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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

253 replies

RingPiece · 29/08/2020 22:37

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.

OP posts:
Tigerty · 30/08/2020 09:53

In County Durham a man had a few symptoms so had a test but he didn’t think he had it as he felt well in himself. So he went out drinking to a few pubs. He was positive and he infected 15 people, mainly staff and punters from one particular pub. One is in intensive care. The teacher needs to stay home and get a test. How would she feel if she was positive, infected others and one became very sick or worse died?

www.google.com/amp/s/www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/covid-testing-stanley-outbreak-durham-18803810.amp

borntobequiet · 30/08/2020 09:53

To Rita or not to roast?
Sorry, to rota or not to rota?
My place simply wants to get back to normal. While some learners have done way better using distance learning, the majority have not and you need to be exceptionally well organised and equipped to properly manage blended learning. Then you have day and block release, practical trade skills...well I can see why normal is desirable.
But we’ve been told we have to teach up to 12 adult learners (from all sectors) in rooms where it’s not possible to properly socially distance, for 6 hours at a time, and we’re not comfortable with that.

couchparsnip · 30/08/2020 09:55

Hope she does the right thing. She should talk to her head teacher and explain asap though. They will need to get cover if she tests positive.

CallmeAngelina · 30/08/2020 10:01

There's plenty of time to get a test and the results back (or at least, there would have been if she'd pulled her finger out and done it yesterday).

And even if there isn't, there's no debate to be had here; she needs a test and it's her duty to get one before circulating in public, whether that's a school or her local supermarket/pub.

megletthesecond · 30/08/2020 10:03

Yanbu. If she passes it to other teachers she could be the reason the whole school shuts. Numpty.

PurpleDaisies · 30/08/2020 10:04

It’s quite hard to believe a teacher would behave like this. Totally irresponsible.
She needs to get a test today and inform her line manager that she might not be in.

Original poster
RingPiece · 30/08/2020 10:05

She's ordered a test to be delivered to her at home. She'll hopefully get it tomorrow. I've suggested she calls the head to let him know as she won't get the result by Tuesday, possibly Wednesday. I'm sure she will. I'm not showing her this thread. It will make her feel worse!

She's really unwell. I'm shocked as to why a few of you think she doesn't exist!

What Goingdownto said hits the nail on the head:

Perhaps she is just doing that thing of saying she can't possibly be off, hoping the other person will tell her she needs to be, and not to feel guilty? Dh and I do this when we're sick, if I was single I might do it with a friend as a sounding board.

And she has a massive load of teacher guilt. When I taught, I remember being told to come to school unless we'd been 'run over and lost the use of our legs' - actual words from an actual, not made up headteacher. I remember a friend not going to their brother's funeral as it was parents' evening. Teachers have always felt they should save their illnesses and family deaths until the holidays. I hope the message to staff is clear when term starts that things are different now. And lifeafter50, I'm truly lost for words.

OP posts:
Bella2020 · 30/08/2020 10:05

There have already been outbreaks amongst teachers here in Scotland where the schools have been back a few weeks. Your friend needs to get the test.

Musmerian · 30/08/2020 10:07

Her school’s guidance will state very clearly that teachers with Covid symptoms should not go in and should get tested. It would be highly irresponsible to go in.

Thisismynewname123 · 30/08/2020 10:08

People I know who have gone to drive through tests have had results back within 24 hours. Can she find a local place that's doing them?

MarshaBradyo · 30/08/2020 10:09

If HTs have put out the idea that scrims myst come in in the past as you say op, they should send a new clear message not to come in.

If there overall objective is to keep show on the road then telling staff big to come in is key.

oceanbreezy · 30/08/2020 10:10

Get her to do the drive through test. The results can come within a day. It takes ages to receive and send off a test. Better to do it at a drive through.

canigooutyet · 30/08/2020 10:11

Even if she hasn't got Covid, she still has a temp and is still infectious.

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/infections/how-long-is-someone-infectious-after-a-viral-infection/

PurpleDaisies · 30/08/2020 10:15

This is completely different to normal teacher guilt going in when half dead.

She could potentially cause a school closing outbreak. I’m really surprised by this situation. No teacher I know would even consider going in with covid symptoms.

CallmeAngelina · 30/08/2020 10:15

Well, if she's feeling really unwell, then that may be the clincher for her. I can kind of get (even if I don't agree with it) why people might be tempted to go in if they felt absolutely fine (and as has been said numerous times on here already, teachers are renowned for struggling in to work when they should be in bed), but those days are gone for now.

Piggywaspushed · 30/08/2020 10:23

Yeah, actually, can is correct. She shouldn't go in if she is ill. Full stop. Last thing we need this year is the flu being passed around, too.

Presenteeism has got to end.

The person in charge of cover in any given school might need to drop their guilt inducing act ,though. (disclaimer : I know not all cover people are like this!)

Piggywaspushed · 30/08/2020 10:23

You OK marsha ?? Grin

CarrieBlue · 30/08/2020 10:26

One of my

MarshaBradyo · 30/08/2020 10:26

Ha Piggy don’t know what happened there! Didn’t even notice it Grin

HTs should send clear message, especially if they’ve been all soldier on before, was general gist

TwentyViginti · 30/08/2020 10:26

[quote Tigerty]In County Durham a man had a few symptoms so had a test but he didn’t think he had it as he felt well in himself. So he went out drinking to a few pubs. He was positive and he infected 15 people, mainly staff and punters from one particular pub. One is in intensive care. The teacher needs to stay home and get a test. How would she feel if she was positive, infected others and one became very sick or worse died?

www.google.com/amp/s/www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/covid-testing-stanley-outbreak-durham-18803810.amp[/quote]
He was positive and he infected 15 people

One is in intensive care

It's terrifying how much damage one infected person can do.

Aragog · 30/08/2020 10:28

It’s quite hard to believe a teacher would behave like this. Totally irresponsible.

I suspect it may come from years of being made to feel guilty for taking time off when ill in the past.

Presentism and over zealous managers are not uncommon in many professions.

Teachers, as I'm sure like many other professions, are often made to feel guilty for not being in school due to the fact that their absence will cause either increased work load for their colleagues or cost the school money for supply. Unfortunately, like some bosses in other jobs, some HTs can be quite unpleasant when staff take time of work and can really lay the guilt trip.

Managers, including HTs, right now should be pushing the message that if staff are at all unwell they should stay ho e. And that this is, not only advised, but essential if any symptoms are those linked to Covid.

CarrieBlue · 30/08/2020 10:29

Oops, posted too soon....

One of my worries about returning to school is that I won’t recognise symptoms as I wouldn’t normally think anything of a temperature or sore throat or cough - I’m worried that it won’t register in my brain that I’m ill. I absolutely wouldn’t go to work but it will be hard to change my mindset from ‘it’s normal, get to work’ to ‘take this slight symptom very seriously’.

12309845653ghydrvj · 30/08/2020 10:30

...she could literally kill someone?

Jeremyironsnothing · 30/08/2020 10:33

As pp's have said, even if it's not covid, if other people catch her cold, they'll have to suffer self isolating, taking a test etc, because they'll also suspect they have covid.
Not fair if covid or not.

TulipsAndLilacs · 30/08/2020 10:39

When you're tested,you get the results within 48hrs-I had mine back in 21 hrs!
It can be up to 72 hours. I received my result yesterday which was 3 days after they received it.
Yes, she needs to stay home til she gets a negative result. It would be very wrong to do otherwise