Work when you're testing positive

[gettingalife]

Looking for advice please. I tested positive on Wednesday and have chesty cough, body aches, fatigue and headache. I've not gone into school (teacher) but WFH. I'm still unwell and testing positive today.

What's everyone's advice about going in tomorrow? I have a number of parent meetings which will be face to face and will be in other meetings with staff. It's our final week of term and I have loads to do. Will I still be infectious? I have a very obvious deep chesty cough so still symptonmatic. I'm desperate to be in but also very conscious that I don't want to give it people and ruin their holidays. WWYD?

What is the policy at your school?

Does the school not specify the amount of time to stay off for? I know they advise 5 days for adults these days. If you're unwell would you not stay off anyway?

Good question re policy. I'll ask. I probably wouldn't stay off if unwell normally - much to my stupidity but the role I do is relentless.

I'm less worried about me, more worried about infecting others.

Our school policy is that you stay off for 5 days after the day that you tested positive as long as you don't have any fever. You need to find out what your school's policy is. If you do return, I strongly recommend that you wear a mask.

If you are lfd-positive, you are likely to be infectious - cases with higher viral loads are what LFDs are good at picking up (compared with PCRs).

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-01-21-lateral-flow-devices-detect-most-infectious-covid-19-cases-and-could-allow-safer

Coughs can persist beyond the period of infectiousness (although you say you are unwell as well) - but if you are still testing positive, I would stay off if you possibly can - you could infect a lot of people.

I tested positive on Thursday night - also a teacher - advice is not to go in for 5 days.

I'm a teacher. Tested positive on Tuesday. Technically I'm allowed back tomorrow but still feel so ill. I can't see me going back just yet. Hardly able to stand up .

@MsMartini thank you for this. I actually feel really rough this afternoon so may just surrender and stay at home if I feel like this in the morning. Sad thing is I had a really terrible dose in March where I tested positive for 15 days and was ill for 3 weeks. I'd only just got a tiny sense of smell back and niw it's gone again!

Managed to contact my HT today who said to only go in if I'm well enough to, so will see how I feel. Thanks for all of your replies.

I think the fact you are still unwell means I’d stay off. Also follow your schools policy I guess.

@gettingalife, hope you feel better soon and can get plenty of rest. In all the swirl about what to do with testing, mixing, guidance, it is easy to forget to look after your own health.

@MsMartini thank you so much. Your kind words mean a lot. I tested first thing - still a deep red line and I still feel dreadful so have stayed at home. Can't keep my eyes open today so would have been useless at school, while probably infecting many others in the process. Thanks again.

Aww, I'm glad. Rest properly and recover. And yes, probably saved a lot of summer holidays by not going in when positive last week of term! Get well soon.