Would you go to work tomorrow?

[Rosebel]

My husband has had a cough since Sunday (no other symptoms and is slowly clearing). His boss told him to stay home for 7 days. This morning I started coughing too. I'm convinced it's not coronavirus, just the same as what my husband has.
Should I risk going to work tomorrow? I work in retail so I'm going to be with members of the public. Or should I just let my manager know and see what he thinks?

[BIWI]

@ohmyword20 - don't worry! You're almost certain to find out that those ticketed events have been postponed anyway. Everything we were planning to go to over the next couple of months has been postponed/cancelled.

[BIWI]

That's a great post @cinders222, and I'm going to c+p that on all the threads where people are worrying/anxious/being pressured into going into work!

[ohmyword20]

Yes i agree, do not go in. Both dh and i have different symptoms of what is probably winter colds, possibly a touch of low level flu in my case and while it's totally impractical and i've lost a load of money on some event tickets which i now won't attend, we are following the advice. It's just not worth it and we need as many people as possible to play their part!

[Savingshoes]

Is your deputy manager medically trained and using the latest government advice for employers?
I would probably challenge management if they suggested I come to work with your symptoms.
You can self certify for seven days, regardless of corona. You can simply say that you are unwell and will not be well enough to work until xxx and just be polite but assertive about it.

[cinders222]

Saw this and thought it explained things in simple terms.

For anyone wondering if it's practical or necessary for them to follow the latest UK control measures for COVID-19, here is the rationale and the reasons why it is very very important that they do.

1. The government has rightly recognised that it's neither practical nor effective to continue testing everyone. Even with the very best test turnaround times possible, you can't delay self-isolating and risk infecting someone until you know the result.
   
2. Given the above, they've instead identified the key symptoms that will catch most people with Covid-19 - fever (37.8C or more) or a persisting cough (you might have both but one is enough to be a possible case).
   
3. If you have the symptoms mentioned in #2 they advise that you are infectious from the onset of symptoms for a period of seven days. This is why you need to isolate for 7 days rather than going back out after you feel a bit better, like we would normally do.
   
4. If you self-isolate (and if you don't live alone you need to be distant from the rest of your family/flatmates too) at the first sign of fever or cough for the 7 days YOU WILL NOT INFECT ANYONE ELSE. Really obvious, but remember this the key reason to do this.
   
5. If you don't infect anyone else and everyone else infected takes the same measures, the rate of infection will slow down and ultimately the overall number infected should drop - this is the "flattening the epidemic curve" which is mentioned so often.
   
6. By flattening the epidemic curve, critically ill cases don't all flood the NHS at the same time but are a bit more staggered. This in turn gives these patients a better chance of there being available ICU care which will save their lives.
   
7. If we don't follow this stringently we will be in the same position as Italy where the death rate is shooting up because the overwhelmed health services are unble to treat everyone - people who would have survived the infection two weeks ago when supportive treatment was available, are now dying. We cannot underestimate the horror of their situation and we will all lose people we love if we allow that to happen here.
   

It is definitely a big ask to expect everyone to stay home for a week for what for many will be just a common cold but if we don't do it and we are Covid19 cases then you can see from the above that we are responsible for indirectly killing thousands of people by putting excessive pressure on the NHS. So yes, there are massive financial, professional, personal etc pressures to be borne by all of us in following these measures, (and for some these will be extremely hard) but please, please look ahead to what we need to achieve for the protection of everyone vulnerable to COVID-19. Do the right thing and help all us get through this with as few casualties as possible.

[MrsMGE]

Your previous posts definitely had a selfish tone to it. The recent one was cross-posted.

Stay at home. Hope you feel better soon.

[creaturcomforts]

MrsMGE I think that was uncalled for, op is saying she doesn't want to infect people and is confused about her employers advice and asking for advice.

Her employer is wrong and obviously a lot of companies are going to ignore guidelines and get people who've got possible symptoms to come in or they'll lose money.

I've actually worked for a firm who tried to persuade me to continue working with norovirus! And can make you feel pressured.

I agree with other posters to be sensible and use common sense, if you have the symptoms or are not sure, self isolate. Calling the poster names is completely unnecessary.

[Rosebel]

Did you e even read my update. It's WORK who want me in, not me. I have said I won't go in so I'm NOT being selfish.

[TroubleNo1]

Your employers should be reported and brought into line, they have a social responsibility and must and can't ignore official advice. Loss of business and staff is everyone's worry right now but what's more important is protecting the public at large.

[MrsMGE]

OP, stop being selfish.

It's NOT about you. It's not about "I haven't even been there 2 years".

There is a clear guidance which is a bare minimum you and we all have to adhere to. You are NOT special and not above the rules.

You have a cough OR fever (ONE of these symptoms is enough) = you stay at home for 7 days.

Stop being stupid and risking other people's health or lives.

Many years ago when I was younger and worked in retail, no one would dream about coming to work with sniffles, a bug or anything remotely contagious.

We're in the middle of a pandemic. Your customers pay your wages, and amongst them there will be people a lot more vulnerable than you. Have some bloody respect!

[Medievalist]

It can't be a persistent cough if it started today.

FGS - persistent means constant coughing as opposed to occasional coughing. It doesn't mean you've had to have had it for more than a day!

[Rosebel]

Okay, have got t the assurance I needed so will probably just tell work I have a fever too. Please don't think it's the fact I don't think the advice applies to me. Tbh when I phoned (well my husband phoned as I can't talk) I was expecting them to say stay at home. When I heard the deputy manager say I needed to come in I was really shocked. My husband questioned it and they still insisted it was 2 days.

[Cakecrumbsinmybra]

Omg you have a cough that you've caught from your DH. Of COURSE you should not go in to work! I can't believe you're even asking!

[Saz12]

You have a cough. Not a “frog in the throat” but a cough.
Don’t go to work: self isolate for 7 days. Properly.
If you need to talk your symptoms up to pacify the boss, then do, because you KNOW you’re right.

[Ofthread]

The NEW part is what's important - not 2 day old cough.

[lumpy76]

DO NOT GO TO WORK.

This is exactly why it's spreading so fast - people not doing as they should. Work have zero argument at all in this. Send email with government guidelines- they do not get to decide how to interpret them.

[minipie]

It’s not “persistent cough“ ie lasting a while. It’s “continuous cough“ ie you keep coughing rather than coughing once or twice only.

People keep saying persistent but that is NOT the official wording, they do mean different things.

[Busymum45]

You go to work and are infecting possibly hundreds. Don't be an idiot

[Bargebill19]

Please follow official advice. It’s a new cough. You need to self isolate for 7 days. Your work is categorically wrong. Google the nhs and government advice and follow it.
You may not be seriously ill. But this virus doesn’t come with a business card to announce itself, and you could be responsible for making a lot of people seriously ill or worse dead. Again people don’t wear a badge signifying serious hidden disease.
Self isolate and don’t be stupid.

[Ofthread]

NEW persistent cough FFS

[minipie]

Advice is stay home for 7 days if you have a “new continuous cough”.(or a fever, but it doesn’t have to be both).

You do.

It doesn’t matter what you think has caused the cough. You can’t tell if it’s coronavirus or not. There is no 2 day requirement, your work has made that up.

Please stay home. You are exactly who the govt has told to stay home.

[Rosebel]

Of course I understand the official advice. It's not as if I want to go to work or infect anyone but I also don't want to loose my job. I haven't even been there 2 years yet. Yes they are a huge firm, well known and everything but their excuse is a cough can't be persistent if it's lasted less than 2 days but I suppose I could develop a fever overnight.

[everythingisginandroses]

Fuck your work. Tell them you are feeling really poorly and stay at home.

[FarTooSkinny]

Christ, we really are fucked aren't we. The advice is clear. However you still think it is ok to go to work. They are digging mass graves in Iran. The morgue are overflowing in Italy. Even our government, who have taken a more lenient approach, would advise isolating.

But, hey, I've just got a cough. Fucking hell.

[kittens876]

Seriously. STAY HOME!