Paranoia (194/365)

[white_hart]

Recently I've noticed that whenever I do anything involving going out and seeing people, I spend the next couple of days worrying that I'm developing COVID symptoms and will end up at best sending them into self-isolation and at worst passing on the virus. I have therefore spent a lot of the last couple of days reminding myself that my hayfever symptoms are exactly the same as they always are, and that my entirely not-sore throat really isn't secretly a sore throat that I just haven't recognised as one.

Happily, it's now two days since I saw people and I can now recognise that I'm feeling absolutely fine.

(I did do a lateral flow test last night, because I always do one on a Monday before going in to the office on Tuesdays, and it was negative.)

Comments

[fencesitting]

I get this, only x2. B was home today with a sore throat and is OK now, but she also just gets sore throats, she's had FIVE since mid-December. (Apparently A (dad) was the same as a kid. I call it grumbly tonsils.)

[white_hart]

I find it really difficult when all the messaging is "Delta variant symptoms can be like hayfever or a cold!". Should I be getting a PCR test at every sneeze?

[fencesitting]

Yep. And B is notoriously difficult to test (there have been many tears when we had to), so unless she has sore throat AND headache/tiredness/runny nose/etc OR cough/fever/loss of smell and taste she's not having one. (She will probably have a LFT in the morning before she goes back, but nose only because that fight ain't worth it.)

Another one of the Year 5 classes had to isolate from a contact on Friday so I'm hyper aware ATM.

[naraht]

I worry too! If you feel like indulging your paranoia, they're now doing non-symptomatic surge testing here for all ages: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/coronavirus-covid-19/prevention-and-testing/symptom-free-testing

I'm planning to go tomorrow, personally.

[white_hart]

Oh, I didn't realise they'd expanded it to all ages. I'm working in town a few days a week so I should probably drop in and get tested sometime.

[naraht]

Yeah they just announced it today, I think.

Might as well, that's my theory. Last weekend I had an outdoor pub lunch with two friends and then a garden party (max 30) that was mostly older, double vaxxed people. By my standards that's wild and crazy stuff, so it's better to be certain!

[white_hart]

Well, I stopped off at the Walton Street one on my way home today, so let's see what comes back. C has also decided to postpone her first day back in the office for a couple of weeks, so I don't have to worry about what if I infect her? (She's double jabbed, but there are some concerns that people who were immunosuppressed when vaccinated may not have developed as many antibodies as those with fully functioning immune systems, and none of us want to take any risks.)

[jinty]

I have been keeping a close eye on the immunosuppressant immunity for my own reasons. Currently it is looking much more positive than has been feared, ie once double-jabbed the immune response for us seems to be not far off the ordinary immune response, but caution is probably still advisable I should think.

[jinty]

This link refers to recent Public Health England findings: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/astrazeneca-public-health-england-pfizer-government-hiv-b945024.html

[white_hart]

That's very positive news, but as you say, it's definitely better to err on the side of caution!

[joyeuce]

I got this last year, when J first went back to school halfway through the summer term and I started seeing actual people again. After several months I think it all got too much for my brain and I am more fatalistic about it now - if that's the right word. I don't mean I don't care about people's health, just that I feel if I stick to mask-wearing and distancing, and don't ignore symptoms if I get them, I have done what I can. Though a close friend's husband has just got Covid - hopefully mildly, as he's had both vaccinations - which is making it feel uncomfortably near again.

[white_hart]

Mostly I recognise that I can only do so much, but every time I see new people it sets it off again.

[cmcmck]

They've really succeeded in terrifying us, haven't they?

Hugs

[tree_and_leaf]

I *do* get sore throats with hay fever, and it's made me incredibly jumpy. I'm pleased to be out of self-isolation (contact related) now, but I'm feeling nervous about seeing people this afternoon...

[white_hart]

I have occasionally had sore throats with hayfever in the past though fortunately not this year!

[alithea]

I hear you. My hayfever is really bad this week and I also get sore throats with it :( I shall be testing again tomorrow morning as I'm meeting my new swimming buddy tomorrow and she's asthmatic and hasn't been able to have a vaccine for some reason she hasn't shared as yet, although we won't be in the same car this time so I don't need to worry quite so much.

[white_hart]

I've been doing LFD tests weekly and stopped by one of the surge testing sites on the way home today to do a PCR.

Enjoy the swimming!

[sfred]

*sympathy*!