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Covid

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Original poster

Covid - 'what should I do?' thread

30 replies

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 19:07

Can us 'what should I do?' brigade convene?

My what should I do:
My colleague's husband and daughter had covid tests on Wednesday. Colleague didn't tell us and came to work Wednesday and Thursday. Husband and daughter received positive results late Thursday. Colleague got tested Friday. Received positive result today.

She doesn't share our very small office but pops in for a chat, to use the kettle and sometimes to hot desk (realise now this is stupid and we'll stop it) Saw her on Wednesday morning for maybe 10 minutes in the office. Office is maybe 10m by 3.5m. 4 desks in a row facing the wall. She's additional to the 4

We got sent home Friday for the building to be cleaned. Work are expecting us in Monday but should we be isolating?

OP posts:

Aquicknamechange2019 · 26/09/2020 19:08

Yes I think so?

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 19:08

feel free to add your questions too, it's a minefield out there

OP posts:

superstar84 · 26/09/2020 19:09

You shouldn't be in if you've had close contact for more than 15 mins without masks

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 19:11

I'm guessing at ten minutes, could have been 15/20 to be honest as I was busy at the time too

OP posts:

EmilyDickinson · 26/09/2020 19:15

I think anyone who spent 15 minutes at a less than two metre distance from her is a close contact. Was she wearing a mask?

OverTheRainbow88 · 26/09/2020 19:18

Colleague should get a fine for being a selfish ass and going to work when people in her household had had a test.

EmilyDickinson · 26/09/2020 19:18

It sounds like your workplace needs to revise their risk assessment. Your likely exposure to a positive case could have been avoided or at least mitigated.

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 19:23

Mask off. We all do in the office to be fair. Masks on around the buildings

Agree on the fine / warning. She's being very nonchalant as she's not feeling too bad... yet

OP posts:

ScubaSteven · 26/09/2020 21:24

Anyone living in a household with people who are waiting for results should be isolating. She’s very selfish.

I think you should all be isolating.

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 21:31

@ScubaSteven

Anyone living in a household with people who are waiting for results should be isolating. She’s very selfish.

I think you should all be isolating.

Agreed. She's an arsehole. Work have said because we said she'd been in the office for ten minutes (not 15 but she could have been, easily) that we're fine

OP posts:

ceeveebee · 26/09/2020 21:36

I didn’t think you needed to self isolate unless you are told to by the track and trace team or by PHE?

nonicknameseemsavailable · 26/09/2020 21:48

hmm I would say yes personally.

ceeveebee · 26/09/2020 21:50

From the guidance for employers:

Close contacts at this stage do not need to self-isolate unless requested to do so by NHS Test and Trace or a public health professional, but they should:

avoid contact with people at high increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus, such as people with pre-existing medical conditions
take extra care in practising social distancing and good hygiene
watch out for symptoms and self-isolate if they also show signs of coronavirus

Employers may need to keep staff informed about COVID-19 cases among their colleagues. However, employers should not name the individual. If a co-worker is at risk because of close contact with the positive case, then they will be notified to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace service. Employers should make sure their workplaces are safe by regular cleaning and by encouraging good hygiene practice.

And the definition of a close contact:
A close ‘contact’ is a person who has been close to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 anytime from 2 days before the person was symptomatic up to 7 days from onset of symptoms (this is when they are infectious to others). This could be a person who:

spends significant time in the same household
is a sexual partner
has had face-to-face contact (within one metre), including:
being coughed on
having skin-to-skin physical contact, or
contact within one metre for one minute
has been within 2 metres of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes
has travelled in a small vehicle, or in a large vehicle or plane

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 21:57

NHS track and trace wouldn't know ive been working with her though?

It's the 10 v 15 minutes that's the grey area I think

OP posts:

ceeveebee · 26/09/2020 22:18

Well they should because anyone with a positive test has to tell t&t who their employer is, and whether they have been in the office and how long they were contact for etc.
It’s all in the guidance for employers
www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-workplace-guidance#guidance-for-employers

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 22:28

thanks @ceeveebee, she's not got my number to give and my employers aren't open on weekends. Had hints from managers via WhatsApp group chats that we'll be in. Her direct line manager hadn't heard from her.

Colleague put it on Facebook that she's positive

OP posts:

Augustbreeze · 26/09/2020 22:32

Was she more than 1m from all of you the whole time?

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 22:37

@Augustbreeze

Was she more than 1m from all of you the whole time?

Nope. Our office is tiny. Weve complained etc but it's been brushed under the carpet. Hopefully this will shake things up.

OP posts:

Feelingconfused2020 · 26/09/2020 22:43

I would contact work and say you have checked your work schedule and it was 15 minutes. Don't say it might have been, say it was. They are clearly trying to bend the rules here so don't let them. You should be isolating and your employers will pay the price for a poor risk assessment and putting their staff in danger.

Augustbreeze · 26/09/2020 22:54

If she was less than 1m for any time then you're a close contact (if it was within 48 hrs of her test). T&T should be in touch (provided she told them) and you should isolate

Keepdistance · 26/09/2020 23:04

She sounds awful.
To be tested she had to have symptoms. She should be fined as should have isolated when fsmily had symptoms (not even just waiting for a test)!
If your work.arent happy they need to blame her.

ShouldWeChangeTheBulb · 26/09/2020 23:08

We have a positive case in the household. Track and trace haven’t been in touch at all. I wouldn’t wait for them.

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 23:16

she had a cough. Assumed it was a cold :( she was in a training room with apprentices and they told the manager when he went to speak to them about the colleague's family getting positive results about the cough.

It's a shit show

OP posts:

Pamelaaaaa · 26/09/2020 23:33

I would be seriously pissed off about this. The colleague should, at the very least, be disciplined by work, if not sacked, for not isolating while family members were awaiting results. Plus they should be fined in accordance with the law. The information in the booklet when having a test could not be clearer on the rules!

Original poster

Bridecilla · 26/09/2020 23:36

She honestly doesn't appear to give a toss. Cheery post on Facebook but no contact with colleagues! I've stayed in while I figured out what to do

OP posts:

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