Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Would you self isolate?

703 replies

janemaster · 01/03/2020 11:40

The advice is to self isolate if you have travelled from certain areas abroad, even if you have no symptoms. We know in other countries that not everyone has followed this advice.
So be honest, if you had no symptoms but were told to self isolate for 2 weeks in the house, would you? This would mean not leaving the house at all and staying in a separate room from anyone else living in your house.

YABU - No I would not
YANBU - Yes I would

OP posts:
HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:54

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:56

i apologize profusely Im so so sorry that i didnt know all that about you in the same way that you couldnt have known about my DHs COPD!!

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 22:58

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

PickAChew · 02/03/2020 23:32

Crikey.

maddy68 · 02/03/2020 23:37

I would like to think I would but I don't get paid if I'm off, no sick pay either so I probably would if I had no symptoms

HeIenaDove · 02/03/2020 23:44

www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200303_01/

Govt. announces income compensation plan

Japan's government says it will pay up to about 80 dollars per person per day to businesses as income compensation for parents taking leave from work in response to temporary school closures that began nationwide.

The health and labor ministry on Monday revealed the details of a new subsidy system as the government strives to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The ministry will pay the subsidy of up to 8,330 yen per person per day to businesses if their employees take paid leave to take care of their children due to school closures.

It'll also offer stipend in cases where employees care for people suspected of having been infected with the virus

The measure will cover regular and non-regular workers who take leave between February 27 and March 31.

The ministry plans to determine and announce soon how the system will be implemented.

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 01:37

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/dwp-urge-coronavirus-hit-benefit-21617489

Benefit chiefs have urged any Coronavirus-hit welfare claimants to contact their Jobcentre to avoid being sanctioned.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today insisted none of those directly affected by the global outbreak will have their benefits stopped.

However, DWP staff must know about the situation. They must also deem that claimants had a good reason for missing an interview or a work appointment

It is thought this will be judged in terms of whether or not claimants are following official public health advice on when to self-isolate

Currently, NHS advice states people only need to self-isolate "if advised to by the 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional."

A DWP spokeswoman said: "Our staff are ready to support people if they are affected – we urge them to contact us by phone, or their Work Coach via their online journal, to explain their situation.

"Anyone not eligible to receive sick pay is able to claim Universal Credit and/or contributory Employment and Support Allowance."

A memo to Jobcentres seen by Sky News helps explain to DWP staff how to cope with the outbreak.

It says there is "no change to the normal arrangements", and claimants cannot simply fail to attend because they are afraid of interacting with other people

The advice says: "If a customer does not attend a scheduled meeting, for example, the normal 'failed to attend' arrangements will apply

It adds: "Government advice is 'business as usual' and we should not change our customer services whilst the level of risk remains as it is now.

"This will be kept under review."

It came as MPs demanded an emergency law tonight to stop Coronavirus leaving thousands of zero-hour workers penniless

Statutory Sick Pay, worth £94.25 per week, is available to zero-hour workers but only covers those on more than £118 a week - after they've been ill for four days

ThrowingGoodAfterBad · 03/03/2020 07:46

It’s at times like this we see the weaknesses of an economy geared around the freedoms of the rich to rip poorer groups off with no safety nets given. It requires the poorer groups to be continually better than the rich. They won’t countenance the only real hit to their convenience and wealth that would do any good, ie stopping all movement in and out of the country, so why should I take the hit to my economies, which directly results from that failure to act and will have much bigger consequences for me, by unnecessarily self isolating? I’m glad the very lowest groups on benefits will get something, but those of us who work for a living on agency contracts have no such backup.

ThrowingGoodAfterBad · 03/03/2020 07:55

Unfortunately the consequences of encouraging the economy to develop that way for 30-40 years will never be undone for my generation (early 40s) either, even if it’s changed tomorrow. In fact I expect we’ll have to take the hit at both ends. Don’t expect me to be happy about it as well.

MichaelMumsnet · 03/03/2020 08:25

Hi all. We have a new Coronavirus section and we'll be moving a few relevant topics into it (including this one) over the next few days.

ivykaty44 · 03/03/2020 09:34

There are restrictions on class sizes at infants, yes. But an assembly, singing, lunch time in the hall, indoor playtime (quite common with our weather recently), etc are all a group of children gathering in one room - so easily 100, 200, 300 or more in one space all in close contact. On a normal week we have such occasions pretty much every day.

So restricting these things would help to stop the spread, yes for a while it may not be great but stopping assembly and everyone playing together is surely better than people losing their homes through self isolation

Aragog · 03/03/2020 12:39

That's fine and if it come to it I am sure schools will do their best to put things in place, but for many schools it won't be easy. Time and staffing will be the big constraints, as well as space. Many schools, especially those in old Victorian buildings, already struggle. Some of our classrooms are linked and open - it is to allow free flow for the children, so no doors and only half walls between them. I dont think this is that uncommon especially at reception and infants.

Lunch time is often already staggered, even then you generally have a large number in one space at a time. Playtimes - its a case of timings and staffing.

We would probably need staggered start and end times too - most schools only have two or three entrances to their schools and often have 100+ pupils and parents coming in and out of entrances and playgrounds in close contact twice a day. Staggered starts are going to mean parents, as well as schools, change their work patterns.

Its all workable but needs a bit of planning to sort first, and will probably rely on staff being willing to give up own their unpaid breaks and lunchtimes , etc - so working for free. For a lot of our classroom based staff (the teachers are slightly different, though they'd probably be need to be looking at getting rid of PPA time to aid the staffing, which is prescribed non contact time) this will mean up to 45/60 minutes per day they may be asked to work for free.

At my school we are already doing a lot of pre planning for if and when there may be staff absences, closures, etc, I spent all day yesterday working on the contingency plans for getting work out to pupils, and allowing staff to work together from home, for the instances of 'well' self isolation. Unfortunate most schools, especially, primary aren't really set up for working for home and distant learning - so a lot of our planning and prep is looking at how to sort that, as we already know school closures are possible. Ive been working with advice from an ex colleague who is having to do just that, with no real warning, for her school in China - which has been closed all month.

As the Government has already stated this could be a plan, parents also need to be trying to plan in advance what they could do to help themselves - not int he case necessarily of self isolation, but more in the case of schools closing for 2-4 weeks. So, maybe forming 'teams' with parents sharing the care with one another, allowing the to at least go into work for some of the time. Again, not ideal but just starting to think of ways round it IF it is at all possible.

ThrowingGoodAfterBad · 03/03/2020 14:02

Teams with parents almost sounds like re-creating schools, without school resources.

ThrowingGoodAfterBad · 03/03/2020 14:06

I get that it’s in smaller groups though. I did laugh when I saw the initial reports that gov advice would suggest increasing class sizes.

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 16:14

@ThrowingGoodAfterBad Excellent post. Even Paddy McGuinness can see the problem with people on less money and hes not short of a few bob.

The reason ive bolded part of that article is to show how ambiguous it can be though. The bolded bits can be interpreted differently and each persons work coach may well put their own interpretation on it.

I wouldnt be very reassured if i was on UC Dont forget either that UC IS NOT JUST AN OUT OF WORK BENEFIT So people in jobs having to attend will also be attending their own workplaces too.

I suspect the plan might be to blame poorer people for the spread of this escalating if it does.

Frankiecandle · 03/03/2020 17:03

The poor will get the blame. They always do.

Aragog · 03/03/2020 17:12

It's not recreating schools. I mean trans, if groups of parent friends getting together and helping each other with the childcare to enable them to work. Maybe 3 or 4 families so there's 8 adults to share the supervision of the children, meaning everyone can manage to work with only two or three days missed during the closure. So nothing like a school really.

The resources would be provided via online learning platforms or email from the school.

Rather than everyone panicking about not getting paid because they can't get into work if their children are not allowed in school, surely it's a good idea to plan ahead and see what you could do with friends.

Lweji · 03/03/2020 17:14

I would if I knew I had been in contact with a case. Otherwise, not really.

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 18:05

More on Universal Credit and Coronavirus

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/backlash-coronavirus-isolation-patients-told-21624080

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 18:12

Paul Treloar
@PaulieTandoori
·
27m
BREAKING NEWS!!! DWP Covid-19 plan announced
I'm self isolating, can't work, zero hours, what can I do?
DWP: claim Universal Credit
Great, when do I get paid?
DWP: 5 weeks
But got no money and rent to pay
DWP: advance payment!
How do I get that?
DWP: Come to Jobcentre
Sobs...

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 19:07

Channel 4 news are going to do a segment on low paid workers and self isolation this hour.

HeIenaDove · 03/03/2020 19:52

Well that was interesting and certainly put some of the comments on this thread into sharp focus.

It was about cleaners and other workers who work in the NHS and how they have had to go into work for years while ill due to lack of self pay

They self isolate........the hospital has a lack of cleaners

They donnt self isolate and go into work ill they can pass illness onto vulnerable patients.

And it wasnt just cleaners It also included people serving food to patients.

Given you used to work in the NHS @SirChing and your stance on self isolation what is your opinion on this.

Swipe left for the next trending thread