There have been questions about what’s appropriate when having a social gathering, like a wedding or birthday party, while we have Covid. Is it appropriate to require testing, proof of vaccination, etc.
Recently I felt pressured in going to a friend’s kid graduation party at a small indoor bar with many people I didn’t know. I was fully boosted, so I decided to take a chance. The host didn’t ask guests to be tested or vaccinated for the party. Of course I was infected few days after the gathering. Another friend of mine also started showing symptoms the same day I did. Both of us I informed the host that we were tested positive. The only response we received from the host was she was negative. Since then she had not contacted us to see how we were doing. I also thought she would have emailed her guests to let them kniw some people tested positive after the party.
I am wondering what you would have done if you were the host.
We went to a wedding and were notified by the couple after 1 guest of the 100 people at outdoor wedding & reception tested positive. D later learned it was friend of bride’s mom; none of us interacted with or were near this person. As far as we know no others tested positive.
Another party we attended was indoors lunch for about 110 people and no notification of anyone getting I’ll and we have remained healthy > 10 days later.
I think it’s best practice to let guests know if there are any protocols host wants — full VAX and boost 1 vs 2x and masks/no masks. I think it’s also polite to notify anyone who attended if anyone rests poditive so the other attendees can test, particularly if they develop any symptoms.
I think that unfortunately we are at the point where everyone is at it on their own. I still assume that everyone is positive and going about their normal lives. We wear masks in closed areas unless eating and drinking and avoid anyone who seems sick. Both of my kids follow these rules and have gotten sick in the last month from times they could not wear their masks (and S24 has been quite ill). Immunization history doesnt really mean anything at this point for preventing others from getting ill but I do think that it is polite to let people know if you have gotten sick and encourage others to test if they have been exposed.
I think at this point in pandemic the vaccination status of people in attendance is irrelevant since unvaccinated had Covid at least once and vaccinated and boosted are not protected from getting and spreading infection. You can only control yourself so as vaccinated and one time boosted person I would just enjoy event and hope for the best. I would call and check on someone who was not feeling well Covid or anything else.
I know 9 people who have tested positive since last weekend. I think the hostess should alert all her guests and check in on anyone who tested positive.
I’m sorry you contracted the virus and hope you recover quickly.
I hope you recover quickly and that it’s mild!
I think it’s perfectly OK to require proof of vaccination or texting when hosting an event.
That said, if it’s not required, it’s up to the attendees to determine their own risk tolerance.
I’m going to a family graduation party next week. It’s in a private room, attendees are all fully vaxxed, and staffed are going to be masked, but we still know we will still be taking a risk.
I only socialize with people that I know that are vaccinated in an indoor situated /small space. But yes, I have been indoors to eateries but we go when the crowd is minimal with masks on and the servers have to be masked.
The host has an obligation to the guest to notify of the positive. People just seem not to have respect anymore.
We are hosting some friends for dinner on our backyard. It’s our core group. If we go inside I am comfortable to know everyone is double boosted. If someone is not feeling well they just will not come. We respect each other and want everyone to remain healthy.
The host finally replied to us to say she is also positive. The party is turning out to be superspreader.
@oldfort i think the host should have alerted guests that some others had tested positive. I think that is a courtesy….mostly so folks who develop symptoms will test and be cautious.
We were at a wedding last weekend…a huge one. So far as we know….no one tested positive…yet.
Haven’t read all the responses, but without hesitation I’d contact all my guests and inform them that at least 2 others at the gathering have tested positive since the gathering. I would call, and e-mail.
As for your friend not touching base to see how you’re doing…that’s just inconsiderate.
At this point in time, May-June 2022, I would only socialize outdoors without testing first. If it’s necessary to be indoors, I’d ask my friends to test. One of my children, who goes to her office in a big company several times a week, is coming to my house tomorrow. She will test before entering and I will keep windows open for ventilation. Such a small price to pay to help prevent long covid and potential long-term morbidity.
I think the hostess should have alerted all the guests so they could test, start any necessary treatment, and avoid spreading it to others. She also should have checked in on you and your other friend. I hope you’re both feeling better.
It sure is disappointing that it took your host/friend several days to check in on you! Just as a friend, I think that’s a normal thing to do.
I also think notifying folks that there were positive cases is a courteous thing to do. That said, it may be “extra” in the case of large gatherings nowadays with high levels of transmission, because as a practical matter, people who attend large gatherings with lots of mingling really should just assume that at least 1 person there had covid. We went to a large indoor funeral reception a few weeks ago (probably well over 200 people). And I heard no reports of anyone testing positive afterwards. But I just was very attentive to whether i was developing any symptoms for the next week and also took a few covid tests that week as I was visiting elderly relative. So I’m not sure that the host really needs to reach out to 100 or 200 people after a gathering anymore. I’d more say that the covid-positive-attendees should reach out to people who they know they came in close contact with at the event. Whoever they drove with, sat at the dinner table with, danced with, etc.
I also think it’s a personal matter of courtesy for me to test before going to any large event, whether or not asked to. I’d just HATE to be the person who brought covid to a 200 person wedding and cause all of that agita! I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I had to call the mother of the bride or the wife of the deceased and tell them I brought covid to their event and put them in the awful position of worrying about whether that caused spread and them having to figure out how to handle that information. It’s just so easy to take a test to help lower the odds (in addition to staying home with any hint of symptoms).
I agree with a few posters above, that vaccination status no longer matters much to me, as the unvaccinated surely have some recently acquired immunity, and many vaccinated have old, waned vaccines. I recently got my 2nd booster about a month ago, and I don’t even really feel it does that much to reduce transmission; it’s all pretty muddy now and I think we have to assume that anyone can pass it on at this point.
I wouldn’t have hosted an indoor graduation party for lots of people at a bar. Precovid I think we had maybe 15 people at older S’ graduation at our house. And birthdays are just our family. We don’t do social gatherings. Haven’t had a wedding yet…
But, had i hosted an event… I wouldn’t have required testing or vax’s because that’s just so out of the norm around here. We didn’t have good mask compliance when it was mandatory.
But, I would have sent out an email to attendees letting them know some people had turned up positive. But if i didn’t have email addresses, I don’t know if I would have taken the time to call everyone. Depends on how many. 5-10 people? Sure. 100+? Probably not. I’m not in social media, so I couldn’t let people know that way either
On the flip side, if you’ve attended such event would you want to know? I would, but my sister got very angry at her best friend when she told my sister that she had Covid as my sister was boarding a plane to see her son. My sister said it totally ruined her time with her son.
I have an European trip coming up in July. I am not going to see anyone for a week prior to the trip. I would be very upset if I couldn’t go.
The 500 person wedding we attended…save the date and invites were done online. If anyone notifies the parents of the bride that they tested positive, it will be very easy for them to notify all the guests.
Many weddings also have online RSVP, so again…an event like this it would be easy to notify guests.
I suppose. In my neck if the woods this is not common. We are usually 20 years behind the rest of the country.
100% yes I would want to know!
Given the high rates of infection, and the frequency of asymptomatic spread, I think it is safe to assume at least one covid positive person is present at any gathering of more than 50 people, regardless of testing or notification.