Christmas with the vaccine refusers??

I wonder how many who refuse vaccinations have come across someone who has had smallpox, a highly infectious, deadly and horribly disfiguring disease. And I wonder if they have any idea why they haven't.

The answer is, of course vaccination.

grandtanteJE6, ECV, means Extremely, clinically vulnerable and at the highest risk of death from Covid. He should have been sheilding during the pandemic. So after making that sacrifice, it would be a terrible thing to catch Covid now.
The OP has a very good reason for worrying.

It’s your choice Daisymae who you have in your house. My 19year old granddaughter recently came to live with me and it was on the understanding she got double jabbed. She did get vaccinated but protested, I think it was fear of needles mostly. But I’m enjoying my little house mate, for all I see of her!! ?

I think by them having a negative test is the only way that will feel comfortable about them being in your company. Let's hope they are happy to do so.

I’m CEV and basically unless you’ve been vaccinated you don’t get over my doorstep. I realise it’s a lottery when you’re out and about but I take steps to protect myself - keep my distance, still wear a mask and use hand sanitiser etc. Those who refuse the vaccine are relying on those who have to keep them safe.

Pippins6133

Can we be sure that LFTs and PCR tests are reliable?

My husband contracted Covid in hospital - on admission he tested positive on a LFT, having strictly shielded for 12 months because he’s CEV. Instead of placing him in isolation they put him straight in a side ward with people who had Covid. They did two PCR tests a couple of days apart and both were negative but by then it was too late and he came home with Covid and passed it on to me - we were both really ill for weeks. The exact same thing happened to one of our neighbours, but unfortunately her husband passed away as a result. In both cases, the results of the PCR tests were not notified by the hospital - the results came through via the NHS app. I’ve used LFTs several times and have come up positive on one occasion earlier this year - a PCR test proved negative. So no, I’m not convinced LFTs are reliable.

I agree, you should stick to your principles and support your DH. People consciously choosing not to be vaccinated need to accept the consequences of their decisions.

We should respect each other’s choices. My choice would be to only have fully vaccinated, lateral flow test negative people in my house for Christmas. My house, my choice.

That’s not good Pammie1 have you lodged a complaint to the hospital about this? They should review their processes as a result of your experience.

If the vaccine is so wonderful, why worry if some people haven’t had it. Surely it’s personal choice
You can still catch it vaccinated or un vaccinated

Wearing face masks is not the answer!!!! Stop testing if you have no symptoms that's the answer!!!
People are becoming neurotic with every sniffle, head ache, sore throat, and test themselves straight away instead of just getting on with life, it's just a cold!!!! Whatever happened to Common sense!!!

It's your health. Your house. Your rules. It doesn't matter if anyone thinks you're being OTT. Will they think that at your funeral if they infected you?? Too late! Pesonally I wouldn't have them in the house without a mask, and no staying to lunch because they'd have to take their masks off. I still insist that anyone I don't know that comes into my house has to wear a mask. And those I do know who haven't vaccinated are not allowed in. I haven't struggled with lockdown, protected my disabled husband and lived a quiet life for 18 months for someone who should know better to infect me! As a compromise you could ask them to have tests two days before they come. Don't take the risk. If they cannot respect your concerns then don't take the risk for their harebrained reluctance.

Alegrian - a lab in England has recently passed 43000 positive PCR test as negative. I would think that there's some lack of confidence in testing at the moment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/public-urged-to-retake-covid-tests-after-false-negatives-in-berkshire

Yes, I read about that Daisymae, 43,000 out of the 313 million tests that have been done, so 0.01% were wrong. Clearly its awful for the people affected, but it hasn't shaken my trust in the tests.

My son and daughter in law are fully vaccinated but nevertheless always test before visiting us. We haven’t asked them to, they do it as a courtesy and because they would be appalled if they passed covid on to us.

Pedwards

That’s not good Pammie1 have you lodged a complaint to the hospital about this? They should review their processes as a result of your experience.

We reported it via the PALS service, who advised that it WAS protocol was to place in isolation after positive LFT, until the result was confirmed by PCR. However, the hospital were very vague in response, kind of excusing it by saying there wasn’t always the facility to isolate.

What really annoyed me though, was that despite being in hospital for three days - plenty of time to notify him of at least one of the negative PCR tests, we only found out that they were negative after he got home - when he got round to checking email on his phone. My neighbour has consulted a solicitor about her husband’s death and investigations are ongoing.

A few weeks afterwards, while we were recovering from Covid, I happened to watch Question Time and a representative from the NHS was implying that people weren’t taking enough precautions and were overwhelming the NHS as a result. If I’d had a brick handy it would have been through the TV !!

i have never asked any of my family their vaccination position, that is their private business and none of mine. The fact that people have made this divide amongst society just adds to the anxiety of feelings around times like Christmas, weddings etc. If there was ever a way to divide a family cause friction then that is it.

In your position OP, especially because of your husband’s vulnerability, I would want to avoid visitors altogether, especially those who haven’t been vaccinated.

Grammaretto
It might not be 100% affective at stopping you catching it but it is definitely a lot better at keeping you from being hospitalised or dying.

Daisymae

Alegrian - a lab in England has recently passed 43000 positive PCR test as negative. I would think that there's some lack of confidence in testing at the moment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/public-urged-to-retake-covid-tests-after-false-negatives-in-berkshire

It's not just Berkshire, Daisymae, it is the south-west, the west and part of Wales too.
Obviously, having had a negative result, anyone who didn't have much in the way of symptoms then carried on going out and about, to work and to school, unwittingly passing the virus on to others.

It's not awful just for those affected, all their contacts may now have been infected too.
Luckily, for other reasons, we have not seen the member of our family who was reported by that lab as negative for Covid but it may well have been passed on to others in an ever-widening circle.

That may well explain the increase in cases in Wales and the south-west as people were reassured by these negative tests.

Daisymae

Alegrian - a lab in England has recently passed 43000 positive PCR test as negative. I would think that there's some lack of confidence in testing at the moment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/public-urged-to-retake-covid-tests-after-false-negatives-in-berkshire

It's too late and there is no point in re-testing as the virus may have left the system by then but in the meantime been passed on to others.

Is it worth the risk?
It’s pretty straightforward.
How would you feel if your husband or yourself became seriously ill?
Tests for everyone needed?
I’m fed up with “I’ll wait and see” brigade. What they’re saying is, “I couldn’t give a fig if I infect you as long as I’m OK”
As long as these pathetic individuals are around, the virus will continue to mutate.

Pippins6133

Can we be sure that LFTs and PCR tests are reliable?

Let's hope, after the recent debacle, that testing will improve.

A PCR testing laboratory set up hastily on a shoestring, awarded a government contract for over £100m, with no proper controls in place, was a recipe for yet another disaster.

I have been saying for weeks that there could be something wrong with the testing system. I've known people who are positive, people in the same household with symptoms yet test negative. Although of course it's possible it does seem more unlikely given what we know about transmissibility. I'm really fed up with it, I just wish it would go away!

I have had both vaccines but I actually don't see any evidence that the vaccine is helping reducing the rate of Covid. The rates are actually increasing - despite the fact that the majority of adults have had the jab. So for me it would not be a problem that non-vaccinated people are coming to visit . It is probably the slobbering and kissing that is the issue - just don't do that . Ask them to do a test before visiting if you want .