Work sending messages pleading for help

[whenwillthemadnessend]

My work has sent out an email this morning pleading for help today. I expect it will be
Like this for a few weeks now.

It's not an essential service likely but if my Work is doing it how are the essential services going to cope

This is why I think we will
End up with some restrictions soon.

I was chatting to a bus driver the other day 72 drivers on his fleet are off .. 72 ! Bloody hell .. buses are still running though regularly. I dont think restrictions are on the cards
I work in quite a niche area of work , I reckon half are milking it as work are not asking for proof of positive tests they're just relying on their word , usual sicknotes are off . There is always a shortage, I just tell them no , they don't ask me often though

I know what you mean. I had a text from the bank team at our local hospital begging for volunteers to help with feeding patients on Christmas day. That's what I spent my last two days doing. I'm off now and in bed with a stinking cold.

Maybe the 7 day isolation rule should be scrapped for those who feel well enough to work?

Is it not mainly because of the isolation rules that so many people are off work?

So if someone tests positive with Omicron but feels well enough to go to work and goes, infects three more people, one of whom has a mild infection and feels OK, one of whom is ill enough to have to take two weeks off and one of whom develops Long Covid and has to be signed off long term sick, how is that an improvement? (Numbers for illustrative purposes only.)
The only reliable way to exert some control over highly infectious illnesses is isolation, as has been recognised for centuries.

@Blubells

Maybe the 7 day isolation rule should be scrapped for those who feel well enough to work?

I'm massively surprised they've not done this already. Specifically for primary school children.

Yeah many will be off work but ordinarily would be well enough to come in. And if people are taking daily asymptomatic tests then that’s also a problem because eventually you will “strike gold”
My work definitely DONT want us doing random tests because of the impact on the work force!
I don’t see how the isolation rule is tenable long term.

The only reliable way to exert some control over highly infectious illnesses is isolation

But we're not trying to 'exert control' over the virus. I think it's inevitable that it's here to stay. We're going to have to build up immunity through vaccination and through exposure to the virus, and get on with our lives.

I think it might go the other way, fewer restrictions rather than more.

If it is true that this a milder illness, it's unnecessary to isolate people so much. People who are positive but otherwise well can return to work, which would solve many of the current problems.

People who are positive but otherwise well can return to work, which would solve many of the current problems.

Exactly.

We've only got one off with covid ATM, but a couple off with other illness, but we're short staffed anyway.
We have run short shifts all over Christmas and it's been awful, we've struggled to provide basic care, never mind make Christmas a lovely time.

The advert for new staff is just on a repeat loop, with very few takers, and some that are taking have been less than desirable if I'm honest, but beggars can't be choosers as the saying goes.

They can't squeeze those of us who are there any tighter, short of defying the laws of physics and being in 2 places at once there's nothing left to give, and that's before you get to the toll it's taking on us.

The guilt is crushing though, knowing if you don't give up your day off then other people will suffer for it, but not feeling like you're doing a very good job when you are there because you're burned out from not having any down time and because there's never enough to cover all the bases. And that guilt is used to get you to fill the rota, and it works.

Employers of all types need to start realising it's not really their market any more, and if they want to continue trading they need to treat their employees like assets rather than a necessary evil to make profit.

@Blubells

Maybe the 7 day isolation rule should be scrapped for those who feel well enough to work?

You don’t get it do you

They maybe well enough to work but as they are isolating as they have tested positive then all they are going to do is transmit it to others

So in simple terms business of 10, 1 of sick, under your example goes in, infects 5 so then they become spreaders as well

@HaveANiceFuckingDay

I was chatting to a bus driver the other day 72 drivers on his fleet are off .. 72 ! Bloody hell .. buses are still running though regularly. I dont think restrictions are on the cards I work in quite a niche area of work , I reckon half are milking it as work are not asking for proof of positive tests they're just relying on their word , usual sicknotes are off . There is always a shortage, I just tell them no , they don't ask me often though

Unfortunately it is true in most workplaces that if you'd been asked to forecast at the outset those who would need the most periods of isolation you'd have been pretty accurate.

*You don’t get it do you

They maybe well enough to work but as they are isolating as they have tested positive then all they are going to do is transmit it to others

So in simple terms business of 10, 1 of sick, under your example goes in, infects 5 so then they become spreaders as well*

We do get it, it doesn't matter if what they are spreading is a mild illness

@borntobequiet exactly. I work in NHS, we’ve got whole departments closed, half our team are off with Covid, we’re skeleton staff. But if the knowingly positive staff came in and spread it around to vulnerable patients and staff there would would be uproar. If people had isolated as they were meant to it would have been over with a long time ago.

Eternallyfrazzled

I haven't done a PCR but am booked for one, I've no lfts as used them before I went to the hospital.

I think the plan may be to reduce working restrictions on those who have an asymptomatic or mild infection.

*You don’t get it do you

They maybe well enough to work but as they are isolating as they have tested positive then all they are going to do is transmit it to others*

I do get it. It doesn't matter if these people transmit a mild virus to others. It may actually be a good thing by improving society's immunity!

*If people had isolated as they were meant to it would have been over with a long time ago.
*
Not necessarily. We may simply have suppressed the virus for a while and drawn out the path to herd immunity, especially given that we've had several vaccine doses!

@Blubells

People who are positive but otherwise well can return to work, which would solve many of the current problems.

Exactly.

How the fuck would that solve any problem. It would simply create a MUCH bigger problem in a weeks time. What an utterly stupid notion. I despair of the lack of basic common sense in here sometimes.

It doesn't matter if these people transmit a mild virus to others.

How do you know people will get it mildly? Mild you might mean intensive care for someone undergoing chemo.

[quote Poppiesway1]@borntobequiet exactly. I work in NHS, we’ve got whole departments closed, half our team are off with Covid, we’re skeleton staff. But if the knowingly positive staff came in and spread it around to vulnerable patients and staff there would would be uproar. If people had isolated as they were meant to it would have been over with a long time ago.[/quote]
That last sentence is very optimistic.

@titchy Are you hoping that Covid will eventually go away?

So, I suspect - that Omicron may become so prevalent that avoiding exposure becomes nigh on impossible in a high density setting like a hospital. In which case, I would value having access to health staff who have a mild but confirmed case of coronavirus rather than not have access to health care due to closed wards. I don't think it will be a very politically acceptable solution but it may be the only pragmatic one.