Rules for school staff after testing positive?

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

Ds said this week that one of his teachers is in school, teaching as normal saying they they’ve tested positive for covid. Their partner also had it so they tested but as they don’t feel particularly unwell they’re able to carry on as normal.

Another friend who works in a school recently tested positive - they tested due to living with an elderly family member who also had it, and they have had 5 days off work despite not feeling unwell.

what are your schools’ policies for staff who test positive?

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

Basically still following government guidelines. 5 days staff, 3 days students. Ultimately, though: don't test.

No more testing so they wouldn't even know its covid...

5 days. Prep school. If still unwell, stay off.

Come in if you are well, stay home if you’re too sick to come in (so the same as every other illness) - so no one is testing. Makes me nervous as a CV member of staff.

We have been told best not to test and carry on as normal.

I knew lots of people at work had it so I did test when I started feeling unwell as I didn't want to pass it to vulnerable friends and family. I tested positive and was feeling very unwell so had a few days off work. They were not happy about it and told me do not test on return, come back as soon as well enough to work whether positive or negative.

It's so random! For the schools that want business as usual, are they doing that for other things like noro or chickenpox etc that we live with? If not, I wonder what made them think ''kids and staff, we are happy to willingly spread 'x', despite guidance, but not 'y''. Covid exceptionalism is so bizarre.

There are no rules. We point staff to the NHS guidance and advise them to make their own decision. It says you should "try" to stay away from people for 5 days.

Were not recommending people test and most people are working of they're well enough. I'd be having words with any staff member telling students they were positive though.

We still follow NHS guidance l, which is to stay away for 2 days with norovirus and until spots have scabbed for chicken pox. It's not random at all , it's following official guidance.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if people whatever they were unwell with actually stayed off and allowed themselves time to recover if they are unwell.

Def an attitude of 'How do you know it's Covid? Why are you testing? Noone needs to test' as if you are inconveniencing them purposefully if you do.

The rule is also, if you're well enough, go in. If you're ill then stay off.

@Trekkingaway 'I'd be having words with any staff member telling students they were positive though.' Why?

Because it is what it is, nothing can change because of that knowledge it can only cause drama worry.

Why would a teacher want to tell their students? Would they tell them about any other health issues?

Oh. You're one of those.

Apparently so 😆

Pretty important to families like mine to know when someone has been in contact with it.

thankfully staff (and other parents) in my children’s schools tell us, just as they do when there’s chicken pox or noro or measles (as there has been recently). Let’s us make safer choices for my youngest.

I work in a secondary school (academy). Covid (illness) has for many months and years been considered to be normal illness for staff. So in other words if you are off for weeks with Covid you might not be paid at full salary, or could be disciplined. So naturally any staff (self-tested) with covid work if they possibly can. I think that is normal now in the school sector.

Work as normal unless too unwell. Really concerns many staff as we are an ASN school with a high volume of severe and complex medical needs amongst our children. In addition myself and a few others are at risk due to other health conditions. What annoys me in this situation is I’d like to be informed (of any illness, which I am meant to be) in order to take precautions. I don’t wear a mask due to the communication needs of our children, however if one of the team in the classroom had it then I probably would until they were negative. Tbf most staff tell me privately if they have something wrong due to the risks for me. I’d say half the staff still worry and half the staff feel life needs to move on. I don’t test unless I feel unwell, my biggest worry is not me getting it but passing it on to one of our vulnerable children who could end up seriously ill or in hospital. I think that guilt would be hard to shift.

That must be frightening for some of the parents.

At my DDs school the head is super strict on staff not being in with illnesses, including covid.

They can’t always enforce it with children, but do always give a heads up to families when they know.
Sometimes with permission it’s a case of a quite “btw x has covid” or “y has chicken pox”.
Others its similar to the head lice note of “a case of covid/chicken pox/noro has been picked up in your child’s class, please look out for symptoms”. Just depends on what the parents of the child, or the staff member are happy with.

They did lose a pupil to
covid early in the pandemic and another has never been well enough to return to school though so the whole school community still has that in the backs of their minds.

We are pretty much encouraged not to test, but my colleague was advised to test recently by a HCP- it was positive and she was told to stay off for 3 days- in the end, she wasn't well enough to come back in until about a week later.

It's definitely still going round, some students still test and so every so often we will have a student go off with it, and then a group of others with bad colds/viruses.

It's absolutely awful for anyone vulnerable, and so unsafe.

Covid (illness) has for many months and years been considered to be normal illness for staff.

Months and years?

This time last year it was still a legal requirement to isolate after a positive test...

Our school is 5 days off after a positive test; assume it's a trust-wide policy.

BAU around here.

I could choose to shag loads
With this untreated STD
I’m not obliged to disclose
But what would that make me?

I could tell my new partner
If I don’t want to harm her
Or I could decide she needs illness
more than the drama

It was certainly during last academic year, not this one, when the policy changed. I am obviously just wishing the rest of this academic year away as soon as possible.

5 days if you test positive. But management will be annoyed that you even tested in the first place. So basically don’t test