Somehow I think you can afford a few covid tests. |
It's not about what I can afford. Let's say I get COVID. At some point, my 6 year old will get it and so will DH. So we're each testing repeatedly. Let's say 6 times each - 2-3 times while we wait to test positive and then at least 3-4 times while we wait for the line to disappear. That's 18 tests at a minimum. That'll run me a little over $100 on Amazon. Okay fine. Then what do I get out of it? A test that hasn't been tested or designed to measure contagiousness. Do I keep my child home for 10+ days, I lose time at work, she misses school while feeling completely fine, while her line finally disappears? No, and her school would not be cool with that either. And if it's negative, I still probably have something else that's not good to transmit to other people. $100 is not that much for many of us, but it's too much to spend on something that provides very little if any actionable information. |
Why not just follow the CDC guidelines? |
I think the CDC guidelines are fine, except some people cannot wear masks properly which raises concerns due to the lack of accurate information about how likely it is to actually transmit covid after you are feeling better. |
I just had a raging cold that lasted 2+ weeks - not covid. I was never sick enough to stay home or miss work. But my nose was a faucet and I was coughing. Not wearing a mask. Didn’t do it before Covid, not doing it now. |
Not sure why it’s funny. If you don’t want to get sick, wear a mask. |
+1 This is the thing, runny noses and coughs last a while. It sucks to wear a mask in this situation and after a few days you aren't contagious anyway. |
DP. It's hard to figure out who is responding to who. The public health guidance is to stay home while sick and return to activities when feeling better and fever free with a mask. If you do that, you are amazing. In a perfect world, you might want to avoid indoor activities with people while you in the initial stages of active sickness or tell them you are sick and give them the choice whether to see you. I don't think you should have to test negative before resuming activities if you are feeling better, but some of us have to be extra careful due to life circumstances, so we do. I'm caring for elderly parents in poor health in addition to doing my job. I have to be more cautious than others, but there is no way to avoid illness entirely. I don't expect the world to sacrifice their lives to protect vulnerable people like my parents to spend hundreds on tests - that's not reasonable. I also don't think it's reasonable to expect that kids will miss weeks of school for every illness. Some things are more important that minimizing the risk of disease, including children's education. However, I appreciate anyone who makes an effort to avoid spreading their active illness, whether by staying home or masking as recommended by the CDC guidance, or by testing when you think you have allergies but aren't sure or have a known exposure (especially if you are going to be around vulnerable people). Masks and rapid tests aren't going to prevent all transmission, but they help. |
Your follow-up is non-sensical. I suggest you re-read the quoted sub-thread. Maybe all the mask wearing has depleted your oxygen supply to the point at which a critical mass of brain cells have been destroyed. |
However, you live in a world with vulnerable people. I’m one of them. (Insert cheeky comment here.) |
A friend just got it and said she just felt like she had a cold so symptoms probably vary. She tested only because she was visiting her sick mother in the hospital and didn't want to get her sick. |
So wear a mask and avoid large gatherings. |
I do. We’re all free to hurt each other, right? You’re free, I’m free and come November that could all change. |
I wonder what two days of rest would have done to your raging cold...when I am coughing and constantly blowing my nose, I stay home. |
If you have a kid in daycare it can be weeks on end of various little daycare bugs. It's really hard and toddler masking doesn't help, it's just really gross. |