How infectious am I??

It depends where you live. If you can get out into open space under your own steam then it is very unlikely you will be a risk to others.
If you have to exit a flat I would wear a PPF2 close fitting mask whilst leaving and entering your building.

It depends on your viral load- you would only find out when the people you have infected tell you! The whole world has been stir crazy

Dh and i tested posititve for covid and didn`t step foot out of the house for 14 days,to be honest for the first 8 i could barely walk anyway.
But i think its best to be safe than sorry for all.
We have both had a negative test but we are still being very carefull,we did one shop yesterday and that will do for the next week.

Franbern go out to the park and keep your distance. You will recover with decent air in your lungs and a better frame of mind.

I would not like to be responsible for passing covid to anyone. It was, very likely, an irresponsible person who gave it to you. If me, I would stay home until I had a negative test.

As I’m my husbands 24/7 carer ….when I had Covid twice , I’ve had no option than to go out and about…. when I couldn’t get help! Otherwise I just went to local park and tried to stay clear of everybody. To be honest … I was and still am in close proximity to my frail / ill husband , and hes never caught it.
I think maybe it’s running out of steam!

A bit baffled, after all this time, as to why people still think that having vaccines and catching covid are connected in any way.
No number of vaccines will prevent you from catching COVID.
You can catch Covid numerous times.
The vaccines may help with the actual severity of the illness and may prevent you from being ill enough to need hospitalisation.
If you’re still testing positive you can still pass the virus on, as you’ll be still shedding it. You’d need to wear a well fitting mask, sanitisers, and distancing wherever possible if coming near to people in an indoor setting. Better to stay at home.
Going outside into an airy, open place is different, especially if you don’t come into close contact with anyone. In this scenario, you need to use your own judgement.
Our local hospital is now at capacity for Covid patients, so some vulnerable people are still becoming very ill.

Theoddbird

I would not like to be responsible for passing covid to anyone. It was, very likely, an irresponsible person who gave it to you. If me, I would stay home until I had a negative test.

A person is most infectious before they start showing symptoms.

It is grossly unfair to say covid infection is due to "irresponsible" people.

We don't know how infectious you are. How would we know?

You are at your most infectious before you even show symptoms and it diminishes after that. NHS reckon you are safe to go out 5 days after testing positive.

Yes, get out and about, but keep your distance - hope you are soon negative!

For goodness sake Gransnet. Get a grip. You all know very well that fresh air is the greatest cure, physically and mentally.

There are NO stipulations now for what to do, so why are you still creating stipulations for yourselves.

When will you stop stop stop living in fear of something that will only affect the very vulnerable? You have a bad cold.

Previously, would you have announced this 'cold' on a website, would you stay in, would you fear for your life, and other peoples?

Many of you will have had so many vaccines, yet you still don't 'get' that the vaccines are ineffective. Some of you will end up taking 5.

5 Vaccines, that were created in the blink of an eye, surely you must wonder why you've needed 4/5 of them.
You may argue 'yes, but I'd have had it so much worse without the vaccine'. How do you know, how can you possibly tell, there is no 'worseness' chart to compare. What defines, worse, versus, not so worse. The number of sneezes you've done compared to your unvaxxed neighbour.

Where has your common sense gone in all this.

Stop fearmongering. Live your life. I'm presuming that as it's 'Gransnet' none of us are getting any younger. Go out, treat others respectfully, but don't hide away in isolation with your cold that you've had all those vaccines against.

No naughtynanny Covid isn't like having a cold. However, I do agree that some people complain about restrictions when none exist.

PS. Where's your evidence that vaccines are ineffective?

All the evidence suggests that vaccines have been very effective in minimising the effects of Covid.

PPS. The Covid vaccines weren't produced "in the blink of an eye". The research behind the vaccines had been going on for years.

The evidence that vaccines are effective is at population level and in scientific testing. I agree that nobody knows if they would have been worse affected without a vaccine, but cumulative data suggests that people who have been vaccinated are generally not so badly affected.

Naughtynanny writes: When will you stop stop stop living in fear of something that will only affect the very vulnerable? You have a bad cold.

I've just had Covid. I couldn't get out of bed for 2 days and I had a chest infection. No sneezing. Worst sore throat I've ever had. I ended up on the floor at one point and couldn't lift myself up. (Decided to just stay there for a while!) Normally I can do press ups and I'm reasonably fit.

87 year old dad has had one more booster than me and also had Covid. He had the sniffles.

When people say its just a bad cold they really don't know what they are talking about. Its insulting to try to minimise it that way.

I wouldn't be frightened of it again, and I agree that we have to live our lives, but berating people for worrying about a virus that makes you ill is not very nice, Naughtynanny. Have some common sense.

Agree with you Volver. No one knows how badly people will be affected and to me it is simply good manners to avoid passing it on and to isolate whilst you have it. I got it on an island in the middle of nowhere and they wouldn’t let me fly home for at least 7 days and you had to get a certificate from the hospital to say you were negative. That was in April this year. It was awful but I really wouldn’t have wanted to give it to anyone else on the plane anyway. Some people die because of it and this is always on my mind. Imagine being responsible for passing it to them.

As far I am aware the incubation period for covid is 5 days...I'd put on my mask and go a walk if you feel up to it... Just avoid contact with others...My friends hubby just tested positive on Friday and has been told he can go into work on Monday....Hes a painter with local council...

I think it is fair to keep in mind that people, albeit far fewer than when infections were running wild, are still dying from Covid. Although vaccinated, it is not certain how much protection people with suppressed immunity gain from vaccinations. And now Monkey Pox is on the horizon…..

No has one been in our home since the first outbreak. We take no chances.
Neither of us have had the virus.
We go out but test if we need to. For fresh air, that’s what windows are for. We’re fortunate and have a garden and use it. It’s been a very long couple of years being isolated but we’re not ill (thus far)
Just because we’re told we can go out, doesn’t mean we have to. This ‘go out’ guidance has been given by a government that’s lost its leader. Trust yourself.

Naughtynanny there is such a thing as Long Covid too

FannyCornforth

Please stay in.
There are people who are extremely vulnerable who feel like they have to lock themselves up (for far longer than that) for fear of coming across infectious folk.

This is so, FannyCornforth. My partner and I almost never visit shops (thank heavens for online shopping). It is pertinent to consider that when one goes to a hospital, surgery, dentist, chemist they insist on visitors wearing masks and wear them themselves. They wouldn’t do that if the risk was negligible.

Coco, gosh, that was a posting coincidence!

We had two of our grandchildren for a sleepover a couple of weeks ago, Saturday evening they felt fine but on Sunday the eldest didn’t feel well, her mother bought a test with her when she picked them up and it was a very definite positive. We isolated for a week but neither of us caught it. So luck or four vaccinations, who knows? I felt we shouldn’t be out and about and possibly infect a vulnerable person. Her brother also caught it a couple of days later. All ok now thankfully..