So do you test for Influenza?
@Tucks we have better tests for COVID than flu. If there were tests for flu, you’d expect people to do so if there was a known flu outbreak and they were going to be in close proximity to elderly/vulnerable relatives. Also, some people like
@Asiapinball got really sick from COVID.
That said, I also partly agree with you. I don’t own a car and live in inner London. If I tested every time I was in a crowded space where someone might have COVID, but where I had no symptoms, I’d be single-handedly keeping test manufacturers in business.
Also, the idea of testing when symptomatic suggests you have distinct symptoms worse than usual. Before my endometriosis operation, I was immune ‘flaring’ on average once a fortnight. Same symptoms regardless of what the underlying virus was. I’ve had non-COVID flares dramatically worse than my COVID one. As a result, unfortunately, I can’t self-isolate with a headache/fever/joint pain/insomnia as I’d never leave the house. I spent about two years maniacally taking paracetamol before going anywhere to avoid my recurrent fevers showing up on temperature checks, and then masking to protect people from the germs I might have.
Every cloud has a silver lining. All 4 times I’ve tested positive for covid one of the side effects is insomnia so I played pinball last night 2-4am. A lack of sleep is catching up with me now though after 2 nights and a grand total of 5 hours kip
If you ‘flare’ with severe insomnia once a fortnight and spend the next week exhausted, that particular quirk of the immune system starts getting sucky VERY fast (speaking from experience here). No s**t, I’ve hallucinated due to lack of sleep during long flares (before I got a repeat Naproxen prescription). Also, there’s a level of pain/fever where it would be helpful to be able to sleep rather than be curled up in a ball weeping on your bedroom floor at 3am.
Short version: people’s experience of COVID and their immune systems may vary, so don’t judge