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Original poster

Told not to self-isolate despite close contact at work? Am I wrong?

35 replies

Redandblu · 22/10/2020 12:26

Changed name for this.

I work in the NHS.
A staff member came into work for the day, mentioned to someone at lunchtime that she had been to see family (at family home) a few days ago and one had tested positive now. Everyone questioned why she had come in and she was sent home.
She had a test, I'm not sure why as not symptomatic, not sure if instigated by her or manager, it's positive.
She has sat next to people, used computers and had lunch in the tea room. I spoke to her and sat with her at lunch.
A lot of us are not able to keep 1 meter at all times due to space and the tea room is a small windowless room.
All the department have been told by manager no testing required and no need to self isolating for anyone but her.
We are not in a lockdown area at the moment.

Am I missing something? I thought close contacts need to self isolate for 2 weeks? Or is it not because it's NHS and we all were wearing masks?

OP posts:
Original poster
Redandblu · 22/10/2020 12:28

Any other NHS staff had this happen?

OP posts:
Audreyseyebrows · 22/10/2020 12:29

We’re told the same. You’re wearing masks (and they can’t afford for nhs staff to isolate!).

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/10/2020 13:28

You weren’t wearing a mask while eating lunch were you? So I think you ought to be SI. We’ve had a number of e-mails over the past couple of weeks because of staff having to SI due to not SDing during breaks.

Watermelon999 · 22/10/2020 13:37

I think they assume that you are wearing ppe all the time so it doesn’t affect you, and if eating or drinking are supposed to keep 2m. (I know how hard this is in practice, and there are lots of situations throughout the day when this is breeched).

Original poster
Redandblu · 22/10/2020 15:09

Even if you had mask off during breaks been told not to SI and been directly told do not get a test unless symptomatic.
Reality is even if only some of the department SI, so short staffed the department would close, we are critical so the hospital would have to close as well.

OP posts:
justchecking1 · 22/10/2020 15:59

we are critical so the hospital would have to close as well.

And there's your answer. This is the same in our trust. We are told there is no need to SI unless you have symptoms, as otherwise the whole system would grind to a halt.

justchecking1 · 22/10/2020 16:00

On a personal level, I would SI from friends and family and generally outside of work for 14 days as far as possible, but would have to continue working

Tanfastic · 22/10/2020 16:04

@Redandblu

Any other NHS staff had this happen?
Yes, we wear masks so no need to self isolate in shared offices. We've had Covid positive colleagues.
NotAKaren · 22/10/2020 16:05

I just give up. If NHS staff are not following the rules to isolate following a known contact with a confirmed case what hope do we have Shock

Tanfastic · 22/10/2020 16:05

@NotAKaren

I just give up. If NHS staff are not following the rules to isolate following a known contact with a confirmed case what hope do we have Shock
We have to do what our trust tells us. It's not us making the decisions!
Fuckityfucksake · 22/10/2020 16:35

It's not just NHS
I'm retail but non essential. (Think fun for adults, predominantly males )
I can have 20 different people in at once and if one of them tested positive I, according to my employer, do not have to SI because my contact is minimal and I'm behind a screen. (I take and give their money, hand slips)
Nor if a colleague tests positive because we should be 2 metres apart and wearing a mask.
They'll also accept a colleague back on shift following a negative test but they had NO symptoms to warrant the test in the 1st place!
I don't know what the answer is but it doesn't sit right with me sometimes.

Loveable1 · 22/10/2020 16:41

The rules are very confusing I thought I knew them but today I realised I obviously don’t according to what happened today...

My oldest son had a child test positive in their class today, have been told we don’t need to isolate Confused

Covidcovidcovid · 22/10/2020 16:41

Contact your occupational health department. Regarding meal times and who was close etc they should guide you

HerLadySheep · 22/10/2020 16:45

@Loveable1

The rules are very confusing I thought I knew them but today I realised I obviously don’t according to what happened today...

My oldest son had a child test positive in their class today, have been told we don’t need to isolate Confused

We've also had this and I am unhappy with the response I've had from school so I will be keeping my child at home tomorrow. I'm hoping that the half term break will help break any chains of transmission but I am becoming increasingly worried about transmission in school.
Watermelon999 · 22/10/2020 16:50

@Loveable1

The rules are very confusing I thought I knew them but today I realised I obviously don’t according to what happened today...

My oldest son had a child test positive in their class today, have been told we don’t need to isolate Confused

@Loveable1

I thought they all isolated if it was a primary class, but only those in close contact (Eg based on seating arrangements etc) if secondary?

Loveable1 · 22/10/2020 16:51

@HerLadySheep I’m also unhappy with the situation as a whole. The whole of the child’s household has tested positive that’s 6 of them in total. 2 in my household have health conditions and are high risk. I want to keep my 2 home tomorrow but it’s the last day and there is a planned activity happening that they both really want to go to. I’m so torn, I wish they were younger so I could lie and say the school is closed but they are older and talk to friends online so will know I lied. Sad

Loveable1 · 22/10/2020 16:53

@Watermelon999 I thought they had to isolate as well but apparently not according to the local health authority the school have been in contact with them. This is a junior school class.

Watermelon999 · 22/10/2020 17:18

[quote Loveable1]@Watermelon999 I thought they had to isolate as well but apparently not according to the local health authority the school have been in contact with them. This is a junior school class.[/quote]
Unless they can guarantee they’re completely distancing throughout the day, which I would say is pretty much impossible in any primary class....

Loveable1 · 22/10/2020 17:21

@Watermelon999 I very much doubt they have no contact as you say this is primary school age that all mix together throughout the day they don’t just sit at their desks. Also the teacher has moved the class around about 6 times since they have been back as they have problems with the talkative kidsHmm the whole thing seems crazy to me I honestly don’t understand why we are not being told to isolate.

Watermelon999 · 22/10/2020 17:25

[quote Loveable1]@Watermelon999 I very much doubt they have no contact as you say this is primary school age that all mix together throughout the day they don’t just sit at their desks. Also the teacher has moved the class around about 6 times since they have been back as they have problems with the talkative kidsHmm the whole thing seems crazy to me I honestly don’t understand why we are not being told to isolate.[/quote]
Very odd

SchrodingersUnicorn · 22/10/2020 17:34

@Loveable1 the rules in schools are different, because they don't want us to close. Normal track and trace doesn't apply it's done by DfE and PHE with much looser rules.
I can have a covid positive student spend 2 hours in a double lesson in the front row about 1m from me, facing me and talking at me, no masks and still apparently i don't have to isolate. Only the pupils who sit directly next to the positive case isolate, never mind corridors and breaktime without social distancing.
I'm clinically vulnerable and it's terrifying how far they will go to keep schools open regardless of the risk of transmission.
I guess NHS is the same. It's all about staying open at any cost. I can understand it more with vital NHS departments though.

Loveable1 · 22/10/2020 17:41

@SchrodingersUnicorn The whole thing is madness isn’t it. When I heard the child tested positive I was thinking here we go 2 weeks isolation but nope no one is to isolate and can carry on as normal Confused

Slightlybrwnbanana · 22/10/2020 17:48

I didn't think employers could choose their own rules. The potential cost if the OP and her colleagues do happen to be positive is massive. I've had a relative contract Covid in hospital and sadly die. I would hate to think she was looked after by staff who knew they had been exposed.

Watermelon999 · 22/10/2020 17:51

@SchrodingersUnicorn

“I guess NHS is the same. It's all about staying open at any cost. I can understand it more with vital NHS departments though”

You’re probably right, but it’s not much good if half the staff are unknowingly incubating the virus!

BBCONEANDTWO · 22/10/2020 17:51

I suppose you have to have symptoms as well. Plus you might not have been within 1m from them for over 15 minutes so no need to self isolate. In reality everyone in the country could end up having to self isolate due to contacts of contacts etc there are so many infections but the country would grind to a halt.

If NHS staff have symptoms I believe they get tested quicker than other ones as well.

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