UKH

Little Miss Lemming is a Civil Servant, and as such is classed as a Key Worker, and must go to work.

She works in a massive office. Do you think they are all two meters apart?

No, they are sat side-by-side, elbow width apart, as if nothing has changed in the world.

In reply to The Lemming:

Could you buy her a mask? I gather that FFP2 masks also work, there's more of those available online than FFP3. The none disposable ones seem to be better value in the long run.

In reply to The Lemming:

Complain via official channels, put things in writing, and immediately involve your MP. Moaning here won't help.

In reply to The Lemming:

Interesting, I have a friend in the north-west who is a Civil Servant, and she is working from home. She has a 6-year-old child, and she is, I guess, a more senior civil servant than Little Miss Lemming, which probably both make a difference. Sorry to hear they are all sat side by side. I'd have thought that if some posts were vacated by those who can work from home like my friend, perhaps they could redistribute themselves and be more spaced around?

In reply to Timmd:

As I understand it, the FFP2 masks afford some protection against the Covid virus but nothing like as much as FFP3.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I thought the virus was so small it just laughs at p2 filters as passes on through.

In reply to summo:

My understanding is that the virus spreads mainly though fairly large droplets that are shed when you cough, talk, or sneeze.

If everybody wears a mask in the office, surely that must make a difference? I really don’t know but seems to make sense ?

In reply to RomTheBear:

So what you're saying is if I wear several masks I'm immune? Hm... 

In reply to dilatory:

Lol, no not really. Simply saying there might be a benefit to wearying mask IF everybody wears them. Maybe.

In reply to RomTheBear:

if there are that many masks spare, the NHS might like them! Maybe they should go to NHS workers and the gov should find a better way of distancing civil servants so that they don't need them?

In reply to The Lemming:

Any reason she can’t work from home? We’ve been told not to come into our govt office

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Wish I could work from home too.

In reply to The Lemming:

We see it as working together in the same office and might as well be family as we are spending 12 hours a shift with each other, so yea, we are spending half our live with them, family.

my major concern is if I develop symptoms while I’m away doing my time? I’d be instantly be moved from workplace but should I go home with my mother, in her 70s  with cov19? We’ve had to think about the high probability of this and decided I can rough it in the garage for a week or so. no idea how long i’d remain contagious after the worst? Isolated from the house but a text message away. Wifi should reach, i’ll have to blog it eh, seems to be the done thing...

In reply to wilkie14c: The advice I heard on the radio just know is to self isolate for 14 days if it's suspected. Going on the information around at the time, with a mild fever and a little bit of fatigue I carried on as normal, then found out about Tom Hanks feeling like he had a cold when he had covid19. I keep wondering if I've unwittingly spread it about. At the time a dry cough was the other symptom, and now it's changed to include a cough with phlegm (which I didn't have).

In reply to wilkie14c:

I know how you feel. My mom, who's over 70 lives in Longridge and has too many comorbidities to even consider visiting till at least late summer or the autumn.

This is nothing unique as this dilemma is raging up and down the land.

In reply to The Lemming:

If you don't mind my asking, what is it that you do that you can't do from home?

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Are your new around here?! 

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Seeing as we are allowed out in to our gardens at the moment I suppose Lemming could drive his ambulance round on his grass.

Maybe mix it up by going back and forth on the drive too. 

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Sorry for the typo. 

As Dax H suggests, Gordon, The Lemming is in some capacity an ambulance driver (I say “in some capacity” as I know there are various categories of “ambulance drivers” and I don’t know exactly which category he is) 

And, again with apologies, I asked “are you new around here?” because The Lemming has alluded to it nearly as often as you have alluded to your writing, your photography, and your work on The Shining  

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Morning Gordon. I have worked for the ambulance service for 16 years with 10 on the road as front line staff. My other half is a civil servant who mostly answers benefits questions over the phone along with other repetitive tedious paper shuffling stuff.

I was a civil servant myself for 13 years so I know how petty and unempathetic civil servants can be when work interferes with meal breaks and home times.

I feel sorry for anybody new trying to navigate the benefits system at the moment.

In reply to The Lemming:

Oops I misunderstood “Little Miss Lemming” to be a daughter hence suggesting she may be more junior than my friend that I mentioned! Sorry 

In reply to The Lemming:

Is her union not kicking off about 'duty of care' to employees? That would be an entirely valid argument.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

In reply to Blue Straggler:

About the “ambulance driver” thing. To drive most ambulances you simply need a C1 license. To drive it with lights and sirens on you’ll need to complete a 4 week certificate in emergency response ambulance driving. To actually attend a patient as an emergency medical technician you’ll need to pass a tough course consisting of 14 weeks clinical training. To qualify as a paramedic you’ll currently need to complete a 3 year BSc including 1500 hours in ambulances and hospitals. Driving an ambulance is the least of the job.

Firemen call us ambulance drivers when they’re taking the piss

In reply to Stichtplate:

We refer to them as Pet Rescue

In reply to The Lemming:

Police call them ‘ dash and splash’ 

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Sorry, I had no idea what Lemming did for a living. I spend less time on here than you think and a mere fraction of what you do.

Like, 15 seconds now, and maybe no more till late this evening.

Yes, I've been on UKC for about 2 decades.

In reply to The Lemming:

Thanks L. You have my admiration.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Gulp. I've been on these forums for 18 years.

Where has time gone?

In reply to The Lemming:

Saw a post of FB yesterday by a Paramedic who works at our local station. He is due to go back to work next week. His wife is ill and in the ‘at risk’ group and he has parents living with them who are also in that group. He feels that once he goes back to work going home after shift is just too much of a risk to them, so he was asking for the use of a caravan or RV and access to a washing machine (carefully spelling out the risk). The responses he got were amazing.

I can’t see it being a scam as he gave his info and invited people to ring the health authority to check him out.

What I wondered is why hasn’t this situation been anticipated and mitigation plans put in place? That someone in his position needs to resort to Facebook, just seems so wrong. Obviously there are plenty of lessons to be learned on the other side of this crisis; I just hope our politicians will learn them.

In reply to Mark Edwards:

If we have family at risk then we are looked after by NWAS.

This is a great relief for those with family members at risk of us getting ill.

In reply to The Lemming:

That’s good to hear. Obviously not the same as here in Wales (but it damn well should be).