Very worried teacher

[Covidwoes]

Hi all, NC'd for this in case it's outing. I'm a teacher waiting on Covid results (developed symptoms yesterday and got tested later in the day) and I'm pretty sure I have it, as my symptoms match. I'm also pregnant (3rd trimester). I cover planning time, so work in different classes. I've been awake all night worrying about spreading it. While I've tried my very best to distance, hand wash, sanitise etc, it's difficult to maintain 100% Covid secure guidelines in schools, especially with younger children. I'm absolutely terrified that if I test positive, I'll have infected loads of people. I know there's not much I can do, but I'm so worried. The symptoms were not gradual onset at all, and I had been feeling absolutely fine on Friday before waking up yesterday feeling ill. I'm honestly more worried about being a super spreader than feeling ill.

[Redlocks28]

You should feel angry with the government for not letting you do anything to protect yourself.

Tell your school and your DC’s school you’ve tested positive and then rest up.

[Emeeno1]

I'm sorry this has happened to you and wish you all the best for a quick recovery.

I think teachers are being treated awfully. My husband is a transport key worker. He cannot even enter his site of work without a temperature check taken by a machine at the gate. If you have a temperature it will not let you enter. He also has twice weekly covid testing. How come his place of employment has all this in place when he has nothing like the exposure of teachers? Everyone working should have access to this level of protection.

[Serafinaaa]

I work in a school and none of our pregnant members of staff have been in at all for their whole pregnancies!! I'm really surprised you have not been asked to work from home.

[IloveJKRowling]

Not your fault OP. I bet like many schools you weren't allowed to wear masks, and that would have protected you and everyone else.

If I were you I'd be incredibly angry at the government - but that's probably not very helpful. Focus on yourself and your baby. It's not your fault if you've spread it.

Even if you were a superspreader, opening schools as they have been in the UK (and pretty much nowhere else - they have masks from age 6 in Spain, France, Italy etc) was bound to lead to people spreading it.

There is so much the government could have done - extra funding for schools rather than Serco shareholders for a start - and chose not to. Unlike so many other countries.

[polkadotpjs]

My friend lost her appetite with the dodgy taste too. Please try to not worry. Or think what you'd say to a friend/ colleague in the same position and you might be surprised how kind you'd be!

[Covidwoes]

Thanks so much everyone. Appetite has completely gone today, but I think that's stress related. Temp is down a bit which is good.

[borageforager]

What polkadot said. Focus on yourself, get well soon. No blame!

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Get well soon

[Fortherosesjoni70]

Forget about the school and take absolute care of yourself. Put it right out of your mind. Concentrate on you and your family. Wishing you a speedy recovery

[polkadotpjs]

I should have phrased that better to say the thing it definitely is NOT is your fault.

[polkadotpjs]

It is what it is- and what it isn't is your fault it's not your fault and you should feel zero guilt. I'm so grateful for you and other teachers going in and taking care of our children. Mine are fragile after lockdown 1 and school is their lifeline.
I'm so grateful to every teacher. Thank you
Now go get better with a clear conscience that it's not your fault and nobody will talk and if they do, they're bonkers. My friend has Covid. She WFH and hasn't been out in a week. She thinks her husband or daughter gave it to her. That's how random it can be. I hope you feel better very soon

[Hugepeppapigfan]

Look after yourself now please. Inform school of your result then concentrate on getting better for you and the baby. Remember that your school didn’t care enough to protect you despite guidance to the contrary re third trimester. Prioritise yourself and your bump now.

[Hugepeppapigfan]

YOU’RE

[Hugepeppapigfan]

Your school only need to know you have tested positive as your the first one in your household to do so. Your DH and DC need to isolate now and inform their school/workplace if they go on to test positive.

I wish you a speedy recovery. It’s very unfair that you’ve been put in this position.

[BarbarAnna]

I am very sorry to hear this. PHE will take over and advise the school, as I understand it. You need to concentrate on yourself and to get better. No one is blaming you. Your profession has been put in an untenable position.

[Covidwoes]

I'm positive unfortunately. DH is now very likely to test positive too I imagine after developing this cough, even though it's very minor. I'm just so confused as to what this means for school. If he tests positive (or my DC ends up testing positive), do school need his/their name(s)? Will Public Health/Local Authority tell school they have tested positive too? I'm just wondering if this will affect anything I need to do/affect what happens at school itself (even though he hasn't had contact with anyone from there, and obviously our child hasn't either). Honestly the stress this is causing me is unreal.

[unkindnessofravens]

I know it's easy for me to say, but please try not to worry and focus on keeping as well as you can. This isn't your fault and you won't be the last this happens to unfortunately. Wishing you a speedy recovery

[Covidwoes]

@NotExactlyMrsCurrentAffairs Oh bless you. That's what I'm worried about - the guilt! I also worry about people gossiping.

[CallmeAngelina]

"that teachers should be protected from any risk etc etc. That I cannot stand"
I'm afraid that it's your comprehension skills that are at fault with that one.

[SnowyBerries]

What I am critical of is the wider moaning from some teachers which always creeps in...that catching Covid is the Governments fault, that teachers should be protected from any risk etc etc. That I cannot stand
You're wrongly assuming that anyone who thinks the government were wrong to invest no money in making schools safer must be a teacher. They are not. I'm not. This is on top of schools being underfunded for ten years and already being on their bare bones.
If you want to live somewhere where no one's allowed to criticise the government then move to North Korea.

[Helpmyhair2019]

@loulouljh

Yes and I am supportive of the OP!!!!!!! Can you not see that? That was the whole point of posting. I have not criticised her in the least! She sounds like a very sensible conscientious person who is worried about her fellow human beings. She sounds great. I would love her to be the teacher of my children.

What I am critical of is the wider moaning from some teachers which always creeps in...that catching Covid is the Governments fault, that teachers should be protected from any risk etc etc. That I cannot stand. I am not implying that the OP should be grateful for a job but I imagine she may well be. Maybe I am experiencing something different to everyone else here but I know many people amongst close friends who have lost their jobs. They are looking at all other options including teaching and will, if that comes off, be grateful for the opportunity to earn money and to keep their houses. There will be many many more people like that as time goes on. I have no doubt that teaching is a difficult profession. But it is one that is secure and I am sure in time that in itself will become more valued rather than less.

But as I originally said OP you have done nothing wrong. I salute you for teaching our children and wish you a quick recovery if you have Covid.

I’m still waiting for you to reply to my previous message asking what other job involves no PPE, no distancing and bubbles of 100’s people? But I’m sure you’re struggling for a response because there isn’t one!
Yes I know we are lucky to have jobs. You say you have friends who have lost their jobs and are looking at teaching. It’s not a job you can just walk into - took me 4 years to train/ But if you really think it’s the same as any other job at the moment then I’m afraid you are just wrong.

[NotExactlyMrsCurrentAffairs]

I work in a school and I was the first person in our school to test positive. 3 bubbles had to close because of me and they all had to self isolate over half term. I felt terribly guilty.
None of this is your fault.
If it's anything like round here, it's spreading like wildfire anyway and they'll soon be more cases.
I'm self isolating again after another child in my bubble tested positive.

[pastandpresent]

No, sorry, I couldn't see it, loulouljh. You should have stopped at your original comment. What do you gain from digging into OP who is already under so much stress over getting covid while she is pregnant. Have a heart.

[loulouljh]

Yes and I am supportive of the OP!!!!!!! Can you not see that? That was the whole point of posting. I have not criticised her in the least! She sounds like a very sensible conscientious person who is worried about her fellow human beings. She sounds great. I would love her to be the teacher of my children.

What I am critical of is the wider moaning from some teachers which always creeps in...that catching Covid is the Governments fault, that teachers should be protected from any risk etc etc. That I cannot stand. I am not implying that the OP should be grateful for a job but I imagine she may well be. Maybe I am experiencing something different to everyone else here but I know many people amongst close friends who have lost their jobs. They are looking at all other options including teaching and will, if that comes off, be grateful for the opportunity to earn money and to keep their houses. There will be many many more people like that as time goes on. I have no doubt that teaching is a difficult profession. But it is one that is secure and I am sure in time that in itself will become more valued rather than less.

But as I originally said OP you have done nothing wrong. I salute you for teaching our children and wish you a quick recovery if you have Covid.

[Hugepeppapigfan]

I’m a teacher and SLT. None of this is your fault. Your school are on dodgy ground going against union and RCOG advice by having you work in class past 28 weeks! It’s not possible to social distance in most classrooms and certainly not in the vast majority of primary classrooms. What were they thinking? What did your risk assessment say?

Don’t give one more thought about school. Your health and your baby are important here. Your health and safety has not been prioritised by school so it’s your turn to make sure that you do prioritise it. I sincerely hope that you are well again soon.