Self-isolating and my sister thinks I should wait a while before going back to work afterwards

[Helpmechangemymindsetplease]

We are self isolating for 14 days because I had some viral symptoms at the beginning of the week, and while I am guessing this was not Covid as I didn’t get a cough or a temperature, there was no way I was going to potentially infect people at work with a possibly mild version (headache, sore throat, earache, fatigue). Sometimes feel a bit like a fraud, but since no one knows what’s what with this virus, better be safe than sorry.

After the 14 days I was hoping to get more work through the same agency, and speaking to them on the phone yesterday it sounds like it may be possible, maybe in the same place I was working before.

My sister thinks I should stay at home for another few weeks and live off savings for a while (which I could for a few weeks). I really want to go to work and earn and try to keep things normal. She is very anxious generally but on the other hand, she isn’t wrong - there is a lot to be anxious about.

So my question is should I keep myself out of circulation for longer since in theory I could? My sister was saying to wait until we have reached a peak here, but on the other hand we are likely to have many peaks while we try to deal with this before viral drugs (hopefully soon) and a vaccine arrive?

I guess my question is should anyone with the potential to do so stay at home for as long as possible even if it means depleting all savings (in my case £2300 FWIW)?

According to 111, as the person with symptoms, you need to isolate for 7 days, it is the family with you who need to isolate for 14.
That having said, if you can afford to stay home, I would stay home. It just isn't worth taking a risk.

Really? I thought everyone in the household isolated for 14 days?

(I am due to ring 111 on Monday so will also ask them).

Gp told me 7 days for me and 14 for rest of house. We are all staying put indefinitely though as just don't want to risk catching anything else.

Oh - they really didn’t make that clear - Boris and co. I guess it would have made their messaging too complicated. I am better off staying put for the second week however, as if I don’t the dcs’ Dad will come in the house which he shouldn’t, added to which he apparently has a cough.

OP now you've realised the 'terrifying thread' isn't accurate maybe asked for your references to it to be removed, or else you are just adding to the strange spreading of fake news and fear that seems to be a thing on MN at the moment.

In your position I would wait for a couple of weeks to see if the antibody test becomes available before I went back to work.

Okay I have reported the posts.

Maybe I will wait a couple of weeks, thank you.

If you can live of your savings then I would.

But on the other hand, you would be fine now to go back to work, but it would increase your chances of getting Covid-19.

If you didn't actually have a high temp or cough (you didn't list them I think) then you technically didn't need to self isolate at all.

Are you sure you're not the one with anxiety? As you have isolated not just yourself, but your family for symptoms that don't necessarily meet the criteria for coronavirus?

Seems like you're already anxious and using your sister as a scapegoat to actually face that. Nothing wrong with being anxious in a time like this, but one also needs to be rational.

No maybe not but at the beginning I didn’t know if my symptoms were going to turn into more Covid like symptoms - which then they didn’t. And my sister was telling me about asymptomatic people and people with mild symptoms potentially being carriers etc..

People must also be getting other viruses while this is going on, which is probably what I had, but the/my level of anxiety about this is so high now that I think it’s a general better safe than sorry approach?

Seems like you're already anxious and using your sister as a scapegoat to actually face that.

Yes I am anxious, and she is extremely anxious.

The reason I didn’t go to work is because I felt too unwell to do so (whatever caused the symptoms). The reason I then stayed off was to protect my colleagues as no one really knows what’s what.

My symptoms are listed amongst the less predominant but sometimes occurring Covid ones.