Cold or Covid? How can you tell?

[CuckooCuckooClock]

Or are you supposed to isolate and get a test with every cold this year?
I know I’ll probably be told I’m being thick but I really don’t know what we’re supposed to do.
The app says get a test and isolate for a cough, a temp, or loss of smell and taste.
Well to me two of those are standard cold symptoms and I get plenty of colds every winter that give my a cough and I lose my sense of smell. I don’t get a temp but my small children usually do.
I’ve been sneezing All week and have woken up this morning with a runny nose, sore throat and the usual accompanying cough and loss of smell. Do I need to isolate my whole family and get a test?

Yes we then teach remotely - even it is for part of a lesson. The minimum would be work on teams and then online chat if possible

The ideal would be visual and sound but SLT recognise that is not always possible

So what do teachers with small children do at your school?

Well that’s the problem. They have to teach - even our SLT, who are on the whole very supportive, expect staff to teach on line. The line taken is that, as per any job, childcare is responsibility of the parent

So what do teachers with small children do at your school?

You wouldn't be expected to teach live lessons at my school, just to set good quality cover.

If your school are too idiotic to see that you can't teach online with two mall kids isolating with you, you tell them you are ill and will be getting a test. You say that you are too unwell to work and will therefore set cover.
If you have symptoms, you do need to rest and take care of yourself and your family. You are allowed to be sick.

I’m a senior leader in a school. You need to phone in sick. Your test result should be back in a day or so. You can self-certify for 5 days so no need to get signed off with stress.

Can you speak to your headteacher and ask to do prerecorded video lessons instead and say you will be available to chat online but not to be live on camera due to your home situation? This is what I did when isolating with my 1 year old at home. I just filmed the videos when he was asleep.