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?

[Sweettea1]

It is different guidelines for care staff my sis is carer and doesn't have to isolate if someone she's working with tested positive. If all the xare staff have to isolate who is looking after the residents its the same with NHS staff.

[RayOfSunshine2013]

Do you have to or are you supposed to are two completely different things

[Mrsemcgregor]

Who do people think will look after care home residents if the whole staffing team have to self isolate? If I tested positive for covid today then at least 8 staff and 21 residents, that I have been within 2m of for more than 15 minutes whilst providing care over the last 2 shifts, would need to isolate for 14 days!

That’s why government guidelines are that if you have been working in PPE (surgical mask, gloves and apron) you don’t need to isolate and should not use the app in work. People need to educate themselves before shouting there mouths off!

[Mrsemcgregor]

*their mouths off (tired, been working nights)

[BilberryBaggins]

This is the Govt advice (C&P from their advice for health care workers).

If health and social care staff are providing direct care to a patient or a resident with COVID-19 and are wearing the correct PPE in accordance with the current IPC guidance, they will not be considered as a contact for the purposes of contact tracing and isolation, and will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days (the standards for PPE specification, fit testing and regimes of use for clinical and care activities will be agreed and delivered by organisations).

It is important to note that the effectiveness of the use of face masks, face coverings, or other PPE for prevention of transmission or acquisition of coronavirus infection cannot be guaranteed in settings other than the provision of direct care with patients or residents. Therefore, the use of PPE in other settings (such as a staff room or canteen) will not necessarily exclude an individual from being considered a close contact. In addition, if health and social care staff have been in contact with a COVID-19 case and are not following appropriate IPC, including wearing correct PPE, they will be considered as a contact for the purposes of contact tracing and isolation.

If a health or social care worker is considered to be a contact, and the recommendation for them to self-isolate would have implications for the provision of the service, their employer will need to escalate this for a risk- assessment to a Tier 1 contact tracer at the local Health Protection Team (HPT). Advice about whether a risk-assessment is needed may also be sought from the HPT. The risk-assessment should take account of any PPE use (including its type and situational appropriateness) and other mitigating factors that may reduce the risk of infection transmission to such an extent that the individual identified as a contact does not need to self-isolate.

All staff who come into contact with COVID-19 cases, whether or not they are protected by the use of PPE or by other factors, should remain vigilant to the possibility of contracting infection and should self-isolate immediately if they develop relevant symptoms.

[BilberryBaggins]

I would interpret that as being that your setting will advise you as to whether you are a ‘close contact’ for the purposes of contact tracing, and if they decide you are not, then you do not need to isolate. I don’t think the app can make that decision on their behalf.

[BilberryBaggins]

Link to the document with the advice here www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings

[catsarecute]

OP I don't know if this will apply to you, but in some circumstances there is a £500 support payment available for people who have to isolate. It looks like it's for people asked to isolate through test and trace though, not the app. There's one that people can be eligible for (criteria are quite narrow) and a discretionary one too.

If you end up isolating and out of pocket because of it, please write to your MP and let them know, as this policy of ordinary people being worse off for doing the right thing is undermining the whole government strategy, and they need to address it (it's something that Keir Stamer brought up at PMQ's this week).

I hope both you and your colleague are ok.

This is the info on the support payments: www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

[LITHIUMcomeasUare]

Your 'close colleague' has tested positive - you work in a care home and you have been told by track and trace to self isolate YET you ask us bunch of people on MN's whether you should or not!

Oh dear

[Greysparkles]

Oh dear.

Some people seem unable to read the whole thread, or have any understanding that the rules inside health care settings differ from normal social interactions.

Oh deary dear.

[BilberryBaggins]

OP can I clarify something with you, that may explain some of the differing opinions on this thread.

Is your question that you think the contact that has triggered the alert is your colleague, in which case you don’t need to isolate because of PPE, but because the dates don’t align, you can’t verify this with your manager?

Rather than ‘do I have to isolate because of my close colleague testing positive?’.

If your setting is saying you don’t need to isolate on account of your colleague and you are certain there are no other possibilities for contact, then you are fine not to I’d have thought.

[JustDanceAddict]

You definitely do.

[Lucked]

I couldn’t really follow the OP

Are you saying you were never within 2m of your colleague but your phones were close as your bags were locked away together? If so it seems like a spurious result. But how certain can you be that it was your colleague who triggered track and trace? - I thought that was confidential so I am not sure if you will get to the bottom of it if you can’t guarantee it wasn’t triggered by someone else, possibly even a stranger.

I work for NHS Scotland and we are under strict instructions to pause it on entering the premises.

[FippertyGibbett]

@sophandbridge

I’ll tell my manager you disagree with them and PHE then 🙄

Go ahead. It's not the case in the health care settings that I work in.

But it is in the health care setting I work in, and that advice comes from PHE.
Google it if you don’t know who that is .

[HebeMumsnet]

Evening, OP.
We've moved this thread over to our Coronavirus section now.

[PrivateD00r]

That breaks all guidance out there

How? I look after people with covid with my PPE on, very close contact including bodily fluids (midwife). Obviously I don't isolate every time or what staff would be left? I work closely with a colleague, say in theatre, who then tests positive. You think I isolate just because its a colleague and not a patient?

Same applies when we go into an office together, so long as we have our mask on, we don't isolate. I don't see how the NHS could function without this rule?

[FippertyGibbett]

@Greysparkles

And I didn't think masks stopped you having to isolate unless you were wearing proper PPE

Pray tell, what is "proper" PPE

*We have been told to wear a mask at all times in work so that if someone tests positive we don’t have to isolate.

That breaks all guidance out there*

Be that as it may. It's true

That's about as likely to be true as if I told you that the Pope has converted to Islam.

Again, its true. Our trust policy is that if a colleague tests positive as long as you were wearing a mask then you don't need to isolate.
If you were not wearing a mask, for example, in the staff rooming lunch. Then you would have to isolate.

Thank you for your support. Our guidance comes from Public Health England.

[VulvaPerson]

My mother works in a care home and does not have to self isolate if a member of staff/resident test positive. The reasn should be self explanatory really.

My sister who works in a hospital was actively encouraged to ignore the app (when she had it, more trouble than its worth it seems) when it told her to isolate, 'unless she developed symptoms' also.

[FippertyGibbett]

NHS staff are told to turn the app off when at work or everyone would be permanently isolating , what part of that don’t you understand ?
Just like we wear masks so we don’t have to isolate. Who would man the wards if we were all off isolating ?
🙄

[essexmum777]

the issue here is that the OP isn't going to get paid - does SSP not even apply?

[BilberryBaggins]

@FippertyGibbett

NHS staff are told to turn the app off when at work or everyone would be permanently isolating , what part of that don’t you understand ?
Just like we wear masks so we don’t have to isolate. Who would man the wards if we were all off isolating ?
🙄

Doctor goes to work on Covid Ward. Treats Covid patients all night. Goes home.

MN says 'YOU HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH COVID, YOU NEED TO ISOLATE.'

[Frequency]

@BusyBB you loosing pay versus a relative looses their relative in the care home. It’s a difficult one, both outcomes are equally as bad

Some care homes are working with less staff than is legally allowed due to the number of carers off because of isolating or testing positive.

OP not going to work could be the difference between a resident recieving vital medication or not. I work in care. We've been told not to have the app on at work and that exposure to staff members/residents who test postitive does not count because of PPE. If you're sure you're being asked to isolate due to your co-worker and you haven't been meeting up with her outside of work then I would go to work.

[VulvaPerson]

Yeah turn it off at work. This was not a work contact. However, she was told to ignore it and come in. As they needed her. And she works on the covid ward anyway. And is in full PPE at work. And the app was seemingly playing up a lot (this was near the start of it, when people were beig told to isolate when they hadn;t left the house, and stuff so it seemed really buggy)

The carehome situation is weird. I cannot understand how any home ca possibly run if telling people to isolate if a member of staff/resident test positive? Who wrks then?!

Those I know in care settings have different rules. They HAVE to really, or the whole health service would collapse.

[Gwenhwyfar]

@FippertyGibbett

We have been told to wear a mask at all times in work so that if someone tests positive we don’t have to isolate.

Is that really how it works? Masks reduce transmission but don't cut it totally do they?

[Greysparkles]

Is that really how it works? Masks reduce transmission but don't cut it totally do they?

Think about it. How else could it possibly work