Covid… do you tell people you’ve got it?

Covid… do you tell people you’ve got it?

Author
Discussion

Lordbenny

Original Poster:

8,632 posts

224 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Tested positive for the 3rd time yesterday. I had the day off work to go to the theatre and have a nice meal in town with the Mrs so called up the ticket office only to be told that I couldn’t get a refund. So when I asked if I should inform the theatre that I had covid when I arrived they said it was advisable that I didn’t attend the performance! How ste is that? They don’t want me to go (to be honest I wasn’t up for it anyway) but they wouldn’t give me a refund!
So for the rest of the week I’m not going to work, I have a job that involves a lot of public transport but also being in close proximity to some quite important people!
Which brings me on to a mate of mine and also a close family member. They refuse to accept that covid is nothing more than a very bad cold and yes, in some respects that is all it is however, they both say they’ve never had it and refuse to test for it. Is this a better approach? Is this the road you go down?
Obviously, if you never test you’ll never know whether you’ve got it or not so you can live blissfully unaware that when you’re on a train and a frail old lady sits next to you you can be happy knowing that you haven’t passed on a virus that could make her very poorly indeed.
I think that sensible people among us will know if they’ve got more than ‘just a cold’, not to frequent public places/transport/old people’s homes etc and the stupid and uncaring will continue on not giving a hoot if they’re infecting other people.
Whats the deal at your work place, do they insist you still test if you’re feeling ste? If you do test positive do they insist on 5 days off? I suppose it depends on whether your a care worker or a gardener but I’d be interested to know what peoples work place policy is.

Edited by Lordbenny on Wednesday 10th January 11:49

nuyorican

1,255 posts

107 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
I've never knowingly had it. And I never test for it. But then, if I'm ill, from cold, flu whatever. I just stay at home, or in bed if need be. I recover quicker and I'm not giving my germs to everyone else.

It's one of the things that annoys me in life, these tough-guy martyrs, virtue-signalling about how they've never had a day off work etc etc ad nauseam... whilst infecting everyone in the vicinity.

Just fk off home. Nobody's impressed.

EDIT, to answer your question: I'm self-employed so do what I like.

Zetec-S

6,198 posts

98 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
No requirement to test here, policy for the office workers is 3 days in the office and up to 2 days WFH. But they relax that so if you're not feeling too good then WFH for longer rather than risk spreading anything. If I couldn't WFH then my attitude to coming in or phoning in sick would very much depend on whether I'll get paid or not.

I might have had Covid a couple of months back, but we don't have any more test kits and I'm not wasting money on anything. Treated it like any other cold/flu like illness and just rested and WFH for a couple of weeks, and limited close contact with people as best as possible.

towser44

3,636 posts

120 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Someone put on a Facebook feed I'm on around Christmas that they wouldn't be out for a while due to the 'Big C'. I advertently posted a very sorry to hear this reply assuming it was Cancer! Didn't realise making a song and dance about Covid was a thing still.

Lordbenny

Original Poster:

8,632 posts

224 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
towser44 said:
Someone put on a Facebook feed I'm on around Christmas that they wouldn't be out for a while due to the 'Big C'. I advertently posted a very sorry to hear this reply assuming it was Cancer! Didn't realise making a song and dance about Covid was a thing still.
You don’t work in a care home then?

I get what you’re your saying about a ‘song and dance’ and yes it is just a very bad cold but to me, to say that still has an air of macho/‘Im alright Jack’ about it. I was interested in people’s perception of the virus now and how their workplace dealt with it?

TikTak

1,645 posts

24 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
It's always been places policy that if you're too sick/unwell to attend a gig/show/cinema etc. that you won't be refunded, that's not new at all. I know people who have broken bones etc. and they've not been refunded.

As for work, my place isn't great but even they don't want you in when you're sick spreading your germs, regardless of if it's COVID or not. They'll definitely tell you to WFH first before saying you should have your entitled time off though.

We're lucky enough to still have some test kits so we will test because there are vulnerable people in the family, but generally I wouldn't spread my illness about anyway.

Pistom

5,497 posts

164 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Not sure how telling anyone helps? I'm not even sure why anyone would bother testing?

We treat Covid the same as any other illness at our workplace - you're either well enough to work or not.

Has society got to the point now that if we're feeling poorly we need to isolate at every opportunity?

Do the people who isolate for Covid also isolate for other illness?


Lordbenny

Original Poster:

8,632 posts

224 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
TikTak said:
It's always been places policy that if you're too sick/unwell to attend a gig/show/cinema etc. that you won't be refunded, that's not new at all.
Yes, but, if I told the box office that I was attending the show and I had Covid I wonder if they would say yes, that’s fine, welcome into our theatre just don’t tell anyone around youthat you’ve got the lurgy!

robscot

2,506 posts

195 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Common decency.

Speaking with immunosuppressed bloke who had a colleague in his work come in with covid, spread it to four people, hit the department badly with people off.

He had to go for specialised drugs to help him shift it.

One bloke staying home for a day, or taking appropriate action or communication would have stopped it.

It is 2024, we don't need to be making people ill when it is easily avoidable.

Lordbenny

Original Poster:

8,632 posts

224 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Pistom said:
Not sure how telling anyone helps? I'm not even sure why anyone would bother testing?

We treat Covid the same as any other illness at our workplace - you're either well enough to work or not.

Has society got to the point now that if we're feeling poorly we need to isolate at every opportunity?

Do the people who isolate for Covid also isolate for other illness?
Depends what you do for a living…I’m not going to go to work driving a VIP around 3 days after I’ve tested positive even if I feel up to it!

The Selfish Gene

5,548 posts

215 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
we had someone in the office 'test positive' for it. He was sent home. (not by me)

These tests people use (i've never done one so I don't know) but...........surely they're all a couple of years old? Virus mutates right, so how can they still be showing positive results.......unless they weren't fit for purpose in the first place (i.e. showing positive for any virus, not just 'C19')

Genuinenly interested it knowing the science of how they work in that regard.......

craig1912

3,579 posts

117 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Just can’t understand anyone testing for it now. As for the OP, not sure why you would expect a refund. Most people would try and sell their tickets if the couldn’t go (for whatever reason).

Lordbenny

Original Poster:

8,632 posts

224 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
craig1912 said:
Just can’t understand anyone testing for it now. As for the OP, not sure why you would expect a refund. Most people would try and sell their tickets if the couldn’t go (for whatever reason).
I was just curious if the theatre would rather have someone with C19 in their establishment over giving them their money back.

I discovered I was positive 4 hours before the performance, difficult to sell on!

Chainsaw Rebuild

2,044 posts

107 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
My attitude, especially post covid, is if you are sick; do your best not to spread it. Be it covid or flu or other.

So no I wouldn’t go to work if I could WFH and I wouldn’t go to the theatre and give it to people.

A, it’s inconsiderate and b, you might give it to someone who can’t handle it well.

otolith

58,212 posts

209 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
My OH (a GP) tested positive for it a month or so back. She asked what the policy was - call the patients, give them the option of attending in person, converting to a phone consultation, or rescheduling. Nobody attended in person.

Riley Blue

21,432 posts

231 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
For the majority of people Covid isn't serious but those for whom it is don't wear a badge so you won't know who they are - would you want to put them at risk?

My O/H is one of them and has been hospitalised three times with it, the first time she was in intensive care and because it was during lock down I was unable to visit her. It caused her to throw up constantly so she was unable to keep down any medication. Throwing up caused a severe hiatus hernia that has affected her ability to eat and surgery is likely and she's recently been diagnosed with Long Covid.

The second and third times in hospital she was in a high dependency unit where visiting was permitted; I've never seem her looking so ill. As a result of her times in hospital she received a final written warning from work having exceeded sickness absence limits; fortunately she has remained safe since then but is very wary about going shopping or being in crowded places. She is able to work from home, commuting to her office by train was too much of a risk but getting her employer to allow that was a nightmare (she's a civil servant)

It's people like her who are immuno-suppressed for whom Covid is a serious, potentially fatal, threat. Please don't spread it.

BTW - est kits are still available from a pharmacy but now you have to pay for them.

craig1912

3,579 posts

117 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
Given most people don’t know they’ve got it, even when they have it, I’m not sure the odd person testing positive and staying off work will make much difference.
I’m guessing the vast majority of people now don’t bother testing and just get on with it. Whilst I have sympathy with those who may be more vulnerable to it, they are likely more vulnerable to many other viruses too, Covid being one of many.

Jamescrs

4,746 posts

70 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
It's very difficult to actually get hold of a testing kit now, doesn't seem to be an option to order them anymore online unless you pay for one so unless people still have them stored then I guess people will just go about their business.

My wife works in a GP surgery and they don't have the testing kits anymore even for staff, we still have some in the office at work but they are old stock left over.

Pistom

5,497 posts

164 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
It's surprising to see the level of paranoia that still exists and the craziness of the pandemic has caused real harm to people’s social behaviour. I’m not sure how long it will take us to recover from that period.

I have seemingly otherwise normal and rational friends who still avoid crowded areas on the off chance of “catching something”. Haven’t been on a flight since before the pandemic!

I fully agree that in 2024 we don’t need to be making people ill when it’s easily avoidable and a good starting point is for otherwise healthy individuals to stop behaving as if every bug is going to kill them or those around them and to accept that illness is part of a normal life.
Putting disproportionate effort into trying to avoid it will do more harm than the illness itself.

Prisoner 24601

574 posts

53 months

Wednesday 10th January
quotequote all
The Selfish Gene said:
we had someone in the office 'test positive' for it. He was sent home. (not by me)

These tests people use (i've never done one so I don't know) but...........surely they're all a couple of years old? Virus mutates right, so how can they still be showing positive results.......unless they weren't fit for purpose in the first place (i.e. showing positive for any virus, not just 'C19')

Genuinenly interested it knowing the science of how they work in that regard.......
Scrolled down to see the responses to this, surprised and not surprised at the same time that there aren't any. You are absolutely correct in what you state - labs produced a liquid thingy 1-2 years ago, or more in some cases. That liquid thingy when mixed with your mucus brings out a result - but that liquid thingy is ridiculously out dated and not sophisticated enough to say what type of respiratory illness you have. It is generic and is able to tell you that you have something in your system.

This whole saga, is utterly, utterly ridiculous. Incredibly enlightening about human nature and behavioral science. It's been a fascinating psychological study.