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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teachers- how often are you unwell!?

72 replies

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:26

Just a curious question.

Dd is 4, has been attending nursery since she was 2. She picks up all sorts of illnesses from nursery/school and brings them home to me, lovely!
Before having dd I was hardly ever unwell but even just this winter I've had various colds and stomach bugs that she's caught at school and then passed on to me.
Not a huge deal I suppose but got me thinking, if she's picking them up and giving them to me, how do the teachers cope when they are amongst it all 5 days a week!? How do our schools even stay open??

OP posts:

IceRebel · 27/03/2019 08:28

I work in a school and i've had one day off this year. In my experience most teachers / school staff tend to battle on, and then end up being ill during the holidays.

birdling · 27/03/2019 08:30

You become immune to quite a lot of things and just soldier on through the others. Or end up ill in the holidays.

Original poster

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:32

But then if it's something like a stomach bug then they'd have to stay off for 48 hours after the last bout of sickness/diarrhoea.
Me and dd have had two of these since January and I know some teachers have as they're told me so. Seems lots of people in the school did so I just wonder how something like that wouldn't wipe out most of the staff 🤔

OP posts:

Original poster

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:34

Oh, it must be so grim being unwell and having to look after so many children!
I can bearly manage it will dd!

OP posts:

Mememeplease · 27/03/2019 08:37

When I started teaching years ago I got everything going for a few years which must have built up my immunity. I rarely get ill now despite being in close contract with obviously ill kids where I'm thinking "i'm bound to get this" as they cover me in their bodily fluids.

Original poster

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:39

Well you all have my sympathy and respect!

OP posts:

FinallyHere · 27/03/2019 08:50

The way I understand it, it's s mixture of building up immunity (depending on how strong your immune system was to start with) and the body's natural reaction to stress

The body can release chemicals which help people in the short term to face danger , or put on a burst of speed to flee a tiger Our bodies can cope brilliantly well with short term, occasional stress

It's when we start to rely on that stress response to get through long term that becomes unhealthy. Like over stretching an elastic band, it eventually leads to burn out

@Newadventure Have you looked for ways to build up your own immune system , while your child's is also built up.

Good nutrition, exercise and relaxation, what ever works for you.

Ginfanatic · 27/03/2019 09:02

Every blooming holiday...we manage to crawl to a break then be ill....

Original poster

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 09:04

My understanding of it (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that if a virus enters your system then you're going to be unwell from it. You may get rid of it quicker or not have as many of the symtoms but once it's there it's there.
Sort of like when they give someone a flu jab, yeah, it's one strain (the newset) of flu but you could catch another strain??
I remember laughing with my gp about this when dd was little. Everyone says children need to build up there immune system but if they come into contact with a different strain of flu (or whatever) then their immune system isn't going to recognise it and they will be ill regardless of whether or not they had flu the month before, because it's a new type that their body hasn't come into contact with yet??
So all the 'building up of immune system' really doesn't matter if they're constantly coming into contact with new viruses??
I get being healthy and taking care of yourself will help you battle these things quicker but once it's in your system you're screwed either way and have to ride it out.

As I said that's just my understanding of it.
If I'm wrong can someone please educate enlighten me?? (I love stuff like this )

OP posts:

FullOfJellyBeans · 27/03/2019 09:07

I asked my ekdest's reception teacher this as both DS and I were constantly sick during Yr. She said the first year of teaching was horrendous she was just ill almost the entire time, then got better year on year and now she rarely picks anything up.

Claply · 27/03/2019 09:08

In my first year I was basically ill constantly (not off work ill, just felt crap). Then it stopped and I was fine - I don't know the science of it but built up some kind of resistance? )
Moved to a new school after 5 years and same thing - ill aaaaalll the time in my first year. Two years in and I'm fine now.

Still18atheart · 27/03/2019 09:10

I work in a school. And the first year here I got everything going. But since then my immunity has become more resilient. However, I’m most often likely to be ill after a summer holiday as I’ve been away from work and my immunity is low and not as used to all the germs.

PregnantSea · 27/03/2019 09:59

When I worked in a hospital I hardly ever got ill, despite being exposed to all sorts of illnesses. I think it builds up your immune system.

CaptainBrickbeard · 27/03/2019 10:05

I’m in my eleventh year of teaching and get ill frequently - and that’s secondary where I’m not even in such close contact with children as primary and I practise excellent hygiene! I’m off sick right now. I haven’t developed this magic immunity and I do get ill at the start of every holiday pretty much but also during term time. And I find my colleagues are ill quite regularly as well.

I don’t pick up sick bugs so much even when they are rife in school as I’m such a handwasher (have terrible eczema on my hands as result) but anything that gets coughed and sneezed in my direction tends to get me and I find that a lot of viruses really floor me. I’m off sick pretty much three times a year on average I’d say.

EmeraldShamrock · 27/03/2019 10:18

I think as a parent I built ammunity after DC1 went to preschool. I caught every bug, cough or cold, even thread worm
She was fine by mainstream.
DC2 has been sick all year from preschool, I've managed to avoid most of it.
I think a nursery teacher probably is sick more often from all the cute snotty nose preschoolers.

bridgetreilly · 27/03/2019 10:20

Every halfterm and the first week of every holiday.

outpinked · 27/03/2019 10:21

Good hand hygiene helps. We just have to get on with it really unless it’s a stomach bug. I’ve been teaching for the past four years (although currently on mat leave) and I don’t get any more sick than I did before. Haven’t had a stomach bug for three years and I got that during the six week holidays so...

Haz1516 · 27/03/2019 10:22

Only during half term... it suddenly all catches up with you.

Apart from when I was pregnant, but I think that was mainly exhaustion.

Toddlerteaplease · 27/03/2019 10:35

I'm a paediatric nurse surrounded by bugs. You get immune to it. I've not been off pence with vomiting in the last 3 years.

FinallyHere · 27/03/2019 18:39

The job of your immune system is to kill anything that threatens your good health.

If it is strong, you might fight off the bugs without even noticing, which might be what you mean by

virus enters your system then you're going to be unwell from it.

The point is that when bugs , whether bacteria or virus, enter your system, your immune system mobilised to kill them off. The damage that you notice in the process is a function of the strength of your immune system

I also understand that regularly getting ill at the beginning of a holiday is s sign that your body is suffering from stress. It is using the stress hormones to fight off infection, so that as soon as you relax a bit, the illness appears.

Original poster

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 20:23

Oh of course!! 🤦‍♀️

You know when someone explains something and you know the answer was staring you in the face the whole time but you just didn't get it, then all of a sudden you feel the penny drop??
Well I just had one of those moments
Thanks!

So ideally, you'll have a strong immune system, not so that you don't catch anything at all, ever. Just so that when you do catch something you'll fight it off quicker (hopefully so much so you may not even notice you had it in the first place).
BINGO!!

Makes so much sense...

OP posts:

Princessmushroom · 27/03/2019 20:33

I worked with kids, term time only and would always get ill on the last day of term or half term

spanieleyes · 27/03/2019 20:47

I was fine until I changed schools, then I caught every bug going for a couple of years until I adjusted! But I agree, first few days of every holiday, I'm unwell then.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/03/2019 20:56

My eldest is year 5. She has NEVER had a supply teacher, so all hercteachers have shown up every day they were due. It's amazing really.,

Ilove31415926535 · 27/03/2019 20:56

Not a teacher, medical person, but I had a cold every time I started a new placement when I was a student. My first year qualified I had a lot of bugs, then generally built up my immune system year on year. We don't talk about the norovirus incident of 2001...
18 years working in hospitals makes you bullet proof

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