Do I REALLY have to self isolate?

[BusyBB]

So I got a notification from track and trace app to isolate for 10 days.

Called work, a care home where we always wear masks, and have had a test on site. One of my close colleagues has tested positive, but the day that she had tested didn't tally up with the days I had been told to isolate for. If the days did tally up, I would be able to go to work and ignore the message to self isolate.

But guess what, the day I last saw her (two days before she tested) does tally up with how many days i have to isolate for!

I haven't been anywhere else except to see my dad (support bubble, who hasnt tested positive) and occasionally in the shop, but would not have been within two meters of some one for 15 minutes and always wearing a mask.

So am I being unreasonable to think I shouldn't have to isolate if my test comes back negative?

@FippertyGibbett

Turn the app off 😉

Seriously @FippertyGibbett that's your advice?!

FFS, OP works in a care home, caring for some of the most vulnerable in society. Shame on you

I really feel for you, I think it's absolutely disgusting that key workers who have gone to work throughout this year keeping the country running despite putting themselves and their family's at risk lose pay when they're told to isolate, either your employers or the government should be making sure you get full pay, it's not like you've woke up with a headache and decided to stay off sick, you're being forced too, how many people can afford almost 2 weeks unpaid!!

I would discuss with your manager given that a. You were wearing masks and b. You wouldn’t have got a notification don’t think if you didn’t have the app.
The app is a polite request to do so and is NOT legally binding

Whats the name of this care home by chance?

My nan and great aunt are in a care home and Id love to pull them if this is how theyre dealing with covid!

Either you incorrectly had the App on or your colleague is a numpty and failed to mention wearing PPE when they self reported.
This is happening a lot. One person says, yeah I had close contact blah blah blah but they did not have close contact as correctly defined.
We worked with local PH team to resolve.

My nan and great aunt are in a care home and Id love to pull them if this is how theyre dealing with covid!

Best pull them out then, as its policy across the board
How do you think they would ever have any staff?!

[quote Chestnutacorns123]@sophandbridge then you are lucky. Both my husband and myself do not need to isolate if we are wearing masks and in contact with a covid positive patient. In fact, when he's on the covid wards that's all he gets, no FFP3 mask for him.[/quote]
We don't get adequate masks either. We provide our own more often than not, we can have one disposable mask a day.

I work in a care home, not a carer. I spent an hour in close contact sitting next to someone who the next day tested positive. I was told as long as I was wearing my mask at the time I will be fine so am expected to continue working as normal. Contradicts everything the government is telling us.

You shouldn’t have the app running when you are at work (if wearing PPE). If you were wearing PPE in the meeting then I don’t see that you would need to isolate. If a doctor or nurse had to isolate whenever they had been near a covid case there would be no doctors or nurses working? Because they wear PPE they turn off the app when at work, surely that would be the same for care homes? Speak to your boss and see what they think, surely if you have to isolate then everyone in the meeting would have to too?

Is there a direct correlation between number of unnecessary CAPITAL LETTERS in a post, and the level of pearl clutching, hyperbolic faux outrage contained within? 🤔

Anyway, definitely need to look into this further OP. As a healthcare worker following covid safe guidance, whose phone was next to carrier's phone for the duration of contact I'd say you should still be able to work.

I work in a care home, we don't have to self isolate if someone tests positive as we wear PPE.

You've probably received the self isolate from the app as your colleague put your name in the track and trace thing you have to do when you test positive. She should not have out work colleagues down unless she was in contact outside of work.

Contact your employer and ask them what public health have said.

Actually, if you and your colleague have the track and trace app, that's why you'd have received it. You should turn it off while at work, that's the advice NHS workers get as well, otherwise they'd constantly be told to self isolate.

There is a reason that the app tells you to turn it off if your phone is not actually with you.

Surely if everyone in care followed the advice on this thread there would very quickly be no one left to care for Covid patients in any setting...?

It sounds like your manager needs to ring PHR for advice, or wherever is supporting you. It’s how we are managing it in schools- the DFE/ local HA or 111 make decisions.

@FippertyGibbett by your managers view any nurse caring for patients would have to self isolate for 14 days after each shift. Unless we do aerosol generating procedures, staff wear standard surgical masks. PHE know this and guidance matches that. Please re visit PHE guidance as yours is incorrect.

We have to turn our T&T app off at work. (NHS hospital)

I don't know why people are struggling with this so much. A risky contact is closer than 2 metres for longer than 15 minutes with no surgical mask. Anyone working on a mask should turn the app off whilst working as they are not in danger. The biggest risk areas in NHS is lunch and tea breaks when masks are removed. There is supposed to be strict social distancing at this time and if you watch Hospital you will see that when a doctor tested positive they actually went to where he had sat and Eastern to check if he had been great enough away from colleagues. If OP had left her App on by accident, particularly if phone was in bag near colleagues phone, unless she was closer than 2 metres to this colleague without a mask on for some time, she is NOT a risk to the residents so all those calling her out on questioning this ABVU.

Yes you do. A negative test doesn’t mean you’re not incubating the virus. You’re working with vulnerable people you must isolate.

@Parkermumma07

It’s a legal requirement to isolate, regardless of any tests you have you need to isolate for the full days as given.

Only if you get a call from Test and Trace because you've been named as a definite contact of someone.

Notification from the app is different, and isolation is not a legal requirement, doe to the chances of picking up a false signal.

Teachers and medical staff who have to lock their phones away during the working day, are told not to use the app, as their phones are in close contact with thephones of people who they may be several rooms away from.

You should turn Bluetooth off on your phone if you are going to leave it unattended, especially around other unattended phones.

Some of my colleagues have to put their phones in lockers while at work. So 20 or so phones right next to each other for hours at a time. They have all been warned to either switch off Bluetooth or switch the phone off completely.

I read earlier on MN it's the email, text call etc from test and trace that's legal and you must isolate by law.

The app is advisory. It just picks up you've been in contact tact with someone without all the nuances that mean you don't have to isolate.

For example your phone has been next to hers in an office.

[quote pearpickingporky84]@frontlegsofacow
Is this what your employer has advised? Do you work in the NHS? This sounds crazy and dangerous. I work in the NHS and would be expected to isolate for the full period regardless of testing![/quote]
Yep - the policy is we isolate until we get a test. If that test is negative high ho high ho off to work we go. We only get paid to isolate if we are positive or until we get a negative test as policy is the that we return. I deal with close contact with patients with unknown Covid status. We wear our PPE and hope for the best.

TBH, once you said working in a care home, I would say 'Yes'. Masks lower the chance of contagion but not to zero. Not a chance to take I'd have thought.

I second forgetting to put your Bluetooth on

People in healthcare don't have to isolate if they come in to contact with covid +ve people in work as part of the job. We do outside of work.