Covid-19 lockdown check-in

[Jacob]

The trouble with being flexible is going into the office has zero advantage if everyone else isn't there too.

Not true.

Advantages include:

- More social contact than you'd get at home.
- A reason to leave your home, if you need one.
- (Potentially) more space and better infrastructure than what you have in your home.
- The ability to arrange in-person meetings with other folks who are amenable.

That's curious. I'd heard Switzerland was really not big on wfh. Most people I know there have had to keep going into the office.

Though the potential if it becomes the norm...swiss salaries without having to live in Switzerland on the surface.... Or companies just avoiding paying Swiss salaries.

We're seeing a bit of that, with some folks getting recruited at Silicon Valley salaries without having to move to Silicon Valley.

[Jacob]

ah, I'm in some kind of soft-lockdown now.

I'm considered a moderate risk of transmission due to covid exposure.

I went to deliver meds to a sick friend (covid-negative), stayed for supper, then received a call yesterday evening that her daughter had tested positive for covid.

I can still go out of the house but must avoid any close contact and wear a mask at all time for 5 days.

Good luck

[Gaijin de Moscu]

ah, I'm in some kind of soft-lockdown now.

I'm considered a moderate risk of transmission due to covid exposure.

I went to deliver meds to a sick friend (covid-negative), stayed for supper, then received a call yesterday evening that her daughter had tested positive for covid.

I can still go out of the house but must avoid any close contact and wear a mask at all time for 5 days.

Oh, best wishes not to get sick

[Iormlund]

Being a manufacturing plant, there's a very low percentage of the employees working from home. Corporate rules are still to WFH when possible, maybe because the higher ups are in the US and the situation there has been quite bad for months (our hospitals OTOH have just peaked with about 60% of total ICU beds still available).

Current perception is that the pandemic is almost over. We've basically shrugged our collective shoulders and the only measure still in place is wearing a mask (but nobody gets fired for doing so it incorrectly). Those who live with someone confirmed positive have to come to work regardless.
Over 25% of the office has tested positive in the last month. Realistically the infection rate is probably closer to 50-70%, since our health system hasn't actively tested anyone for a month (all positives are from home kits).

[mongers]

I must be in a small minority, I've not taken any corona-virus tests, pcr or rapid. 

[Gaijin de Moscu]

I must be in a small minority, I've not taken any corona-virus tests, pcr or rapid. 

I'm right there with you in this minority — never had a single Covid test.

Never had any symptoms either...

[mongers]

I must be in a small minority, I've not taken any corona-virus tests, pcr or rapid. 

I'm right there with you in this minority — never had a single Covid test.

Never had any symptoms either...

Odd isn't.

Though given how much public transport, trains and buses I've had to use in the last 3 months, I must have been exposed to a lot of omicron and very likely had it without noticing.

[Syt]

Don't know how many tests I've had at this point. Needed some for traveling (to Switzerland), plus my workplace requires a recent test result on those days we want to come to the office. And when meeting friends we all get tested. Vienna has a very good infrastructure at this point, so I can decide to get a (free) PCR test on short notice, though results still take up to 24 hours (and are considered valid 48 hours after testing). The anti-gene nose swabs are obviously much faster, but it's recommended to get PCR tested if you're fully vaccinated/boostered as the viral load might be too low for detection (not sure if this is still the case for, say, Omicron)l. I also had a medic come to my home twice when I had Covid-similar symptoms, but they were negative each time.

[Duque de Bragança]

I must be in a small minority, I've not taken any corona-virus tests, pcr or rapid. 

I'm right there with you in this minority — never had a single Covid test.

Never had any symptoms either...

Odd isn't.

Though given how much public transport, trains and buses I've had to use in the last 3 months, I must have been exposed to a lot of omicron and very likely had it without noticing.

Same here. I try to use not so busy public transport lines though.
Only had regular cold symptoms at times but nothing really COVID-specific.

[Admiral Yi]

Has anyone else had a dry cough this winter?  I started coughing at the beginning of the year (it's finally gone) and I've noticed a lot of people I encounter have a cough too.

[Sheilbh]

Don't know how many tests I've had at this point. Needed some for traveling (to Switzerland), plus my workplace requires a recent test result on those days we want to come to the office. And when meeting friends we all get tested. Vienna has a very good infrastructure at this point, so I can decide to get a (free) PCR test on short notice, though results still take up to 24 hours (and are considered valid 48 hours after testing). The anti-gene nose swabs are obviously much faster, but it's recommended to get PCR tested if you're fully vaccinated/boostered as the viral load might be too low for detection (not sure if this is still the case for, say, Omicron)l. I also had a medic come to my home twice when I had Covid-similar symptoms, but they were negative each time.

From my friend in the NHS if you've been vaccinated and you get omicron the viral load is often so low it can be difficult for the antigen tests to pick up - it still picks up most but if you've any symptoms it's apparently worth getting a PCR.


I can't even think how many boxes of lateral flow tests I've gone through - although it goes up and down depending on how sociable I'm being/how often I go into the office because I normally get them when I'm going to be mixing with people physically.

[Tamas]

I have done several tests due to travelling, all negative, but only two made in Hungary were performed by somebody else, so what do I know if I did them right?

The closest I  have felt having it was a few days after my November flight back to England. I had a slight temperature for over a week and in general didn't feel too well although wasn't any dramatic either. But even when I went to test centre for a PCR test I was shown into one of the rooms to do it myself. Thank you very much.

[Josquius]

I did my first self test over Xmas in Switzerland at the request of a relative of my gf organising a party where everyone has to test. Otherwise only had to do them a few times when travelling.
Glad I don't have to do many myself. It makes me feel guilty to see so much plastic waste.

I'm still pretty sure I had covid just before it became a big deal in the west. And been a bit shitty feeling that might have been a moderate version once or twice over the lockdown. But testing myself was never considered.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Ugh, I got COVID, probably from the office but maybe elsewhere. I had a fever Tuesday but my home test was negative, then I tested again today and it's positive.

I didn't catch it at all when my son had it in Feb, but I guess either my booster immunity has worn off enough or it's a different strand.

Now I'm isolating in the basement like a cave creature. On the plus side, I may finally be able to mess around with some of my neglected computer hobbies.

[celedhring]

Started feeling like shit yesterday; sore throat, runny nose, dizziness and general malaise. But I've done two lateral flows, yesterday and today, and they both came out negative.

It's really weird to catch a nasty cold this time of the year, but gonna trust the Chinese manufacturers of these tests...