I think I know the answer, but...going into the office when possibly poorly

Personally, I wouldn't.

But I do think the fact there is some caution about such things is a good thing. I remember when I was office based the amount of people that 'never had a day sick' but regularly came in and infected half the office was staggering. I suspect you know the answer already. if you can still do your work from home, do so.

I wouldn't self-isolate because of slightly itchy eyes and a bit of a dry throat.

I do take Covid19 very seriously though.

Treat it as you would have done a cold before the pandemic - do things to minimise spreading it unnecessarily.

IMHO

I wouldn’t self-isolate because of slightly itchy eyes and a bit of a dry throat.

I don't think I'm meaning full 'self-isolation', I'm just wondering whether sitting on a train for three and a half hours and then in an office all day tomorrow is very wise
.
It is Sod's Law though - if I stay at home I'll be fine tomorrow, if I go I'll undoubtedly be a snotty mess.

I suspect you know the answer already. if you can still do your work from home, do so.

I suspect you're right, but I can't do the thing I'm supposed to be doing tomorrow from home.

Covid or not I think we've all become a bit more sensible around coughs and cold.
Our company line is that if you are ill but well enough to work, stay at home and work from there like you do most of the time. Even if it's just a cold no one else wants it.
If you are proper ill stay at home and rest up.

Obviously no idea what your employers views are

I’m just wondering whether sitting on a train for three and a half hours and then in an office all day tomorrow is very wise

Wear a face covering then, it's easily done and will make a difference with regards to coughs and sneezes. It is also now totally acceptable so you won't get weird looks.

Wear a mask on the train and in the office? There are eastern cultures that do this and I really wish we'd show the same consideration over here.

I remember when I was office based the amount of people that ‘never had a day sick’ but regularly came in and infected half the office was staggering.

This.

I'm certainly using working from home as an opportunity to treat minor sniffles etc. with a bit more respect. That way I can still do my full day's work, probably get over the sniffle quicker AND avoid potentially infecting anyone else, it seems like a win-win-win albeit you miss out on face to face time with co-workers which I am gradually beginning to value more and more.

I'm a lot more open with the rest of my team when it comes to staying at home with sniffles, nobody seems to mind.

I don’t think I’m meaning full ‘self-isolation’, I’m just wondering whether sitting on a train for three and a half hours and then in an office all day tomorrow is very wise

You know the answer. don't go in as you are potentially infectious

An extreme case but I remember a nurse who had a poor sick record thus felt under pressure to attend work coming in with a cold. She infected over half the staff, a significant number of patients and some frail patients died as a result

You know the answer. don’t go in as you are potentially infectious

Everyone is potentially infectious, not just someone with slightly itchy eyes and a bit of a dry throat.

Behaviour needs to be reasonable and proportionate, I don't think citing an example of a nurse who killed her patients helps to achieve that.

Edit: IHN isn't considering going to visit a friend in ICU

I am working from home this week as I have a cold. I haven't had a cold for many years but on Saturday, thinking it was not that cold, so went to supermarket even the wind was howling. I only had a jumper on with a "puffer" vest (whatever you call those without sleeves) and normal jeans. I could instantly feel the chill wind blowing up my entire body. Walking from the car park to the supermarket was about 200 metre but it was very cold. Came home and immediately had runny nose for the entire night. Could not sleep at all and on Sunday just slightly better. Today stilling feel a bit lousy with some headache but less of the runny nose now. Thinking of keeping warm by going to the office but then I might spread to other people so WFH.

I'm in the 'just go in and wear a mask' camp

And if anyone asks why you're wearing a mask, explain that you don't want to give them a cold/flu/etc

And maybe it will be another tiny step towards normalising mask-wearing as a courteous and thoughtful thing to do

In our office we are now back to the point where if if you haven't tested positive for Covid and for whatever reason you can't work from home then its just a matter of the old rules apply- nobody is getting ostracised for simply turning up to work with the sniffles if they genuinely have no choice on that day.

I am happy with this and it seems reasonable to me even though I took covid pretty seriously. Despite everything, I don't think we can put off important dates, appointments etc just because you think you might be getting a cold.

If you're visiting the hospital or have some reason to think it might be covid (over and above the fact that it happens to exist) then I think I'd probably re-schedule things or take some other action in that case.

It's not just the few dozen people on a train to infect here, it's Nationwide!

You have taken a lateral flow test, right?

One of my wonderful team came in last week 'with a bit of a head cold' and has wiped out 90% of one of my project teams with Covid. Well done. He did test afterwards and was +ve so i'm not Poirot but I'd strongly suspect this is where it came from. I did tell him to stay at home as well but he wanted to be a hero.

Anyhoo, I'm staying put.

You have taken a lateral flow test, right?

Nope.

Everyone is potentially infectious, not just someone with slightly itchy eyes and a bit of a dry throat.

Yes, technically correct, albeit responding to the exact words rather than the underlying message.

When there is eveidence of an infection (such as, say someone with slightly itchy eyes and a bit of a dry throat) the chances of being infectious increases quite a bit.

You have taken a lateral flow test, right

Soon as they stopped being free the number of folks using them (me included) dropped off dramatically.

You have taken a lateral flow test, right?

Nope.

That would be a good start.

I've had family members whose primary covid symptoms initially were itchy throat and eyes.

We let our colleagues decide.

ie I would have a conversation with them.

Trouble is though if we all keep avoiding each other when we do mix we will all get even more ill !

One to gauge by degrees of need, I reckon. If folk are depending on you, then realistically I would. If it's a "nice to catch up" sort of event, then I wouldn't. Would any colleague be pleased to have someone hacking and spluttering next to them? If management are putting pressure on and you're coerced in, sit next to them.

Coincidentally I'll be on a train tomorrow coming back from a London hospital.Lol

I'll be wearing a decent 3M mask in the train and hospital as my immune system isn't great at the moment.

I think there is a responsibility on me these days to be the proactive one to stay safe as I understand that society has to get back to some normality.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be moving away from anyone coughing their lungs up too. I don't expect anyone to ask why I'm wearing a mask as I suspect most people know anyone still wearing them might have a good reason to do so.👍

We ask everyone with sniffles to stay away. We're a small team and having 2/3 of us infected is not a good thing for continuity. Since the good days of 2020 presenteeism is no longer encouraged.

I remember when I was office based the amount of people that ‘never had a day sick’ but regularly came in and infected half the office was staggering.

Usually linked to whether you got paid from day one being “ill” or not.
For example my wife was civil service , slightest sniffle , off fully paid.
Me , no play no pay. Simply couldn’t afford to be ill.

wear a N95 all the time.

We have a pack of LFTs for just such situations. To be fair, they get used very rarely, think the last pack lasted 6 months for a family of 4, including MrsMC visiting her mum in a home once a quarter. The cost is low enough for us.

I'd stay home if any doubt.

In our office folk come in with colds and in the last few months i've had it a couple of times a couple of days after being in. Nothing worse than going in and having someone coughing or sneezing nearby, you instantly think 'well i'm going to be feeling great at the weekend now' due to someone being the martyr for a day.

Personally i'd hoped COVID would put an end to this, but it doesn't seem to have filtered through to all as of yet, best advice, just ask your manager, although if you've already booked up, then masks and minimising any transfer is good.

Good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze into you arm or hankie, don’t share drinks or food and wipe down areas you’ve worked in.

One of my wonderful team came in last week ‘with a bit of a head cold’ and has wiped out 90% of one of my project teams with Covid. Well done. He did test afterwards and was +ve so i’m not Poirot but I’d strongly suspect this is where it came from. I did tell him to stay at home as well but he wanted to be a hero.

When is the public hanging?
Could have came from anyone. You'll never ever know. And you know that. Could have even come from someone holier than thou like yourself. But don't let that stop you appointing yourself as judge and jury.

I remember when employees were praised and thanked for working when feeling a bit under the weather, instead of taking the easy option and calling in sick. Now you're made public enemy number one, some people, thankfully a small minority have lost the plot and all sense of rational thinking.

Usually linked to whether you got paid from day one being “ill” or not.
For example my wife was civil service , slightest sniffle , off fully paid.
Me , no play no pay. Simply couldn’t afford to be ill.

The holier than thou flat earthers won't like this. They'd rather you lost your job and your home.

some people, thankfully a small minority have lost the plot and all sense of rational thinking.

Well, I think I can certainly agree with you on that.

I'd go in, but would wear a mask on the train.
And based on how Mrs Lunge had felt the last 4 weeks, I'd rather catch Covid than the cold thing that's been knocking around this winter. She was much worse with it than she was with 'Rona.

LFT and then a mask if you are worried.

Get into work you work shy layabout

I remember when employees were praised and thanked for working when feeling a bit under the weather, instead of taking the easy option and calling in sick.

Thank goodness those days are over because people coming into work when ill spreads that illness around and causes more folk to end up with time off work.  Presenteeism is a scourge on UK society

Oh, and update, having decided not to go down last night, I'm now, predictably, feeling perfectly fine this morning.

Of course! I used to get this.  Often respiratory viruses go thru me in 24 - 36 hours.  MY work wanted to know the day before if you were going to be off sick so they could get alternative staff in so a decision needed to be made 18 hours before your shift.

If you had decided to go in you would have dissolved into a pile of snot and misery by now