Testing times - Covid in 2022

[Lola]

Vag, that sounds terrifying. I’m glad you & your mum are ok now.

[Dutchie]

Sorry for all the positives! And Epp, don't think you can do much more than you are. Are you very worried about getting it?

So far we are 3/5 down. Mr D got a positive PCR yesterday but Neil and I are both still negative. I have identical symptoms to Mr D and have had lots of kisses and cuddles with all 3 positive boys, so I am fully expecting my next PCR on Wednesday to be positive.

[Texaco Shirley]

I’ve just been pinged again.

[Demelza]

Oh Tex, not again. What happens now – do you have to test again?

My daughter (in France) has just tested positive – the family she's working for have all had all (first one was at the start of January and it's been spread out since then). She's feeling poorly, cross and scared :( She's off to get an official test now but there seems no doubt she's got it.

[Texaco Shirley]

I don’t have to isolate but it recommends daily tests for a week. I have ordered more tests.

[dizzyd]

I've had my very first ping and it's telling me to book a PCR ?

I thought it was just daily lat flows

I'm pretty certain its from my group on Saturday as a kid was crying in its pushchair while grandma got weighed so I stood with him and made sure he was ok

Grandma then messaged Sunday to see he'd tested positive. I was wearing a visor as I was in the middle of talking to new members

Should I be worried ? Contact was less then five minutes probably two at the most and I didn't put my face near his

I've been testing since grandma told me yesterday and I feel fine

[Edith Bacon]

There’s no way to know without a test. If the app says PCR then I would PCR. Fingers crossed you haven’t got it.

[dizzyd]

It's a bloody fake phishing text. I'm so stupid

Luckily I realised before doing anything

When I clicked on the link the wording seemed really off saying you needed a new test kit to test for Omicron as current tests don't work

[Rosa]

You're not stupid, you realised as soon as you looked at the link! An awful lot of people would fall for it.

[dizzyd]

I googled Omicron PCR and it led me to a news report saying it was a fake test and it then asks for payment bank details etc

The wording was identical to the one I received

Usually I'm really good at the delivery ones but because I knew I had spent 2 minutes near a positive toddler on Saturday it just was too coincidental

[Texaco Shirley]

The ping is an app notification rather than a text and asks questions about your age and vax status (so you know if you have to isolate) before saying anything about testing.

I haven’t seen the scam one but I imagine it sounds pretty convincing.

[dizzyd]

Oh I got a text I didn't realise it was only the app that pinged you

It takes you to a very realistic NHS site thank goodness I realised before inputting any details

I'm jabbed and boosted

[Little My]

It's not like you had anything to compare it with. So good news, really.

Our PM has just tested positive. But "feeling fine".

[Epponnee Rae]

Oh no Luce, I hope you are both OK!

Epp, I don't think there is much else that you and your flatmate can do. At least you have a bathroom each!

This would be true Sal (and Luce) if my flatmate wasn’t just ignoring the guidelines this morning. She is jet lagged so has been awake a couple of hours longer than me. But she’s been up moving around the flat, on the peloton and taking calls. I’ve heard her talking and coughing since I’ve been awake and I don’t think she’s wearing a mask either. I am not happy. The windows better be WIDE open when I go in there.

ETA yes I am worried about getting it. I’ve spent a long time effectively isolating myself. I’m boosted as soon as I could be. But I’ve got a couple of risk factors so I am concerned that if I do get it that I’ll still suffer and get a more serious case than someone who is boosted and otherwise healthy (like my flatmate)

[Rebel Pebble]

Also you can get texts from Test & Trace (as opposed to the app).

Mr R got a simultaneous text and email from them. But they were both addressed to him by name. I assume the contact method depends on the info the person who gives the details to T&T has. In this case it would have been the airline and/or his Passenger Locator Form.

[Dutchie]

ETA yes I am worried about getting it. I’ve spent a long time effectively isolating myself. I’m boosted as soon as I could be. But I’ve got a couple of risk factors so I am concerned that if I do get it that I’ll still suffer and get a more serious case than someone who is boosted and otherwise healthy (like my flatmate)

Ah, in that case I think you need to have a serious word with her. If she got it in London, it's likely Omicron and as it is really contagious, I think she needs to be a lot more considerate than she currently is. My boss has 4 kids and they all had it and his wife too. He tried to keep away from them a bit, as much as you can with 4 boisterous boys but he managed not to catch it. So keeping as much to yourself as you can should do the trick - I hope so for you!

[Epponnee Rae]

Thanks Dutchie. It’s really the blithe lack of consideration that’s bothering me! We both work in and have studied public health, so I don’t really get why she’s acting like it’s nothing. She has found a friend who has an empty apartment that she is going to go and stay in, arguably to minimise me risk. But she could just stay in her fucking room and not ride the peloton while coughing round the flat to do that! Not relocate 75 miles. But that’s easier…

I’ve opened all the windows.

[AshleyX]

Wow, that’s incredibly selfish, Epp. Am so glad she’s leaving. Fingers crossed you don’t get it.

[emma_p]

I'm glad your flatmate can leave! I'm a it shocked that she didn't try to protect you more though.

My brother just called to say that his middle son has just tested positive. He's in London teaching and was meant to be staying here tonight and babysitting. He asked if I still wanted him to come and babysit. Um no!? (He is testing negative and able to get on a train home to Devon tonight so I think that is a better plan).

[Ella]

What the hell, emma?