Coronavirus

[Alsty]

That's true. But for those who cannot work from home and get full-sick pay, it would be like a free weeks holiday, if you're that way inclined.

Whilst that is a possibility, it wouldn't be much of a holiday as you'd be required to self-isolate and be subject to checks from NHS Test & Trace.

As an aside, people who are claiming the £500 Test and Trace Support Payment (TTSP) still need to do a PCR test, presumably to stop false claims along these lines.

 

[Matt.GC]

That's true. But for those who cannot work from home and get full-sick pay, it would be like a free weeks holiday, if you're that way inclined.

Completely agree. Loads of tricks online (I've never tried them) to get a positive reading.

It's no coincidence that many of the people who have gone positive on me have done so at Christmas and New Year. Or the fact that more positive test results seem to come from people who had poor attendance levels before the pandemic than those that had good attendance levels. Or all the convenient positive results almost exactly 1 week before the person is due for a weeks holiday thus giving them 2 weeks free time off rather than 1.

The lack of a PCR is one less barrier for the skivers to overcome. Now they can just grab a hand full of LFT's from a pharmacy, whack 'em up a mates nose who they know has the virus, register it on the NHS website and voilà, free week off every 3 months. No testing station visit, no ordering them online, just a handful of blank cheques in a drawer at home.

As for checks, what checks? One of mine posted on Facebook a good old knees up with the family down the local 3 days after testing positive (was deleted the next day). A week in isolation with the family, TV, PlayStation, central heating, cupboard full of food and wine is heaven on earth for me and other people who don't have the luxury of working from home as an option. Hardly an incentive not to fake a week off on full pay is it?

 

[Jonathan]

One of my cousins (he's 23) is currently working in France for the ski season, and has tested positive for COVID. AFAIK, he's not feeling too bad, which is good. He's had both doses anyway, though was due to have his booster next week. Nothing he can do about that. The only concern is that he's asthmatic, and is a bit of a worrier, but I'm hopeful that he'll be OK.

Also, my five-year-old niece has had a positive LFT. She's apparently got a temperature and is off her food, which is incredibly unusual for her. Trust me - she was hoovering up food over Christmas like there was no tomorrow. She has a PCR booked for 8am, but I'm fairly certain that it'll end up being positive as well. I have to admit I'm more worried for her due to her age, but knowing what she's like, she'll come out of it fighting. To say she's a bundle of energy is an understatement.

 

[Davezilla]

1 thing I have noted is that probably 50% of my friends have tested positive over the Xmas period. Out of the 50%, the only ones really suffering are the ones who think the jab is so Bill Gates and his cronies can track us (they told me this via their android phones). The rest of my friends double jabbed all feel fine but doing the responsible thing and isolating.

 

[Benzin]

Well one way to stop people faking it is to stop making LFTs free I guess.

I mean I doubt my work is gonna pay for them even though their current policy is for all staff to take one before coming in.

 

[Alsty]

If they charge for LFTs then people will just stop testing.

 

[Tim]

...
It's no coincidence that many of the people who have gone positive on me have done so at Christmas and New Year.
...

You're right It isn't a coincidence. It's because Omicron had just arrived In the UK and enough people had caught it that transmission rates sky rocketed.
I don't doubt that some people faked a test to skive but I think you'll find the vast majority tested positive because they actually had it! I knew about 10 people that tested positive in those 3 weeks (from multiple different social groups). None of them were faking it because ultimately it messed up their Christmas and New Year plans.

 

[rob666]

Likewise in my family, sister and separate nephew tested positive 24th and 26th...they had their plans ruined, and he lost a bomb in festive out of hours work.

 

[Craig]

Sure having lateral flow testing only might make things a little easier, but in the grand scheme of things it's a relatively tiny percentage. In the end, skivers are gonna skive no matter what.

Like others, I had many friends and family who also had plans affected over the Christmas period. The ONS infection survey for testing that took place in the week ending 23rd December determined around 1 in 25 people had Covid in England. For the week after, that rose to a massive 1 in 15 people, a staggering increase and percentage of the population that clearly demonstrates the sheer speed that omicron has spread.

 

[Danza91]

Felt like I ended up knowing more people who had COVID over Christmas than who didn't! Ruined a number of people's plans but no one had anything worse than a bad cold.

I'm optimistic that Omicron really is the beginning of the end of the pandemic as it becomes endemic. Cases in South Africa dropped rapidly after their latest peak and it looks like the UK could follow. Hopefully soon borders will ease up (once again) and gradually the need for constant testing goes and isolation becomes similar to that of having a cold where, and I don't know about others, but most of the time I'll stay at home anyway if I feel crap.

 

[GaryH]

A Scientist in Cyprus has found a new variant which is a hybrid of Omicrom and Delta. The CEO of Moderna warned this might happen…

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-covid-19-variant-deltacron-found-in-cyprus-2698332/amp/1

 

[Matt.GC]

You're right It isn't a coincidence. It's because Omicron had just arrived In the UK and enough people had caught it that transmission rates sky rocketed.
I don't doubt that some people faked a test to skive but I think you'll find the vast majority tested positive because they actually had it! I knew about 10 people that tested positive in those 3 weeks (from multiple different social groups). None of them were faking it because ultimately it messed up their Christmas and New Year plans.

I know you're right. In fact I hope you are and that I'm not the only person who didn't see any of their family over Christmas due to the amount of people out at work.

But if Facebook posts from some of them down the local boozer, cutting the turkey and sipping Mulled Wine are to be believed, it seems many of them certainly had a very merry Christmas and a happy new year to boot.

 

[JAperson]

A Scientist in Cyprus has found a new variant which is a hybrid of Omicrom and Delta. The CEO of Moderna warned this might happen…

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/new-covid-19-variant-deltacron-found-in-cyprus-2698332/amp/1

 

[Dave]

Variants are always going to occur, just because it’s a mix of two successful variants doesn’t mean it will take off though. The mix would need to give it an edge and as the omicron variant probably mutated from delta it’s likely it had to give up some of delta’s features to be successful.

 

[Jb85]

I think it’s highly likely we will still see a more deadly strain, but we do seem to be going in the right direction.

early on in the pandemic a scientist friend of mine said this will be a five year thing, with the end result being the virus mutating to a point it’s weak enough for us to deal with day in day out.

seems the prediction is half way to becoming true

 

[Rojo]

I know you're right. In fact I hope you are and that I'm not the only person who didn't see any of their family over Christmas due to the amount of people out at work.

But if Facebook posts from some of them down the local boozer, cutting the turkey and sipping Mulled Wine are to be believed, it seems many of them certainly had a very merry Christmas and a happy new year to boot.

Sadly Matt I think you may have found out which of your employees actually put their job high up in their list of priorities (despite the job funding their lifestyle). On the other side of the of the coin is many people have pinned their mental health on having a good Christmas and have given up on Government advice just before Christmas due to the hypocrisy. Employers have been in tough place over the last 2 years and it hasn't been easy, I am sure you are doing a great job and the fact your mentioning it shows you care. Sadly I think you are just going to have to chalk it off and move on for your own sanity, just note those who went the extra mile and if you can, reward them for the support. Anyone actively faking could just as easily take a cold off and self-certify right? As @Craig said Skivers gonna skive.

I am currently positive, stuck with snuffles, struggling to concentrate, pilled up on Lemsip and currently dragging myself through work, from home of course! Not all people are skivers and looking for an easy out, you just have to trust your staff.

We had limited time around family at Christmas, turned down an away day football match on the 28th, stayed in for NYE and still managed to catch it. We did one empty visit to a pub on New Years day, an empty late night cinema visit on Jan 3rd and a few supermarket visits and still caught it. (All in Wales so masks everywhere, limited numbers and Table service). I estimate we went out about 5 times in total and mixed with about 15 people over last 14 days. Yet if you looked at my FB timeline you will have seen I checked in with family, in a pub and in the Cinema and could make the assumption I have been on a rager, yet I know loads of people who have mixed and not caught it. Luck of the draw I suppose.

Part of me thinks I should have made more of Christmas and NY now considering I have caught it anyway.

 

[jon81uk]

Felt like I ended up knowing more people who had COVID over Christmas than who didn't! Ruined a number of people's plans but no one had anything worse than a bad cold.

In general those with mild symotoms have been vaccinated. I think the "nothing worse than a cold" is only really applicable to vaccinated in most cases.

 

[Matt.GC]

Sadly Matt I think you may have found out which of your employees actually put their job high up in their list of priorities (despite the job funding their lifestyle). On the other side of the of the coin is many people have pinned their mental health on having a good Christmas and have given up on Government advice just before Christmas due to the hypocrisy. Employers have been in tough place over the last 2 years and it hasn't been easy, I am sure you are doing a great job and the fact your mentioning it shows you care. Sadly I think you are just going to have to chalk it off and move on for your own sanity, just note those who went the extra mile and if you can, reward them for the support. Anyone actively faking could just as easily take a cold off and self-certify right? As @Craig said Skivers gonna skive.

I am currently positive, stuck with snuffles, struggling to concentrate, pilled up on Lemsip and currently dragging myself through work, from home of course! Not all people are skivers and looking for an easy out, you just have to trust your staff.

We had limited time around family at Christmas, turned down an away day football match on the 28th, stayed in for NYE and still managed to catch it. We did one empty visit to a pub on New Years day, an empty late night cinema visit on Jan 3rd and a few supermarket visits and still caught it. (All in Wales so masks everywhere, limited numbers and Table service). I estimate we went out about 5 times in total and mixed with about 15 people over last 14 days. Yet if you looked at my FB timeline you will have seen I checked in with family, in a pub and in the Cinema and could make the assumption I have been on a rager, yet I know loads of people who have mixed and not caught it. Luck of the draw I suppose.

Part of me thinks I should have made more of Christmas and NY now considering I have caught it anyway.

I'm not trying to start a Covid sufferers Vs the rest of us debate. I'm not wishing illness on anyone and I'm sorry to hear you've caught it.

But it annoys me that decisions seem to be made for headlines with to hell with the consequences. The headlines are that you only need to isolate for 7 days now and that taking a LFT instead of a PCR should be applauded as it saves money and time. But Johnny the skiver just sees this as an opportunity for free time off.

Many big and medium sized employers won't touch people with positive tests. Imagine the backlash if they did? It's not the same as calling in with the sniffles or a headache/hangover. For that you can discipline for high absence and not pay the first 3 days sick, if at all if you found them skiving on social media. With Covid, it might as well be pregnancy or cancer. As soon as the word is mentioned, it's full pay, no questions asked and excluded from overall attendance management processes. Can't touch them.

With LFT's, it doesn't matter if they've dipped it in citrus juice, a positive mates nose, drawn a line on it or taken the thing apart - send me a picture and register it on the NHS website and you're good to go for some much desired R&R at Christmas on full pay.

I'll suck it up and get over this crap Christmas, after 23 of them being tucked up for other things (I even had people who pretended to test positive and never returned when asked for a PCR after they got their 10 days pay. After all, you can walk into anywhere and get a part time job at the moment so why bother coming back once you have your cash?). But when does hiding behind the national interest to skive become wrong? When is the recruitment crisis going to be taken seriously? When will my kids catch up on all the education they've lost? How long do people have to put their lives on hold because we have a government incapable of protecting the health of its citizens?

I know this sounds old and cantankerous but I've learnt over my years that people are generally lazy and selfish in this country. Not all of course, but more than are honest and decent. This pandemic has brought the very worst aspects of UK culture to the fore and if one good thing could come of it, I hope it's that we wake up to what I've known for years.

 

[WillPS]

I'm not trying to start a Covid sufferers Vs the rest of us debate. I'm not wishing illness on anyone and I'm sorry to hear you've caught it.

But it annoys me that decisions seem to be made for headlines with to hell with the consequences. The headlines are that you only need to isolate for 7 days now and that taking a LFT instead of a PCR should be applauded as it saves money and time. But Johnny the skiver just sees this as an opportunity for free time off.

Many big and medium sized employers won't touch people with positive tests. Imagine the backlash if they did? It's not the same as calling in with the sniffles or a headache/hangover. For that you can discipline for high absence and not pay the first 3 days sick, if at all if you found them skiving on social media. With Covid, it might as well be pregnancy or cancer. As soon as the word is mentioned, it's full pay, no questions asked and excluded from overall attendance management processes. Can't touch them.

With LFT's, it doesn't matter if they've dipped it in citrus juice, a positive mates nose, drawn a line on it or taken the thing apart - send me a picture and register it on the NHS website and you're good to go for some much desired R&R at Christmas on full pay.

I'll suck it up and get over this crap Christmas, after 23 of them being tucked up for other things (I even had people who pretended to test positive and never returned when asked for a PCR after they got their 10 days pay. After all, you can walk into anywhere and get a part time job at the moment so why bother coming back once you have your cash?). But when does hiding behind the national interest to skive become wrong? When is the recruitment crisis going to be taken seriously? When will my kids catch up on all the education they've lost? How long do people have to put their lives on hold because we have a government incapable of protecting the health of its citizens?

I know this sounds old and cantankerous but I've learnt over my years that people are generally lazy and selfish in this country. Not all of course, but more than are honest and decent. This pandemic has brought the very worst aspects of UK culture to the fore and if one good thing could come of it, I hope it's that we wake up to what I've known for years.

It's never fun to work on a team where not all colleagues share your work ethic, and I can totally sympathise having been in that position before.

The answer to the problem of how to make staff give a toss about their job is for companies to treat staff better.

 

[Jb85]

I won’t preach at all but my opinion is this

everyone has been offered three vaccines - if you choose not to take them that your prerogative. But you MUST understand you can and probably will get seriously ill.

min my opinion those people right now are asking for trouble.

personally I agree with what IKEA have done now re self isolating. Needs to be the way forward