To expect people ill with Covid stay home?

[LakelandHiker]

This week, my manager and a friend who goes to my exercise class are ill with Covid. I don't know if they've tested, but they've both said they have it. However one is still coming into the office and the other still attending the exercise class. AIBU or overreacting here... but why don't they stay home until clear? Even if 'feeling 95% better' wouldn't you wait until potentially exposing others? I can't help but feel mad at them both for being so selfish. I often look after an elderly relative and can't risk passing Covid on to her as she is frail. I get life can't be on pause forever but my manager can get paid sick leave and my friend can miss a class, it isn't like there's anything at stake...

Of course I do, but you can wear a mask when you're unwell.
I care about a lot of things, and a lot of people, and it would be nice to have some of that care paid back to me for a change.
Sounds like you're asking me to sacrifice myself for wider society? Why do I matter less?

My mum is immune compromised and could be dangerously ill from covid so I test if I suspect we have it. I'm just getting over it. Based on my experience anyone who is well enough to be at an exercise class has either not got covid or is so far into it they are no longer going to spread it. But in principle I agree, knowingly spreading illness of any kind when it's avoidable is awful behaviour. Workplaces and schools have a part to play in this madness with their presenteeism culture.

Yes I appreciate that.

@aliasfrog The masks don't work.

I don't know how anyone would know if they've got a bad cold or COVID unless people are still testing which is unlikely. I wouldn't expect anyone to stay at home in either case if they feel well enough to go to work etc. It's annoying when you get ill from other people but that's just life.

its a weird British thing where lots pat themselves on the back for going in on their deathbeds
Nobody tests anymore and people ridicule those who say they have Covid and stay home.
if people feel well enough to work and want to then they do, especially if they don’t get sick pay.
Some people have it bad and some people don’t, we don’t distinguish between the two anymore.

i have low immunity, I think if I got Covid again and felt as ill with it as I have been before, I’d be better off saying I have flu and going sick with that.

Your right
I should have written for a lot of people its " LIKE " a cold.

Of course you're not being unreasonable but people are selfish twats.

Thanks for that. In all honestly nobody gives a shiny shite about immunocompromised people. I can barely live my life because I'm trying to avoid catching covid. I can't go to concerts or shows, I can't use public transport or go anywhere crowded. I have to live half a life because doing more could kill me or leave me permanently bedbound.
Empathy is in pretty short supply these days.

So true

And that is very hard. Can you not see though, that there are others who have contracts which don't pay for sickness, have jobs that can't be done from home at all, or whose workplace sickness policies dictate that after a certain number of sickness absences disciplinary processes apply - and for those people, there are often no benefits they can claim, and certainly not ongoingly?

I am sorry for your circumstances. But you must see that for people in all the situations above (and believe me, there the number is larger than you think if you work in a can-be-done-from-home, sick pay when you're off contract) life is often already tenuous. And it just isn't realistic to expect anything other than people prioritising holding down their own jobs and ensuring their paychecks cover their bills.

@aliasfrog So what's the solution?

People do need to get on with their lives. True. But because someone 'got on with his life' I caught Covid from him, which developed into Long Covid and I couldn't get on with MY life for 5 and a half years. Just saying....

The sad thing is that nobody cares unless it directly impacts them. I have a child who is on immunosuppressants. He hasn’t been to school for a long time due to a separate issue and I’m dreading him catching Covid when he goes back, which looks like being pretty soon. I do think people are very blasé about Covid, even though it can make some people dangerously ill. I understand that life has to go on, but it would be good if people could at least wear a mask when they have a virus to try and limit the spread. I wear one now when out and about if I have a cough or if if I’m sneezing a lot.

Tell me why they don't catch the infected water droplets you spray out when you cough or sneeze.

And lots of peoole pat themselves on their back for " doing the right thing"
When they can work from home and dont care about those that cant.

Equally you may have caught it from someone asymptomatic that didn’t know they had Covid.

The vulnerable people still get the COVID & flu jabs so have more protection.

For everyone else it's carry on as normal. If someone can work from home then they should. If someone's clearly too unwell to be in the office or is coughing or sneezing over everyone then they should go home.

Alot of people can't afford time off.

If someone's well enough to be at an exercise class then there's no reason for them to stay at home.

If you know someone who is particularly vulnerable then let them know before you visit them, meet up or share a car etc but general public don't worry about it.

Stay home when you're ill.

So what is your solution?

However you could pick up anything at gatherings like that, from people who have no idea they might be carrying virus germs. If every single person in those crowds felt OK, you could still catch something.

It’s just not a realistic solution for everyone though, for the reasons already discussed on here.

Surely elderly frail and immunocompromised people are getting their yearly flu and Covid jabs? I thought the Covid vax was was safe and effective - how did people protect themselves against flu before 2020? Some people just loved 2020/21 and can’t let go of it

@aliasfrog Only if you pay my rent. Otherwise I can't afford to.

And if you cant afford that ?
Or risk getting disciplined at work then what?