's drying up. Not had a bad cold in years, but self inflicted, as we were using loads of public transport in Amsterdam and in crowded areas. Tested as I felt rough.

We've only got a handful of tests left.

 

[vickster]

Why are people testing? Is it a requirement of their job? Do you test for other illnesses?
Glad you are feeling better @PaulSB and hope that cough and fatigue declines @steverob

I tested when I had Covid in February as I had several medical appointments pending for my heart.
Otherwise I test to rule it out

 

[Julia9054]

My covid felt more like hay-fever plus extreme tiredness than it did like a cold. Symptoms lasted a bit longer than a cold. Whilst there is no guarantee that, were I to get it again, the symptoms would be the same, testing would help me make decisions eg - do I drop antihistamine or paracetamol?
Do I follow my normal exercise routine if I'm not feeling too bad or do I rest since covid may affect your heart?
I would rather share a small office with someone with a cold than with someone with covid (though my preference would be with neither). Covid is more transmissible and I'm more likely to have immunity to a cold. I don't enjoy being ill.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Why are people testing? Is it a requirement of their job? Do you test for other illnesses?
Glad you are feeling better @PaulSB and hope that cough and fatigue declines @steverob

I tested as I have a supply of LFTs to use both on a regular weekly basis and if I have any suspicions, as part of the clinical trial/study that I've been on for over a year now. Reported to study hq and attended for bloods and PCR a couple of days after having 2 -ve LFTs in succession, and definite infection with C-19 confirmed.

As already stated, if I had not been in the middle of a hay-fever flare-up, and thus easily able to notice a difference in snot quality, I highly doubt that I would've noticed any symptoms sufficient to prompt a test, and my weekly routine testing wouldn't have picked it up.

 

[KnittyNorah]

My covid felt more like hay-fever plus extreme tiredness than it did like a cold. Symptoms lasted a bit longer than a cold. Whilst there is no guarantee that, were I to get it again, the symptoms would be the same, testing would help me make decisions eg - do I drop antihistamine or paracetamol?
Do I follow my normal exercise routine if I'm not feeling too bad or do I rest since covid may affect your heart?
I would rather share a small office with someone with a cold than with someone with covid (though my preference would be with neither). Covid is more transmissible and I'm more likely to have immunity to a cold. I don't enjoy being ill.

My covid caused me no tiredness, just a slight change in the quality of the snot that my hayfever was producing. The rest of your post is uncannily similar to my experience.
Now I DO have a cold, a horrible snotty catarrhal cold which, combined with my hayfever, means I'm waking up each morning with a foul taste in my mouth from undrained phlegm and which is far, far worse than my experience with C-19 ...

 

[steverob]

Why are people testing? Is it a requirement of their job? Do you test for other illnesses?
Glad you are feeling better @PaulSB and hope that cough and fatigue declines @steverob

My wife works in a pharmacy, which has very strict rules on what you are or aren't allowed to attend work with (especially as 95% of her job is dispensing medicines for older and vunerable clients), which also includes whether anyone in your household also has Covid, even if you do not. In this case, she got it (for only the second time) 48 hours before I did and recovered a lot quicker too. It also means we have lots of spare LFTs lying around so it just makes sense to test if you are suspicious - I have tested previously when I had a cold late last year (obviously negative on that occasion) but I'm not doing it on a regular basis or anything.

My work (office job in London) doesn't have anywhere near as strict a policy, but at the same time it's probably tighter than many other places - I put that down to it being a Japanese firm; I've been seeing staff here wearing face masks during cold and flu season for many, many years and there's always been hand sanitisers available near the lifts since I started there in the early 2010's. Anyway, their rule is that if you know you have a positive test but aren't feeling sick, you should still work from home for the next five days (if actually sick, obviously you call in sick!), so testing at least gave me a date to check against. As it turned out I only did WFH on Friday, as the other days I was still too tired.

 

[Milzy]

It’s a highly transmissible virus, knowing you have it makes it easier to make rational decisions about who you meet. Without tests then the precautionary principle still applies, as with any virus. More information helps inform actions. Socially responsible in my book.

Socially responsible. In the real world our company is been automated and redundancies could come. We had a lad with Covid symptoms for two weeks. He soldiered on & the manager was glad he didn’t ring in sick. If he had done it would be a little black mark against his name for when the robots arrive. People go into work with colds not everyone catches it from them. Nobody dies. It’s life the way it always has been and always will be. People phoning in sick for sniffles is costing the economy millions.

 

[PaulSB]

Why are people testing? Is it a requirement of their job? Do you test for other illnesses?
Glad you are feeling better @PaulSB and hope that cough and fatigue declines @steverob

In my view it's the socially responsible action to take, a personal decision not a judgment on others. My son, who I was in close physical contact with for six hours, tested positive on Thursday. Friday night I stayed away from a quiz, Saturday tested +ve, Saturday 2.00pm i was due to work the bar in our community club, Saturday 5.00pm symptoms all but disappeared, Sunday morning 100% better BUT tonight I should be at theatre with two immunosuppressed friends.

Potentially I could have gone quizzing as I felt fine, Saturday symptoms were very mild so without a test I might have worked the bar and feeling good today I would have gone to the theatre.

Tuesday I'm due to childmind my 2½ year old granddaughter. Her parents will decide if she should come. It will be my 7th day since contact 4th since +ve test.

By testing I've acted responsibly and made informed decisions. Without testing I would have carried on as normal.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@PaulSB You're implying that NOT to test when you have an illness that you think might be C-19 is irresponsible. Have I got that right?
If so every "socially responsible" person should make sure they have a supply of tests eg buy some more when the left overs (or the 'spare ones' from a pharmacy @steverob ) have run out. If they can afford that.
Will you cut some 'responsibility' slack to those with a lack of disposable income with food, energy etc being more important to them?
If you were ill, why would you have "carried on as normal"? Surely the responsible thing is to take account of that illness, not go to work / pub if you think it's infectious. And as I said, that threshold will depend on the work or social activity and setting (eg medical, care, vulnerable individuals (and healthy little children are not), close interaction). I like @geocycle 's approach: "the precautionary principle applies with any virus".
Do you see testing for C-19 is an expected action on feeling poorly for the rest of the decade, or longer?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you were ill, why would you have "carried on as normal"? Surely the responsible thing is to take account of that illness, not go to work / pub if you think it's infectious.

Because for a cold that has been the socially accepted modus operandi for ever. It hasn’t been considered and still isn’t considered socially irresponsible to spread a cold. It’s not considered socially irresponsible to reduce productivity at work by turning up ill. Thus if you just think it’s a cold, you’ll likely carry on regardless, where as given the focus on Covid you might consider staying away from others.

Consider the contrast been drunk and drug driving. The former is considered socially unacceptable after the campaigns of many decades ago, where as driving whilst under the influence of drugs is considered socially acceptable.

 

[PaulSB]

@PaulSB You're implying that NOT to test when you have an illness that you think might be C-19 is irresponsible. Have I got that right?
If so every "socially responsible" person should make sure they have a supply of tests eg buy some more when the left overs (or the 'spare ones' from a pharmacy @steverob ) have run out. If they can afford that.
Will you cut some 'responsibility' slack to those with a lack of disposable income with food, energy etc being more important to them?
If you were ill, why would you have "carried on as normal"? Surely the responsible thing is to take account of that illness, not go to work / pub if you think it's infectious. And as I said, that threshold will depend on the work or social activity and setting (eg medical, care, vulnerable individuals (and healthy little children are not), close interaction). I like @geocycle 's approach: "the precautionary principle applies with any virus".
Do you see testing for C-19 is an expected action on feeling poorly for the rest of the decade, or longer?

Can I ask you to read my post again and read my post #4945. I have made it quite clear I believe this is a personal choice and I believe it is MY social responsibility to test knowing my son had tested positive on Thursday. On Tuesday I sat with my son for six hours, for +/- 45 minutes we cuddled (he has Downs and likes this), for 90 minutes in the car he coughed and spluttered, during the football match we watched it occurred to me he might have Covid. I had very mild symptoms for 12-15 hours, a sore throat. Nothing else.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was going to be in close contact situations with people, some of whom I know to be immunosuppressed, one undergoing treatment for a very rare cancer, it was very important I knew my position. On Friday before knowing I was positive I elected not to meet people, on Saturday knowing I was positive I made a decision to avoid close contacts. If my son was negative, his home environment means he, other residents and carers, have daily testing if there are concerns, I would have carried on as normal.

At no point have I suggested it is irresponsible of others not to test, I made clear it is personal choice, and it is MY choice as I view it as MY social responsibility to test. Other people will view their responsibilities differently and I would not argue with their view. It's theirs and they are entitled to hold it just as I am mine.

If this is not clear and you're looking for a "discussion" please explain what it is you do not understand. And, yes I went out and bought MY LFT kits.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@PaulSB please don't get wound up: of course it's your personal decision and everyone has a unique set of circumstances.
I inferred that you thought that testing if you felt ill was generally a socially responsible action to take by you saying "In my view it's the socially responsible action to take" and that would be your recommendation to others (not a "judgement" on others) - my apologies.
Do you see self-testing for C-19 on feeling poorly being a sine qua non for the rest of this decade?

 

[vickster]

Because for a cold that has been the socially accepted modus operandi for ever. It hasn’t been considered and still isn’t considered socially irresponsible to spread a cold. It’s not considered socially irresponsible to reduce productivity at work by turning up ill. Thus if you just think it’s a cold, you’ll likely carry on regardless, where as given the focus on Covid you might consider staying away from others.

Consider the contrast been drunk and drug driving. The former is considered socially unacceptable after the campaigns of many decades ago, where as driving whilst under the influence of drugs is considered socially acceptable.

By who? People who do it? People who still drive drunk probably don’t consider the social acceptability either

 

[PaulSB]

@PaulSB please don't get wound up: of course it's your personal decision and everyone has a unique set of circumstances.
I inferred that you thought that testing if you felt ill was generally a socially responsible action to take by you saying "In my view it's the socially responsible action to take" and that would be your recommendation to others (not a "judgement" on others) - my apologies.
Do you see self-testing for C-19 on feeling poorly being a sine qua non for the rest of this decade?

I'm far from wound up just making sure your misunderstanding of my remarks is corrected.

 

[FishFright]

Because for a cold that has been the socially accepted modus operandi for ever. It hasn’t been considered and still isn’t considered socially irresponsible to spread a cold. It’s not considered socially irresponsible to reduce productivity at work by turning up ill. Thus if you just think it’s a cold, you’ll likely carry on regardless, where as given the focus on Covid you might consider staying away from others.

Consider the contrast been drunk and drug driving. The former is considered socially unacceptable after the campaigns of many decades ago, where as driving whilst under the influence of drugs is considered socially acceptable.

Times are a changing and its not considered as acceptable as it once once was . Police now are testing drivers for drugs and as more cases are being prosecuted it's changing the public's opinion - slowly of course.