AIBU to work from home because of a cold sore?

Is this a wind up? In the nicest possible way, your husband is right, get yourself into work.
Also two private GP calls???!! What the heck? For a cold sore? No one will give a monkeys about your cold sore.

This! Just buy some Zovirax from Boots and get to work.

Holy Lord

If you can WFH - then it's maybe not too bad, you can be a bit vague and say you are feeling under the weather and will WFH for a couple of days.

If this isn't an option and you would actually have to take the time of sick - then yes, YABU.

Waiting for the drip feed about having health anxiety…

Sorry, re read your OP. You can WFH. If so, what is the issue? Just do that.

If WFH is an option you can take for whatever reason then why not. YANBU. It’s more hygienic to stay away and not mix with people, especially if the office has shared equipment like phones (eg hot desking) or kitchen stuff like communal coffee mugs.

I would hate to share an office space with someone who has an active cold sore tbh I would worry about hand washing etc.

Also if you feel insecure because of how you look then you’ll be distracted at work and contribute less to meetings etc.

I genuinely do understand the upset from looking different to how you normally do; my initial thought is the same if something happens.

However, people have far too much else on their plates and, unless you're in the habit of kissing all your colleagues, they're not going to care that you have a cold sore. They're really quite common.

Do you habitually snog your work colleagues?

You have a couple of coldsores, in the old days we used to dab alcohol on them and they cleared up quickly.

I cannot recall anybody going to the GP about a cold sore on the lips, unless of course they were multiple and frequent.

No, I'd just "ouch" poor sod. I certainly woukdn't be concerned to meet somebody with a coldsore or ban them from my house. My grandad used to get them, my gran never did.

If you think your boss will be fine with it, i dont see why not tbh. Not sure why all the shocked responses, if you otherwise have a good sick/office attendance record and you can entirely do your work from home it's not the end of the world. I used to manage people and managers do expect to be told white lies about sick sometimes, if its not going to affect anyone else and you are otherwise a good employee I just cant imagine caring about this. I get coldsores and they are so uncomfortable and I would feel better at home, I often get flu symptoms with them too. I think people who only get minor ones might not get how bad they can be!
I dont think anyone at work will be looking at you like an infection site though!

What job do you do where your lips and mouth come into contact with colleagues or clients, can't you just use universal precautions. If you feel unwell then go sick, if it's because you feel self conscious wfh or go into work.

As long as you weren't trying to French kiss me or were picking at it before telling me to relax and breathe to perform a smear test, I wouldn't give a monkey's.

I get cold sores. I’ve never considered staying home from work. I put on a Compeed patch in the morning after I do my teeth, throughly wash my hands, and don’t touch it again until after work.

If the patch comes loose at work I go to the loo, wash my hands, put on a fresh patch, wash my hands, and carry on.

Someone commented once that I ‘had something on my lip’. I said yes, and just carried on.

Its worth paying for the Compeed cold sore patches - the own brand ones don’t stick as well.

Why do you think it wouldn't be acceptable to go outside with a cold sore?

Unless you're snogging your colleagues or wiping your mouth on them, why on earth would it be an issue?

Your DH is right, you need to get a grip here.

I have often had cold sores and gone on to school/work or whatever and carried on with life as normal but I did once get a huge crop of them like you and I rang in sick. Way before the days of working from home. My mouth was swollen and sore and I felt a bit rubbish too. I think that has happened to me twice over the years where it’s not just one cold sore but a cluster of them. Coincidentally the second time it happened a guy in the company but who worked at a different office was off for the same reason. We hadn’t been in contact in anyway but it did lead to some joking. I remember speaking to him afterwards and we reckoned we were both a bit low immunity wise at the time and the virus was able to really get hold more than normal.

So I don’t think you are unreasonable at all. You are still working. Just from home.

Who the hell would contact a GP over this?!

You know what it is.
You know what the standard procedures are for healing are.
You know there's no magic cure but time and a few things that you can do to help.

What on earth is the point?

I have a little sympathy for your self-consciousness.

Christ, what a drama about nothing. WFH or don't WFH. It's a cold sore, not the plague.

Just stick some perfume on them.

Yes it stings for a short time but will soon dry them up and, FGS, cancel the bloody expensive Doctor appointment. (He/she must think you hilarious for paying all that money over a cold sore. 🙄)

Jesus Christ!!!!
Get some Zovirax from the chemist, wash your hands regularly, don’t snog your colleagues and don’t share a mug with them!!!!

My mums had them my whole life and neither myself, my dad or my brother have ever got them.

@PoolDepth oh stop it! This can’t be real, surely? Unless it’s taken over your whole face, then a GP appointment and prescription for a cold sore is OTT and avoiding work is ridiculous. If you do hide because of it, you should be sacked!

I also get cold sores, and regularly too. I use over the counter Zovirax and get on with my life as normal except I don’t kiss my H for a few days.

Saddened that normally you have to go into the office 3 days a week when you can do your job largely wfh.

I suggest offering to go in later in the week. I think an overreaction but I don't think you want to have to spend three days answering questions from everyone, even though well meant and out of concern.

You know it isn’t airborne? Unless you are planning to kiss all your colleagues, they’ll be fine. And it does not prevent you working. YABVVVU.