WWTPD-Covid Get-together Etiquette

Unless Lisa or her family have some sort of high risk factor health condition I’d personally find her as being over the top. That said, if I wanted to maintain the friendship I’d do the damn test. It’s a small price to pay for a good friend and a night out.

Ridiculous and those rapid tests are designed to test symptomatic individuals and we’ve seen false positives. She’d be getting a false sense of security and risk a lot of anxiety over a false positive.

I'm also on the cautious side - and I'd have no problem at all taking a test in my own home if it made someone else feel more comfortable.
In fact I'd see it as an opportunity to help Lisa start to overcome her fears and getting out a little more...and also her kids.

Clearly her reaction has been a little more extreme than most which makes me think that perhaps there there is more going on than just normal 'caution'.
It sounds positive that she is willing to take a tentative step, and as my friend I'd do my best to support her...because quite frankly I have a lot more time for people like her than the anti-vaxers or other fools who just do whatever they want and keep spreading this around.

I don't think Lisa has the right to dictate that the host and the host's guest take a covid test. That's great that she has been so cautious but it is not fair to thrust that expectation of caution on the rest of you. Lisa should send her regrets to this event if she is not comfortable attending.

She doesn’t have the right to require that in someone else’s home. If she’s that nervous about it she can stay home. Sorry but that’s how I feel. Those quick tests are absolutely not accurate.

It seems unnecessary. But I guess that I would bite my tongue-hard-and do it.

This is exactly how I feel. And, it depends on how it was asked/presented. Was she truly asking if everyone would be comfortable doing it, no pressure or guilt? Just a “hey, this would make me feel more comfortable, would you guys mind?” To me, not a thing wrong with that. Now if it was presented as ‘do it or I won’t come’ that’s different. If she expected it, was rude or demanding, that’s different. 

But it’s something so simple I can do to make a friend feel more comfortable. Even if I thought it was over the top (as high risk, I don’t personally and since y’all have unvaxxed kids at home I don’t think it’s over the top) I’d do it for them. I mean, I’d give my good friends a kidney, I’m not going to bat an eye at this simple request. As a matter of fact, I probably would have already approached her, told her I was excited she was coming, and asked if there was anything I could do to make her more comfortable.

Also, you say rates are declining, but from where? Declining can still be high. And if y’all have school aged children, that’s a lot of potential exposure.

I waited longer than most of our friends to get vaccinated and was vocal enough (not overly) that people should not feel pressured to get vaccinated if they don’t feel ready and that people maybe should ease up on the vaccine rhetoric.

However, during the time I was eligible to get vaccinated but waited to do so, other than IVF fertility clinic appointments, I never left our house. And I was regularly tested for covid by our IVF fertility clinic during cycles. So I was very intentional about controlling my own circumstances.

Shortly after being vaccinated, I was invited to a few different friend gatherings. One gathering required we show the host our vaccine card. Sorry but no. I declined all gatherings due to my IVF treatment but felt very strongly about declining any event that required me to show proof of vaccine. Those aren’t friends…

At the end of the day, people must do what’s best for them.

I still rarely leave the house (not out of fear so much as I don’t want to cause unintentional spread). If I see a friend, I wait at least one full week until I see another friend. I live in a state that I feel is overly cautious and an area with high vaccination rate but I’m still living life in exclusion. And I often think or believe we are being overly cautious in general! So yeah…

It really comes down to what each person is comfortable with.

The reason I don’t see vaccinated friends often? I worry they are not as careful, selective or mindful because they are vaccinated. I know some are mingling with lots of people professionally and personally. That concerns me.

My unvaccinated friends seem to be more aware and thoughtful of their interactions with others.

But to ask friends to test? Nah. I couldn’t do that. It’s why I choose to pass on seeing people or doing anything for the most part.

I would happily take a Covid test if it made one of my friends feel more comfortable.

Taking a rapid test before meeting with friends is pretty common here. We were invited to a friend house for an 'at home' Oktoberfest gathering last week (as the real thing didn't happen again), and over half of the guests had tested before coming, even though we were all vaxed. One told us he had a PCR test, as he also had a family wedding the next day, and everyone going had agreed to test beforehand. I'd be happy to test if asked, if it made a friend feel for comfortable meeting up with me. Better that than not seeing them.

I'd have no problem with that. I know the tests aren't as accurate, but if it makes her comfortable I'd do it. So long as she was nice about asking I'd definitely accommodate her.

Why not? (Seriously, asking.)

Lisa’s participation is conditional on your (plural) choice. It has nothing to do with demanding or requiring. Very few people know they’re not Covid positive. If this test makes nervous Lisa more comfortable, then she’ll choose to come. If that’s unacceptable to you all, she stays home. Pretty straightforward.

I understand what Lisa thinks she will gain/lose by your choice, but I’m just not sure what any of you think you will lose by agreeing, or gain/salvage by declining; hence, the “Why not?” 

People are using words like demand, require, insist. This looks to me more like a request. She requested that people take a test. If I wanted her at the get together, I would honor that request.