Stay home if you have the sniffles, says Javid, you may have corona
NO ONE should battle into work if they have cold-like symptoms, Sajid Javid said yesterday as he called for lessons to be learnt from the pandemic.
As the Prime Minister signalled the end of mass Covid testing on March 31, the Health Secretary appeared to urge employees to avoid close contact with others if they are unwell.
Boris Johnson told a press conference on Monday that he had “always been a believer in the importance of people getting into work”, adding that employees would now be able to return to the office “with confidence”.
Asked on Times Radio whether people with cold or flu-like symptoms should pay for tests once they are less widely available, Mr Javid said: “That’s a decision for you to make.
“This really is about personal responsibility, and that is something the Prime Minister rightly stressed.
“If you weren’t feeling well and had those kinds of symptoms, the first thing to think would be ‘should I really go into the office today or meet my friends?’, because you might be infectious.”
Mr Javid encouraged an “element of change” among workers and said “we all know what to do” if we have a high temperature or other symptoms.
“I think when we look back at the height of Covid and the lessons we’ve all collectively learnt, certainly one of those lessons might be if you’re not feeling well, whether you think it’s Covid or not, it’s always best to stay away from others at least for a short [period] to make sure you’re not infecting others.”
Prof Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King’s College London and head of the Zoe Covid symptom-tracker app, agreed that it would be wise for anyone who is unwell to avoid workplaces because, in the UK, around one person in 25 is infected.
So, if someone has a runny nose, headache or fatigue there is a 50 per cent chance it is a cold and a 50 per cent chance it is Covid. However, in someone who has a sharp, sore throat and a hoarse voice, there is an 80 per cent likelihood that it is Covid.
“This is the first time anyone in government has actually mentioned coldlike symptoms,” Prof Spector said. “I think this might mean a new era with the Government actually admitting that Covid symptoms have changed. The reason they refused to do so before is they thought it would cause a big surge in testing which they couldn’t cope with.”
Business leaders do not want people to go to work if they are sniffling and coughing and are seeking further guidance from the Government.
The Daily Telegraph understands that many companies will also suggest that employees do not come into the office if they have cold-like symptoms.
Matthew Fell, chief policy director at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said on Monday there is an awareness that “the virus hasn’t disappeared”.
Mr Javid claimed in a separate interview with Sky News that “most employers” paid a lot more in sickness benefit to their employees than the statutory sick pay (SSP) of £96.35 per week, although he indicated this amount would be kept “under review”.