Feel guilty about self isolating

[Plop101]

I’m a community nurse and we are obviously in demand right now and extremely short staffed.

I started feeling ill last week. Red hot sweats, light headed, muscle pains throughout my body but no coughing.

I went to work. During the day I got stabbing pains in my throat and felt like I was going to collapse. I was ultimately sent home.

Rang 111 and they were unconcerned as I wasn’t coughing. Told me to ring my gp. Couldn’t get through to GP. Called my manager ... she was unimpressed and said it was “probably a cold” snd as I wasn’t coughing I’d be fine.

Next day I felt fine so went to work. No symptoms all day.

Saturday felt a bit lethargic but generally ok.

Sunday felt great.

Yesterday felt horrendous. Hot and sweaty, aching all over, throat pains and by the evening, a cough.

Today I feel shocking. Absolutely exhausted, cold chills, nauseous, aching and still intermittent coughing.

I KNOW I should self isolate but I slso know work will decide I’m jumping on the bandwagon and just wanting time off. They will not be supportive and I’m dreading ringing them.

AIBU to think it’s fucking ridiculous that NHS staff are not getting tested??? I’m so conflicted and stressed out about the whole thing. I feel guilty for ringing in sick, guilty for going into work. As usual NHS staff can’t fucking win

It’s a tough situation but you just need to stay off work. Your managers initial impressions now will be very different in the weeks to come. Presumably you will be back to work in 2 weeks, and be back at the front line when the shit really hits the fan. Good luck

You are ill. This is a long term problem. Stay home and get better. We are reliant on you to do the right thing.

Get well soon

You appear to have the symptoms - to go in work will be potentially spreading it. I think you need to call In sick.

Seriously??? Call In sick? You're job involves being around vulnerable people for fucks sake

And the government can't test everyone

You would feel more guilty about infecting patients

But they can test politicians and important people, right?

It's true that invariably people will exploit this situation to get time off work. I feel for you, but surely your co-workers hold you in some esteem?

You need to stay home for 14 days.

I get it. You feel guilty and that's totally normal but the reason this disease is spreading rapidly in the UK is because people are wandering about going "it's just a cold".

I have a tight chest and cough and temperature. I'm stuck at home for fourteen days. I feel generally fine in myself and any other head I'd probably take some paracetamol and get on with it but during a global pandemic? No way.

Please don't go to work. If you've had flu jab then it's almost certainly coronavirus.
Ask your manager what she thinks will happen when you spread this to vulnerable patients. If you turned up to care for my Dad and gave it to him, he almost certainly wouldn't survive. I'd be sueing if I knew you'd cared for him knowing you'd got a fever.
If you're really worried about being called a fraud, could you get a colleague to take your temperature.

Do not feel guilty about staying home.

Surely, if you were to hear that you'd infected your most vulnerable patients - then wouldn't you feel even worse?

Please don't feel guilty.
You're on the frontline as a district nurse. Most of your patients are going to be vulnerable...ALL of them, actually. Do the right thing.

DH is a GP and he was flabbergasted to learn that NHS staff isn't tested. This was a couple of weeks ago. He was in shock. Less so now. It's been such a circus.
Now they're not testing anyone unless they're hospitalised. I suppose the logic of this is that self-quarantine has moved up from 7 to 14 days and by the time people are out of self-quarantine, we'll be in lockdown anyway, so spread will lessen. It's still insane, in my opinion, that NHS staff aren't automatically tested.

Better now in the early delay phase, than next month. Take care of yourself now we're going to need you. The next few months will be brutal.

Please stay off and take care of yourself op. I had similar last week and I was terrified, get well soon.

Please stay at home. Honestly if you have any come back from your manager, please go to HR. Because you won’t be the first, nor the last, and it’s attitudes like that which will turn out to be deadly (I’m talking about their attitude not yours). I also agree, healthcare professionals should be tested. I went to a hospital appointment last week for a pre op assessment, felt absolutely fine, really good actually. I had a temperature. So I’ve had to self isolate, after talking to my own GP over the phone, but I’m totally fine in myself, but it’s not a risk worth taking.

Can’t believe how unsympathetic some people are being. Of course YANBU to self isolate, of course YANBU to feel guilty (you’re a good person, like most people who choose to work as HCP in our thankless and unrewarding system) and of course YANBU to wish they were testing HCPs.

You must stay at home 💐

I think your manager may be one of the small portion believing you are being unreasonable!!

Even if it isn't CV you are too I'll to be working, especially around vulnerable people and are allowed to be of sick.

Do you have a thermometer at home? Take your temp. If it’s above 37.8C take a photo, send it to your manager and say you are following Govt guidelines and self isolating

I'm sorry you feel guilty, OP. I think a lot of people do if they don't go to work. I have started self-isolation today as woke up with a continuous cough and a little breathlessness. I'm currently on a teaching placement, where I've just started to do better after a rocky start, and wonder if my mentor thinks I'm just saying I'm ill to avoid going in. It's a horrible situation to be in, but at least know that you're doing the right thing by yourself and others.

I’m glad people have finally stopped saying ‘move this thread, it doesn’t belong in AIBU’

My dad is in a care home & they have now banned visitors.

I am terrified that the risk is more from staff & visiting health workers.

Prepares to be shot down here but cant you just tell them you ARE coughing now?
It doesn't sound good to me. I think you should definitely stay at home and if your work are being unreasonable (and they are) then whatever it takes, right?

I am a nurse, in Ireland, I have had mild symptoms, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, temperature, without a cough since Friday. I am feeling fine today and would love to go to work as i think it was likely only a cold. I wouldn’t risk going into a hospital and passing it onto my vulnerable patients. We are fortunate here that all staff who are a potential are being tested.

NHS staff should be tested. Please don't feel guilty, stay at home and rest. Look after yourself, hope you recover soon