To think that if you have an infectious disease, you should stay home?

[Notcontent]

So apparently the need to isolate if you have COVID will end in March. To me that seems to be sending an odd message… I am all for COVID restrictions being lifted - but surely if someone knows they have a virus, they should just stay at home??

I always thought it was pretty selfish for people with the flu or a stomach virus etc to just go out and spread their virus on public transport, to colleagues at work, etc.

I thought that a positive to come out of COVID might be that people will be more mindful about not spreading illness but it seems the message being given is that it’s fine to expose others!

I get fully paid when off sick, and there is no way I’d call in sick with a cold.

I have a responsibility to my employer. If I go off sick, I have to self-certify that I am unfit for work. A cold doesn’t make me unfit for work, therefore I go in. And so do all of my colleagues. That’s life I’m afraid.

I know I’m massively privileged to get full sick pay. No way would I take the piss. If I can work, I do work. That’s my contract with my employer.

If we all called in for a cold, we’d soon lose that privilege. Then everyone who had to be off for actual illnesses that meant they couldn’t work would lose pay as well.

Emergency parental leave is also without pay, and many workplaces do not allow annual leave to be used in this way.

Becoming a parent is a choice, getting a cold is not.

I have an 8 year old and have never had to take any parental leave, is it really that common anyway?

@JuergenSchwarzwald

You would be wrong, though. Flu symptoms vary from mild to severe, just like anything else. My daughter had the flu (influenza a, tested by her doctor) and was behaving normally except for the fever

Why would anyone be tested for flu? I assume your daughter was not in the UK?

Flu is a serious illness. It is not mild. And if you have a temperature you generally feel grotty. Well, I do, anyway.

You can be asymptomatic and still have the flu.

Is it really so hard to isolate for a few days if you have covid and to wear a mask in crowded areas?

Unfortunately - yes. Most people don't get paid if they're off sick.

The vulnerable will still be vulnerable why would anyone risk passing on an infection that could kill them?

metro.co.uk/2022/01/19/people-like-me-are-still-dying-every-day-vulnerable-react-to-end-of-self-isolation-rules-15947879/

Please don't be selfish, protect those weaker than you.

@AndAnotherNewOne

The vulnerable will still be vulnerable why would anyone risk passing on an infection that could kill them?

metro.co.uk/2022/01/19/people-like-me-are-still-dying-every-day-vulnerable-react-to-end-of-self-isolation-rules-15947879/

Please don't be selfish, protect those weaker than you.

People have explained why. It's selfish to want to pay your bills? Give over.

Very few people cared if their virus killed or disabled others before covid, and it has surprised me that the exemption lasted this long.

Back to the usual 'it's only a cold'.

There's a sting in the tail... a concept called immunity debt. Basically, by being exposed to germs frequently you're more resistant against being very ill with them. The frequent exposure helps protect most of us - even the CEV. No vaccination programme can keep up with all the germs. Cotton wool is dangerous, it turns out.

Whether we like it or not, we live in an ecosystem with these germs. We need regular exposure to not be hurt by them.

Norovirus is what I dread, btw. I'm sure I've lost all resistance to it. Ugh!!!

@AndAnotherNewOne

The vulnerable will still be vulnerable why would anyone risk passing on an infection that could kill them?

metro.co.uk/2022/01/19/people-like-me-are-still-dying-every-day-vulnerable-react-to-end-of-self-isolation-rules-15947879/

Please don't be selfish, protect those weaker than you.

It's really not that simple, though. People have bills to pay and children to feed. They need to pay their mortgages, their council tax and their nursery fees.

Telling people that they're selfish if they choose not to stay home from work (without pay) is just as bad as what you claim they're doing to the vulnerable.

If you want people to stay at home with minor, run-of-the-mill colds and bugs, you need to campaign for ALL workers to be paid full-pay every time they're off sick, not lambast people who are just trying to keep a roof over their heads.

The country will grind to a half if people do this - also exposure to disease isn't necessarily bad as it helps build up resistance. I don't believe we can have a zero tolerance to infection. Whatsmore some people will just use it as excuse - I can imagine that it will be the same people who are always off work due to infection.

Our work has a 6 days and 3 occasions sickness policy and breach that in 12 months and you’re on a warning. So yes people do come in sick. Now they will work at home on those days but not everyone can do that

I would happily have stayed home every time I had a cold, but I get colds a lot and my work has a sickness policy of going on report if more than 2 episodes of sickness in 12 months. And that could be just 2 days off or 2 months off..

Telling people that they're selfish if they choose not to stay home from work (without pay) is just as bad as what you claim they're doing to the vulnerable.

Not quite as bad as dying, I'd have thought. Did you read the article?

@AndAnotherNewOne

The vulnerable will still be vulnerable why would anyone risk passing on an infection that could kill them?

metro.co.uk/2022/01/19/people-like-me-are-still-dying-every-day-vulnerable-react-to-end-of-self-isolation-rules-15947879/

Please don't be selfish, protect those weaker than you.

Maybe read the full thread to get your answers why it's not selfish ay.

Part of the issue is, if you can afford to (and/or are able wfh) then yes you can probably stay home and feel you are doing it for the greater good
If however you can't wfh and will not be paid for not going in, many many people will simply not be able to afford to isolate (potentially lots of times) for something they feel they could manage at work.

There was a thread earlier where people were (as usual) talking about the "selfish" people who were having to chose between getting a covid test/isolating and paying bills and putting food on the table.
Bottom line is, people will be selfish (and naturally prioritise their own family) if it's a choice between going out when they might be infectious and being able to feed their kids.

@AndAnotherNewOne

Telling people that they're selfish if they choose not to stay home from work (without pay) is just as bad as what you claim they're doing to the vulnerable.

Not quite as bad as dying, I'd have thought. Did you read the article?

Must be nice to live in a world where everything is so simple.

People will put the needs of their loved ones over the needs of people they don't know. Being able to keep a roof over my child's head and feed him is more important to me than a faceless stranger.

It’s also selfish to demand that others isolate and lose pay etc to protect yourself. Everyone is selfish when something directly impacts them.

@AndAnotherNewOne

Telling people that they're selfish if they choose not to stay home from work (without pay) is just as bad as what you claim they're doing to the vulnerable.

Not quite as bad as dying, I'd have thought. Did you read the article?

Yes - and I appreciate colds can be fatal for some people but you can't go around telling people to stay off work when doing so could mean they end in debt or homeless, ffs.

If you want things to change, campaign for better sick leave, don't try and emotionally blackmail people

People will put the needs of their loved ones over the needs of people they don't know. Being able to keep a roof over my child's head and feed him is more important to me than a faceless stranger.

That is so depressing to read.

A shame the government aren't caring for the vulnerable since so many here think they don't matter. I thought that's what we had government for - to look after those least able to look after themselves.

I have read the full thread. I still think we need to protect the vulnerable, not sure why people take exception to that.

@twinkie100

It's going to be very hard for people to change their mindset - but we must. For two years we've been told (rightly) what a threat to life COVID is... and it was. But it's not anymore.

The pandemic is coming to an end thanks to science and the amazing vaccine rollout. We might have spikes caused by new variants (especially considering much of the developing world is unvaccinated) but for the UK it is now becoming a common flu or cold.

It will take the country time to adjust, and it will feel very weird, which is unsurprising - but adjust we will!! if science says it's time, then it's time.

If SCIENCE says it's time? Or a desperate-for-approval prime minister who'll do anything to win favour and distract from his mistakes?! Don't get me wrong. I'll be out with the rest of them but I won't be putting it down to science. Just like i didn't put it down to science that it was ok not to wear a mask I'm a restaurant/ bar yet shops and schools required them. That children were simultaneously 'super spreading vectors of transmission, yet teachers were not at risk, yet suddenly all the kids needed vaccinating, despite this being of little personal health benefit. Science, it ain't. But hey ho. On we go. I'm fine with that, just don't call it science.

@AndAnotherNewOne

People will put the needs of their loved ones over the needs of people they don't know. Being able to keep a roof over my child's head and feed him is more important to me than a faceless stranger.

That is so depressing to read.

A shame the government aren't caring for the vulnerable since so many here think they don't matter. I thought that's what we had government for - to look after those least able to look after themselves.

I have read the full thread. I still think we need to protect the vulnerable, not sure why people take exception to that.

I am CV. I stand by my views.

Those who only get SSP can't afford to stay at home

Covid will be here long after we have gone. We can't keep self isolating forever

@AndAnotherNewOne

People will put the needs of their loved ones over the needs of people they don't know. Being able to keep a roof over my child's head and feed him is more important to me than a faceless stranger.

That is so depressing to read.

A shame the government aren't caring for the vulnerable since so many here think they don't matter. I thought that's what we had government for - to look after those least able to look after themselves.

I have read the full thread. I still think we need to protect the vulnerable, not sure why people take exception to that.

People living in poverty ARE vulnerable. Do you not think they matter?

I have read the full thread. I still think we need to protect the vulnerable, not sure why people take exception to that

What do you mean by protect the vulnerable though? If you mean make everyone else continue to disrupt their lives and lose pay and their livelihoods for a virus that is mild for the majority then yes I do take exception. If you jean come up with another plan to protect the vulnerable that doesn’t impact negatively on everyone else then yes I’m all for it.