When is it safe to return to work?

[Merrick55]

When is it safe to return to work? I didn't receive a sheilding letter but I suffered a heart attack 4 years ago and was stented, I also suffer with unstable angina and control my high bp with meds. I was advised to work from home 10 weeks ago (I work in a special needs school delivering personal care) we've had an email today saying the pupils will be back on the 1st June and we are expected to be back too?? I'm so confused and most advice online is so conflicting. Any advice woukd be much appreciated x

[Chappychap]

"I'm so confused and most advice online is so conflicting. "

I'm sure many people feel the same. As we emerge from lockdown we'll all have to use our own judgement regarding what is an acceptable level of risk for us personally.

The Goldacre study from Oxford University, published a week or two ago, is as far as I know the best analysis of who is most at risk if they contract Covid-19 (as far as I can tell it's the only study from around the world that controls for old age, smoking, poverty, etc).

Bottom line is that age is by some distance the biggest risk factor.

People in their 60's are twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as people in their 50"s, and once you're in your 70's the risk really shoots up. One common mistake is for fit and otherwise healthy older people to believe they're low risk, the numbers clearly say otherwise. This is something I often have to remind myself, I'm in my 60's but I'd score well on most fitness measures for a twenty year old. Tempting to believe I'm safe...tempting but wrong! The uncomfortable truth is that I'm more at risk from Covid-19, as well as from heart attacks and strokes, than an obese thirty year old who smokes 40 a day, eats only junk food, and never exercises!

After age the next big risk factors that emerge from the Goldacre study are sex (men are far more vulnerable than women), obesity (and the greater the BMI the greater the risk, so losing even a couple of pounds helps), organ transplant recipient, diabetes, and ethnicity (black or South Asian people are at about twice the risk level as white British or East Asian). After these there's a big drop to the significance of the next set of risk factors.

Good luck!

[Merrick55 in reply to Chappychap]

Thank you so much for the reply, I will give The Goldacre study a read. I also see where you are coming from...I had my heart attack at 35, didn't smoke, exercised regularly and wasn't over weight so the unexpected can show it's ugly face when it wants almost anytime.

Best wishes x

[GracieOS]

Is your employer saying you must return to work? If so you could ask for a full risk assessment to be carried out taking into account your health issues. That would identify any risks to you, the school or pupils and any mitigating action that can be taken. Mitigation could include a change to your job role, continuing with furlough for you etc..... all employers have a duty of care to employees to ensure as best they can your safety. The government have emphasised this recently to employers. As a school they will be used to doing risk assessments so this shouldn't be a major thing for them. Any risk assessment and mitigation should be agreed with you.

[Merrick55 in reply to GracieOS]

Thank you so much for the reply, I will enquire about the risk assessment. Thank you x

[Harbourside]

I would consult your GP and ask why you haven't received a 'shielding' letter. My son and I both received letters - fairly late in the process - but my Mum's not received a letter and she suffers with lung cirrhosis.

[Merrick55 in reply to Harbourside]

Oh really, I'm not sure I fall under the criteria as my mother has the same condition and received the same treatment but also hasn't received a letter. Thanks for the reply x