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

Sorry I might have got the results time wrong

Get tested. Stock up on lemsip. Still applies

This is totally anecdotal, but family members and friends who had a cold when they contracted covid-19, got it far more seriously than you would expect for someone of their age and with their usual level of health.

For this reason, I would stay off work and take extra precautions until the cold had cleared up. If you go to work other people will also catch the cold off you and become more vulnerable.

You are over thinking this - you are unwell you work in a situation where you could spread your illness. Get a test!

As I teacher, I recognise the way you've been taught to play down symptoms and carry on.

We MUST reverse this attitude and follow the protocol; that's the only way to get everyone back in school properly ASAP, longer term.

Book a test,

Self isolate

Inform head

See what happens next.

My brother is a teacher and was told he could have a test last week despite not having symptoms etc. It was just a precautionary test as he is a key worker. I’m sure you can get a test.

I would absolutely get a test if I had any doubt at all.

PMSL at the outrage of MNetters and ‘lies’. A white lie is better than spreading covid round even if you don’t have one of the three symptoms (which the OP does) .....

(What happens next is governed by the test outcome.)

Get a test

We gave an excess of capacity.

I'd understand your reticence if we we still didn't have enough available tests, but we do now.

There are a lot more symptoms listed by the WHO - just usually you ALSO get a temperature or the cough, but not everyone does,especially not immediately.

Get the test done at a testing centre (rather than a home test) if you can, less margin for error.

Look after yourself!

@Fairyflaps

This is totally anecdotal, but family members and friends who had a cold when they contracted covid-19, got it far more seriously than you would expect for someone of their age and with their usual level of health.

For this reason, I would stay off work and take extra precautions until the cold had cleared up. If you go to work other people will also catch the cold off you and become more vulnerable.

^ that too!!

Get a test - your symptoms will qualify you.

If it's negative and you feel ok in a couple of days you can go back to work. You say colds usually last a while with you but this one might not, and even if it does it may be more "background" and you'll be ok to work. Only you will know how you feel, but the test will help your decision-making.

If it's positive, well hopefully it will stay no worse than a bad cold.

Get well soon.

Go and get tested.

If you don't want to get tested DON'T go to work until you are better. No one else wants your cold or their children to get your cold thanks.

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

I got tested at 11.30am last saturday morning and my results came through 3.30pm Sunday. Very fast. Maybe I was lucky.

I took 6 weeks to recover from a virus that reduced my 02 stats to under 90 and started as indistinguishable from a cold..... I would ask for a test and explain the circumstances. www.wsj.com/articles/what-are-the-symptoms-of-covid-19-some-countries-dont-recognize-them-all-posing-risks-to-reopening-11590140169

Just popping in to point out that the false negative rate on the tests is thought to be up to 30%, so even if you get a negative test it's FAR from definitive. I guess whether you self-isolate with symptoms but a negative result will be up to your Head, but I know some healthcare professionals where teams are continuing to base self-isolation on symptoms not test results, precisely because of this.

Definitely get a test, though - better than not!

@yorkshirecountrylass

Are you sure you're sense of smell and taste isn't affected OP? As a parent I would be extremely worried if my DS teacher appeared to have full blown cold symptoms and hadn't been tested. I would suggest phoning 111 and see what they advise

I'm sorry but this. I abhor the teacher bashing threads, our teachers have been absolutely amazing through all this but I really would be concerned by this in light of the current situation and would raise it with head teacher.

Also, anyone can get tests now, you don't need to go through 111 tou can order online and have it delivered if you can't get to a testing station safely (ie in own car).

I couldn't get tested although my doctor said he would bet it was Covid 19. You can get tested. Do it!

It’s a no brainer - just book in for a test. I was tested on Monday at 14:00 (I booked it that morning at a drive in test centre) and got the results back the next day. If you’re able book one for today you could easily have the results back tomorrow.

FFS.

This is why I'm not intending on sending my kids to school.

If you have symptoms which you do, stay home. You could cause the whole school to be closed.

I also totally agree re stay at home if the cold is still active. People don’t want to catch colds right now as it will just end up that people treat them like a pariah/ they will be refused entrance to the supermarket etc.

I'm a teacher and if this happened to me, the first thing I would do is tell the Head, and I know he would tell me to not come in. He wouldn't want the risk of it possibly being COVID and he wouldn't want the flak from the parents, many of whom would be worried if there was a teacher in school with cold symptoms.

Then I'd get tested.

Get a test! Yesterday’s figures show 1650 positive tests out of over 207,000 done/sent, over 200,000 were negative. They’re not hoping to prove you have got Covid, they’re hoping to prove you haven’t. Self isolate until you have that knowledge!

What everybody else is saying. Some people who did turn out to have Covid started with cold symptoms. If teachers can't be trusted to be responsible, then who can? Get tested, but be aware that a test can be negative if taken too early.

Would you want to be in the situation where a child lost their mother and remembered that their teacher came to school when she had symptoms?

I'd phone, see if you can get a test. If not, message admin person who deals with absence and ask if they want you on Monday assuming your well enough.

Is get a test. My mum who is NHS but not front line had one the other day as shed a temp but no other symptoms. Logged on that morning was at empty drive in centre within the hour results back next day. I think they seem to have a lot of capacity for tests.

I git tested in very similar circumstances to you. It was easy easy to book on the website, I got a test the next day and there were plenty of appointment slots to choose from so it not like I was denying a test to anyone else, they’re there for the taking. Although I was as certain as I could be that it wasn’t covid, I felt I had a responsibility towards the families whose children I’m in contact with. Better to be safe than sorry.