how many days did you need off work with covid?

[ArianaG]

I have just finished my 10 days isolation following a positive PCR test.
I have felt quite poorly with covid and although starting to feel better I am still very exhausted with a cough. I work part time in a job supporting students who have learning disabilities which involves a lot of physical work. I don't feel ready to go back but will it look like I'm taking too much time off? I wondered how long others have had off?

I was off for 14 days

You need to take as long as you need, everyone’s experience is different. DH was wfh so he logged on after a fortnight but I’d have said that it would have been at least another week before he could have gone back to work normally,

I got covid in the summer holidays, so didn’t need time off work, but I was properly unwell/bed ridden for about 10 days, and then very weak and exhausted for another week and doubt I would have been able to work (SLT in a school), at least not my full hours.

I haven’t had Covid but I’m SLT in a special school, our students sound similar to yours so I know what you mean by physically challenging. Many of my colleagues have had Covid. It’s really varied how long they’re recovery was– some have just had their 10 days and then been ok, others needed longer and unfortunately two got long Covid and were off for almost 6 months. You just have to take the time do you need. Some of them came back part time on a phased return which seemed to work well and because the doctor wrote this on their sick note our insurance paid the cover costs. Please do whatever is best for you, and I hope that you feel better soon.

I had three weeks and then had to reduce my hours for a while as I was too exhausted to work full days. I was ill last April and I’m still struggling with fatigue.

I’m a teacher but had Covid during one of the holidays, my ten days finishing just as term began again. However it was one of periods schools were closed so was teaching from home via laptop. I went back on a reduced timetable for about three weeks I think, until I stopped needing to sleep in the middle of the day. But that was easy because I was teaching from home - if I’d had to physically go into school, not sure how I would have managed with the commute and having to be physically on my feet and moving around. Teaching from home, I could (and needed to) actually sleep in my free periods!

Don’t rush it.

I haven't had it but dh was off work for 3 weeks.

I needed about 4 weeks but the second half (after isolation was up) was in the school holiday so I was already off. I was then at work but not feeling 100% for another 2-3 weeks after that - it was during remote learning so less active than normal, not sure I'd have been able to do my normal job at that point but could manage to teach from home.

1. I worked through it but at home obviously. It was very stressful with two kids under 4! But I wasn’t ill enough to not work.

I just had the 10 days off. I didn't suffer badly with Covid though and felt back to normal after 8 days.

I obvs did my 10 days isolation but in normal times it would have been 0. I would have definitely been at work.

@OliveTree75

I obvs did my 10 days isolation but in normal times it would have been 0. I would have definitely been at work.

Same.

A colleague of mine however needed 20 days off. She is younger than me (one vax) and I'm pregnant (unvaccinated). Just goes to show that it effects everyone differently. Take however long you need.

I had two weeks off when that was the isolation period. I didn't actually need any time off for myself though, I was well enough to work.

I took another week off after the isolation period. Was still not well. After that I went back though I was still more tired than usual. It's not unusual to not be right yet after the 10 days.

0- was fine (asymptomactic).
DH had 1. Felt a bit rough for 3 days, only 1 bad enough to take off work.
Both WFH though obviously so not affected by isolated.

3 weeks and then returned during lockdown, so only in 2 days a week rather than the 3 days a week other colleagues did but took more of the SLT load at home. DP had it in February and was still on a reduced timetable in July. He is back teaching full-time now (as am I) but still has a slightly modified timetable; he is having kidney problems (waiting for final diagnosis but has reduced function) so needs frequent breaks. Thankfully he only teaches Y11 and 6th form though, so can leave the room if needed in an emergency.

We both have colleagues who are much older, more vulnerable etc than us who did fine with it.

I was sick for 20 days but only had 6 full days off - the first 5 days I was poorly but well enough to WFH (just) until it wiped me out on day 5. I went back to WFH on day 15 of the illness, but although I'd been up and out of bed I really wasn't well enough.

Unfortunately they'd changed the sickness policy after covid started, and I'd already had 10 days off after surgery in the January before lockdown - the policy went from 22 days full pay down to 10, so by the time I caught covid I'd already had 10 days. I couldn't afford to stay at 50% salary for another week.

1. I wasn't very unwell at all and carried on working from home.

A colleague was very ill and was off for a month.

8 months (long Covid)

Ive had covid twice and both times i was fine to return back after the 10 day isolation. My manager was off for about 3 weeks though

12 weeks with long covid then relapse in march, been off ever since. Probably won't be able to work again. And I'm not obese, frail, elderly.

Different for everybody but it’s misleading to make you believe you’ll be fit for work after 10 days. I wasn’t and same for other people I know, it took about three weeks.

I needed just over 2 weeks but again work in a school and was able to work from home but if I had been physically in school I think it would have be nearer 3 weeks, possibly 4.

I just had the 10 days (ended on the Friday so had weekend to recuperate as well). I was properly unwell to the point of being in bed for 5 days but then recovered pretty quickly. I feel very lucky when I hear about other experiences!

@Stasiland

12 weeks with long covid then relapse in march, been off ever since. Probably won't be able to work again. And I'm not obese, frail, elderly.

Why can’t you go back to work?