Why are people still testing for Covid?

Are some employers still asking/interested in this?

My employer treats Covid now like any other absences. This has an impact on colleagues attendance records/triggers for further action etc. The upshot is, back to usual, people who shouldn't be in work generally are. I completely understand why. It's rubbish all round.

We've maybe got the odd test lying about. Fortunately, if feeling crap, we can work from home, but that's not the same for most people - you are expected in.

I still test, perhaps in the mistaken belief that a positive test might add a bit more legitimacy to a sickie (my various employers have all been pretty good regarding sickies over the years but it's still quite a typically male dominated industry where you don't want to be seen to be taking lots of them).

Also, I still have the vague fear of exercising or training hard with Covid for fear of long Covid type side-effects. It's probably a moot point as e.g. if you've got a mild fever you probably shouldn't be exercising hard anyway, regardless of whether it's a cold or Covid...

As a household with a vulnerable person (Primary Immunodeficiency and Pulmonary Fibrosis) we need to know if covid is in the household and isolate.

As a household with a vulnerable person (Primary Immunodeficiency and Pulmonary Fibrosis) we need to know if covid is in the household and isolate.

Would you not just take the same precautions if one of you had a bad cold or Flu?

I work as a grocery delivery driver once a week. We are asked to test as we visit the homes of potentially vulnerable people, seems like a sensible precaution. My mum died with covid bought in to her home by her carer, she was seriously ill and it shortened her life.

EDIT - PS I still suffer from some effects of long covid. I would not wish that on anyone

Had to take a test prior to boarding a flight to China last month. There are still businesses out there doing 'fit to fly' tests/certificates but to my knowledge nobody actually looks at them. The Chinese have a declaration but that's down to you as to whether you test or not really as the authorities don't ask for proof you've tested.

I think we still have a few tests sitting in a cupboard and would probably use if feeling ill, knowledge is power and all that. We've got a few elderly relatives and friends I wouldn't want to give it to. I know that applies to any illness to some extent, but covid is a bigger threat than most likely alternatives. It might also help me anticipate recovery time, future plans and all that.

We are asked to test as we visit the homes of potentially vulnerable people, seems like a sensible precaution

Again though, would you not just stay off work if you felt ill?

Would you not just take the same precautions if one of you had a bad cold or Flu?

Not as much. Her vulnerability is particularly lungs and viral - and Covid seems to tread all over...

Yes other illnesses can knock for six - but Covid can kill. People with her condition were 10x more likely to die than general population through the pandemic - and that was with anti viral drugs and regular vaccination.

EDIT: to add, without regular vaccination many folk with her condition have absolutely no CV19 antibodies, and many have an 'odd' or no response to certain viruses it seems.

Because it's helpful to know if it is Covid.

I would have thought that was obvious.

I have a direct work colleague who has had a transplant and is on immunosuppressants for the rest of his life. A few weeks ago we attended a graduation ceremony (lots of people, confined space). A week later I felt a little off but not unwell enough to normally be off work. Out of courtesy I tested and found I was positive, so could then take appropriate action. This also avoided me visiting elderly parents and passing it to another colleague who this week would have been passing it around a cruise ship.

So you don't always feel ill enough to stay off work without the prompt of a test. There really is no harm taking a test if they are in the cupboard.

Would you not just take the same precautions if one of you had a bad cold or Flu?

Need for rapid treatment (out-patient anti-virals for COVID need to be dosed within 5 days of symptoms and ideally earlier), means testing is reasonable for people who will need treatment (prophylaxis not available in the UK).

And of course, people may have tests lying around. If you had a combined RSV, Influenza, COVID test, wouldn't you want to know what had infected you? Personally, I would, perhaps just for geekiness. But we talk of "proper flu", but seldom know whether that's what we had. Could be human metapneumovirus (except it wasn't before 2001) 😉 . Or chickenpox virus...

"Again though, would you not just stay off work if you felt ill?"

How long for? Feel better?

Test positive and stay off.

Test negative, go back.

Easy...

Because it’s helpful to know if it is Covid.

I would have thought that was obvious.

Maybe to you, but unless people are testing when they don't have symptoms, and some may be doing that, I can't see what benefit it provides over taking precautions when you feel ill.

Is it OK to pass on flu or a cold to a vulnerable person?

Where you have regular contact with vulnerable people, then it's wise to test. Similar precautions to bad colds or flu as giving something like this to MIL very nearly killed her - she caught covid early last year, but died about two months later with complications - she seemed OK with covid, but it obviously weakened her already knackered heart and lungs. Pre-covid, we'd not go if we had flu. We went one Christmas, and I waved hello from outside her room due to having a stinky cold.

Lots depends on employers - my son tested (even though not required) last year, mainly as his employers were a bit 'poor' with their sickness policy. He was actually quite ill, but he did have proof.

If you feel crap and are likely to be infectious then stay at home and away from people.

If you have a simple common cold you really don't need to self-isolate, although you should obviously avoid doing stuff that is likely to spread the virus such as kissing and embracing people.

If you have covid then you should be sensible and at least at your most infectious self-isolate for the reasons which Matt gives.

Covid, unlike the common cold, is still an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal illness. I have lost two friends to covid, both had serious underlying health issues, I have never lost anyone to a common cold.

Maybe to you, but unless people are testing when they don’t have symptoms, and some may be doing that, I can’t see what benefit it provides over taking precautions when you feel ill.

Is it OK to pass on flu or a cold to a vulnerable person?

You've been answered very comprehensively here.

I don't think you want to understand.

I’ve just had it. Felt tired but not ill enough to be off work otherwise. I work in frontline healthcare though, so my chances of passing it on to a vulnerable individual are quite high. Yes I could also pass on colds etc, but the consequences of those are a lot lower. Although covid is a lot less potent than it was, it’s still magnitudes worse than a simple cold.

my work still provides free tests and we have a 5 day stay away rule if you test positive (they stayed open during lockdown & got stung quite badly with outbreaks) Theres definitely a wave going through work with whatever the latest variant is

We also have labs carrying out Covid research in the building!

I think it depends why you are doing it. I have no doubt that a few of our staff have at times recently done a Covid test to try and get an excuse to be off work. Not being in contact with any vulnerable people I certainly wouldn’t bother any more but I can see why some still would if in a different situation, although I think it’s easy to argue that Flu would be pretty much as bad for a vulnerable person.
What certainly doesn’t make sense is staying away from people until you test negative as this can be much longer than the recommended period to isolate.

Need for rapid treatment (out-patient anti-virals for COVID need to be dosed within 5 days of symptoms and ideally earlier), means testing is reasonable for people who will need treatment (prophylaxis not available in the UK).

Thanks @TiRed, that makes sense.

You’ve been answered very comprehensively here.

I don’t think you want to understand.

There's been some answers which are not quite very comprehensive and some that make more sense.
I do really want to understand.

Not being in contact with any vulnerable people I certainly wouldn’t bother any more but I can see why some still would if in a different situation, although I think it’s easy to argue that Flu would be pretty much as bad for a vulnerable person.

Sounds sensible.

A better question for you OP, why shouldn't people still test for covid?

I'm firmly in the most of the time doing so it's pointless camp - because knowing its covid not flu or a godawful cold won't change my behaviour, and [edit:as a result of that] it's most risky when I'm least likely to test - eg asymptomatic or a mild snuffle etc.
If I was really rotten probably I'd test if I had some because it would maybe inform how I progressed if it started to be of concern.

There is zero downside that I can see to people continuing to test and benefit for some though, even if it's just a warm fuzzy feeling inside, so why shouldn't they?

(FWIW I'd still test a few times a week every week if doing so was still practical and tracked but I'd do the same for flu etc in the same circumstances)

I work in an office where pretty much everyone can work from home on any given day if they want. If someone comes in with a cold I just think fair enough but if they have covid I'd expect them to work from home as it can have more serious consequences than a cold. They would of course need to do a test to distinguish between the two.

There is zero downside that I can see to people continuing to test and benefit for some though so why shouldn’t they?

If someone comes in with a cold I just think fair enough but if they have covid I’d expect them to work from home as it can have more serious consequences than a cold.

I don't want to catch a cold from someone who thinks it's ok to come to the office because they've tested negative for COVID

 it’s most risky when I’m least likely to test – eg asymptomatic

Which suggests that folk with vunlnerable folk they see should be routinely testing, not just when they have symptoms.

Because I paid for those tests and I am going to use them!

Not being in contact with any vulnerable people I certainly wouldn’t bother any more

You really wouldn't know if the person sitting next to you on a train is vulnerable or not.

I think it’s easy to argue that Flu would be pretty much as bad for a vulnerable person.

The one huge and obvious difference between flu and covid is how covid affects different people in very different ways.

Flu always makes people feel crap. Which is why they say that if think you have the flu but when you look out of your window and see a ten pound note in your garden, and you go out to get it, you haven't got flu.

Consequentially people with influenza tend to strictly self-isolate, not through design but through necessity.

In contrast covid does not necessarily control people's behaviour in a similar way. I have had covid twice and on both occasions I can honestly say that I have had colds which have been far worse, I have even had hay fever which has been worse.

I did however self-isolate on both occasions, and not simply because the first time it was a legal requirement.

Tbh I don't think anyone is going to change the OP's mind. For what it's worth, I still test because I will act differently if I have covid vs a common cold. I still feel the effects of my first bout of covid over three years ago, if I test positive for it again I'll

1. Dial back my exercise level

2. Do my absolute best to not pass it on

While I would do both of the above to an extent for a common cold, my experience is that covid is orders of magnitude more dangerous, so deserves special treatment.

what ernie said! covid can be asymptomatic for you but more serious for the person you pass it on to

Dial back my exercise level

Yes, purely on a personal level I would make some minor adjustments to my training if I have a cold depending on how bad I feel. For Covid I would most likely re-profile my training plan quite significantly and probably mentally budget for a fortnight off or something like that.

Workmate's mil is 94. If I got it and tested he or they could be positive but not symptomatic. If they knew they were exposed they could give the mil a wide berth for a week or two. Similarly I have a friend who is a liver transplant candidate. Pretty straight forward.🤷

I'm still testing because I've (fingers crossed) just got over long covid. No (self-employed) work, no riding, no realy holidays, no excercise, losing contact with friends and nice bout of depression for two years. And I didn't even have a 'bad' case. I'm testing partly because I 'need' to know, but also because a) if I've got it again I'm going to be doing everything I can to avoid LC for a second time and b) I really really don't want to infect anyone else and cause them to end up ill for months or years. Yeah, I'll stay away from people if I feel ill regardless of what it is but, as 42 years of colds and flu have never done that too me, I'm more wary of covid.

Edit - As an aside, I also really appreciate it when people stay home when they're ill, or test before coming out (yeah, I know the tests aren't infallible) and don't make disparaging comments about testing. I do appreciate that I had a different experience of covid to some people though and it's made me a bit touchy about it.

Tbh I don’t think anyone is going to change the OP’s mind.

I think my position has changed. I think I now better understand the risk to vulnerable people issue.

It does strike me however, that folk in that position should probably be testing routinely to catch those asymptotic infections rather than just relying on feeling ill.

As for comments about not knowing if someone is out in public and vulnerable I think is a bogus point. If they are that vulnerable it’s not everyone else’s job to guess this and presumably therefore test every time they are heading into a public indoor space.

You are correct, but by keeping a lid on it as much as possible there's just a reduced risk to all those vulnerable people. It's easy and there's nothing to lose. Up to the individual and I know that there are plenty of people out there who either don't think or don't care. I don't have to be one of those people.

@peteza

I feel for you. I still have long covid health issues and am now on medication for life. However, if it makes you feel any better, the second time I had covid I did not see any long covid issues and my general recovery was much quicker… in fact I barely felt unwell at all. Cross fingers you don’t get it again, but if you do you may not suffer with Long Covid again.

Cheers B&B. Hope your medication works for you.

The one huge and obvious difference between flu and covid is how covid affects different people in very different ways.

Flu always makes people feel crap.

This is complete nonsense. Why do you believe it?

(Specifically, your claim that flu always makes people feel crap.)

Surely one thing we must all have learnt over the past few years is that the same virus may affect different people to a vastly different degree.

I'll still test if I don't feel right as we have 80 year old parents one with emphysema so would like to know if I have covid before visiting. My wife and I are both carers for our parents as well and would prefer not to pass it on.

Yes other illnesses can knock for six – but Covid can kill

Flu is still quite dangerous too though isn't it? Arguably we should have flu tests as well for that reason.

Also, testing is handy to know when you are virus free and simply recovering.

Surely one thing we must all have learnt over the past few years is that the same virus may affect different people to a vastly different degree.

Yes I have never had actual flu symptoms in any significant way, but I must have been exposed to it as much as anyone else. Therefore, I must have contracted it.

It doesnt even cross my mind to test anymore and I wouldnt have a clue where to even get a test from. Im very much in the back to normal and it is a disease I could catch like any other that I dont test for regularly

Flu is still quite dangerous too though isn’t it? Arguably we should have flu tests as well for that reason.

Hmmm. One of the reasons for the shonky nature of our initial response to the pandemic was the slowness to realise that covid is highly transmissible pre-symptomatically, whereas this is much less the case for flu. Ie it was assumed that telling people who felt ill to stay home would be enough to prevent spread. That doesn't work if you spread before you feel ill!

Therefore there is a stronger case for routine testing for covid, than for flu. But this doesn't really support testing of already symptomatically ill people to distinguish between the two illnesses.

Which I realise contradicts my own behaviour somewhat, but the prevalence/threat is low enough that I'm not going to test routinely anyway. If there was a flu test available I would use them if I felt ill, but there isn't...

I honestly thought we'd be going into this winter with both Covid and Flu tests being made available to the public and monitored, mostly because of a new more realistic assessment of NHS capacity and the service's ability to cope with spikes in need, with a side helping of better protecting the vulnerable. Obviously that's not going to be the case.

Vulnerable people are still very much vulnerable.

I'd definitely be in the Dog house if I managed to wipe out the MIL (COPD sufferer, lives with us) with another dose of the 'vid, last time she caught it (Feb/march) was while in hospital being treated for Pnuemonia, that little escapade that brought her into contact with less cautious people has literally taken months off her life and came clse to ending it.

I think in lots of people's minds CV19 has just gone away, but it's still very much with us, only now the bulk of the 'herd' has more immunity...

Again though, would you not just stay off work if you felt ill?

Doesn't CV19 take up to 2 weeks to manifest in some people? (if at all) I think it's only polite to let people, who've been in contact with you, know if you test positive they might have a loved one that needs to know or themselves have vulnerabilities.

Testing isn't compulsory now of course, and lots of people don't seem to care anymore. So it's not like it's causing oy much trouble if they are more careful.

I suppose we're back to allowing the "I'm alright Jack" lot to revert to their normal patterns of behaviour, but part of enjoying your personal freedom to not give a shit anymore is maybe learning to tolerate other people who still need to practice a bit more caution. Basically Rule 1 is still in effect...