I'm showing symptoms of covid

[DramaLlama12]

Just that
The end of last week , I think it was friday I started having a headache , thought nothing of it ,, warm weather and not drinking enough probably. Then I go to Brighton saturday morning overnight, funnily enough my legs felt achy that morning but I'd been on a long walk Thursday evening so just put it down to that .
This morning I threw up , numerous times and had to leave work. I came home and slept for 4 hours, this is very unusual.
This afternoon I've developed diarrhea and over the last hour I've felt hot and I'm coughing ( its wet tho not a dry cough ). Referring to a TAAT I didnt link diarrhea or vomiting with covid until I read it I just thought it was ..
Fever
Dry cough
Breathlessness
I've ordered a test which should come in 48 hours
This is the thing ... I might not even have coronavirus/ covid , I might just have a dicky belly .
I have 2 jobs and get no sick pay whatsoever for either. But took today of sick from job 2 as I was throwing up
Honestly in my situation would you ...
Carry on working until the test comes back with results THEN deal with it while carrying out vigorous hand washing and sanitizing , social distancing (then self isolate of course if positive ) OR self isolate now , it may come back negative then potentially have lost a weeks worth of money , waiting for test to arrive , waiting for courier to pick it up, then waiting for results all for nothing which I can ill afford .
In all honesty what would you do ?

If you haven't got the COVID symptoms that trigger self isolation then you don't need to self isolate for COVID, regardless of whether you suspect it might be.

If everyone isolated for random other symptoms then sick rates would be huge especially through the winter. It will still be massively more likely you don't have COVID than you do.

But obviously you should isolate for 48 hours post d&v anyway.

@greyandwhiteclouds

If you haven't got the COVID symptoms that trigger self isolation then you don't need to self isolate for COVID, regardless of whether you suspect it might be.

If everyone isolated for random other symptoms then sick rates would be huge especially through the winter. It will still be massively more likely you don't have COVID than you do.

But obviously you should isolate for 48 hours post d&v anyway.

So is a cough and feeling warm ( potential fever) not a Covid symptom then?

If people stopped going to work when they got sick, not only would that help prevent the transmission of COVID but overall rates of sickness would drop too. Win win.

OP look after yourself. Drink plenty and rest, do the test. I here what you say about your wages but you are not well. If it is COVID and you try to power through it you could end up really sick and missing months of work, not just a few days.

Feeling hot and having a cough are both on the official list of symptoms. Self-diagnosing your cough as too wet to be a covid cough is just clutching at straws. The NHS paltry list of 3 symptoms mentions temperature, cough (of any sort - it does not specify dry cough), and loss of taste or smell.

With any one of those three symptoms, the advice is only to go out to get a test and otherwise to stay home unless you get a negative result.

You have to bear in mind that if you do have it, take it into work and pass it to colleagues/customers, there's a chance your place of work will have to be closed for a couple of weeks, and that'll be even longer without pay. I know payment would be delayed, but can you at least claim SSP?

I'd phone your employers, let them know the position and ask if they'd consider SSP?

Jesus some people are dicks on MN. OP isn't singlehandedly responsible for any resurgence in CV. She has a fever and vomiting bug - I'm sure she'd rather be home in bed and isn't contemplating going into work just for fun!

The fact that someone can be working two jobs and still not be able to afford time off sick is a societal problem. I imagine it's not an issue that the people screaming about how thick and selfish the OP is have ever given much thought to - or they might have a bit more understanding for her situation - until now, when it has the potential to affect their own lives. Who are the selfish ones here, I wonder?

And no, if you're paid hourly you don't get paid for days you take off sick. SSP kicks in after four days and gets you an amazing £95 a week. Not sure whether that's changed during the pandemic or not.

OP, you do need to self-isolate and you know it. I have a lot of sympathy for your position but as PP have said, going in not only puts others at risk but might end up putting you in a worse position too if your workplace has to close. The tests shouldn't take a week to come back though - most people seem to be getting results by the following day.

@psychomath

Jesus some people are dicks on MN. OP isn't singlehandedly responsible for any resurgence in CV. She has a fever and vomiting bug - I'm sure she'd rather be home in bed and isn't contemplating going into work just for fun!

The fact that someone can be working two jobs and still not be able to afford time off sick is a societal problem. I imagine it's not an issue that the people screaming about how thick and selfish the OP is have ever given much thought to - or they might have a bit more understanding for her situation - until now, when it has the potential to affect their own lives. Who are the selfish ones here, I wonder?

And no, if you're paid hourly you don't get paid for days you take off sick. SSP kicks in after four days and gets you an amazing £95 a week. Not sure whether that's changed during the pandemic or not.

OP, you do need to self-isolate and you know it. I have a lot of sympathy for your position but as PP have said, going in not only puts others at risk but might end up putting you in a worse position too if your workplace has to close. The tests shouldn't take a week to come back though - most people seem to be getting results by the following day.

Really, the op doesn't need to self isolate and they know it? If they knew it they would have asked for a start

Yes OP most likely doesn't have covid, but they have a fever and a cough, which are symptoms so as per government guidelines they need to isolate until they have been tested.

I

@psychomath sorry ignore that last replied, just realised I read your post incorrectly, sorry!

@baldisbeautiful

I have an auto immune condition and a bout of norovirus would (and has in the past ) land me in hospital possibly in intensive care (not to mention what COVID might do to me). Please stay home and keep your germs to yourself

Likewise.

This is the exact situation that has got me so angry about the whole covid thing.

Everyone has got up in arms (understandably) about not spreading covid. But there are some of us who, if we caught stuff that people have always played fast and loose with , it's going to cause serious problems for us.

There are other illnesses than covid!!! So even if you don't have it you shouldn't be going into work because whilst this might be a "dicky tummy" for you... There are some of us who will be hospitalised if we caught it. And obviously if you've taken a covid test you shouldn't go in

I'm sorry your losing money I really am but D& V really is a no no, covid or not

Definitely stay at home, wait for test results. Imagine if you did and spread it to all those people! Even if you have a sickness bug you shouldn't be going into work yet.

And no, if you're paid hourly you don't get paid for days you take off sick. SSP kicks in after four days and gets you an amazing £95 a week. Not sure whether that's changed during the pandemic or not.

I was really hoping this would mark a turnaround in no sick pay.

I’ve worked myself into pneumonia twice over the years as I couldn’t afford to take time off and I couldn’t afford to live on SSP (which a lot of companies drag their feet over paying, I’ve had to involve ACAS before). Last time i was sick for an extended period it cost me my home.

I do sympathise OP. I worked in care on min wage and infections were rife as no one could afford to take time off and managers didn’t believe you anyway and made you come in. No wonder things spread so fast.

A cough is probably quite unusual with d&v. In adults anyway.