To insist that my friend doesn't go back to work on Tuesday without a negative covid test result?

[RingPiece]

Teacher friend at a large inner city secondary school, says she's woken up feeling ill - sore throat, no sense of taste, temperature, shivers, etc. She's back to work on Tuesday. I've told her to get a covid test sent to her home and wait for the results before going back to work.

She said it's unlikely she'll get the test, send it back and get the results by Tuesday, as it's BH, and so will

'have to go in anyway , as it could just be a cold and I always go to work when I have a cold'

She also thinks she may be better by Tuesday.
Aibu in saying she really needs to get a test. Her school's huge and she'll come into contact with loads of staff on the Tuesday and then with the 90 children in her bubble on the Wednesday, not to mention all those commuters on her train and tube journey to and from the school.

Teachers and parents have been told that they/their children are to come into school unless they have a valid death certificate or are possibly under general anesthesia for several years. All attendance matters etc.... Quite hard for some people to turn this off and keep them home and test for mild symptoms. I have had a cough. Not unusual for me, usually cough for several months of the year. Normally would carry on unless too bad as children would not get fed etc. Quite strange to be getting tested and waiting for results when previously you have still had to get on with stuff. ( Negative) but this is what we have to do now.

Utterly irresponsible. She should be ashamed - as a teacher she is in a position of authority and responsibility.

My friend cycled 10 miles to get a test. I suggest she gets walking - there will be plenty of options in zone 2 London.

Honestly I’d be tempted to shop her to school. Awful

I would be horrified if a teacher at my son's school went in instead of getting tested/isolating as needed. I'm a nervous wreck about him going back as it is (I am vulnerable). It's different times now... No more bravely struggling through... We all have a responsibility to get a test if we have symptoms. Well done for trying to persuade her to do the right thing. Really hope she's ok and makes a full recovery.

There should be a walk in option in london for her or she will have to get a postal test.
Please remind her not to go in until she has the results of the test.
If she goes into work and it is a positive test think how she will feel having to state her occupation as teacher and then listing her whole bubble and any staff she has been in contact with.
Surely the head would prefer her not to be in for 2 days to be sure rather than sending a year group and half the staff home and having to explain that to anxious parents in the first week back

What a selfish bloody cow .

Most people understand the 'guilt' at being 'off' straight after the summer holidays, but bloody hell. She has classic COVID symptoms and works in a school.

She needs to care more about the lives of the other school staff and contacts of the children, than what the Head will think - it's a good time for her to grow up FAST. FFS

This is so irresponsible of her, she needs to stay at home

How stupid is your friend? She is totally unable to grasp the situation or to prioritise.

If this is the attitude of even a small minority of teachers, I predict schools will be closed again by October.

Without a doubt I would tell her that if she does intend to go in you will report her the day before term begins. Also, she needs to be tested early in the illness to reduce the risk of a false negative.

Sorry to double post but it makes me so angry she would consider going on the tube in that state? Even if her symptoms are better, she could still be infectious. Do you really want to be friends with this person OP? It might be different if she is just struggling to adjust and rings you first thing having come to her senses, otherwise, well...

Tell her she either takes the test and stays off work until she gets the results or you will call the school yourself and tell them about the situation.
If she can’t be responsible to do the right thing then you will have to do it for her.
I don’t care if she never speaks to you again.. she could literally kill someone’s mother / father / grandparent / child.
FFS.

I hope you don't show her this thread. Many of the replies are just nasty.
Just be a friend and tell her she needs to get a test.

I had a drive through test (self tested) Tuesday and results by Wednesday morning. My husband and child did a home test wednesday and results by Thursday night. No excuses from her to not get tested other than enjoying the drama of it all.

It’s incredibly selfish to go to work with potential Covid. An infection passed on could easily end in the death of a pupils grandparent or older colleague. Would also potentially mean closing the school or year group down for a week or two just when working parents were starting to earn again.

FFS. Has she not been reading the news at all for the last five months? Of course she needs to get a test. And self-isolate. And tell her SMT at school why.

This isn't a bloody cold that you battle through at work. For the sake of everyone else in the school, if nothing else, she needs to stay away.

HR would tell her to stay at home isolating and get tested. Could take 48 hours for results

Scottish teacher here. I was back 8 school days before I had a day off for a test - my son who is at school had a temperature. School said nothing at all when I phoned and explained I'd be off to take him and also get myself tested. There was also another staff member off that day too for testing due to their child also having a temp. Can guarantee there would have been a lot said if I had taken the chance and gone in. Thankfully we were both negative.

Worryingly though, the website was playing up when I tried to book the drive in test and I ended up phoning. The man on the phone told me to take my 5 year old to Mc Donald's after it to cheer him up.

She should be self-isolating as she has symptoms. No exceptions, even for teachers!

The only way out is a negative test.

This is not making me feel confident about sending my child back to school...

If this is true.
It would be irresponsible for her to go in to school without a negative test.

Wtf?! Of course YANBU

The 9% of people in this post that believes she is being "unreasonable" are the reasons for this horrific infection spreading absolute idiots!!!! YANBU!!! Can't stand these selfish blind people thinking "it's ok it's probably just a cold" tell that to the 5 elderly people you kill

I though the general view was that the risks is school we're 'vanishingly small'. Why the hysteria? Why don't you deregister your children if you're that worried?

I'm not serious. This is, however, what teachers have been faced with on Mumsnet for months now. Scary isn't it?

If she goes to a test centre she’s likely to have the results back in 24 hrs.

Presumably, if off sick with COVID and in a stable job as a teacher, she'll get full sick pay?

I've every sympathy with people who continue working because they don't get full sick pay, and so self isolation = not being able to put food on the table. The government really has set up the system to encourage those people to keep working regardless. If your friend does get full sick pay, she really does need to go and get tested and self isolate if necessary.

And i will add... she shouldn't be a teacher .. too thick