Omicron in the office.

[pauleddy]

A good friend works in a cramped office with 10 others.

 

Today, a lad in the office showed two double lines on 2 separate LFTs, so likely positive. He went to a hospital for an ATK (?) at 3pm but nobody knows the outcome. To be sure, the kits were bought from 2 different brands.

 

Only 2 people from 11 are fully boosted...all are Thai and most had 2 SV or 2 AZ months ago.

 

I don't know the boss but he sounds like a hard master.

 

What should happen? Should the guy go home and isolate, or should everyone WFH for 5 days and get tested before return?

 

Honest answers please because some of the staff have families and most use the MRT.

 

Eddy

[champers]

Shouldn't they be working from home already? Only doing it after someone has tested for Covid rather defeats the object of the exercise.

[pauleddy]

Agree but TIT and the boss wants the work done under his eyes. Complex PR with major clients.

 

What does the law say?

 

Eddy

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, pauleddy said:

Agree but TIT and the boss wants the work done under his eyes. Complex PR with major clients.

 

What does the law say?

 

Eddy

Any sensible company with major clients already works from home for the last year

[rabas]

The LFT lateral flow tests are antigen test kits ATKs. Lateral flow refers to the method and it tests for antigens. The hospital may do a PCR test to officially confirm his case.  However, two positive ATKs from different sources almost certainly means covid. False positives are rare.

 

I'm not sure what should be done but if the hospital confirms his case with a PCR test then the authorities may come into play. My guess is they might do something along the lines of what you suggested or at least tests everyone.

 

If you want to know what the law says, a call to a Thai oriented hospital might help.

[Scott]

At a very minimum, he should most certainly isolate at home.  He should also inform anyone with whom he has had close contact, including taxi drivers or passengers he may have shared with a heads up.  

 

I am aware of a person testing positive at a school and all hell broke loose.  The school has been closed, everyone who shared an office with him has been told to isolate.  The health officials in the province will visit the school and will visit him and all the people in his office and with whom he had contact. 

[mtls2005]

9 hours ago, pauleddy said:

What should happen?

 

What's the point of asking such a question?

 

There no real "rules", just guidelines which change every hour.

 

None of us have any knowledge of the the "friend's" (and it's always a "friend") office, location, business, management. You do seem to have quite a bit of knowledge of the situation at this office, down to the vaccination history of all the employees.

 

In a perfect world then yes, everyone should be tested daily, with positives sent home to isolate/quarantine. But if it's a small private business then the work environment is probably not representative of a perfect world.

 

Again, not sure what you're looking for, but suspect your questions would be best directed at the friend's boss?

[swm59nj]

From the description of the working conditions alone.  Cramped office with 10 people and only two vaccinated.  Sounds not like a major corporation.  But a small business that just doesn’t care. 
Unfortunately it sounds like everyman for themselves there. Your friend probably should isolate.  But the other main issue is the office itself.  The employees should report the situation through the proper channels.  But they would probably have to face the consequences.  They are in a tough situation. 

[rwill]

22 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

From the description of the working conditions alone.  Cramped office with 10 people and only two vaccinated.  Sounds not like a major corporation.  But a small business that just doesn’t care. 
Unfortunately it sounds like everyman for themselves there. Your friend probably should isolate.  But the other main issue is the office itself.  The employees should report the situation through the proper channels.  But they would probably have to face the consequences.  They are in a tough situation. 

I think what he is saying is that they all had 2 shots but only 2 of them had a 3rd booster shot.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, pauleddy said:

Agree but TIT and the boss wants the work done under his eyes. Complex PR with major clients.

 

What does the law say?

 

Eddy

What does the law say... Lol

Best thing is everyone self tests immediately and see what the next move is after getting their result.

If the boss gets difficult, a call to the local health authority will sort him out.

[brewsterbudgen]

The guy with the positive test isolates at home and monitors his symptoms.

The other staff get tested, and if positive they do the same.

Edited January 11, 2022 by brewsterbudgen

[jimn]

Everyone should just carry on as normal and if you get sick stay home. This virus is not going anywhere in the short or medium term. As soon as people realise this and accept it we can move on. I predict by the summer that the UK will be treating Covid the same as the yearly endemic flu virus.

[chilly07]

Yes all to self isolate at home- wfh-for at least 7 days only returning when they pass a lateral flow test for the last 2 days. Masks social distancing alcohol sprays and lots of hand washing on return 

Don't forget that everyone carries the virus even when vaccinated and/ or asymptomatic

Edited January 11, 2022 by chilly07

[mrwebb8825]

They should all work naked w/o a/c as it's now shown that cloth doesn't prevent the newest variant but heat kills it.