Employee with Covid

fabvinny

Hi. So yesterday,one of the girls in our office rang the manager before she came into work and told him she had tested positive for Covid.

She was instructed to come to work! She had symptoms and was feeling lousy. She shares a small office with another guy and he wasnt instructed to move elsewhere! No other employees were told about the situation,is this completely nuts? She told me herself when she was out on a smoking break and kept her distance.I dont think she was asked to wear a mask even.

We are a small company,about 20 on site. One of the lads,his father is in hospital very ill at the moment.My own mother is in a nursing home and i would have called to see her yesterday evening but decided better to stay away.

Im actually due to go on holidays later this week,and if I develop Covid between now and then where do I stand?

Is this a complete breach of safety guidelines where you should isolate for 5 days by the company.

I feel sorry for the girl in question,its not her fault and she isnt working here that long.

A lot of people here very unhappy with the situation..

Tefral

From HSE website:

If you have symptoms of COVID-19

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 and feel unwell, you should:

• stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone
• avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from COVID-19

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/symptoms/overview/

So they really should have stayed at home for 48hours after they began to feel better

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058368396/employee-with-covid

I'd be amazed if other employees are not currently sick with it but not showing or saying , out of 20 you'd suspect at least half have had it the last month or two of in the next few weeks.

It's that common, my GP , last week said he expected at least 50% of the country to have had it by the end of the month

dublin49

I think Covid is yesterdays news,the powers that be probably over reacted and now have no interest in ever going back there.Came across numerous cases of colleagues almost sure they had it but not testing.Some before they took flights.In general its been reduced in the public consciousness to worse than cold better than flu.Your colleague will probably be viewed negatively by management for testing.Hard to believe but thats the reality.

Mrs OBumble

Your colleague should have followed her doctor's advice.

Flinty997

The worker should have stayed at home. But it's unenforceable. If they were coming they should have told everyone so that anyone thats vulnerable could have stayed away..

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122600835#Comment_122600835

A bit of a wild wild wild exaggeration - I'd change gp if mine came out with such sh1te

It's nowhere near as virulent as it was nor as potent.

I wouldn't be concerned.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614528#Comment_122614528

Well in fairness a doctor wouldn't have a hope against the knowledge of the amateur epidemiologists on Boards. I don't know why they waste all that time in medical school.

Edit: typo

Princess Calla

Covid aside, I really hate this attitude.

If you are sick regardless of what it is, stay at home rather than infecting other people.

You really don't know what's going on in other people's lives and even a common cold can have a bigger impact on some people other than causing a sniffle.

I really thought covid highlighted how idiotic the office martyrs were.

Personally I probably wouldn't even mention covid , I would just say I'm sick and not coming in....wasn't a new legislation passed allowing sick leave.

If were I worked forced me in I would be looking elsewhere, you are only a number. Never ever think you are more than a number to an organization.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614559#Comment_122614559

Whether a doctor or a fool at a bar, someone who claims "half the population will have COVID by the end of September" is someone you don't want to be listening to.

Fann Linn

I'd COVID a few weeks back myself. Sent the manager a photo of my positive test and was told to take 5 days off and take a test before returning to work.

Some good employers some lousy ones too.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614775#Comment_122614775

Anyone I know in a GP environment says it's very common. I know a few in our office had it recently.

We've a good policy for it though, and remote working options.

wandererz

I work remotely, but I did sign off work for the past two days because I feel like crap.

Have a chest infection and feel like crap to the point of having to switch on the underblanket heating in the bed.

In a week I will have to travel for work purposes, if I had these symptoms I would not be travelling (in order to protect my colleagues and others I may encounter).

Interesting fact, in some companies (one of which I worked for) groups of employees aren't allowed to travel together - just in case.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614796#Comment_122614796

But not so common that 2.6 million people will have it by the end of September.

Ridiculous wild exaggeration by that gp.

I have just over 20 employees. None have it. Last person who had it was in May. I don't expect 10 to have it by end of September.

Wild stupid exaggerated figures by someone that is meant to be "professional" would give me zero confidence in that person.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614898#Comment_122614898

How do you know none have it.

That's as inaccurate as the GP

If we are splitting hairs :)

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614898#Comment_122614898

😂😂😂😂😂🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Happy days to you!

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614898#Comment_122614898

Have you heard of De Nile?

…it's not just a river in Egypt.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614941#Comment_122614941

You'd tend to know if someone if off form. Not difficult to spot when you are managing people for over 35 years.

A GP needs to be careful what they say. The gp was most likely being flippant with a throwaway remark but didn't realise the person they said it to actually took him to being making a professional opinion.

Say it to your peers and have a laugh, but not to patients that might take the remark seriously.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614989#Comment_122614989

I'm certainly not in denial of COVID. I saw what it did to people first hand.

But I, like most medical professionals and people with reasonable intelligence, accept it is now under control due to the very high vaccination rate which made it less virulent and potent and as such it is not the same serious issue it was 24 months ago.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614838#Comment_122614838

Though presumably they're travelling next to other people, not travelling by private jet - so what benefit arises from not travelling together?

AnnieinDundrum

there’s a more casual attitude to covid now that people are getting vaccinated. Ok not all I know but in general the population has a high % of vaccinated people. And from what I’ve seen most doses of covid now aren’t as severe as they were a year ago. Again not all cases but last year my elderly parents were very ill with it, this year they tested positive but had very mild symptoms. They are both fully vaccinated and don’t mix much but in spite of that they caught it twice.

that aside I would not be keen on sitting next to someone with covid, where it can be avoided. It happens by accident on the bus but I’d be annoyed if my bosses arranged it!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614898#Comment_122614898

Are you all testing daily?

Without that you cannot know about asymptomatic cases.

Do you see the contradiction in what you posted. First you say noone gas had it. Then in the next sentence, someone had it in May.

I don't know if we have wastewater monitoring for it in Ireland. But if we fo, the GPs comment mat be very well informed.

ebbsy

This story sounds a bit dodge to me.

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122615015#Comment_122615015

Are you a medical professional?

I got Covid in February 2000.

I was in Tel Aviv at the time and they kindly asked everyone to get the feck out. They do know how to lock down a country.

I arrived back in Ireland and had a severe flu/chest infection a week or so later. No tests available at the time.

Since then I have tested positive about 4 times.

That may be due to the nature of my work and travelling and meeting people.

I have survived it, even though I have asthma and a blastoma.

It is indeed under control but it is still out there and it can make a huge difference to those that are susceptible.

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122615222#Comment_122615222

February 2000? You could have warned us what we were in for 20 years down the track.

wildwillow

I was surprised to have tested positive for the first time a few weeks ago. I had no symptoms except for a slightly scratchy throat, but most people in a group I had dinner with tested positive. I would have ignored it but was visiting a vulnerable patient in hospital daily so taking no risks. Tested negative three days later but isolated for five days in total.

I do know that very many people have covid symptoms but are not testing so as not to isolate. I have been avoiding crowds and people who are feeling unwell, and I am vigilant with hand hygiene as I am aware of the danger of introducing it to the patient.

Maybe not half the population but a good percentage have been positive in the past few weeks.

wandererz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122615247#Comment_122615247

Oh, come on! That was obviously a typo.

And to my defence, my head is blocked, I am off work because I don't think I can operate as normal etc. etc

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122614991#Comment_122614991

How did we get this far and people still not grasp it can be asymptomatic.

Wonder why they bother with all that effort of tests, they could have just hired a few manglers with people whispering skills.

I've certainly heard first hand of a few people having it in the last few months. Enough to make me think it's likely any larger group of people would have a few with COVID.

And as someone said earlier in the thread I don't really want to even catch a cold if it can be reasonably avoided.

Ted222

I think the point is that covid is not the killer disease it once was. It’s been relegated to the seriousness of flu etc.

If a person feels unwell to the point they’re not fit for work, then they shouldn’t be in work, regardless of what the cause is. Ditto if there’s a chance of infecting colleagues to the detriment of the employer’s business.

But if the symptoms are mild then covid itself is nothing to have a hissy fit about.

dennyk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122615018#Comment_122615018

Those policies are more so that if the plane/train/bus crashes, the company doesn't lose so much of their staff at once that it affects the operation of the business and makes the stock price drop.

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