I work in a managerial role in a Residential Home for Adults with Learning Disabilities. We look after people who already have underlying health problems and are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Most of them need direct support in all areas of their day to day life such as personal care, medication, eating and drinking etc. We don’t close for Christmas, bank holidays or heavy snow because their needs do not stop. We simply can’t or ever would want to close during this time of pandemic. 

Prior to the advice for Social distancing, me and my sister who is frontline NHS staff went to work on the first week when we had cold flu symptoms although we were uncertain. We usually would go to work with minor cough. 

Since we did not have direct contact with positive case of the virus and had not travelled to major affected countries, we were not qualified for the test. 

Following the advice on Social Distancing, we took a week off and we both were feeling ok by the end of second week since we had cold flu symptoms. It also made sense to take a week off, to stop people we look after, families and colleagues from worrying.
All we could think was we could have been at work helping.

Well my sister was back frontline in the hospital on Thursday starting with 5 nights in a row and i am back tomorrow for 7:30am in the Residential home.

But am i certain that i didn't have COVID-19? I feel ok but am i not the carrier of the virus potentially spreading COVID-19 to all of the vulnerable residents we see day and night?

I'm still not certain to be honest.

This virus will cause minor symptoms for most people, and relatively young and healthy staff are most likely to fall into that category. I would not forgive myself if I spread the virus to the residents who i care so much for and God forbid the consequence is worse  than a simple cold.

Now the sickness level in Health and Social Care sector is high due to social distancing adding to the shortfall of staff. This is understandable considering the concern for the virus.

My point is when health and care workers stay off work for 14 days, leaving a shortfall of staff, when the likelihood is that they don’t actually have COVID-19?

The test for COVID-19 for Care workers would help the staff number in huge way when we need full force of staff at the time of pandemic. 

Also if your loved ones are under our care, would you want them to be cared for by staff who are likely infected with it? If not, please help us out here. 

I want to continue working and care for the people protecting them from COVID-19. I need to make sure they are safe while i do that.