To think we soon won’t be isolating even when we have covid.

[Grida]

If covid is spreading as rapidly as it seems to be, surely people who have tested positive but who don’t have symptoms/aren’t feeling ill will have to carry on working. The country will stop functioning otherwise.

I don't think that's true. I think anyone who is genuinely ill should recover at home as long as really necessary. They should be entitled to sick pay.

As a teacher I disagree, we are made to still work when sick. I was working from my bed when I had covid. My colleague was vomiting on zoom and another colleague in a previous job was working in hospital. It is filtering onto the children and they now see it as the norm for them to still work when they are sick because they see us do it. They are now asking for work to do at home as the gov have said we have to provide it for those isolating with covid so now it has become a thing that kids are expected to work when vomiting, have croup etc. It is really an awful model for our kids to follow and I've told my head we need to model good wellbeing when sick and ensure the kids learn this too.

@Blubells I know at least some of the staff are ill.

@Blubells

Lots of people seem to be sending kids in anyway. As a result our local primary school is already shut as too many staff are off sick

But if teachers didn't have to stay at home for 10 days, the staff absences wouldn't be such a big problem?

All the teachers in my school were off longer than 10 days - all were sick. Again this will lead to pressure on teachers to come into the class when they are not fully recovered as I did after 2.5 weeks. It also puts vulnerable kids at risk. I have a child on oxygen in my class and one in school who is recovering from leukaemia. What happens to them?

And the real issue is schools cant get cover staff. No one wants to work in a covidy school.
So yes teachers have always been ill, but they used to get cover staff in.

They're in the 'fuck it they don't matter group' I presume.

But if teachers didn't have to stay at home for 10 days, the staff absences wouldn't be such a big problem?

You do know that plenty of people get pretty ill with Covid? Sometimes long-term? Not everyone is going to recover immediately

@Awalkintime exactly. Lets face it most people don't give a fuck about ill and disabled kids anyway.

@Awalkintime

It’s as though there is a desire among people to want to be terrified over this and Some people just don't want this. Covid is their lives now and essentially how they spend their spare time, reading about it, talking about it, thinking about it. Don't know what they'll do when it no longer dominates the news.

So those who are scared which is a rational fear when you know you are vulnerable and it is affecting their mental health are mocked and criticised for being scared. So these mental health struggles can be laughed at and that is OK apparently. Mocking the disabled is fair game.

Covid doesn’t just impact physically, the severe psychological and emotional negative impacts of lockdowns etc are equally as important as the negative physical symptoms.

Yet when others have mental health issues because of lockdown we must take it seriously. Why is it just one group who's mental health is shot because of this who are supported while the other get criticised and mocked for their feelings?

Are you joking?

The whole concept of lockdown/restrictions is to try to prevent deaths following severe infections, hence the physical implications.

So in order to protect a certain percentage of society (the minority) the majority have had to abide by these lockdowns etc…

For some people it is a bit inconvenient but for others it has been catastrophic, losing their jobs, incomes, homes etc…

For most people it’s probably some where in between.

Lockdowns have sever negative consequences for the average person, the same average person that covid won’t affect. In fact, most people are more concerned about the prices increase in food, energy etc, the mental health of their loved ones than they are about catching covid!

There are also many people who just think they have a cold and don't even bother testing.

Disabled people who could die from covid are disproportionately affected by price rises as they tend to be on low incomes. This is a false division.
My partner is also losing his job because mainly young people have voted with their feet and stayed away from the business he works with as cases soar locally. The business struggled through various lockdowns but the recent surge at a busy time has just finished it off.

All the teachers in my school were off longer than 10 days - all were sick.

Was that with Delta or Omicron? We can only hope that cases become much milder over time, as we all build up more immunity.

Starcup
Did you read that post at all? I don't think you did. It was about how people are mocking the vulnerable about their mental health but being supportive of others about their mental health who are not vulnerable. I think you misread it.

There are also many people who just think they have a cold and don't even bother testing.

And many are positive but asymptomatic so may not test themselves.

I fear that may happen increasingly if people want to avoid isolating for 10 days, especially if they feel well.

The scientists are saying reinfection with omicron is more likely.
And mild means that you are unlikely to be hospitalised, not that you are well enough to work in a crowded classroom.

@Blubells

All the teachers in my school were off longer than 10 days - all were sick.

Was that with Delta or Omicron? We can only hope that cases become much milder over time, as we all build up more immunity.

No idea what variant at all. I hope it does become milder but until then we have to learn to live with school closures.

Considering one of the vulnerable groups is pregnant women, this is a very strange attitude for so many to have on a forum where a large proportion of posters are or have been pregnant themselves.

Where is this certainty arising that people will not become either seriously ill or chronically ill because of covid. These subjective experiences are not scientifically valid. If it becomes clear that Covid is a minor illness, sure lets go about our lives, not sure if I have Covid anyone will want to meet me in work or outside of work,

@nordica it really isnt. Most people here seem to only care about their own immediate family.

And mild means that you are unlikely to be hospitalised, not that you are well enough to work in a crowded classroom.

I think we need more data on what 'mild' means in terms of illness, ability to work and need to isolate.

@Blubells that data does not exist. Nobody official except my workplace knows I was in bed for a week unable to work. I didn't even need to call a GP.

@Awalkintime

Starcup Did you read that post at all? I don't think you did. It was about how people are mocking the vulnerable about their mental health but being supportive of others about their mental health who are not vulnerable. I think you misread it.

I did read it, thanks.

I read it exactly as you’ve described and everything I said still stands.

There seems to be a group of people on here that think everyone should be under restriction, lockdown, for the foreseeable to protect others as part of their ‘civil duty’

But these restrictions are causing more harm to the averages Joe’s mental health.

Being vulnerable must be really difficult. I can totally understand why the MH of the most vulnerable is suffering too.

That said, this virus has proved time again that it’s here to stay. It really isn’t going anywhere. So we are all going to have to live with it.

It’s ok expecting everyone to isolate if they’ve had contact with covid, but that in itself, is going to cause more harm than good

Starcup
So you support mocking those with mental health issues? Ok then.

My post said nothing about isolating and expecting anyone else to. My post said nothing about learning to live with it. My post said nothing about a civil duty. So you didn't read it at all if those are your responses.

It said people are mocking those who are vulnerable and that seems to be ok to some. Clearly it is ok to you to carry on.

[quote aliceca]@Blubells that data does not exist. Nobody official except my workplace knows I was in bed for a week unable to work. I didn't even need to call a GP.[/quote]
Did you get any contact from your GP? I had a survey from my GP asking about my symptoms and key stats.

@Awalkintime yep health anxiety, anxious, people are openly mocked if it is about covid.
I have an acquaintance who has always been anxious. Covid has made her virtually housebound. But apparently its okay to mock her now.

Honestly a lot of people are vile.

Starcup
My post gave examples of where vulnerable anxious people have been mocked for being scared. It also gave examples where non-vulnerable anxious people have been supported with their feelings. I identified how the two groups are treated differently - one mocked for being scared, one supported for being scared. Both suffering mentally but treated completely differently.

Your response does not tally with my comment at all. Hence why I asked if you read it.