In the time from the start of social distancing/mask wearing, I have not had a single cold or other communicable disease. I’ve also stayed away from anyone under 18.
Yeah, we managed to go almost a year with no sickness in our household with two small children. Which was sort of amazing. Since then the kids have both gotten 5 colds and I’ve gotten 2 of those 5. The most recent one was just last week so unclear if I’m going to get it, but I haven’t yet.
There’s a downside to our zero exposure to kids. One of my nephews has two little kids I haven’t seen in years, and my son in Florida has a daughter who I’ve never seen in person.
The Cleveland Clinic testing spots are drive through. So it’s hundreds of people outdoors and forced distance.
My cousin has a child under 2 and a child under 8, so it’s a request/requirement for her before entering her home for the holidays. She’s satisfied with a rapid, though.
The caveat to this, at least from what I’ve seen in our area, is that a lot of folks are getting tested right now in anticipation of the holiday and travel, so it’s best to call ahead.
I can’t count the number of times I have been tested. Since this whole thing started, we have traveled, including internationally, and moved across the country to be near family. Currently, we have friends who are immunocompromised due to medical issues, and a newborn grandchild, so we are very sensitive to possible exposure and transmission. Also, I don’t know if this is a thing everywhere, but I have had a couple of contract tracing iPhone alerts telling me that I have been “in close proximity for 15 minutes” of someone who was infected (likely at my barber?). So, I get tested (always negative). I got tested last week (negative), I got tested today, and I am scheduled to get tested on Friday, in advance of family holiday gatherings.
To Dinsdale, if it’s available what’s stopping you? Get up from your keyboard and, as the old saying goes, just do it.
And then, what? Do it again the next day? And the next week and the week after that? Whether or not I have symptoms or believe I had close contact with someone positive?
(THAT is exactly what is stopping me.)
Yes, absolutely, IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OR CONTACT.
I’ve been tested a lot because it was required to visit my mom in her retirement residence*. They removed that requirement for a few months, but now it’s back.
The difference is that now we have access to the rapid antigen test kits, so I can do a test at home the day I plan to visit.
If you can get some RATs, I’d say test on the 24th just before you leave the house. The tests aren’t perfect, but generally speaking, if your viral load is low enough not to be detected, it’s low enough not to be contagious. It takes at least a couple of days to become contagious, so a negative test on the 24th should cover the 25th as well.
Follow the same plan on the 9th, unless major symptoms prompt an earlier test.
This is pretty much my plan for the next few weeks.
*I also did one test because I thought I might actually have COVID, but it turned out to be a completely different lung problem causing massive shortness of breath.
Last night I coughed for a couple of minutes, it went away immediately with a cough drop (which I buy in bulk and ALWAYS have on hand). This morning my nose was running (not at all uncommon for me), went away with a decongestant. Took my temp - absolutely normal. Feel absolutely fine since. So is that “any symptoms”?
This is a good plan and I think there is solid logic behind it, FWIW, OP. ETA: Again, the caveat is to check to see availability, as a lot of folks might be trying this. So, call your rapid testing place and make sure they aren’t overbooked and can get you in.
Yes, those are listed symptoms.
Yeah - thanks. I asked my wife if she wanted us to do that. Last time we discussed, she was disinclined in the absence of some significant symptoms or known exposure. Continues to be a work in progress.
Alternatively, try to get some test kits for home use. Probably too late to buy them online, but there may be some available locally. I managed to get 10 kits last week, so I’m covered at least until the end of January.
Yeah, that’s true…not sure how available those are where the OP is. I know they are hard to get in my area right now. But that’s something else the OP can check out if the rapid testing places are all filled up.
Thx all. Your comments have been helpful.
Early on I got tested when my daughter was possibly exposed.
I bought a bunch of home tests when they became available because. My mother is elderly and sick and I don’t want to kill her. Exposure is always possible at work.
Recently my girlfriend was exposed and isolated herself as much as possible in our house as she got sick. I took the rapid test a few times with negative results and then it was positive. I had already taken a PCR test the night before. The positive test was confirmed. At the time I had symptoms of a very minor cold. It got worse.
I’m in Scotland. Regular self-testing with free Lateral Flow Devices is absolutely the norm here.
You can pick up the tests in boxes of seven at pharmacies and libraries, or you can order them online and they come in the mail the next day.
I test twice a week, and immediately before going to a gathering or event.
Regular lateral flow testing is also how I discovered that I had COVID before the symptoms really kicked in.
My situation is very similar to Dinsdale’s. Mom has pressured me into visiting the family next week. I’m fully vaxed, boosted so I’m not worried about myself, but mom is old, brother has cancer and step father is old, asthmatic, diabetic and just started treatment for lung cancer. If he gets covid on top of all that he is dead.
Just yesterday started feeling a mild sore throat. Mild enough in a normal year I wouldn’t pay it any mind. But I don’t want to take covid to the family. So just signed up for the test, planning on going before work tomorrow (working from home, so easy not to meet anybody between the test and the trip).
No shopping or anything else between test and trip, if the test comes up positive, I don’t go.
This will be my second test, first was when had contact with somebody who tested positive two days later. That one was negative (and about 9 months ago now).