Are people still isolating with covid?

[BarrelOfOtters]

We Both stayed off work. Neither of us feel well at all. In laws shopped for us. I think we don’t venture out till test negative. Are we being over cautious?

I'm a primary teacher. We've been told not to test. If we're really ill we can ring in sick but no-one wants to know if it's covid. It's an absolute piss take.

I don’t test. Sadly no work means no pay when you’re self employed.

Sounds like my idea of heaven. 😍**

We haven't had Covid in our house since the rules were relaxed but we always have a stack of test kits and always test if anyone gets symptoms (although no positives here for over a year).

(I meant to say, if we got a positive then absolutely we would self-isolate).

I'm a primary teacher. We've been told not to test
This is crazy. The NHS now say to stay away from others if you have symptoms but don't require people to test. So when you could previously discount Covid with a test, you now don't know and have to stay away. This is why I buy tests, otherwise I'd be stuck indoors through every single cough and cold!

I'm lucky enough to mainly work from home, but when I had Covid a few weeks ago I dropped out of evening classes/exercise classes/social meet-ups until I'd tested negative. I did go to the supermarket as I'd run out of food, but went when it was quiet and wore a face covering. I also needed to go to buy more tests as I was down to my last one - I can't help thinking that a limited supply of free tests would make it easier for people to be more responsible.

The vast majority of people now no longer have access to tests unfortunately the economy is too bad to pay people no ill to stay at home. Obvious if people are too sick to work they can't work but taking a were off if symptoms are mild is not feasible when people are choosing between heating arena food they can't afford to take days off when they get either no sick pay or just statutory unfortunately that is the reality people are not going to risk a roof over their head when they don't feel that ill. Not everyone works fora big company with generous sick leave or in public services.

But they don’t get paid…I’m sure most people would stay away from others if they could afford to or could wfh but for a large number of people that isn’t an option. They don’t get paid, they can’t pay their bills, can’t feed their families - not everyone can afford savings to buffer these situations. It’s shit, it truly is, but we also need keep earning enough to keep our heads above water. In my place of work, you go in if you are positive if well enough to - if not we’ll enough then you stay off but it then counts to your 3 sickness strikes and disciplinary - what are we to do?

"If you work in a school and you know that you’re exposing vulnerable people by being in work and you chose to go in anyway you shouldn’t be anywhere near children"

The irony and ignorance of this post. In a school you are exposed to hundreds of people a day most of whom are not required to test unless advised by a doctor, can return within 3 days and are often sent in Ill with blatant covid symptoms which has happened throughout even pre vaccine. A significant proportion of parents have always refused to test their kids.

Many many people are now told to go in if they feel able. Guidance says work from home for. 5 days if you can. Some schools interpret this as stay off for. 5 days others as come in to work unless you have a temperature.

Catching covid also now counts under absence management policies etc. I can also tell you that attendance figures in school I'm at are a lot lower than they were pre pandemic.

I caught covid again for the second time at the start of term. I tested after I found out that 5 people in a particular class I teach everyday had covid and developed a sore throat.

My 5 days included a weekend so I only lost 3 days pay. On my return I still tested positive for a further 3 days.

I've now run out of tests and decided I won't be paying for more just so I can miss work and lose out on pay. In the grand scheme of things it won't make much difference when schools are riddles with covid anyway.

I can’t believe we are still calling people selfish for prioritising keeping their job and a roof over their heads. If you want people to stay away from work with covid, but their work policy tells them they have to come in, then criticise the policy rather than calling people selfish.

I felt fine when I had covid. I did go out for walks but stayed away from people and didn't go to any shops or into the office.

I had covid in April and was ill and in bed for about 11 days, so I wasn't well enough to go out.
In terms of the requirements of my job as a teacher - if I were to catch covid now, I would be required to stay off for 3 days (which wouldn't count towards my sickness) and then not be expected to come back in until well. The students are required to stay off for a full 5 days if they call in sick with covid.
I'm not sure why it's not the same (unless to do with staff being more adept at masking/distancing) but it feels like a sensible compromise.

My kids school expect them in if they’re well enough to go covid or not

my work is still on five days off and we can return after two negative tests on day 5/6 or when your better after that - however we work with a general public who aren’t legally required to test and / or isolate and I know many of them will just turn up and not tell us they’re ill-
it’s not right and we have some very vulnerable patients and staff but unfortunately there are very selfish people about

I have it right now. I feel absolutely fine, like a (not very heavy) cold. Slight cough, sneezing lots, a bit snotty.

I'm at home, I've been working (from home) but have been going out for walks at quiet times such as 6am or 8pm. I am not mixing with anyone at all though.

I registered my positive test on the NHS App, which says I am free to mix again in 2 days, but I'm still sneezing, not sure I feel as though I should be around other people that soon.

Fortunately, I don't tend to see anyone Tuesday - Thursday anyway.

I still test as do my friends if we are meeting. Yes it does mean paying for tests but at present because we can afford it we do. I teach and have managed to avoid it so far. We are advised to stay off if we are unwell. If well enough come in. I know one person was posi6but as per guidelines was in wearing a mask. I was not happy.

I totally agree and I am not coming at it from a covid denier or anti mask/anti vax point of view. Of course c-19 hasn’t gone away but legally and policy wise, there is no obligation for most people to isolate. With the cost of living crisis spiralling, putting that added pressure on those already stretching every penny and then kicking them for it seems incredibly unfair, to me.

No because I wouldn't know if I had it or not. How are people still testing? Paying for LFTs?

Not paying. Plenty left over from when I had to test daily (teacher).

If someone is already on a sickness trigger warning at work due to other illnesses then they might have to work with covid. It's not excluded from monitoring anymore.

@Parrotpretty it is where I work for the first 10 days

@VampireCat - you say 'likely to die' if exposed to virus. This is incorrect even for the vulnerable. 'Likely' would have to mean at least a 50% chance of dying if exposed - luckily Covid is not that lethal. And I presume you have had all of the vaccinations also.

We have no more tests and don't test. Students don't test at universities and can't afford to buy them. Believe it or not many people can't afford to test. Calling people selfish is ridiculous. The virus is very unlikely to kill you actually. Now everyone has had the chance to be vaccinated and serious illness now very unlikely if infected, we have to just put Covid into the pile of other viruses that will circulate each year such as flu.

Same as @Theimpossiblegirl teacher told not to test if unwell. Encouraged to come into work if unwell wear a mask...... no time off.

@RewildingAmbridge It is for teachers.

You just made a general statement. That may be true for your place of work, it isn't for mine. Which is interesting as we both work in the public sector.