Coworker tested then came to work. Now confirmed positive.

[neddle]

Earlier in the week a female coworker tested positive and has been off work since. We work in separate buildings on the same site.
That evening at least one of the men in my building had a test after work, yet came into work yesterday.
The boss sent him and some others in my team home and later told us that the male coworker has now tested positive.

What would you expect to happen to him now? It’s possible that he may have infected the rest of my team and he also initially denied having tested.
Could this be a disciplinary or might they fire him?
Is there any sort of guidance to this currently?
I don’t have an issue with him normally, but I wouldn’t call us friends. On the one hand, I don’t understand why he tested, as he isn’t in the same work bubble as the positive female coworker, but then if he hadn’t tested, he posed a risk to my whole team and we wouldn’t have known as he had no symptoms.

Feeling confused here and unsure whether I should test as well, even though I’m never near him.

I don’t think you need to test if you haven’t been near him.

What happens to him is up to the bosses, guess they could maybe say it’s gross misconduct and fire him but I’d suspect they’d be unlikely to. He could claim he was confused about the rules, etc?

Are you sure he isn't entitled to a test without displaying symptoms. As cases are high in our area they provide tests to pick up asymptomatic cases. Lots of people go if someone close contact tests positive. Not available in next Borough.

It depends on why he was tested.

If he came into work when symptomatic, then yes he has put colleagues at avoidable risk and that could be a disciplinary matter.

If he was tested asymptomatically (eg invited to participate in one of the surveys), then the worker did nothing wrong

He only tested because our coworker was positive. No symptoms and not asked to by any study etc.

My friend’s coworker had symptoms, had a test, then didn’t tell anyone until she got a positive test.
My friend was livid but they did nothing. No disciplinary, no sacking.

Sounds like a good job he tested! And there is no requirement to isolate if not symptomatic, so unless he had been instructed to isolate by track and trace he hasnt done anything wrong..

We are tested 2 x weekly at work and have picked up a lot of cases that way.

@neddle

He only tested because our coworker was positive. No symptoms and not asked to by any study etc.

I wonder if he's secretly seeing her and no-one knows or he thinks it's no-one else's business. I don't know why he would get into trouble? Did his original test come back negative then he had to do another test that came back positive.

I don't know how he could get into trouble for this? Am I missing something.

Wow. It would be instant dismissal where I work - but I’m not in the uk.

Where I am, anyone can get a test for any reason and you MUST isolate after taking a test until you receive the all clear. The are payments available if that means you miss work etc.

When we had an outbreak earlier this month, some contacts or attendees at places where cases had been had to test and isolate for 14 days from the date of exposure, regardless of whether they were positive or negative because they had been in such close contact with a positive case.

It’s really strict and tough, but the only way to stop the spread.

@neddle

He only tested because our coworker was positive. No symptoms and not asked to by any study etc.

Then I don’t think he should be disciplined. If he tested because he was symptomatic, or whilst being told to self isolate due to being a contact, then it could be a dismissible offence. However, from this it sounds as though he did a test with no reason other than because he was concerned but without any valid reason symptom-wise.

Was it a PCR test or an on-demand lateral flow for asymptomatic people? If the latter then he wouldn’t need to isolate.

I was going to say you're absolutely right and yes he should be disciplined, but then I checked here (and related pages:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

It only says to self isolate if you have symptoms or if you're a close contact. Presuming neither of those applied, he wasn't obliged to isolate. Only difference would be if was a 'secret' close contact as a pp said.

Of course technically he shouldn't have taken a test, but it turns out to be a good thing he did!

No you don't need to test, and no he shouldn't be disciplined. Unless he is lying about the not having symptoms.