To be off work sick with a cold for a week?

[doi24]

I feel like I'm being dramatic but I still don't feel well and I'm meant to be due back at work. I've still got the cold, just obviously not as bad as it's been a few days, but I feel absolutely knackered and wiped out from it. The thought of doing a full days work right now just makes me feel worse. My head feels fuzzy and I feel exhausted.

I'm convinced it's possibly been covid I've had, as I've never been this ill from a cold before. Was actually debating whether or not to go to the doctors but obvs don't want to waste their time if it's just a cold.

AIBU? I feel like I just need to suck it up and get on with it.

i was poopoohed by my GP saying my immune system was lower.
so i tend not to believe it

Oh thats interesting!

I just checked the availability for Scotland, and they define what type of pharmacist, so not sure if the rest of the UK may have the similar rules about not being a 'local pharmacist'

Many healthcare professionals can complete and issue fit notes as part of your care. This includes:

• a GP
• a hospital doctor
• a registered nurse
• an occupational therapist
• a pharmacist who works in a hospital or general practice
• a physiotherapist

Healthcare professionals who issue fit notes may vary depending on the area you live in. Community pharmacists cannot issue a fit note.

@JC89 there's practically no flu circulating at this time of year. The flu positivity rate at the moment is 0.8%, the COVID positivity rate is 10.2% (data as at 14 September from UkHSA).

Everyone talking about having flu most likely has COVID at this time of year.

Seen the GP, turns out I have chest infection and she's given me antibiotics to help clear up

Well I'm a midwifery lecturer who teaches anatomy and physiology so I would very much disagree with your GP. 😀

It's why (as someone else said) pregnant women get offered flu vaccines (and covid vaccine previously, not sure if will be offered the vaccine again this year).

glad you have seen the GP @doi24
rest up, get well

Op take the week off. We are human not robots.

it was almost 24 years ago @VisaWoes so perhaps knowledge has improved

YANBU - I had the cold recently and was wiped for about 2 weeks! It was awful and I’m not even pregnant. I tested and it wasn’t covid.

According to the NHS, a womans’ immune system is ‘in constant flux’ during pregnancy so that the foetus isn’t seen as a foreign body. This can result in immunity being lowered and susceptibility to infections, flu and colds can be increased as a result. It also means that even common things like colds and flu can last longer, be more severe, and can result in complications. So while your GP may be correct in that pregnancy doesn’t result in a fully compromised immune system, they are wrong in that it’s definitely lowered - because the body is busy supplying the baby with what it needs and the immune system is stretched in protecting both mother and baby.

thanks @Rosscameasdoody

She did mention my immune system and suggested the fact that I am pregnant means it's probably the reason why I've struggled to get better

If it’s a complication of a cold or flu, it could be linked to your pregnancy and therefore would not count towards your sick leave.

7 calendar days, yes. I think OP has had 4 working days sick plus the weekend, which means today would be the last day.

Just posted on this subject. This being the case, you should mention it to your employer as being pregnancy related they shouldn’t be counting it towards your normal sick leave, and it shouldn’t trigger disciplinary procedures for sickness. Hope you feel better soon.

I obviously won't get paid now from work, I do claim universal credit though, does anybody know if this will adjust as my earnings will be down?

You self certify for the first week. Just send in a self certify form. A GP would only give a sick note after a week.

My universal credit adjusts automatically if my earnings go up or down.

I’m sorry you feel so poorly.

The one good thing about covid was that employers told people to not come in if they were feeling ill.
This is how it should be and it’s mad that we feel guilty for having time off or our employers try and make us feel bad about it.

Well there's your answer, this is different, you are sick, and certainly won't get over it at work!

Very good point!

Even if you do trigger the sickness monitoring under Bradford Factor that doesn’t mean there will be any negative consequences, whether pregnant or not. It’s a blunt tool for management to use to identify if there might be something going on, e.g. a spate of one day absences on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon. If an employee triggered a meeting and they explained recurrent tonsillitis and a viral infection were the causes I’d show sympathy, ask if there was anything work related involved or anything I could do to help, and that would be the end of the meeting.

It does sound like it could be covid, my mum had it last week and it sounds very similar. I’d
do a covid test to add some weight when you phone in sick. Don’t go to the GPs there’s nothing they can do for a cold/covid.

Not all colds are just snuffles and sneezes you know? Some are quite debilitating.

I was off for a day for the exact same last week. The big boss off for 3 days and another colleague off for a day. So many people I know feeling like this at the minute OP, if your pregnant you need to relax your body so take the week off

Pregnant women are eligible for covid booster.. I'm not getting tho just the flu one.