Sigh.
Aaarghhhhhhh!
Get this.
Had a conversation with a staff member yesterday outlining my vulnerability. She was very empathetic as her 83 year old mother has the same condition as one I've got.
Fast forward to today. That same staff member got sent home at 11am. She'd come into briefing coughing her guts up first thing. Went home feeling ill at 11. After telling management she'd had no sense of taste or smell since Monday. At no point when I spoke to her about my vulnerability did she mention this.
So she's come to school for 3 days knowing she has symptoms associated with Covid. Because of her job, she is probably the staff member who has greatest close contact with the most number of kids.
Although I found out at midday she'd gone home and why, we weren't officially told anything until afternoon briefing at 3pm. And even then we were told "well as long as you've been socially distancing from her you should be alright".
Obviously I raised the contact with the kids point, who then all have contact with us. I asked for it to be confirmed she knew she had Covid symptoms dating from Monday. This was confirmed. I said "great" - and walked out.
Since then I have been bombarded with apologetic calls from management who have told me I can stay home - first (by one) until we get the results of her test and then by a higher manager was told 'for as long as I like until I feel comfortable. So, belatedly, they are at least being nice about this.
But what sort of fucking idiot comes to a school in the middle of a global pandemic knowingly with symptoms and says nothing? Those reading my posts on here know how disillusioned I am with some of my fellow staff - this is just a technicolour illustration of what I meant. It has destroyed my faith in people to do the right thing.
And there are two possibilities in my mind now.
First, the worst, that she is positive and there is a chance I could be fucked because of one person's utter irresponsibility.
And, and I have to say this, second...that she is actually making it up. It's not beyond her. She's full of shit at the best of times. She could easily fancy a couple of days off thinking there are no other consequences. The coughing this morning could be seen as theatrical. And we only have her word about the loss of taste/smell. And this is causing me unbelievable stress she obviously doesn't care about or understand.
My GP has been as reassuring as she can be. Slamming into this staff member for being irresponsible, but saying it's a tale she hears all too much. People not taking it seriously, people thinking they are invincible, people just not getting the transmission and contacts thing.
So now, for my own peace of mind, I sit here thinking up scenarios where it's going to be alright, that it's all bullshit on her part. While wondering if it is and completely failing to get my head around how someone can act like this in either scenario I've presented in the middle of a global pandemic.
I am...fucking livid. This doesn't just affect me. I have an older partner. Our lives now changed over the next few days. Let's hope it is just the next few days.
Fuck this.
