Teacher with ‘bad cold’ WWYD?

[TestOrNot]

Hi
I’ve posted similar yesterday in the staff room but wanted to vary my question a bit and post here for traffic.

I developed a streaming cold yesterday. I’ve woken up feeling pretty dreadful- general malaise and headache but runny nose and sneezing has calmed down a bit. Definitely not hay fever.

Are there any guidelines for key workers with symptoms like this who don’t qualify for a test (no fever or cough)? I’m due back to Sitka early next week. Surely you can’t just go to work as normal with visible symptoms during the pandemic?

WWYD?

I was all set to ring 111 but clearly have none of the symptoms for a Covid test so thought I’d ask if anyone has had similar experience and can advise.

TIA

Thanks all. I agree 100% with Pythonesque- there needs to be clear policy about this, in the light of Covid, especially as the culture within most schools I know means that people go to work even when feeling very poorly.

I’m not sure how you can say for sure that you or I had/ have ‘just a cold’, I loveapples, if there are many atypical cases🤷‍♀️

You do qualify for a test if you have a loss of sense of smell or taste - even if you are putting this down to the fact that your nose is bunged up. Yes it's probably a cold but testing is available for you so you might as well get one for peace of mind

Definitely get a test. Why wouldn't you. It is the only way to stop the virus circulating.

I've had severe long/term Covid for 11 weeks now. My first symptoms were not a fever, cough or loss of smell, as is true for many others too. This symptom list is so frustrating to many of us Covid sufferers. I don't know why they're not updating it! My first symptoms were headache, sore throat, wheeziness and chest pain.

Anyway...Don't take the risk. Do a test to be on the safe side. If you go to a test centre, you'll get super quick results.

Even so, I doubt they'll want you in with a bad cold anyway. I'd imagine they'll be extra cautious.

My understanding is that there is plenty of capacity for testing and they want people to get tested.

You'll have to get tested. I can't believe people are saying, just go in! OP I think you know yourself that you need to get tested.
I've had colleagues who have just had a headache or feeling a little under the weather and tested positive for covid. I also have colleagues who have positive antibody tests and have had no symptoms what so ever.
As for previous poster stating they work with vulnerable people and went in with what they said was a cold at this uncertain time makes me very concerned

U r entitled to a test. Just click on box that says medically advised. I had a tiny amount of sob and had a twst (gp said to) u dont ring 111 Google coronavirus test

My nose bled for a week afterwards

**Get a test.

With due respect, you are not medically qualified to assess whether you do or dont have covid.**

Holy crap, no wonder the UK is fucked with this “it’s just a cold, go to work” attitude! Isolate, get tested. Do not go to work! Fucking hell.

To those saying why wouldn’t I get a test... I’ve been on the symptom checker and it’s telling me ‘Covid unlikely’. I said I was unsure about loss of sense of smell bad taste.

I feel personally that key workers should be tested and should not work with these symptoms but I feel frustrated and confused that I’m coming to this conclusion myself rather that government guidelines indicating that I need a test. I suppose it feels ridiculous that in order to get myself tested I need to overstate the taste issue and act in a way that could be seen by some as ‘overreacting’.

FFS just get a test - why wouldn't you?

I am not in uk, but here everyone with any cold symptoms is advised to self isolate until all symptoms are gone.

Oh god no. Please don't go to school until you are sure 100% sure. You are a teacher. What if you had it, and infected children?

I wouldnt go to work with a cold at this time because it will spread and a lot of people get a fever with a cold so it would put pressure on the testing system. Some schools are isolating whole bubbles if one person gets a fever until the test comes back which is going to be disruptive.

Test today and stay home until you have the result

Testing centres are dead. They are keen for anyone who has any COVID symptoms to get tested.

Go and get tested.

I absolutely would.not go to work with those symptoms without getting a test. You are a key worker and you are entitled to a test . I would say you were morally obliged to get a test. The t at centres are quiet and results will be with you in a couple of days. I dont see what the dilemma is here.

Get a test and don’t go to work in a school with a ‘cold’ or whatever it is!

If it helps OP, I had a similar situation just before lockdown. I had a cold, but no red-flag coronavirus symptoms. I discussed with work and said I was calling in sick with the cold (even though under normal circumstances I possibly wouldn’t have done). As I’m part time, 3 days sick covered me for 7 days isolating anyway by which time my symptoms were gone.

What I’d add though, is what I didn’t know at the time. I had been exposed to Coronavirus 4 days before becoming ill, when visiting DM who was a hospital inpatient. DM was confirmed positive for CV a few days later, and so although my very mild symptoms weren’t particularly CV like, the timing was suspicious.

Getting a test if you can to rule in / rule out Coronavirus would at least answer that for you.

I hope you are feeling better soon.

The results take days to come back so get one today as you have to self isolate until you get the results back.

I know we have all of these rules and guidelines but it's still important to think for yourself and decide what is best in your own individual situation. The government can't make an algorithm for every situation.

That’s what the testing centres are for.

I'd be the first to say the government has handled this whole thing terribly - but seriously - they can't cover all bases in their descriptions and it is entirely reasonable to expect a grownup to be able to exercise a degree of own thought and determine that if they are a key worker and showing symptoms which are unlikely but could possibly be the virus they should test it.

How can you be unsure about loss of taste or smell.. when you've lost the ability to taste..

Just go get a test. Results 24 hours. Then stock up on lemsip

You should get tested.