Is anyone still isolating with covid?

[Whattodonut]

My sister is- she caught it from a friend who hadn't mentioned she had a temperature when they met up. (Another thread- I'm annoyed about that on her behalf!)
She's done 3 days positive and says she's going to isolate until she's negative. She has a toddler who her DH is of course looking after but it means he'll be missing work to look after toddler until she's well.

She's worried about passing it around- our parents are elderly and I think I'd be angry if someone who knew they had it gave it to them. She does feel like shit but then if it were flu she would also feel like shit and carry on because... toddler.

What would you do?

We have to remember that if covid was killing thousands of healthy people, we would have very strict guidelines still, enforcement I imagine too etc etc. For most people, as grim as covid is, it will pass. That’s why we have our normal lives back again.

No workplace can fire anyone for a single period of sickness. Be it 5 days or 1 day. Silly to say people aren't 'allowed' time off. They're entitled to it if sick. What would they do if it was noro or gastroenteritis? That can flatten you for weeks.

What would they do if their child was the one with chicken pox? That's at least a week off school. But they'd take that week because it's highly contagious And child can't go in until no longer infectious. Sorry but I'm not making anyone feel anything. It's up to you how you feel and if you feel like a terrible person, well, make of that what you will.

Why are people still testing?

It doesn't matter what you are ill/poorly with. It doesn't need a name.

Either you are too sick to go out and about/work, or you are not, in which case carry on.

If you feel grotty then it's the decent human thing to do to NOT go spreading it around.

But that applies to any illness.

I've had covid recently. I let my family know to stay away at the weekend and did an online shop, but before that I still took my son to school when I was unwell and DH took 2 days off sick then went back to work.
When workplaces and schools don't have any policies anymore it's difficult to choose to isolate. Dh felt pressure to go in and I couldn't ring the school and declare I was keeping my child isolated because I had covid, when that isn't the rules anymore.

What would they do if their child was the one with chicken pox? That's at least a week off school. But they'd take that week because it's highly contagious And child can't go in until no longer infectious.

Parents should not be phoning in sick because a child has chicken pox. They should take annual leave or parental leave.

and yes, someone could get in trouble for phoning in sick because they tested positive with Covid but didn't actually have any significant symptoms. You call in sick when YOU are too sick to work. Not because your child is or because of a line on a Covid test.

Of course, but that won't be on my conscience because I won't be in Tesco.

Some of us care for eg elderly relatives.

I won't be taking covid there.

@Balloonhearts
Agreed, I am absolutely not fine with people mixing when they have all the ailments you listed!
I’ve always hated that and I do avoid people when I’m ill, whether it be covid or anything else.
It’s the obsession with isolating with covid over any other illness which is exactly my point and then accusing them of being tossers because they need to work, shop or whatever.
If soneone’s lucky enough to isolate for days on end, and it’s easy to do as one PP suggested, then good for them. Some people haven’t that luxury I’m afraid and calling them tossers for that is most unfair.

I wouldn’t meet up with anyone or go into any kind of closed environment with anyone without telling them I had it and giving them the option to avoid. It’s selfish otherwise. Mind you, I’d do that for a bad cold or flu too.

If I felt perfectly well but was testing positive I’d go for walks and stuff

But what if you've already had to have time off with gastroenteritis, then you get covid, and you need the odd day off due to children being unwell...you can't be sacked for a single period of sickness, that's true, but in many workplaces disciplinary processes can kick in for 3 episodes of absence and if you work in an environment where you're mixing with lots of people, or you have small kids in school or nursery (or you're just unlucky) it's easy to fall foul of those rules. Also, most workplaces will stipulate that you shouldn't come in with D&V, or something like chicken pox. When people say they're not "allowed" time off for covid they are saying they have been told by their workplaces that they will not be authorised time off for isolation, they are expected in work if they test positive.

She's worried about passing it around- our parents are elderly and I think I'd be angry if someone who knew they had it gave it to them. She does feel like shit but then if it were flu she would also feel like shit and carry on because... toddler.

Depends on how poorly she was with flu. I've had flu once, that I'm aware of. I couldn't have looked after a toddler. I spent days in bed unable to do very much at all. Someone would have had to help me out.

With covid I've never isolated within our home, from family members, even back in 2020. I'm the vulnerable one anyway and dh and dd never got it from me in the times I've had it, Likewise, dh and dd didn't give it to me when they've had it.

My school policy (follows the LEA guidelines) is that adults should stay home if ill with covid. The LEA's advice was, until very recently, adults should stay off work for 5 days. No idea if it's changed since the summer. The school staff who have had it since going back have all been ill enough to be off work regardless.

I test as it can affect my medication and I have to stop taking one of them. I'd need to with other infections too - for example I recently had pneumonia and had to do the same. It's also the way to get antivirals if needed.

Why did you bother testing if you aren't going to act in the results?

Anyway, covid is just another illness. As with any other illness its mild for some, deadly to others. I has a friend whose daughter nearly died from chicken pox! But life just can't stop for all illnesses.

You do know that the guidelines for chicken pox is to isolate away from others, and not go out knowingly spreading it?

And you are supposed to stay home for 48 hours after a bout of D&V, rather than still mixing and spreading it.

So yes - 'life' as it normally is does have to stop for some other illnesses too

Some people need to.

If I have covid - or another potential serious infection/virus such as flu, pneumonia, etc. - I have to stop one of my medication for a period of time to avoid further issues with my immunity.

It is also the way to access antiviral medication for those who may need it.

Some people have particularly vulnerable relatives/friends, such as those having chemo, etc and would rather avoid passing it on to those people. Hopefully they'd do the same with something like flu and a cold, but as there's a simple way to test for covid (unlike flu and colds where there isn't an available test available at low cost) it makes sense for some people to do so if in such situations.

Well if you're assuming that one person only has just covid for the rolling 12 months and then your theory works, but that's just abit unrealistic isn't it.
My workplace only allow x amount of sick times. Once you exceed x amount of sickness you have to start having meetings with HR etc. not everyone and every work place can just take time off work when unwell... god if only it was so easy!!
Noro and chickenpox are different to covid. The Gp and schools and my workplace would not allow you in the office with that. My best friend works for the nhs as a nurse and is specifically told now to NOT test and if you have covid you still go into work unless unwell. That's not the advice they get for noro or chickenpox. They are different.
This is exactly my point, had you care to pay attention to it instead of just getting in the defence.
Some people can just isolate, some workplaces and schools may support that. Other people cannot.

I wouldn't know if i got covid as I won't test

So no. Most people don't isolate

As a follow up from my previous post here, we today have 8 staff out of almost 300 in the office who are positive for covid. Not allowed to come in, we have had to report to IPC and are now classed as in a 'breakout' and are back in masks.

Sorry - 3 of these are actually from a different building so 5 from ours and still have to revert to mask wearing

I would semi self isolate if I had covid symptoms . would go out if needed to but wouldn't if I didn't and would avoid hanging round people as far as I could

I don't test. I would go by whether I had symptoms or not. Flu is just as deadly as covid if you're CEV anyway.

Currently on day 3 of covid and I'm isolating until negative. Couldn't work if I wanted to - feel too rough. Plus I would hate to pass this onto anyone vulnerable / immunocompromised.

same for us. I work on an elderly ward as a nurse and our policy is in work as normal with Covid as long as well enough wearing a mask. I’m day 2 of 5th Covid infection and deffo not well enough

No as wouldn’t test for it now, whats the point no ones keeping figures
if i feel unwell i generally stay home and avoid others anyway,i have had covid 3 times, the first time i had no symptoms and was in height of all having to test.
technically with a cold we are contagious for some time, no one isolates for all that time they are contagious and colds can be bad for people
i just use a bit of common sense

@Lastchancechica

We have to remember that if covid was killing thousands of healthy people, we would have very strict guidelines still, enforcement I imagine too etc etc. For most people, as grim as covid is, it will pass. That’s why we have our normal lives back again.

So if covid was killing thousands of unhealthy people - vulnerable, disabled, elderly, obese, etc., - as it was as the beginning of the pandemic, does the same still apply? Would you support that?

Nope, I probably had it last week, not that I know as I didn't test, felt fine, slight cough and headaches, partner and kids have it now though. Didn't isolate the other time I had it in 2022 either.