Sick - off work for 3 weeks now

Well everyone, I’m Off work for 3 weeks.
Thankfully, I’m on salary and work for a very large employer in the mining industry.

I spoke with my cross shift this morning and told him how I thought I have a cold starting.
Started with a sore throat last night.
Woke up this morning after 8 hrs of sleep, still feeling incredibly tired - which is not like me.
I get 6 hours and that’s all I need.
I feel like I could go back to bed for the rest of the night right now.

I woke in a remote mining camp.
There’s 600 people there daily, all in close quarters.

At the front security gate, someone is checking people’s temperature and asking 3 questions to determine if they have the sickness.
If your temp is 100 F, your not allowed on the property.

I know it’s a stupid suggestion, but I offered to come in and eat all my meals in my room (I work for a week at a time up there, then a week off)
While on shift, we stay at the mine site in our own designated rooms.
It’s like your own apartment.
And then just stay in my office away from everyone during the days.

I was told to stay away, and don’t come back for 3 weeks.

I hate missing work.
For some reason I always feel like I’m letting people down, so I rarely ever called in sick.
Nor do I take vacation. I don’t like the idea of having someone have to cover for me.

But, this is different I guess and I need to let my ego go.

Hopefully, this is just a cold and not the start of the CV.
Regardless, I have bee in close proximity to my family for this past week.
My youngest is 12, she’s not feeling good either right now.

We had to go to 8 different stores on Friday just to complete our grocery list, because every place was bought out with empty shelves.
Finally at the 8th store we found TP.
It’s unreal out there.

I hope everyone stays safe.
Wash your hands.
Most of all, Avoid large crowds.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I'm sorry to hear your are feeling ill and, yes, it could very well be COVID-19.

Your employers are being very cautious as they should be as this virus is highly contagious.

You would be letting people down by coming in to work. You will help them by getting well and coming back hopefully immune to catching the virus again. Then when others get sick, and they will, you will be there to keep operations going. You'll be a hero.

Perhaps for now - a friend could do some shopping for you and drop off on your porch....

It's all about perspective.

Good luck and take care of yourself and your family.

Where are you working, my son in law just went back to anchorage to work on a drilling crew looking for gold.
a reply to: Macenroe82

originally posted by: Macenroe82

We had to go to 8 different stores on Friday just to complete our grocery list, because every place was bought out with empty shelves.
Finally at the 8th store we found TP.
It’s unreal out there.

Not directed at op, but stores also need to place staff outside with a touchless thermometers and "security" ready to stop people from entering if the quarantine is going to work.

originally posted by: Jason79

originally posted by: Macenroe82

We had to go to 8 different stores on Friday just to complete our grocery list, because every place was bought out with empty shelves.
Finally at the 8th store we found TP.
It’s unreal out there.

Not directed at op, but stores also need to place staff outside with a touchless thermometers and "security" ready to stop people from entering if the quarantine is going to work.

And then what? They starve to death?

Problem solved I guess?

a reply to: rickymouse

I work for Impala mines - forMerely known as North American Palladium, in Ontario Canada.
Impala just bought us out at Christmas time.

The thing is, I also have other symptoms that are not concurrent with CV.
The... NEED to go to the bathroom... If you know what I mean lol.
My daughter doesn't have that part.
Just a mild cough with phlegm, and a bit of a fever.

a reply to: Macenroe82

They are saying that diarrhea is a symptom in a certain percentage of people, as well as a loss of taste/smell/appetite. Not to scare you, but to inform you. Do take care and keep us posted.

a reply to: Macenroe82

If you need groceries perhaps someone can do the shopping for you and leave it on your porch or you can do a grocery delivery service thing. Many are dropping their service fees.

a reply to: Jason79

I was surprised that Walmart had some safety measures in effect.
Limit lines for people - spaced 6ft apart, while at the till we stood on the black line, waiting for the person in front to advance.
Then a woman broke out coughing and one of the employees gave her a mask to wear.
Of course I was the lucky guy standing being her.

That was on Friday though.
Who knows if I was already sick.
I felt 100% fin, or else I wouldn't had left.

My wife is at work. She brought face masks.
She's a supervisor for a local deli here.
The owner told her not to wear her mask because it might Cause panic.
Meanwhile, she's stuck dealing with the public, face to face all day long.
The owner is a greedy scum bag and clearly doesn't care about the health of his staff.
He should be taking precautions for the public and his team.

a reply to: Jason79

So true, the only place I've been where I wore a mask, gloves and my safety googles was the grocery store. I wiped everything with Clorox wipes before bringing it into the house with freshly sanitized hands. Grocery stores are the main place where the explosion of infections will happen now.

In fact, since everyone is piling into grocery stores - many of whom will spread it for a couple weeks before showing or feeling any symptoms, we might as well have just continued business as usual.

a reply to: dogstar23

You did the right thing.

Like I said, I don't know if i have the virus or just a stomach-bug/cold combo starting.
But I wish I did the same thing.
But then again who knows if I even got it from going to the stores.

You could get a test, and present it to them if its negative. My company knows I havnt been feeling well, and they still want me there 12 hours a day

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Many company are offering free pickup or "touchless" curbside pickup.For example, Best Buy is open but all non employees are banned from entering the store.

Edit to add: your post is a perfect of why the quarantine will not work. Everything we are doing is pointless if you freely allow the skick to freely intermingle with the healthy.

a reply to: visitedbythem

Appear, our local hospital isn't giving the test to anyone under a certain age, and/or, it's bad enough to be admitted to the hospital.
Then they will give the tests.
Everyone else gets sent home with presumptive results.

If I do get bad enough, I'll for sure go in.
But at this point its like a bad cold.
However, In the past hour i feel like its gotten worse.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I work for a week at a time up there, then a week off)

I know this isn't what you wanted people to take from your post but how can I get a job like that?

I would love that work schedule.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

In the mining industry it’s a pretty common rotation.
Others work 2 weeks on, and 2 weeks off.

I love the shift I’m on now. It adds up to working half a year for an outstanding salary.

Anything to do with mining means huge bucks.
That goes for employees, suppliers, contractors...etc..

a reply to: hiddeninsite

Oh God, I just looked that up and your correct.
I don’t like that one bit.

a reply to: dogstar23

My local grocery store (national chain) has reduced hours requiring more people to shop at once. I got a lot of hate on facebook when I pointed out their "help" is having the opposite effect locally. People seem to accept the narrative rather than thinking for themselves.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: rickymouse

I work for Impala mines - forMerely known as North American Palladium, in Ontario Canada.
Impala just bought us out at Christmas time.

The thing is, I also have other symptoms that are not concurrent with CV.
The... NEED to go to the bathroom... If you know what I mean lol.
My daughter doesn't have that part.
Just a mild cough with phlegm, and a bit of a fever.

Sounds like you got some kind of a bug, probably not corona but there is always a possibility of it I suppose.

a reply to: rickymouse

Ya that’s what I was thinking and even divulged to my boss.
Nonetheless, my work isn’t risking it.
3 other local mines have already closed down due to the virus.
One has a skeleton crew that will do some much needed maintenance at one mine.
The other 2, the doors are close until further notice.

I’m actually very surprised my work had decided to stay open.
Being with employees from all across Canada and very minimal flights in and out.