Coronavirus outbreak

[mjr]

It seems that working culture will have to change as a result of this virus . Whereas bosses have been forcing people into work with coughs and sneezes and therefore spreading the infection throughout the workforce and throughout the population , sick pay or some other financial support will have to be introduced or supported and the way in which sickness is treated will have to change .

Why will it? Once there is no longer a requirement to quarantine with covid, bad bosses can simply force workers into the office with covid until they collapse, like they do with flu and common colds, and omicron being less severe means fewer will collapse. As long as they can ride out the collapses, their workers will then be more immune for a season and they win. Fark public health, in line with the clear message from the govt.

 

[classic33]

Why will it? Once there is no longer a requirement to quarantine with covid, bad bosses can simply force workers into the office with covid until they collapse, like they do with flu and common colds, and omicron being less severe means fewer will collapse. As long as they can ride out the collapses, their workers will then be more immune for a season and they win. Fark public health, in line with the clear message from the govt.

Not all work is office based, and most of those that insist on workers going in aren't office based either.

 

[Illaveago]

Why will it? Once there is no longer a requirement to quarantine with covid, bad bosses can simply force workers into the office with covid until they collapse, like they do with flu and common colds, and omicron being less severe means fewer will collapse. As long as they can ride out the collapses, their workers will then be more immune for a season and they win. Fark public health, in line with the clear message from the govt.

There are cases of Long Covid which can affect people for a long period after catching the virus . The long term effects of this virus are unknown .
Bosses can play Russian Roulette with their workforce but if they find that their key workers are taken out by the virus then it is up to them , but for the sake of the country's economy it would be better if they allowed workers to take time off if they were I'll .

 

[mjr]

Bosses can play Russian Roulette with their workforce but if they find that their key workers are taken out by the virus then it is up to them , but for the sake of the country's economy it would be better if they allowed workers to take time off if they were I'll .

Nah, cheaper to sack the "malingerers" and hire fresh healthy staff, so that's better economics for the business(!) Who cares about in 5 years time? The bosses will have moved on up with their stock options and it'll be somebody else's problem. It's only a call centre / food packery / warehouse and there's enough turnover they're recruiting and onboarding all the time. Also, it means they're doing more training which makes the company look good

 

[classic33]

Nah, cheaper to sack the "malingerers" and hire fresh healthy staff, so that's better economics for the business(!) Who cares about in 5 years time? The bosses will have moved on up with their stock options and it'll be somebody else's problem. It's only a call centre / food packery / warehouse and there's enough turnover they're recruiting and onboarding all the time. Also, it means they're doing more training which makes the company look good

And if you're training new staff all the time who is actually doing the everyday work?

I've done the call centre and warehouse work, and between the mandatory health and safety work and induction training, someone had to do the work, before we were let loose.

 

[Deleted User]

Not all work is office based, and most of those that insist on workers going in aren't office based either.

Life beyond 'the office '.

Did you sort not go to work if you had a runny nose pre Covid then?

 

[classic33]

Life beyond 'the office '.

Did you sort not go to work if you had a runny nose pre Covid then?

Suppose the person who is "ill" is handling raw food, day in day out. What happens as that food works it way through the system to your plate.

Pre covid, I was being treated for cancer, and epilepsy, so not at work.

Despite the Equalities Act, there's not many willing to take you on if there's a chance you exit work via an ambulance.

 

[Deleted User]

Suppose the person who is "ill" is handling raw food, day in day out. What happens as that food works it way through the system to your plate.

Pre covid, I was being treated for cancer, and epilepsy, so not at work.

Despite the Equalities Act, there's not many willing to take you on if there's a chance you exit work via an ambulance.

Sorry, although I quoted yourself I was replying to the 'general audience ' as it does appear people on here somehow forget there are roles that don't always involve a desk and chair.

 

[fossyant]

Sorry, although I quoted yourself I was replying to the 'general audience ' as it does appear people on here somehow forget there are roles that don't always involve a desk and chair.

Us desk and chair bunch will most likely be working from home with coughs and sniffles now, but at what point do you sign off actually ill.

 

[Deleted User]

1

Us desk and chair bunch will most likely be working from home with coughs and sniffles now, but at what point do you sign off actually ill.

Exactly my point really, pre Covid I don't recall ever knowing people being off sick regularly with such mild symptoms.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Seems to have been Zero additional impact on case rates from university students all flooding back (and socialising). Increased school interaction of 4-11s (none jabbed obv) has meant a mini surge in those cohorts, but such a high proportion will now have had it (with or without symptoms/tests) that we can expect that to 'burn out'. That's had an impact on the 'parent cohort' - all hopefully boosted. That recent jab will reduce the already very low (for under 50s) OR of case > hospitalisation.

 

[classic33]

1

Exactly my point really, pre Covid I don't recall ever knowing people being off sick regularly with such mild symptoms.

Thing is though, pre-covid you'd not have been testing yourself for a notifiable disease.

I've not had it, so I can't comment on how it feels. But I do know some who only had a "mild cold" for a month or so, but felt lousy afterwards.

 

[winjim]

1

Exactly my point really, pre Covid I don't recall ever knowing people being off sick regularly with such mild symptoms.

Come in to my workplace with a cold and you'll get complained at so much by everybody else that you'll want to go home. But that's because we don't want you infecting us, which isn't an issue if you WFH, which I think is the point fossy was making. You're potentially having people work when ordinarily they'd be resting. That could be a good thing or a bad thing I suppose depending on your POV.

 

[Alex321]

Come in to my workplace with a cold and you'll get complained at so much by everybody else that you'll want to go home. But that's because we don't want you infecting us, which isn't an issue if you WFH, which I think is the point fossy was making. You're potentially having people work when ordinarily they'd be resting. That could be a good thing or a bad thing I suppose depending on your POV.

TBH, I'd ratherbe working with mild cold symptoms, as it is less physically demanding to just sit at a desk all day than do the minkr bits of housework I would otherwise do.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Weekly update from ONS estimates of the numbers of people who would test positive for the virus (prevalence) on 15 Jan. This is much higher than the cases reported (after testing).
ONS (30 Dec - 5 Jan) = 3M (ave 430k new pd)
gov.uk dashboard = 1.3M (same week)
Conclusion (not new): the confirmed case count reflects less than half of new infections.
Working on actual cases (includes asymptomatic) being double those reported in UK (and NB the amount and quality of the UK's testing and reporting is very good in a 'world' context):

• About 11M have been infected since 1 Dec (mix of vaxxed and non-vaxxed and all ages)
• UK is running out of people with no antibodies so a high proportion of the population is not susceptible
• The transmissibility of the Omicron variant means that, even with the low proportion susceptible, there'll continue to be a steady case rate (has fallen to less than half the peak on NYD) - how much further we don't know: endemic.
• Boosted vaccination won't stop one catching it (but reduces risk of any serious illness)
• COVID-19 remains a threat to the vulnerable (age and/or comorbidities) particularly if unvaccinated.

I will forego the pub in the three days before each visit to my aged (& boosted - I was 'taxi') mother.

Thought two comments by James Naismith, University of Oxford worth posting:
"Despite the advanced warning from South Africa, almost two years of experience, early imposition of Plan B and existing measures the Omicron wave reached an astounding prevalence in only a few weeks. It did so whilst we were unsure of its severity. Had it been more severe, we would have been in dire straits. Our entire system of pandemic preparedness (from public policy to debate to track /trace and hospital capacity) is not fit for purpose. Omicron should be a flashing red light [and] a blaring klaxon.
"A more honest assessment of NPIs is needed, there was a tendency for these to become politicised and consequently tribalised.”