The costs of self isolating.Do you think people will have to risk their symptoms in winter?

[whatisforteamum]

I've had a week off and never off sick so I had accrued see sick pay while my test went through.My dh as far as I know will get SSP..bu gger all.!
Surely people on low incomes cannot afford.to do the right thing going especially as we head into winter and all the bugs?
Am I missing something.I am all for following the guidance and have done through out.Who can afford.to self isolate though.

Most bugs dont cause the three main symptoms in adults - continuous cough, high temperature or loss of smell/taste. You only have to test and isolate if you have one or more of those.

The issue really is kids, because they tend to spike a temperature more readily than adults. My daughter gets a temp every time she gets a cold. So if parents have to take days off every time their child has a temperature then this will be a problem. I'm really really hoping they will have 90 minutes tests rolling out soon to avoid this.

Incidentally, despite what many on mumsnet may claim, you do not have to test or isolate for the lesser known symptoms of covid, such as

• sore throat
• blocked nose
• stomach upset
• breathlessness

I isolated for loss of smell and taste.My dh always struggles.with bad coughs sometimes for weeks in the winter.Luckily my test was.negative.so back to work I go.
I am glad I don't have small dcs now.My heart goes out to parents.

I'd imagine people are going to break the rules. This will be DD's first winter at nursery and from what I've heard it sounds like that means she'll get every bug going. DH and I have understanding employers and can wfh so can probably cope.
But if people are repeatedly losing money, I'm sure kids who had temps over a weekend will be sent in on the Monday having not been tested.

@KitKatastrophe but you may decide to if you can, to avoid spreading the disease .

Here is the WHO's list of possible symptoms:

"Most common symptoms:
• fever.
• dry cough.
• tiredness.

Less common symptoms:
• aches and pains.
• sore throat.
• diarrhoea.
• conjunctivitis.
• headache.
• loss of taste or smell.
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes.

Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• chest pain or pressure.
• loss of speech or movement"

But I entirely agree about pay, I emailed my MP about this issue a few days ago in fact!

Yes if people choose to that is absolutely fine and their choice.

The problem comes when someone takes 2 days off for a sore throat and negative test, then 2 days off for an runny nose and negative test, then they have a high temperature but cant afford to take any more days off so they just risk it... and the high temp turns out to be covid. If they hadnt taken days off already to isolate for symptoms which are very unlikely to be covid, they would be able to isolate for the covid symptoms.

I teach in FE, and went in to college for the first time this week to see how things are (I’ll be doing blended learning and in once a week). I was SO impressed with the measures the college have put in place, but when I asked the H&S manager who was taking me round if she thought it was safe, she said this could be the problem. I get full sick pay, as do all college staff, but people like cleaners and janitors, catering, security, are on SSP as contractors. She said she thought people who don’t get full sick pay will be inclined to soldier on - which is the culture in my work anyway - because many just can’t afford to take time off.

I was reading only yesterday that the loss of smell and taste is not like when you have a cold and a bunged up nose.

I agree though winter is going to be a nightmare, people aren’t going to do it, they’ll just not get tests, and that means contacts won’t be traced either.

But it might not be a case of whether an employee can not afford to take time off. If a workplace has a cluster it will have to shut. SSP should kick in of course.

If you go to work knowing you have symptoms and pass it around the office I would imagine your colleagues will be hopping mad if they catch it and pass it around their house. Covid-19 can still be a terrible virus for some.

Effective treatment or preferably a vaccine are the only solutions unless Covid-19 naturally fizzles out.

What a mess.

I'm really worried about this.
My dh is self - employed, so would get no pay at all. (And even SSP) isn't enough to pay the rent!)

I am a teacher but we need both wages to make ends meet. (This has obvious implications to the likelihood of it having to happen)

We could at a real push manage it once, but over and over again and we will be screwed.

There's me at my school, DD3 at another primary, 2 at high school in different year group 'bubbles' (hate that word now!) and an older dd who works in hospitality.

Luckily cases in my area are low for now .......

@whatisforteamum

I've had a week off and never off sick so I had accrued see sick pay while my test went through.My dh as far as I know will get SSP..bu gger all.! Surely people on low incomes cannot afford.to do the right thing going especially as we head into winter and all the bugs? Am I missing something.I am all for following the guidance and have done through out.Who can afford.to self isolate though.

I had exactly the same thought yesterday. Are they providing support for self employed for the day or two the process could take, potentially 5/6 times over the whole winter? Can completely see how people could be made to choose between money for groceries etc and self isolating.

What is accrued sick pay?

And I have a feeling some places are going to say if you are isolating because someone else in your house has symptoms, you are not ill, and so no SSP.

This was Whitty’s greatest fear, that people wouldn’t get tested and isolate. But the government are kidding themselves if they think SSP is going to pay people’s rent and bills. I suppose they are just hoping that enough people will comply to make the difference.

It is a mess. What if no vaccine is approved by next summer? How many winters can we do all this

My 2 year old spiked a temp (but also had a runny nose) yesterday. So off to testing we all went.
The results take 24-48 hours so we'll know by Monday.
I think the key would be a quicker test. We're in a very low risk area so it's unlikely and 1-2 days wait isn't the end of the world, but 1-2 days every time a toddler gets a temp over winter will add up.
It's waiting for the results that's the issue rather than testing itself. The 90 minute test turnaround would make a real difference.

I think a lot of people are unclear about how long to self isolate for with symptoms.

Is it ten days now? But fourteen if you live in the same household?

Does a negative test mean you can stop self isolating?

I think a lot of families will struggle if both wage earners are on SSP for two weeks. And I suspect there will be lots of trying to justify why the symptoms aren't coronavirus...

Depends on your employer. Coming into the office with symptoms of coronavirus, or if you've been told to self isolate, is a disciplinary offence where I work. That said, most of us can work from home so if you are isolating but not sick you can still work.

It is worth pointing out though that testing is very quick and easy in most places now. If you get a drive in test the answer is generally with you the next day.

But there is also the need to isolate for 14 data if you have been in contact with a positive case - which in work / school situations could happen a few times

14 DAYS (typo)

Or even from being traced from eating out etc ( if that was even working!)

Of course they will. The WHO doesn't pay people's mortgages or rents, you know, the cost of keeping a roof over your head.

Absolutely
People can't afford not to earn
Totally unrealistic to expect that

Well we having savings and have budgeted hard on the 80 % of low wages we earn and for furlou gh I was so grateful I almost cried!.However I work with others financially worse off than me week for week and can see where a choice would be to keep quiet.No one would know if u lost your sense of taste or smell.It doesn't make it right I just think they may not want the worry of debt on there zero hours hospitality job.sad times and more pressure on already stressed parents I think.

I somehow had to manage throughout the whole of isolation on zero income as I had recently changed my company structure from ltd to self employed so fell through the cracks and was offered zero financial assistance and no furlough.

It was incredibly hard. But I coped- just.

I feel that if I had to cope, others should too if they need to isolate for two weeks. Everyone needs to be squirrelling pennies away and using food banks if necessary.

[quote AugustBreeze]@KitKatastrophe but you may decide to if you can, to avoid spreading the disease .

Here is the WHO's list of possible symptoms:

"Most common symptoms:
• fever.
• dry cough.
• tiredness.

Less common symptoms:
• aches and pains.
• sore throat.
• diarrhoea.
• conjunctivitis.
• headache.
• loss of taste or smell.
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes.

Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• chest pain or pressure.
• loss of speech or movement"

But I entirely agree about pay, I emailed my MP about this issue a few days ago in fact![/quote]
If tiredness is a sympton, I've had the 'rona since about 2009!

@Porcupineinwaiting

Depends on your employer. Coming into the office with symptoms of coronavirus, or if you've been told to self isolate, is a disciplinary offence where I work. That said, most of us can work from home so if you are isolating but not sick you can still work.

It is worth pointing out though that testing is very quick and easy in most places now. If you get a drive in test the answer is generally with you the next day.

If someone with the loss of taste/ smell or a temperature just over the limit has a choice though without telling the employer and will only get ssp how many will carry on as in this case the employer can't prove otherwise.

It is a mess and justs divides society even more, those in good jobs with sick pay will take time off at the slightest hint of an issue and those who will lose lots of money will soldier on and put everyone at risk and difficult to not blame them.