10 day Covid isolation period up but I'm still sick

The DayDream

I tested positive around 10:30 pm on the 2nd of January so Wednesday the 12th will be my last day of isolation, however, I still feel quite unwell.

I still feel very fatigued, still have a bit of a cough and round the clock persistent headache. I'm taking paracetamol for the latter but in my job I have to stand most of the day and it is public facing and you are required to be pretty upbeat selling stuff. I'm scheduled to return to work on Thursday because that's when my isolation period is up and apparently everyone thinks covid is just a mild cold now so the expectation seems to be you just get on with it, but it hasn't been mild for me, and I dont think I'm really gonna be able for it unless I significantly improve in the next 24 hrs.

Do I need to get a doctor's cert to be off work longer and when/what should I tell my boss?

Mrs OBumble

It depends on your employers policies. Look at your contract and employee handbook.

nibtrix

If you are sick then you are sick, you should not be going back to work. I would think that yes, you will need a certificate from your doctor, as you would for any other sickness that lasted more than a couple of days. You should be able to get a phone appointment and for the doctor to issue a cert from that.

Whether you'll be paid or not for the additional sick will depend on your contract etc.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058227394/10-day-covid-isolation-period-up-but-im-still-sick

No the expectation is not the you just get on with it. The whole bloody point of having you isolate was to ensure that you did not turn up at work and pass it on to your work colleagues and impact them and the productivity of the firm.

If you are still testing positive after the isolation period (no matter how you feel), it means you are sick and probably sicker than most since the expectation is that you should have recovered within the isolation period. So contact your doctor and discuss it with them. At a minimum they will give you a certificate for work.

The DayDream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460872#Comment_118460872

Well I agree with you, but the way Ireland is following suit with the US and UK and actually shortening the isolation periods does, to me, suggest there is a shifting attitude towards people going back to work being more important than anything. And you only have to read some of the stuff posted on here in the covid threads to see many people lapping up this, 'It's just a cold!' narrative.

I suppose what I am feeling is that everyone seems to expect 10 days is the max you would be out with covid now, or even that 10 days is too long based on what they are saying the last few days, so I'm unfortunately feeling guilty on top of feeling physically unwell, like my boss/coworkers will think I'm 'milking it' or something. I actually want to go back to work and be normal again but I'm not able for it yet.

As for testing positive I've read you can test positive for months after having covid so I don't know if that affects anything regarding going back to work at all, I did a test today it was still positive.

I've contacted my GP and am awaiting a call back and will see what they advise.

gibgodsman

I thought the rules were 10 days isolation or until you don't have symptoms, considering you still have symptoms, you shouldn't be returning to work