To ask regarding COVID - what does 'we just have to live with it' look like in real life?

[Fay2121]

I keep hearing the phrase.

What is the reality of 'we just have to live with it'.

What is this place for exactly if not for discussing issues and answering the question the OP asked?

That's not actually a personal point against you as it happens. Just a general observation on the way the covid threads have gone for the last two years.

What’s weird is how it seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. If living with it means delays, shortages and other problems let’s just hope it disappears sooner rather than later

"But, and I say this gently, teachers are not unique. Most of us, in all walks of life, have had a horrendous couple of years.*

I already said we are not. The thread is about issues we face as we learn to live with it. Can we not all post the issues we have or is it anyone apart from teachers?

Whether you're a teacher or not, strains in education affect the whole of society

I'm a teacher. We have had to close year groups this week due to number of staff illness and we can't open fully on health and safety grounds.

Not because staff are isolating but because they are sick. Too sick to work. There is no cover available.

I would imagine this will continue to happen as it rips through school. I have had three sick days in 10 years. I caught covid three weeks ago and it floored it. I was off for two weeks. I couldn't walk up my stairs without getting scarily breathless. I'm in my 30s fit and well and triple jabbed. Was scary.

The massive inconvenience for parents too. 24 hours notice that your kid will be at home the following day. Ok if you're kid is old enough to be left. But if they aren't people are already struggling massively to pay for anything never mind having to take MORE time away to look after children. It's a nightmare that will continue.

Supermarket I work in also expect staff with Covid to come in. Sometimes it's okay but some of the staff look half dead dragging themselves to work or risking disciplinary and no sick pay (except SSP)
I've been lucky and not had Covid but I gave up testing ages ago anyway.
Its about common sense if you feel like shit stay home, if it's like a cold go to work. Same for my kids.
It's still a bit of a worry going to work and out and about but it's more preferable than being in lockdown.
But as far as I can see really ill stay home, otherwise just do as you would have done pre 2020

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers but if teachers have a high temperature and flu symptoms they should not be going into work . At least I had hoped a benefit of Covid would be an ongoing understanding of not spreading germs around . It doesn't matter if the illness they have is Covid, flu, or a bad cold. If they are symptomatic and feeling unwell they should stay at home .

The issue with Covid testing has been where people have been forced to stay at home when they are feeling perfectly well, and in many cases don't get sick pay.

How old is your mum @JesmondDene123 ? Because what you describe can be the case for several illnesses as people get older, flu, or something as simple as a urine infection . I'm not saying it's not a very difficult situation for you and your mum, but what you describe isn't solely related to Covid. (Unless of course your mum is only 55 and then that would be very unusual)

Living with it - the positives

Next school term

I for one am looking forward to a return of parents being able to see school concerts and sports days.

I'd like to actually meet my childrens teachers - I don't even know what they look like.

Recently

I've been enjoying going to things only recently reopened in Scotland like the theatre.

I finally got to meet all my colleagues at work.

I took my niece to soft play - she's 5 and had no memory of going before the pandemic

Post Easter I'm hoping to finally ditch the Face mask

In honesty I think living with it means taking some basic measures to prevent spread. Old normal has gone, it's not normal to get repeatedly ill, and yes people are catching it over and over and being more poorly than they are with a cold.
It should mean mask up where appropriate (especially if you can't afford to be off sick, or if you feel sorry for the poor shop staff who are serving you, because you know THEY can't afford to be off sick...) and test if you're going somewhere that a mask isn't appropriate. Tests should of course be free.
It should mean proper HEPA air filtration in schools and other public spaces. We need to look after our kids and the people we trust to look after and teach them.
And it should mean staying at home when you're ill.
If we all did those basic things, we will all get ill less and everyone will be able to do the things that are important to them.
Covid isn't going anywhere sadly but there are simple things we can do to suppress it.
We just need to work together and make minor adjustments to try not to catch or spread covid. Other countries are doing it much more successfully than us.

@Schuyler

My husband, best friend and sister are all teachers. What I see on here does not reflect what I see from them. If they’re too sick to work, they’re off work. The world doesn’t cave in! They get stressed, of course, because they care about their jobs but they take time off and get better.

If one of my DC’s teacher was off sick, I’d wish them well and hope it was nothing serious. It wouldn’t cross my mind to be angry or upset. I don’t know anyone who would criticise a teacher for the odd day off sick here and there. Of course some people are arseholes about it, but they’re arseholes in general. They’re not the majority.

I’m a social worker. Care agencies can’t deliver basic care when multiple staff have Covid. They are deciding if it’s ok that Mrs X misses her shower and hot meal today because her neighbour can drop in a sandwich. They’re so short staffed, they can only provide care to Mr Y who is fully cared for in bed. He cannot even shift positions to get comfortable and neither feed himself nor use the toilet. Social workers are going out and delivering some of the care. I’ve had some tough days and very sad days when I see how people are coping. I don’t come on here and berate other people for not caring enough and for not doing enough.

@Schuyler

Absolutely, what you said

Teaching is valuable and important, absolutely, and no one doubts that

But other people also feel under pressure to deliver the best possible service in challenging circumstances ....

Also, why do people believe the myth that viruses mutate to be weaker? It’s not true. Some viruses do but plenty don’t. Measles is a good example of an exceptionally dangerous virus that in all the time we’ve experienced it, has not mutated to be milder.
With respiratory viruses, they self select to be milder. The milder a virus is, the more likely it is that people will go out with it and spread it. Therefore the most prevalent viruses are the mildest.
This is specifically respiratory viruses because people know when they are coughing or sneezing. Measles are infectious up to 4 days before the rash appears so the same does not apply.

@ValerieCupcake your HR department is a bit ignorant if they believe every cold is equal . One of the weird things of people getting milder Covid symptoms seems to be some people have colds that make them more unwell than others are with Covid . I have a cold at the moment - I feel like shit. Luckily I'm WFH at the moment so put in a few hours and went back to bed . If I had been in the office then I would have taken the day off sick . Of course there are head colds which are just an annoyance .

living with it means taking some basic measures to prevent spread

But there aren’t any basic measures that succeed in preventing spread. Even lockdowns seem to have a hard time with omicron. Countries that have vaccine passports in place, that have free LFTs still, that mandate masks, that mandate surgical masks, all seeing cases go through the ceiling with omicron.

We won’t all keep getting this ill repeatedly forever, but we have very limited tools at our disposal to stop it happening now.

Next time I get ill I will absolutely be phoning in sick and will be citing this thread as my reason. No longer will I be dragging myself in to work.

Oh wait, given the high level of contact and viral load of working with 450 young children in a small building I'll be phoning in sick at least once a month for a week or so. The parents will love it 😇

Possibly a first world problem, but Easyjet cancellations and possibly BA ones as well, are part of living with it.

@TheKeatingFive

But that sort of mitigating measures would make a huge difference, as proven in Japan for example.

Show me the evidence that the mitigating measures you're talking about have any affect on the spread of omincron. What data is there? Because there appears to be ample evidence to the contrary.

Well have a look at how many people have died in Japan, even with omicron. And then come and tell me who it does NOT make a difference.

Fwiw the measures put in place in Japan are about air filtration, ventilation and CO2 meters.
They put that in place because they wanted to protect THE ECONOMY (not the people).

I have to say I’m staggered at the fact people think there is nothing that can be done to stop omicron. As if the only thing to do was to accept that people will die, the population is getting sicker, the economy is affected, all because putting an HEPA filter in a room is what? Too much effort? Not believable etc…. I dont know.
But the not trying I’m finding baffling (esp when it doesnt even need for individuals to make an effort)

@GoldenOmber

living with it means taking some basic measures to prevent spread

But there aren’t any basic measures that succeed in preventing spread. Even lockdowns seem to have a hard time with omicron. Countries that have vaccine passports in place, that have free LFTs still, that mandate masks, that mandate surgical masks, all seeing cases go through the ceiling with omicron.

We won’t all keep getting this ill repeatedly forever, but we have very limited tools at our disposal to stop it happening now.

Can you prove that? That there are NO measures at all available to stop the spread if omicron?

Because I’m pretty sure that scientists don’t agree with you there. So why is that?!? Do you know something that they don’t know maybe?

And btw yes we will keep getting ill because this virus mutate just like the flu. We had many different variant each year if the flu, one different every year, and the same will happen with covid.
The difference is that the flu isn’t as infectious and as deadly.

Don’t be fooled. You can’t get heard immunity for covid anymore than you can for the flu or a cold.

I have to say I’m staggered at the fact people think there is nothing that can be done to stop omicron.

Because lots of countries have tried lots and lots of different things, including air filtration, including masks, and it hasn’t stopped omicron. Even Japan is struggling with hospital capacity in this wave.

I agree it would be lovely if there was something simple and easy we could all do that would make a real difference to infections and not cost us much, but that doesn’t mean there is one.

Well have a look at how many people have died in Japan, even with omicron.

That's about FR though, not spread. FR is very low in the U.K. now also, though this was not the case throughout the pandemic, obviously.

The measures in Japan haven't impacted spread hugely anyway, as they've had their own peaks throughout. I don't know at what stage they are in the omincron wave, but if it looks okay now, I wouldn't be willing to bet it won't necessary stay that way. Look at HK, South Korea. Also poster children for the 'sensible mitigations' who several weeks later find themselves in crisis.

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

Good lord the martyrdom! You do know that no one’s forcing you into a “small building” with 450 people? And that historically those working in education always joked about having robust immune systems due to the exposure? I mean surely you were aware of the risk of transmission of allsorts? I mean flu being a prime example of what you would expect to be exposed too in that line of work.

What do you want? Mitigations that don’t work? For us to be like Japan?

Yes that’s what you want. Jeeez anything to moan about.

I’m staggered at the fact people think there is nothing that can be done to stop omicron.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but China is struggling even with strict lockdown measures.

That there are NO measures at all available to stop the spread if omicron?

All you have to do is look at China to appreciate the challenge

I am staggered people believe we can STILL mitigate this, and to think i was the one who was labelled not the brightest on this thread.

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

Next time I get ill I will absolutely be phoning in sick and will be citing this thread as my reason. No longer will I be dragging myself in to work.

Oh wait, given the high level of contact and viral load of working with 450 young children in a small building I'll be phoning in sick at least once a month for a week or so. The parents will love it 😇

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

I have several teachers in my family. Testing regularly. None of them have been absent every month for a week

@Eyedropeyeflop well yes, my working contract stipulates that I go to work every day in this building with 450 children. I love teaching and I want to be there but it pisses me off when the public fail to recognise the overcrowding in schools and that it might not be healthy.