‘My friend refuses to get on flight with me after I got Covid and says I need to isolate’ | Travel News | Travel

Covid has reared its ugly head once more, throwing a spanner in the works for countless individuals. Despite the legal requirement to self-isolate being scrapped, many are still feeling under the weather.

Imagine catching Covid while on a holiday? That’s exactly the dilemma one woman faced, and it caused quite the stir with her friend as they were set to return home together.

The Covid-stricken holidaymaker was eager to return home, but her friend attempted to lay on the guilt, suggesting she should hole up in a hotel to “self-isolate” until she could produce a “got a negative test”. Complicating matters further, she had been vacationing with friends for a fortnight and was scheduled to go back imminently.

She shared her ordeal: “I started feeling a bit unwell last night and this evening tested positive for Covid. I wouldn’t normally test, but one of my companions is still very nervous about catching Covid and insisted I tested. I am now self-isolating in my room at her insistence.”

In a Mumsnet post, she detailed their plans to travel back by a “busy” ferry while she was still contagious, followed by a pre-booked train journey home.

“My Covid-nervous friend is appalled that I intend to travel and thinks I should find a hotel room somewhere and self-isolate until I get a negative result”, she wrote. However, she pointed out that she needed to return to work and couldn’t afford the additional expense.

The woman lamented: “Even if I was able to find a hotel with a vacant room, I would struggle to afford it and may have to pay again for the ferry and train”, acknowledging her employer would “not be impressed” if she informed them she was “still away”.

To conclude her statement, she stated: “I haven’t had Covid since 2021 and I thought people weren’t testing or self-isolating any more. I feel a bit under the weather, but not too ill to function normally. So am I being unreasonable to travel on Friday, or is my friend right to be appalled?”.

Commenters appeared to side with the woman, with many arguing her friend was being unreasonable. One commenter asserted: “Ask her if she’ll be covering the cost of your extended stay and the lost income from not being back in work. If the answer is no she can keep her beak out.”

A second, visibly irritated, voiced: “For f***s sake, your friend is being ridiculous. I would not be self-isolating and screwing myself over for someone else. If she wants to avoid Covid she can self-isolate herself, probably forever!”.

Another opinion said: “Covid is rife again, your friend is being ridiculous. Get a mask and carry on as normal. If others are worried about Covid they can self-isolate.”

Meanwhile, one Mumsnet user wished the woman would “wear a mask, sit in a quiet corner away from other people, try to keep your distance on your journey home and then stay home until you felt better”, explaining that her husband is immunosuppressed, and they still go for tests regularly.