Anyone able to return to work on day 8?

[WarIsPeace]

I'm a key worker. I do 12 hour shifts

I'm currently off sick with confirmed covid 19 (have been swabbed)
I'm currently on day 6 and don't feel well enough to return yet. I think I've been lucky in that I've had a fairly mild case but I'm still shattered.

I saw that the WHO suggests 14 days to recover. And nhs advice says many mild cases will be OK by 14 days.

But the gov UK advice says return on day 8 if no fever. Is anyone actually better by then?

Matt Hancock but not Boris

Good god, I wasn't! Untested, but all symptoms (low-grade fever that lasted weeks in my case, tight chest/shortness of breath, cough, very tired, DH & DS also symptomatic and we live/commute in a hotspot). Days 8-12 were actually the worst days for me and my recovery has been slow, pretty much better now after starting with symptoms on St Patrick's Day. I lost 13 working days and phased back into my normal hours over a fortnight thereafter. I don't think I'm unusual, judging from other people's posts on here - I guess I've had a moderate case. Wishing you a swift recovery

Loads of junior dr colleagues were back after day 8 yeah. I don't know any who took more than a week off actually unless admitted for it. Just depends how hard it hits you.

My husband had what his doctor thought was very probably Covid 19 (no test available) and it was five weeks before he was signed off as fully fit to work again.

Sounds very similar to everythingisginandroses experience.

God no, even though I had a fairly mild case. I could probably have started doing things from day 14, but I actually left it 3 weeks.

Oh this is making me feel a bit better.
I'm one of those typical never off sick people and was feeling guilty about not being recovered straight away.

However it's a hard enough job when you're fine, never mind when you're rotten

Seriously, it's really important that you rest and don't rush it, especially if you are working 12-hour shifts in a demanding job. People will keep telling you this but it's true - you risk setting yourself back if you overdo it. I am a fit and healthy 44-year-old and prior to this I hadn't had a day off sick since having life-saving emergency surgery 5 years ago. I have no other health conditions at all and I work in a sedentary job - this has hit me harder than I expected.

I think the way the media portray it is too simplistic - sure, some people will have very mild symptoms and be ok in a week or two, but plenty of others will take longer to recover without having been hospital-grade ill. People I know who have pneumonia or pleurisy tell me that it's taken them 6 weeks or more to fully recover, and I think Covid-19 may be similar for many of us.

No, went back to work after 16 days but still (three weeks after returning to work) have a persistent cough, tight chest and an unbearable tiredness.

OP, a friend our ours works in a large city hospital and he has just told us that several of his colleagues have been off with CV19 and none has been back to work until about the 3 week mark. I know medics are a lot tougher than me, so I thought it worth mentioning!

For anyone else reading this thread, just wanted to add that I'm starting to feel a bit better now, feel less muggy in the head and while I'm still doing SFA I can imagine feeling able to go out in a few more days.

The overall yucky feeling is lifting and I'm no longer worrying that I'm going to become really poorly (hopefully I'll be right)

The advice means return to work if you feel well enough and you haven't got a temperature .

2 young and fit colleagues have been off work for 6 weeks. It actually got worse for them after the 1st week. I hope you are better soon.