Covid and Work, Covid Advice and General Chat

Hopeful34

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So sorry to hear this Max. I do hope and pray she and the other residents will be ok. It must be so hard for you both when you can't see each other. Take care and hopefully your mum won't get any other symptoms.
 
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Max68

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So sorry to hear this Max. I do hope and pray she and the other residents will be ok. It must be so hard for you both when you can't see each other. Take care and hopefully your mum won't get any other symptoms.

Thank you. Just one of many thousands affected and I really feel for those at the care home as they have done as much as they can.

Was reading about a boss of a care home who committed suicide due to the pressures of Coronavirus and seeing his residents in distress which was absolutely awful.
 
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Max68

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Heard some interesting news today. Had a chat with my cousin who has thankfully come out the other side with Covid. She went to a funeral where only about 8 others attended and all of them went down with Covid, including one lady who had been through Covid back in September therefore being infected twice. Most of them thankfully seem to have made a recovery bar one lady who is still very poorly but this reinfection is concerning.
 

UK T1

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Heard some interesting news today. Had a chat with my cousin who has thankfully come out the other side with Covid. She went to a funeral where only about 8 others attended and all of them went down with Covid, including one lady who had been through Covid back in September therefore being infected twice. Most of them thankfully seem to have made a recovery bar one lady who is still very poorly but this reinfection is concerning.
I hope your Mum hasn't developed worse symptoms and is on the mend.

Unfortunately there isn't proof to show that significant immunity develops after you've had the disease. There are lots of documented cases of people being reinfected (and testing positive with PCR tests on both occaisions). The positive is that it seems to be a milder case of covid second time around, but not without symptoms.

An interesting bit if research came out this month which found people seemed to have a big drop in temporary immunity 7 months after having it (and a positive covid-19 PCR yest). It is still odd how some are asymptomatic and others not!
 

Max68

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I hope your Mum hasn't developed worse symptoms and is on the mend.

Unfortunately there isn't proof to show that significant immunity develops after you've had the disease. There are lots of documented cases of people being reinfected (and testing positive with PCR tests on both occaisions). The positive is that it seems to be a milder case of covid second time around, but not without symptoms.

An interesting bit if research came out this month which found people seemed to have a big drop in temporary immunity 7 months after having it (and a positive covid-19 PCR yest). It is still odd how some are asymptomatic and others not!

Thank you, the last I heard mum was her normal self but haven't heard back as yet from my email chase up yesterday,. Obviously nervous still because unlike the flu which seems to hit at it's worst early Covid can get worse after the first week, which obviously we are keeping our fingers crossed against.

The person at the funeral who had already had it had it mild the first time and practically non existent second time. They only went for a test because all other funeral goers tested positive., Certainly evidence there of asymptomatic transmission and all worse masks at the funeral.

I'm hoping they look into why certain older people survive but some die or how you have different outcomes for people with comorbidities or the overweight. There must be a common factor somewhere unless it is just luck.

I'm still surprised we haven't yet heard much about the possibility of sleep apnoea being a risk factor. It tends to be, (not always) an affliction that affects the heavier person. It can drain oxygen intake quite severely so if hospitals are lying those who have sleep apnoea on their backs, even with ventilation and in a drug induced coma, the combination of the apnoea and Covid in the lungs is a double whammy.

So many unknowns still.
 
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JRT

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There certainly seem to be more questions than answers. I remember last year reading there may be some genetic basis for how the body reacts to covid,which could explain maybe why some members of vulnerable groups are ok.
It does make you wonder if people are being infected with one of the new strains rather than reinfected.?
I expect we will get the answers but maybe in the distant future. Fingers crossed for your Mum.
 
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Hi all, I may need some advice?
I isolated myself as soon as soon as the January 4th lock down, as advised by Boris Johnson to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.
I emailed my School Escort team and I also telephoned my School Escort coordinator and told her I was very concerned about contracting Covid and she said other's were in the same boat too and she would pass on my message and someone may get in touch with me, they didn't.
They have today ! They had only just received my email ( they don't know why) and please can I send the email or text from NHS England advising me to isolate ?
I have replied to the email, so what will happen now, I just don't know ?
 
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Max68

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Hi all, I may need some advice?
I isolated myself as soon as the January 4th lock down, as advised by Boris Johnson to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.
I emailed my School Escort team and I also telephoned my School Escort coordinator and told her I was very concerned about contracting Covid and she said other's were in the same boat too and she would pass on my message and someone may get in touch with me, they didn't.
They have today ! They had only just received my email ( they don't know why) and please can I send the email or text from NHS England advising me to isolate ?
I have replied to the email, so what will happen now, I just don't know ?

Sorry Robinredbreast I've probably mis read your post. Did you have an email/test from NHS England advising you to shield/isolate?
 
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Sorry Robinredbreast I've probably mis read your post. Did you have an email/test from NHS England advising you to shield/isolate?

No I didn't. I isolated myself.
 
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Max68

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I can only really advise on what I did and that was to insist on an Individual Risk Assessment and contacted my Union, neither of which were helpful to my circumstances anyway. Bar that maybe ask if they can furlough you or even maybe request some unpaid leave for a few months? Sorry I can't be more helpful.
 
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JTL

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I'm sure there's more.
No I didn't. I isolated myself.
Isolating yourself is so far down the line of common sense it's almost radical and from what I've seen none rewardable.
Your eminently sensible idea will be ridiculed.
The world has gone a little crazy.
Imagine falling asleep 18 months ago and waking up today!
 

UK T1

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No I didn't. I isolated myself.
I wonder whether a quick email to your consultant/GP to get their advice would help? Briefly explain the work scenario (non-negotiable proximity to others and how long for on average, PPE provision etc). I'm not sure where in the country you are but given the new variants they may more officially advise isolating until you've had the vaccine? Do you know where down the vaccine list you are?
 
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JRT

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No I didn't. I isolated myself.
Hiya, only a brief reply as on lunch and now WFH-! Your situation sounds identical to mine last year. It appears you only get some protection if shielded.
Are you entitled to vaccination due to role,I expect not as not in care home.
I can only second what Max 68 says, contact Union, individual risk assessment etc etc.
If I remember you are a transport escort which I would personally say makes you high risk.
See how it goes with your employer/union. Maybe you will have better luck than we did.
If not it depends on if you are financially reliant on job and whether you feel it's worth health risks, especially with first shot of vaccine for diabetics on horizon.
 
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I can only really advise on what I did and that was to insist on an Individual Risk Assessment and contacted my Union, neither of which were helpful to my circumstances anyway. Bar that maybe ask if they can furlough you or even maybe request some unpaid leave for a few months? Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Today, I became a member of Unison and I have emailed them regarding my self isolating.
 
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Hiya, only a brief reply as on lunch and now WFH-! Your situation sounds identical to mine last year. It appears you only get some protection if shielded.
Are you entitled to vaccination due to role,I expect not as not in care home.
I can only second what Max 68 says, contact Union, individual risk assessment etc etc.
If I remember you are a transport escort which I would personally say makes you high risk.
See how it goes with your employer/union. Maybe you will have better luck than we did.
If not it depends on if you are financially reliant on job and whether you feel it's worth health risks, especially with first shot of vaccine for diabetics on horizon.

Hi, I hope you had a pleasant lunch.
I am financially reliant on my earnings. I
have contacted the union, but as I only joined today! I'm unsure if they will be able to advise and help me.
I filled out an e-consult form to my GP's at the beginning of January regarding vulnerability, age and medical condition and I received this :

Screenshot_20210108-162049.png
 
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On Monday I received a text message from my surgery inviting me to have the vaccine jab, so I am booked in for next Monday 8th February at noon, I was very surprised to receive this, as I wasn't expecting mine until around April, but pleased :)
 
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Isolating yourself is so far down the line of common sense it's almost radical and from what I've seen none rewardable.
Your eminently sensible idea will be ridiculed.
The world has gone a little crazy.
Imagine falling asleep 18 months ago and waking up today!

I am not normally an anxious or a worried person, but, because of the close contact with the children and the new strain of Covid and it being so rampant, I emailed straight away and phoned the School escort coordinator too, to tell them of my decision, but heard nothing until the email today, that's a month's gap !!
 
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JRT

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I am not normally an anxious or a worried person, but, because of the close contact with the children and the new strain of Covid and it being so rampant, I emailed straight away and phoned the School escort coordinator too, to tell them of my decision, but heard nothing until the email today, that's a month's gap !!
Hiya,at least you have the vaccination next week although I think it takes three weeks to get antibodies.
Hopefully Unison will help.
The process I went through was that employers should do an individual risk assessment to see how they can reduce the risk of your job. This might be PPE etc,it could be an alternative role you can do. Obviously work from home if possible.
That's where Max68 and I had problems. My employers were exceptionally unhelpful.
As diabetics who cant work from home it's a bit like being caught between a rock and a hard place.
My new employers are Covid safe and then some! For my first week I had to go into office. My weakest point was my taxi journey there and back,but fingers crossed I got away with it.
The new variants are a game changer and in my area infections are dropping but still stubbornly high. Certainly compared to last year I'm hearing of people with covid plus a few who who sadly have died.
Sorry if I've rambled a bit!
It all depends on so many factors.
The rate of infections in your area?
I may be wrong but I'm under the impression you escort children. Are they themselves vulnerable? If so their bubbles may mean less contacts etc.
How covid safe was the transport?
Hopefully Unison and your workplace will have some solutions.
 
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Good morning an update;
I received an email this morning informing me that my time off is classed as unpaid leave, I emailed back that I have received the email and read it.

Unison phoned me this morning, I explained my position and he said to contact escort team and to say:
I didn't agree to taking unpaid leave and expected to be paid for January, also, I did not receive any correspondence from them until this week ( a month had passed) to suggest unpaid leave would be required. He asked me to send him copies of the emails, which I have done.
He said HCC may not back down, so it's a waiting game now.
My Bg was 11.2 @ 10.30 !
 
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