Vulnerable (but not shielding) staff - are you back on 1st June?

[skylarkdescending]

And if so, is it totally your choice or are you feeling pressured to return.

I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it all.

Eric, can you speak to your Gp? Are you on the right inhaler? When was your last review?

I really think one of the biggest mistakes was telling those who are vulnerable they may have to stay at home for 12 weeks, and then separating this out into the shielding and vulnerable groups. It's left lots of people feeling more anxious because they haven't been outside for potentially the last 9 weeks.

When will this end though? What makes it safer for those who are vulnerable to go back to work? When would that be? There will always be that risk until a vaccine is found.

I'm also vulnerable and only very narrowly missed the shielding letter. Yet our hr have asked the head to ensure she has signed everyone in to be 'at work' unless they have the 12 week shielding letter. Or are signed off by their gp. I said I would go on the hub rota despite the welsh gov advice saying at risk staff shouldn't be there. I wasn't aware of that and she was happy for me to join the rota.
5 kids once every 3 weeks I can deal with. The risk level of 15 in all day every day is something else. I have asked the head to check why hr are pushing vulnerable people to work and have copied and pasted in the union advice, the guidance from welsh gov and from the heads union too.
No satisfactory answer. We aren't opening on the 1st but I fear it wont be too far behind.

Like a pp it makes me cross to be put in this position. And a bit scared I'm going to face more risk than I should have to due to them wanting all hands on dec.

And I'm a year 6 teacher so it will be my kids in first.

When will this end though? What makes it safer for those who are vulnerable to go back to work? When would that be? There will always be that risk until a vaccine is found.

you are right, but given 5 year olds have only just been added to the test list we have no data on rates of infections amongst them, and they're often asymptomatic too. Until a really robust testing, track and trace system is in place, which gives better data for an area, all staff feel vulnerable.

Honestly, based on my asthma, my lungs are better in the summer, I'm dreading the winter, I do most years anyway. But I don't feel at all comfortable with the current situation.

If lockdown had been a week earlier and we had been better prepared with testing, we wouldn't be in this situation.

drM they're definitely breaking the government's guidance. I'm not sure what you can do beyond union but their hr really should be aware of the guidance. I agree that the tiny bubbles we've had so far are more manageable than the larger ones being proposed and you can't compare the risk.

@NeurotrashWarrior

Sadly, or maybe thankfully, my gp is one who doesn't prescribe 'unnecessarily'. During my last bout, I actually asked whether an inhaler would help and was told they are only for those with asthma and bronchitis doesn't count. Even though at its worst, I struggle to breathe which leads to panic which makes it worse. The only review I have is when I have a active episode, when I am given antibiotics and told to rest!

Thank you for your concern though, I appreciate it.
On a more positive note, I have spoken to my HT and we have come up with a plan that I am happy with. I can't say what, exactly, but I will be doing a specific and vital task which I am trained for. Measures are in place for me to be completely isolated from everyone else in school so I feel much happier about that. I have never wanted to be at home doing nothing, which sadly a lot of posters think is the case with school staff, I have worked extremely hard whilst at home, well over my normal hours and at financial expense to me (I've purchased several resources which school cannot afford), but I have to consider my health as well, not just the children I normally work with.

At my secondary, ‘extremely vulnerable’ and ‘vulnerable’ people, and those who live with ‘extremely vulnerable’ people are expected to wfh, no questions asked.

Well, I'm just waiting on the gap to call me back as school have asked for confirmation that I should work from home. I am on Qvar 3 times a day and Montelukast plus I'm taking my blue one at he moment 3 times a day and often in the night due to hayfever.

I'm actually on tenterhooks. I am really well controlled - no hospital for for three years and I only had predisnolone once in Winter last year with no days off work at all. But my understanding is that it's the regular steroid use that means I'm at risk.

I'm sick of being anxious.

@phlebasconsidered you'll be ok, your gp will surely provide you with this. If you have to print the guidance for schools off to show your gp then do it to show them.

Which is great , hip truly but it does leave a huge grey area around those who live with the vulnerable. This is a huge group which ranges from people with mild asthma ( no offence to asthmatics) to people like my DH with previous open heart surgery and mitral valve prolapse! I feel unprotected. Or rather I feel the protection he us afforded is undone by me not having any.

I thought it said on the advice that those who live with vulnerable people are still to work? I disagree with it, but sure I've read that.

It does although union has a template requesting WFH , interestingly.

I'm feeling greatly relieved, the rotas for the next few weeks have come out and all of us who have been off so far are not on it. Much appreciate my HT at times like this. 👏👏 I expect we'll all be expected in when all years are back so cross that bridge when we come to it.

Was your Gp supportive @phlebasconsidered ? Hope you're ok

Glad you have a plan @Erictheavocado , I suppose I'm just querying whether you're bronchitis is actually asthma. My own asthma wasn't picked up for a good while as I don't wheeze. Fil says he has bronchitis and uses a blue inhaler on and off during the winter. I'm not certain when I've spoken to him that he's been properly evaluated. As asthma nurses mostly manage asthma, gps aren't always up to speed with how to diagnose and manage. (My own experience, I had to directly contact the asthma nurse as advised by asthma uk.)

Gosh.

Where I am in Victoria there are only 4 criteria for WFH:

70+
50+ if Aboriginal or Torres Straits Islander
65+ chronic medical condition (very vague in my opinion)
Any age with an immune-suppressed condition

Oddly the DET haven't asked for medical proof.

The union is still advocating for those pregnant/living in Covid-19 vulnerable households.

Otherwise it's all back on 25th May.

To be fair, Covid-related deaths in Australia "only" hit 100 this week and cases in Victoria are all clusters but still, staff are anxious.

@echt 100 deaths is a bit different to 35,000. It's just not safe here yet.

He's not got back to me yet. I imagine they arrived inundated with this sort of query. Am.going to chase it up as the head is delivering a final plan this afternoon apparently.

echt 100 deaths is a bit different to 35,000. It's just not safe here yet

I didn't think it was, just offering the info as what the Vic government is working from. Plenty of teachers and parents don't think it's safe:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/22/open-thread-tell-us-how-you-feel-about-the-return-to-school

@phlebasconsidered can you ask for an actual phone appointment rather than going through the reception for advice? My GP yesterday said it's too soon to go back now for vulnerable people and I should work from home for at least another 4 weeks and said she'd provide a letter if needed, which I didn't in the end. However, she did keep saying the science says children don't suffer and don't spread it etc (which I think is a load of rubbish) but I said to her what about the other adults?