Primary school pressuring positive wife to return to work.

[MyAltAccount]

Could use some advice here to tell us if we're incorrect in our thinking and attitude here, please.

My wife is a teaching assistant in a primary school. She tested positive on Sat 19th. As of today, Sat 26th she is still testing positive (as is our son). By chance, we also had a positive PCR taken on the 22nd as we are part of the ONS study.

The school is pressuring her to come back to work. They are saying there is no legal requirement to self-isolate and you should come back if you feel well enough.

The government advice seems to be to stay at home until you test -ve.

We put ourselves in the position of a parent whose child caught covid from a teacher who was knowingly positive and came into work anyway.

What would you do here?

Who is right here? What would you do?

The school unfortunately. If she is well enough to work and because she is legally allowed out of the house it’s down to policy of your place of work.

Rightly or wrongly, I'd go to work.
If I felt well and able, I'd go to work.

They are saying there is no legal requirement to self-isolate and you should come back if you feel well enough.

Tell them she doesn't feel well enough....simple

Are you in England? If so the school is right, requirement to isolate ended on Thursday.

My understanding is that she shouldn’t go back to work until next Wed unless she has 2 negative tests 24 hrs apart before then. The gov website says you should isolate for 10 days, the day of your positive test being day 0.

Also hopefully in 2 days time when she’s due to go back she will be testing negative anyway.

The school unfortunately. If she is well enough to work and because she is legally allowed out of the house it’s down to policy of your place of work.

That’s incorrect - DfE guidance on isolating had not changed.

I wouldn't go in positive but she may be negative by Monday and if not it will be day 10 on Tues? Seems a bit pointless from the school for the sake of one day.

Surely the solution to this is that your wife doesn't feel well enough to work.

Monday will be nearly 10 days after a positive test - can’t see a problem with returning to work if she feels well

has

I would tell work that I have a temperature and that I'm not feeling well enough to work. I would rather do that than risk spreading it to an immunosupresed colleague or pupil.

Just say she is still unwell from the effects of covid.

Isn’t it guidance to still isolate for 10 days / unless you have the day 5&6 negative. Just not legally enforceable to do so

My understanding is that the advise is you should not work or go to school and if you HAVE to leave the house you should do so only when necessary and social distance. Obviously not a statutory obligation any more but I would have expected local authorities to follow this.

I would stay off until negative tests of day 11 but I would print of a copy of the current advise so if they take it further you have it. I can’t imagine what they would do though.

The mandatory isolation is over but government guidance remains the same. Stay home until you test positive. DfE also have maintained this position.

My employers (a school) are trying this too.

Your wife should stay home, and call in sick due to having covid, and not being well enough to work.

@Suprima

The mandatory isolation is over but government guidance remains the same. Stay home until you test positive. DfE also have maintained this position.

My employers (a school) are trying this too.

Your wife should stay home, and call in sick due to having covid, and not being well enough to work.

Test negative- that should be!!!

Just say she’s not well enough to work then go in after 10 day

The government advice seems to be to stay at home until you test -ve

No-that’s not right. The guidance is to stay at home until you have two negative tests 24h apart, up until day 10.

@Lucked

My understanding is that the advise is you should not work or go to school and if you HAVE to leave the house you should do so only when necessary and social distance. Obviously not a statutory obligation any more but I would have expected local authorities to follow this.

I would stay off until negative tests of day 11 but I would print of a copy of the current advise so if they take it further you have it. I can’t imagine what they would do though.

Not pay her

@Feenie

The school unfortunately. If she is well enough to work and because she is legally allowed out of the house it’s down to policy of your place of work.

That’s incorrect - DfE guidance on isolating had not changed.

Guidance is just that. It’s guidance, it doesn’t have to be followed.

OP if your wife is in a union (most people in schools are) it’s worth speaking to them.

Thank you all for responding.

As you imagine I have done a bit of reading up on this and it's a mine field knowing what you should or shouldn't do. But in essence nothing has changed for England except legislation requiring you to self-isolate has been removed. It's now public health advice.

I'm absolutely furious with the school. They have published no new covid guidelines for parents or staff since the start of the year and as a result, the management really doesn't know what it's doing. Contrast this with my son's secondary school who have published regular bulletins on their position with covid - and they HAVE followed the rules to the letter.

And that government advice is:-

If you have COVID-19, you should stay at home while you're infectious to others.

This can be for up to 10 days from when your symptoms start. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days.

You can do a rapid lateral flow test from 5 days after your symptoms started (or the day you had the test if you do not have symptoms) and another the next day.

If both tests are negative and you do not have a high temperature, you're less likely to pass COVID-19 to others and you can go back to your normal routine.

If your test result is positive on day 5, you can carry on doing rapid lateral flow tests every day until you get 2 negative test results in a row.

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

Sounds like she can go back Tuesday/Wednesday then whether she’s positive or negative.

Im also a Teaching assistant and I’m currently off with Covid. My school have advised both parents and staff that isolation remains the same; 5 full days off after a positive test but you can return to work after 2 consecutive negative tests or 10 days even if still testing positive. That guidance comes from DfES.

So in your case, 10 days is up on Tuesday.

It’s not a legal requirement anymore but I’d think the school is on very dubious grounds telling her to come in against government guidance.

Would they tell her to come in if she had norovirus??