Fucking covid and everyone's fucking opinions on it.

[ToooOldForThis]

Am currently ill with covid, exhausted and coughing. Had 3 days off and was meant to go back tomorrow, have spent the weekend worrying myself to bits over not being fit for it. Arsehole colleagues (not them all tbf) texting things like hope you're enjoying your time off, great weather for a long weekend etc. Saying they'd never have tested.

Then other people contacting me like I'm dying saying please take care, stay at home this can take weeks to recover from.

I can't obviously stay off for weeks but I'm also not fit to be at work, I hate this sneery attitude like I must be making it up, when actually I'm really unwell. DP annoyed at me for considering going back, but I know when I do I'm going back to a lot of raised eyebrows.

I have no question to ask or point to make!! Just ranting. But I suppose it was easier when the guidelines were clearer.

Stay home as you would with any illness making you feel you can't work.

I'd reply sarcastically. 'Yeah 34° is fabulous when your own body temperature is already 39° and you're 'whatever your symptoms are'.

'Id rather be at work , even with you, than have this, so everyone else will understand how shit I feel.

maybe time to look for a new job?

Hope you feel better soon 🌸

Compete nightmare now and no one knows what’s right, but if you feel too unwell then stay off the eyebrows will be raised if you go back after a day or take 10’days off. You can’t please everyone. I’m holding interviews next week and a candidate has phone to say he’s positive but feels not too bad. So do I go ahead or do I delay, should I tell the interviewers. I now have no idea nothing is clear.

Thank you, I feel better for ranting, and I know it's difficult from the employer's perspective too. Just hate being made to feel like a skiver when I'm not well.

Covid has turned some people into twats

Isn't that the truth. Altho I suspect there was some twattishness there all along!

Just use the same criteria as we did pre covid - if you feel ill stay off work. The name of the virus isn't relevant it's that you are unwell that necessitates time off

I totally get what you’re saying. I’m on day 10 and it has knocked me (and my DH) for six. There’s no way I am fit for work this week, but because the isolation guidance has changed, I feel there is a judgement/expectation to be over it sooner.

Hope you feel better soon, but take your time going back to work, as have been hearing lots about people going back too soon and then getting worse.

Your response @JuneJubilee is great! 🤣

These waves feel never ending and for many people they don’t appreciate how vile a Covid infection can be particularly if they were fortunate enough to only experience mild symptoms.

From what I understand the new BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants are not good news, I think we may see some action from the government in terms of increasing booster messaging and encouraging mask wearing again if the numbers continue to grow as they are in other places.

Israel has seen a surge in severely ill patients in the last week which they’re saying is down to BA.5, there’s some concern around the impact on their health services, I keep checking their news releases as we often follow.

www.timesofisrael.com/israel-sees-sharp-70-jump-in-number-of-seriously-ill-covid-patients-within-a-week/

I don’t know about anyone else but I have a lot of colleagues and friends who have experienced strange illnesses recently such as mouths full of ulcers, extremely painful throats, losing their voices, gastro problems, fatigue, skin rashes etc yet still testing negative so who knows what’s going on, We’re pretending it’s gone away but it really hasn’t.

I hear you. My place of work is quibbling over my return date when I gave them the NHS app's date. So... I guess I'll go in and infect everyone, shall I?
Friends, however, are being lovely.

I absolutely hear you. I was positive last Wednesday and still feel absolutely grotty. Only work two days a week but as a carer so obviously had Friday and Saturday off last week but I'm still very grotty as in stay in bed all day wiped out, sore chest, shaky, so who knows.
I'm not going to feel guilty if I need more time off, neither am I feeling guilty going back when I can.
I've held back telling most of my friends because I don't want any judgement about when I should get out and about again or not.
Hope you are feeling better soon

I had it in March and felt awful - needed a doctor's note (non-UK) and she made me have a nurse for five days until my oxygen levels went back up and I still needed an inhaler for weeks afterwards - lots of people making out like I was exaggerating as I have no health conditions to explain why I felt so ill. It was flipping annoying.

Not much you can do about it other than block them all until you feel better, except your line manager, and tell your line manager why.

I know exactly where you're coming from. All I can say is please don't go back until you feel well. I returned to work last week (tested positive a week before) as wasn't feeling too bad. This weekend I've felt as if I've taken about 10 steps back and wish I hadn't returned so soon. Try not to worry about what others think. It's your health that matters at the end of the day.
Covid can effect people in so many different ways.

I’m currently on day 19 and have just agreed a phased return to work over the next 2 weeks. I was completely bedridden for 10 days and since then have been managing about 90 minutes up and about before going back to bed to sleep for a couple of hours. If I overdo it I go back to feeling nauseous again. I’m lucky to have a sympathetic boss. Listen to your body. I hope you’re feeling better soon.

So sorry to hear that, that's what I'm worried about. I also know that me being off is causing a lot of inconvenience which doesn't help!

I'm also surprised that going back while still testing positive is ok now!

Thanks all, I appreciate the responses. I feel like I could stay in bed indefinitely, it's pretty depressing.

It is very frustrating as you yourself don't know when you will be better. We've had it recently in the house and some recovered in 3 days, like a sniffle and one of us is still ill a couple of months later. You can't predict and getting 'hope you are better' texts when you feel rubbish is quite dispiriting and you feel guilty even though it is not your fault!

I’ve just had covid for the second time, 10 days later I’m just about feeling better. The first three days were the worst and I spent those mainly in bed. After that the cough kicked and the never ending runny nose, which I still have. I felt worse second time around.

I'm on day 1 of my first bout. It's confusing. My brain doesn't know what's what. I have in person meetings this week, and have cancelled them, but felt like I had to offer to go.

You can sign yourself off sick for five days. If you're not right on day five, phone GP.

I totally understand how you feel. DH and I both caught covid when you could isolate for 10 days. The first six days, we felt awful and on day six I literally couldn't focus on anything. It was a struggle to even find the energy for one of us to get up and gets drinks/a meal for both of us. DH started to feel better on day 8, but I still wasn't right on day 10 - luckily work refused to take me back until I had two negative tests.

I'm dreading catching it again.

I've had Covid since Thursday & feel so wiped out!
I work as a healthcare assistant for the NHS so the rules for me are that I isolate then do a test tomorrow & Wednesday; if that's negative I can go out on Wednesday plus return to work provided I feel well enough of course.
If those tests are positive then I still have to isolate for a full ten days after I first tested positive!!

I don't have a raised temperature anymore but still need to sleep after every task I do (I live alone). Luckily I've got close family to get me some shopping.
But I'm desperate to get out.

If you are too unwell for work, you stay off, no matter what the name of the illness is. When you're better you go back. Simple as!

Sorry to read you have irresponsible colleagues who have no care for others.

I agree it was easier (and better) when there were clear guidelines. Remember this in 2024 when the party of the serial misogynist and liar seeks your vote.

I've had exactly the same. Tested positive on Thursday and comments from a couple of colleagues on the Friday about how convenient just in time for the good weather! Yeh right - I spent the hottest day of the year in bed with a hot water bottle, duvet and two blankets and was still frozen!!

I work patient facing for the NHS so have to stay off until I have a negative. We have four other people off within the practice - I was the 3rd to go off - and we have to send a photo of our positive lateral flow test in so at least they know its genuine but it doesn't stop the odd snide remark.

I'm much better today but still have a slight temperature and feel tired and clammy and the positive line was still very positive.

Delete your colleagues' contacts and block them. How fucking dare they contact you at all when you're off sick. Pigs.

There are some nice ones who have texted to say take it easy etc. I'm just feeling like I can't do right...if I stay off I'll feel guilty and get the snidey comments, if I go back there will be just as many people not keen to see me when I'm not negative yet!

Sorry there are so many of you in the same boat it's rotten!