Asthmatic teacher who gets the flu jab

[winningwhilstlosing]

Can anyone at all in words of one syllable tell me what I am supposed to be doing as regards work etc. I don’t have a clue - lots of ‘strongly recommend’ advice but how do I follow it if I work in a school.

Stay at home.
Protect yourself. Send in cover work.

Thanks cuckoo. I’m just not sure if that will go down well with my head. If the guidelines were clearer I wouldn’t be worried but the guidelines appear open to interpretation. I have seen differences of opinion on some threads. Honestly I am so cross - surely the advice should be clear and people should know what they have to do!

I can't work out if this applies from Monday or tomorrow

Head wants to know my plans. Seems to think it's from next week.

Does this help you?

We are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
This group includes those who are:
• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
• chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthmaa, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)), emphysema or bronchitiss_
• chronic heart disease, such as heart failuree_
• chronic kidney diseasee_
• chronic liver disease, such as hepatitiss_
• chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s diseasee, motor neurone diseasee, multiple sclerosis (MS)), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
• diabetess
• problems with your spleen – for example, sickle celll_ disease or if you have had your spleen removed
• a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDSS, or medicines such as steroid tabletss or chemotherapyy_
• being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)
• those who are pregnant

I took that from this link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

It includes me as I'm on a Chemo drug (not for cancer) and a biologic drug which ruins my immune system, so a conversation will be had with me and my boss this morning, because as much as I don't like the thought of 12 weeks distancing myself, I'm going to follow the advice and work have got to accept it.

My head was insisting yesterday that face to face parent meetings go ahead. Surely I can at least refuse to those!?!?! My head has shown no interest in the medical conditions and relating concerns that his staff may have - hence my concern on ‘wooly’ guidelines!

I have read that umpteen times. Perhaps I just being really thick. Lots of ‘strongly advised’ but I cannot follow guidelines whilst working in a school.

Sorry lots of typos - can you tell I’ve been up half the night.

My head was insisting yesterday that face to face parent meetings go ahead. Surely I can at least refuse to those!?!?!

We had an email from my youngest Secondary School to say they have cancelled all parent consultations, trips, school performances with immediate effect. It sounds to me like your head needs to wise up.

I'd print off that document I linked you to, highlight the salient points and ask them what they are going to do to protect you.

Our school has cancelled everything.

I think you'll find a big u turn tomorrow.

I think these measures are from monday. (From what slt leaders are saying in a fb group I'm in and from what head says)

NEU will issue more guidance

Lots of ‘strongly advised’ but I cannot follow guidelines whilst working in a school.

Having listened to a couple of interviews on TV after the statement yesterday, the consensus was "strongly advised" is being used, because they are not implementing a lockdown, in other words, it's one step removed from "you will do this".

Chris Whitty was also at pains to point out it's not just to protect the vulnerable, it's to also reduce the pressure on the NHS, which is very fair.

Thank you everyone. It’s just so difficult when you have an unsympathetic head. I will print and highlight the relevant information.

Thanks PhilCornwall1 that makes a lot of sense.

Don't go in and say that you're following government advice.

The government are doing a lot of advice without making decisions and hoping companies and organisations will make the decision themselves because they're more bothered about a slight dip in GDP than people dying.

FWIW, my school have cancelled everything other than lessons so no trip, consultation evenings, clubs with lots of students and so on. I'm putting my KIT days on hold with school's support and pregnant colleagues aren't going in.

I run a department of 20 in a large secondary. 4 teachers contacted me last night and said they received medical advice instructing them not to attend school. I don't think they'll be the last either.

The government are doing a lot of advice without making decisions and hoping companies and organisations will make the decision themselves because they're more bothered about a slight dip in GDP than people dying.

I have been one of the biggest sceptics of how this has been handled from the beginning, but one comment made by one of the experts yesterday (forget which one), was so important, but could have been so easily lost in all the information.

He talked about the amount of advice being given and said that the public need to listen to the advice and make decisions based on it. In a sense saying "look, we are adults here and have a brain, we've laid out the situation as we see it, you know the category you fall in, if you are sensible, you'll follow what we are saying".

You are always going to get a percentage of the population say "they can't tell me what to do" and will kick against it, so they are strongly advising and if someone becomes ill through not following their advice, it's their own fault. The bigger downside to that is, how many will they then go on to infect.

I want to follow the advice. I’m just concerned that when it appears open to interpretation that my Head will see things differently and then I have no idea what to do. I think that if it was a ‘must not’ instead of ‘strongly advised against’ I would be in a stronger position.

winningwhilstlosing

Under the health and safety at work laws your employer (unless you are in the armed forces) cannot force you to do something that will put your health at risk.

Stay home.

If you can't face the head then contract a high temp in the next couple of hours.

Those of you who are saying "as of Monday", surely you mean Monday the 16th of March, as in yesterday, right? Why would the government issue advice in a national press conference, at a time when conditions are changing by the day, and only expect it to come into effect one week later?
My head has been proactive and contacted all staff saying that anyone who falls in any of the specified categories, given that he doesn't necessarily know the health or pregnancy status of all staff are not expected to turn up for work as of today, with his blessing. That's leadership. Big relief for several colleagues.
In answer to your question, OP, follow government advice, which is not woolly, and you're not being thick, and stay at home

You are always going to get a percentage of the population say "they can't tell me what to do" and will kick against it, so they are strongly advising and if someone becomes ill through not following their advice, it's their own fault. The bigger downside to that is, how many will they then go on to infect
I agree. Just look at the threads on here about people deciding they will go for a run.

What bothers me is that some bosses (and certainly some headteachers) will be putting pressure on staff to come in. It's certainly the case in some schools that heads positively guilt trip and bully staff into attending when ill, and there's many teachers in at risk groups who are still in work because they feel guilty for being off as it puts additional work on colleagues/they have GCSE or a level classes etc.

All school leaders should be doing what responsible school leaders are and that's telling staff explicitly that they expect them to be social distancing if they have health conditions.

I'm with you OP. Pregnant and very confused about what the guidance means. I think we're interpreting it as only applying to those with the 'very serious' health conditions they mentioned putting a list of out shortly.

I'm in the same position OP.

My asthma is quite mild normally, so I go from thinking "I'll probably be fine" to then panicking and thinking "but what if I'm not". I've got small children of my own. I don't want to catch it (or anything else) and be more likely to need treatment and cause more pressure on the NHS. But I probably will be fine, I'm probably overreacting, but...

Ad infinitum

I don't know what to do

I'm on the list but shocked that stomach conditions including Crohns and Colitis have been left off again. Also epilepsy is not in there and I think it really should be. Again the advice is not clear and leaves people unsure of what to do which adds to mental health issues in this unstable climate.

Those of you who are saying "as of Monday", surely you mean Monday the 16th of March, as in yesterday, right?

No my head says next Monday.

His paraphrasing:

"People in at-risk groups will be asked within days to stay at home for 12 weeks."

Asks to know what our plans would be.