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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not go to work (teacher) when I have Covid?

86 replies

biggirlknickers · 05/07/2022 22:14

Have just tested positive for Covid. I have symptoms (coughing, loss of voice, runny nose, lack of energy - feels like a medium to bad cold). Contacted my line manager at school who says I should be going in if I feel well enough to work.

I probably do feel well enough to work - as I said, it feels like a bad cold. Not great to work with but I can cope if I have to.

But the NHS advice says to stay home for 5 days and avoid contact with people “if you can”. And I would be shut in a room with a class of children all day. Who of course all go home to their families at the end of the day, potentially carrying my bastard bug with them.

What should I do? I think I should be staying away but I know my school is struggling for cover and I don’t want to go against what my line manager is telling me.

OP posts:
LilacPoppy · 05/07/2022 22:16

I don’t know if any school that isn’t following the five days advice. That’s awful just ring in sick.

LilacPoppy · 05/07/2022 22:16

*of

feellikemyselfagain · 05/07/2022 22:17

You really can't go to work. The potential for someone who is related to a student or another teacher and who has a health condition to catch it is massive. Your line manager is extremely irresponsible

dontbringthatbirdinhere · 05/07/2022 22:17

I would tell a white lie and say your symptoms have worsened overnight and you now feel too poorly to work, then stay off the rest of the week.

It's not ideal that they're struggling for cover, but it feels irresponsible to knowingly spread it.

I just had it last week and had some symptoms for the first couple of days but could work, but by day 3 I needed to sleep all day, so this might not even be a white lie by tomorrow.

brusselsprout5 · 05/07/2022 22:18

Definitely stay off. Teachers beside me all stayed off when they tested positive. Save your colleagues!

PurpleDaisies · 05/07/2022 22:19

Don’t go to work.

maddy68 · 05/07/2022 22:20

I absolutely wouldn't. Kids will be breaking up for the summer, travel plans , seeing grandparents. You get full pay when off so no excuse really

flumposie · 05/07/2022 22:22

Stay off. I'm a teacher, tested positive last Tuesday. Technically could have gone back yesterday but I'm still testing positive and still feel ill. I can't see me going back until the end of the week at the earliest.

Palmtree9 · 05/07/2022 22:24

Please stay off. I'm a teacher, I get the pressures, but please stand your ground.

flumposie · 05/07/2022 22:24

Also I felt much worse on day 4 and 5. I still don't have the energy to stand up . Your line manager should not be recommending you going in. You have similar symptoms to me at the start. I can barely walk now.

SmileyPiuPiu · 05/07/2022 22:25

I hope you genuinely don't feel worse tomorrow but I would "feel worse" tomorrow tbh. You don't want to get long covid so take it steady

Iamatbrakingpointyouknow · 05/07/2022 22:25

Absolutely do not go in. Tell the Head to do one......covid cases are on the rise, sadly, and these new strains are highly transmissable. It may just be like a moderate cold to some, but a lot worse for others.

Summerwhereareyou · 05/07/2022 22:26

I started off feeling ok ,kept Perkin up fhen going down.
You will spread it to other staff members.

I don't know what you should do.

Smileatthesmallthings · 05/07/2022 22:28

Absolutely stay off.

BlackAndPinkNose · 05/07/2022 22:28

The school that I work in, they tell us we HAVE to come in unless we are too ill to work. It is dreadful.

mast0650 · 05/07/2022 22:30

I don't know anyone going into work having recently tested positive for Covid!

GinasGirl · 05/07/2022 22:30

In our school the teachers who currently have covid are at home in bed!

Threetulips · 05/07/2022 22:31

We’ve had teachers in working - in masks.

Not all teachers get sick pay, so are long term cover.

allboysherebutme · 05/07/2022 22:33

Say you do not feel well enough.
This government is rubbish, we are never going to get rid of this if we keep spreading it.

LilyMarshall · 05/07/2022 22:34

My school is an absolute shit show atm with covid. Most people are staying off too but it is still spreading as we are back after 5 days. It is just running rampant through staff and children.

but the advice is go to work if you are well enough. wear a mask. See if that helps 🤔

and those who do bot have covid have a sickness bug that is also doing the rounds.

Timwith2noses · 05/07/2022 22:35

Please stay at home. You don’t know anyone else’s situation. My teen has an NHS operation next week that she’s waited years for. We are keeping everything crossed that she stays covid free between now and then for obvious reasons, but it feels like it’s all down to luck now. I would be so upset if I thought that a teacher knowingly risked infecting her with covid and unknowingly scuppered her surgery.

flumposie · 05/07/2022 22:35

@BlackAndPinkNose that's outrageous.

vdbfamily · 05/07/2022 22:38

If you are symptomatic, stay off a few days. You are most contagious a couple of days before your symptoms start and a few days after so you will be pretty low risk after a few days of symptoms.

Singleandproud · 05/07/2022 22:38

Officially our school say you have to go in unless you are feeling too ill. My line manager says if any of us test positive then we "feel too ill" for 5 days instead of taking down the rest of the dept.

Don't go in, it's the right thing to do for the students, I didn't feel too bad when I had it symptoms wise but it was the utter exhaustion that got me and lasted at least a week after I went back.

Original poster
biggirlknickers · 05/07/2022 22:40

Yes that is pretty much what I’m being told. Kids are being told the same.

OP posts:
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