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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think we are all in a right pickle this autumn

29 replies

Whatafustercluck · 15/09/2020 11:28

The penny has finally dropped that our youngest will probably on average have two episodes of high temperature/ cough every autumn that is seasonal virus. She has also had tonsillitis and ear infections that can cause high temp and cough. With GPs telling people with high temps or coughs not to attend surgery, aibu to think that many people, children in particular, may well have other illnesses that will not get diagnosed - including some serious illnesses - because they cannot attend a GP surgery for fear it is Covid? Already my dsis and niece have had to have a Covid test and self isolate for something that is highly likely to be a cold (test results remain outstanding 4 days later of course). Dd and nephew have had snot and sneezes that are causing paranoia and suspicion among people who know us - despite having no temp and no cough. Dh has just been told he must return to the office in November, despite being able to do his job perfectly well from home. He will be among around 100 other people in an enclosed office who will not be required to wear masks. If he catches a seasonal virus that causes the symptoms, ds is off school, dd is off nursery and their classmates and teachers/ key workers will be affected even if it's not Covid because processing tests is now taking so long.

We're all in a right pickle this autumn/ winter aren't we?

OP posts:
Newbie1999 · 15/09/2020 11:30

Yep, we’re screwed.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 15/09/2020 11:35

It's a fucking farce.

Heads, teachers, nursery owners/staff & parents were all aware this would happen, the Govt chose to ignore this fact.

Totickleamockingbird · 15/09/2020 11:36

I think the government had no contingency plan in a situation like this.
Turns out we need an army of scientists to fight a pandemic, as that was the major national security issue afterall. 🙄 Not the billion dollar industries that our militaries are.

Totickleamockingbird · 15/09/2020 11:37

A huge number of people in this government are from backgrounds where they don’t have to worry about childcare the same way as us.

cologne4711 · 15/09/2020 11:42

Dd and nephew have had snot and sneezes that are causing paranoia and suspicion among people who know us

Why? It's obviously just a cold.

Whatafustercluck · 15/09/2020 11:42

A huge number of people in this government are from backgrounds where they don’t have to worry about childcare the same way asus

And even if they do, they appear to think nothing of breaking the rules they created.

OP posts:
Whatafustercluck · 15/09/2020 11:46

@cologne4711 it is obvious to us, yes.

OP posts:
Bromley4ever · 15/09/2020 12:00

@cologne4711 both DS developed minor colds as soon as they went back. One has since developed an inability to taste or smell, despite having no temp and an un-persistent cough, only developed today. So it's not easy to work out what to do.

Bromley4ever · 15/09/2020 12:02

I should say that we isolated everyone as soon as he said that, but it could be cold-related or sinusitis and we cannot get a test.

DumplingsAndStew · 15/09/2020 12:05

@Whatafustercluck

. If he catches a seasonal virus that causes the symptoms, ds is off school, dd is off nursery and their classmates and teachers/ key workers will be affected even if it's not Covid because processing tests is now taking so long.

Why will your children's classmates and staff be affected if your husband develops symptoms? Confused

TheDuchessofMalfy · 15/09/2020 12:10

A huge number of people in this government are from backgrounds where they don’t have to worry about childcare the same way as us

And even if they do, they appear to think nothing of breaking the rules they created.

Yep, all of this.

It’s really obvious that children and parents are right at the bottom of the agenda.

romeolovedjulliet · 15/09/2020 12:15

@Totickleamockingbird

A huge number of people in this government are from backgrounds where they don’t have to worry about childcare the same way as us.
that statement would most likely to any party that was in power to some degree.
Curiosity101 · 15/09/2020 12:20

I was thinking about this the other day. DS is due his 12 months vaccinations in a couple of weeks' time. He's prone to temperatures after the MenB vaccinations and this one also includes MMR which often has a delayed response. Not to mention he's liable to getting temperatures for minor infections due to his age.

Witchend · 15/09/2020 12:21

I'm anticipating isolating most of November through to March with ds' ear infections. I will know it isn't covid, but he'll have a fever for a few days for each, and roughly 1-2 per fortnight. Judging by currently not sure we'll manage to get a test.

Whatafustercluck · 15/09/2020 12:26

@DumplingsAndStew because if he has to self isolate due to temp/ cough, we all do in this household - and I'll have to inform the school that ds is self isolating so they will need to consider what to do about his bubble.

OP posts:
Gancanny · 15/09/2020 12:32

Why will your children's classmates and staff be affected if your husband develops symptoms?

Worry that they've been in contacted with an infected person maybe? And then the wider l, related worries around childcare, school, work, family, etc if the test does come back positive?

I think we're in for a long winter, OP. We've been self-isolating since Thursday last week, cannot get any tests locally and past the point of a test being worthwhile now so are to just have to complete the 14 days. I know the symptomatic person only has to do 10 days but with me and DH in for 14 day, so are they. School don't have a plan in place for pupils who are self-isolating so no work for the DC to do other than what I'm doing with them, despite Johnson claiming in Parliament last night that children still at home are being given school work.

DH is working from home right now, management want them back in the office and the union have essentially told management to fuck off. Some staff are still on the office but a department that would normally be housed on half a floor is currently housed across two entire floors in order to meet social distancing rules so goodness knows where they'll put everyone. They've also had four staff in recent weeks who had come into work despite living with someone who was symptomatic/tested positive and they should have been self-isolating, three of them went on to develop symptoms and test positive themselves so large numbers of staff who had been in contact with them had to then self-isolate (the four staff were all from separate households so that was four teams/departments down, some of them can do their jobs from home but others can't either due to the nature of the work or their circumstances). They have had several staff come into work while symptomatic and had to be sent home.

Several schools hereabouts have had to send entire year groups home due to confirmed cases and have lots of children off due to them having symptoms and either awaiting tests or riding out the self-isolation period. One school had a parent purposely send in her symptomatic children as covid is a lie, that school now has three year groups isolating. DC nursery only had two children in attendance last week and eldest DC class of 32 only had 17 in school at the start of last week.

Realistically we could complete these 14 days and then a week later one of my other DC could develop a cough or a temperature and we're back in for another fourteen days or another attempt to get a test.

They need to sort the testing system out first and foremost because it's an utter shambles. Track and trace is next on the list. They need employers and schools to have clear plans on how people can continue to work/educate if they're self-isolating, and they need financial support in place for those unable to work from home during self-isolation otherwise self-isolating people who can't afford to be on reduced pay are going to go into work and their kids are going to be going to school and childcare.

MaskingForIt · 15/09/2020 12:33

[quote Whatafustercluck]@DumplingsAndStew because if he has to self isolate due to temp/ cough, we all do in this household - and I'll have to inform the school that ds is self isolating so they will need to consider what to do about his bubble.[/quote]
But that’s a choice youve made for your family, it isn’t the government’s guidelines. Your school doesn’t have to act just because you’ve all decided to stay at home together.

DoubleDessertPlease · 15/09/2020 12:33

Dh has just been told he must return to the office in November, despite being able to do his job perfectly well from home.

I can sympathise. This is going to be the real problem going forward I think. They can tell us to SD and only meet in groups of 6, etc but once companies force employees back into open plan air conditioned offices (most recycle air to some extent), then I can imagine it’ll spread round like any other airborne virus (rapidly). Particularly galling if you’re doing a good job WFH too.

ScrapThatThen · 15/09/2020 12:34

Yep, and all your doctors and nurses isolating when their DC have a temp or a cough and their dc can't get a test.

TableFlowerss · 15/09/2020 12:41

It’s an absolute ball ache!!! If you could nip to the test centre when your child felt ill - get an appointment straight away - then be told the results within the hour that would be the only way it’s going to work.

This school year is going to be a right off imo too. I don’t think schools should close because the economy would fall on its knees (it probably will over the coming months)

Super fast tests need to be arranged not waiting 4 days for results.....

Whatafustercluck · 15/09/2020 12:41

Sorry @MaskingForIt but you're wrong. That's exactly what Government guidelines state:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Of course the school will have to act is one of their children potentially has Covid because they're sharing a household with someone who may have it.

OP posts:
BoggledBudgie · 15/09/2020 12:42

@MaskingForIt that’s not a choice, it’s now law I believe?

BoggledBudgie · 15/09/2020 12:43

Cross posted with @Whatafustercluck

But I also agree. Me and DC have already had to isolate once since school returned due to colds and them losing our tests. I have zero faith in this system anymore.

willieversleep · 15/09/2020 12:55

The fact @MaskingForIt and others don't know that everyone in the household has to isolate if one member has symptoms means it's never going to work. I'm a teacher who is currently sitting at home with my two children waiting on results. Children can't go to school/nursery and I can't teach. This the second time this month 🤦‍♀️ it's going to be a long term

LindaEllen · 15/09/2020 13:02

I think it will get increasingly difficult as seasonal viruses become more common going into autumn, and certainly winter.

At least in the summer portion of the pandemic it was unlikely there was much else floating about, but we all know that changes in winter.

Add to that the difficulty in getting local tests at the moment, and you're looking at people - and indeed entire families - have to isolate for periods because they've been unable to get a test quickly, and they can't risk going in public. It's going to be incredibly disruptive for education and every place of work will be affected.

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