Being Sick Now vs 2019

Remember when going to work sick was like a badge of honor? 🤦‍♀️ I've never been so happy to hear someone "just" has strep throat. #sickathome #comedy #itsjustacold
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Thanks for being here! We’re Kim and Penn Holderness of The Holderness Family. We create original music, song parodies, and skits to poke fun of ourselves, the world we live in, and (hopefully) make you laugh.
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[@miwako1431]

I love how both extremes are insane. I hope one day we can come to a happy medium where staying home when sick is still accepted, but we don't panic every time someone sneezes.

[@amari248]

In this case, I do think being overly cautious is better. Yes, I come from a germophobe household (partially because we are all immunocompromised) but our caution has also just caused us to get sick less frequently then other people. Apart from getting sick “not being fun,” when you choose to go out knowing you are probably sick, you risk passing on the sick to a medically vulnerable person. Of course, the “safe” one can be taken to the extreme as shown in this video (which is partly exaggerating for humor) but I would definitely fall into “better safe than sorry”

[@Skatejock21]

nah, people literally didn't care before covid. People want to panic and want things to be extreme

[@FebbieG]

Sadly, I don't see it happening so far. I've witnessed tons of people being like, "I got a negative covid test, but I'm not feeling well, so I'll just wear a mask so I can still do_______." I'd really rather you stay home no matter what particular illness you have, and whether or not you wear any ppe...

[@mariaskabardonis8353]

I also hope for a happy medium

[@ryancorsaut5177]

The first one was fine. The second one was insane.

[@missnaomi613]

I've always thought it was INSANE that we, as a society, idealized working when ill. I hope this shift in attitude sticks! 🙏

[@49lucky]

Oh yes never work for the government u have to die first but u better call in first.

[@nicoleoldford6694]

Me too! We used to get so much shit for calling out sick when I worked in the restaurant business and then of course everyone would end up getting sick! I was one of the few that put myself and others first and called out if I was getting sick, I always thought it was so selfish that people would do that and then you often prolong your own recovery when you should be resting. Thats one good thing that has come from this fiasco.

[@emmamccoy8381]

And they made you feel bad if you stayed home if you were sick .... absolutely made no sense

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

Working is all we are supposed to do in this society.

[@pickmeupstix]

Eh it’s more we as a culture in America. Not like that in Europe.

[@michellem9444]

I think most people went to work sick before Covid because they were afraid they would lose their jobs if they didn't. Now, with the labor shortage, more companies are realizing that they can't continue to treat their workers like that if they want to keep them, because there are more options out there. Hopefully this new attitude is something that outlasts the pandemic!

[@GPwithme]

👆 👆 👆

[@GoToPhx]

Exactly! Plus, a lot of people don't have benefits like sick days, PTO, or vacation days, so if you don't work, you don't get paid, and if you need to make rent or buy food...there's no choice. I don't know if that's going to change...

[@andymilstenmusic8520]

Yep! I remember right before Christmas break in 2019 (right before the pandemic) I had the worst cold ever and it still haunts me to this day knowing that I went to school with a horrible cold and an ear infection potentially getting everyone sick all because I didn’t want to miss the last week of school. I even was still a little sick during the beginning to middle of break that year. I wish I knew what was coming….

[@Wednesdaywoe1975]

@@andymilstenmusic8520 There was a horrible strain of flue going around Dec 2019. I absolutely worked the whole time I was contagious and near death. My coworkers did follow me around with Lysol!

[@andymilstenmusic8520]

Elena Christian Yeah I totally get where you’re coming from….Though the fact that my sickness chose to come at that time is just catastrophic!!

[@lesley3609]

I’m just relieved that we don’t have to feel guilty anymore for staying home when super sick. When you have a fever, or you are throwing up…..you shouldn’t have to feel guilty for calling in sick. I’ve had bosses that would make me feel horrible for calling in.

[@anya425]

Yes!!

[@okayslacker4753]

Now if we could only make sure that people have sick leave.

[@nala9750]

I worked in retail, One Christmas eve I came to work with a fever etc, I was not well at all, my Boss wasn't there that day, So after about an hour the people I worked with and I decided I should go home, so I did, well when my Boss came back a few days later she was furious, that I left early, on Christmas eve! I told her "I had a fever I was really not well" but she didn't care, and told me to never do that again..so stupid.

[@lesley3609]

@@nala9750 That’s awful. Very selfish of her. 🙁

[@SfromWisconsin]

My first year of teaching, the principal lectured me about the "excessive amount of sick days" that I had taken over the past 6 months. 3 days! Apparently, just because you are given sick days each year, it doesn't mean that you can use them without being guilted.

[@christinalatouche6283]

First semester of college pre-COVID, I was told that if I missed more than two classes I would get marked down a letter grade for that class. OF COURSE, I came down with a bug that lasted a month and ended up having to attend classes with raging fevers on multiple days because I’d already used up my two misses. I made my whole class so sick. Good times.

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

Hang around the professor till he/she catches your bug. Mwahaha!

[@kerrymartin7557]

That's why I've always disliked attendance policies.

[@juliawashburn675]

I really hope this changes. Yes there will still be people who use and abuse the system to "fake sick" so they can get out of class or work.

[@sarahspindler2914]

Being sick was no big deal in 2019, now even seasonal allergies causes anxiety!

[@Never_again_against_anyone]

Not so much for me, I know my own ones. But getting looked at especially during the first wave when I sneezed like people thought "RUN! RUN! DEATH IS AFTER ME!😱" is even more annoying than the reactions before the pandemic (antihistamins help somewhat, but depending on the weather my pollen allergy symptoms are still pretty bad mid season).

[@NVS3992]

True.

[@nyy190343]

What a contrast in the times...two years ago you would get dirty looks if you wanted to go home sick. Now you get dirty looks if you don't go home sick 😄

[@juliawashburn675]

Or you sneeze because you are allergic to your co workes stinky purfume... lol...

[@carlypastore]

“I’m sorry I can’t make it… A kid in my sons class sneezed” 😂 Omg everything is so spot on in this video!! Thank you for making me laugh half way through my day! 🤣

[@karenhowell7850]

My neighbor is the nurse. She worked all through the entire covid thing and never got it. Their daughter was in a class next to a class where someone had a positive test. They made the daughter stay home from school for 2 weeks which meant the nurse had to stay home for 2 weeks too. It was pretty crazy

[@stacychamness9077]

@@karenhowell7850 Hi!! I haven't had a sick day at my job since December 6, 2020. I never got tested and I'm not vaccinated. I feel great!! 😎👍💪💯

[@stefany6041]

I completely understand Kim. I would go to work (at the hospital) and be very ill. No one was there to "cover" for me so my nurses would literally hook me up to an IV and I would walk around and see my patients.....and I was hooked up to an IV at the same time. Crazy isn't the word to describe what we did "back in those days."

[@threecatsdancing]

Ironicly my daughter started showing cold symptoms just last night. This video is so timely! LOL Yes, I am keeping her home from school. Thank goodness I work remotely! I remember a specific time in February 2019 that she got sick with the flu and I had to miss multiple days of work. That was so hard on us financially. I don't like why our society has changed since Covid started but I really appreciate some of these changes. Let's hope the good changes stick around.

[@miked6523]

100% agree

[@elaineparker1458]

You should not be punished for staying home with a sick child.

[@mduke5321]

I was DYING Feb 2019. Couldn't breathe, wiped out, fever for a MONTH, yes a month. And I still planned and had my son's bday party SMH!!!

[@AnnieNYC1]

It was also acceptable (even laudable!) to send sick children to school and to give awards for "no days missed" at school (while counting sick days as 'missed days' as if one had a choice about it, so many parents didn't let kids miss ANY days, sick or not). It was laudable to essentially teach children to ignore their own bodies and to put productivity over health (of self OR others). Granted, some go a bit overboard to the other direction now, with every little symptom being treated as contagious-material, but the reality is that we have a lot to learn from the last two years. And, perhaps, some tools to take from it. (BTW - LOVE the sweatshirt !!! Checked the merch and it seems there's none listed? Will there be more?)

[@kristinanoall]

I’ve always hated the attendance award!

[@KNRK379]

Some of us are working parents & by the time you add up sick days for self, sick days for kid, daycare being closed for HER being sick... I'm more than out of sick days. So yeah, my kid goes to daycare sick. Not barfing, diarrhea, or fever? Gotta go.

[@AnnieNYC1]

@@KNRK379 I hear you. That is a system problem, and it doesn't make sense to live in a rich country that calls itself modern, and not have reasonable sick leave for parents. No parent should have to send a sick child to school just because they have no other choice. We can do better than that, as a country.

[@tinsel-pants]

My daughter had a migraine and literally threw up in the classroom and they made me go into a ‘meeting ‘ about attendance while she sat outside with a migraine . I left . The only other reason she wasn’t at school was she fell out of a tree and broke her finger on her right hand and it took the nhs a week to operate . She was 11.

[@duvalfamily4605]

I remember the days when you just "pushed through" when you weren't feeling well. Some of the pressure was from the higher-ups, some was self-imposed. Thankfully my bosses are much more lenient now. Just need to work on myself ... Thanks for the laughs, both for this video and all the others.

[@simpleandhealthymama]

I was teaching kindergarten and had stomach flu the day before an "important" curriculum consultant was set to come observe the teaching at our school. Our principal had literally told us we couldn't miss that day even if we had stomach flu and taught with a bucket next to us. So I taught with a bucket next to me. No mask. Quite sick. In a room with 25 other humans all day. Nice. Really nice.

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

🙄 The world 🌎 still functions even if this silly event has a slight hiccup. No drama with the bucket? Too bad they didn't all catch your bug.

[@annbrookens945]

I can't tell you how many times I felt super guilty for NOT going to work when my temp was high or I had the flu. Or when I had a sick kid! Thankfully, none of my jobs ever pressured me to show up or I would get fired.

[@pthaloblue100]

Being raised in a family with a lot of nurses this issue was a huge pet peeve for them way before Covid-19! I was not allowed to go to school if I was sick.

[@catherine-wyestael-9427]

I remember December 2019 I had one coworker at work sick with strep and two other coworkers had 103 degree fevers and "pushed through" the entire week. Two of them were on either side of my desk. There I was, gulping orange juice and popping elderberry the entire month of December wishing they would wear a mask or stay home.

[@debkunkel5840]

The scariest thing at the beginning of this pandemic was how many people needed to be taught how to wash their hands....

[@deannapolaski9485]

I had jobs through college that expected you to come in (and work around food....) if you were sick. But when I got my first desk job in a cubicle, I thought, "it's just a cold and I'll keep my distance." My boss forced me to go home and said to never come in sick again. 🤯 I was in total shock. This was in 2015. She was clearly ahead of her time. 😂

[@username00009]

And then there were restaurants in 2020 who had staff working even while sick… some things don’t change.

[@danceandmore88]

ok, speaking from the perspective of someone living in Germany, with mandatory health insurance, paid sickness leave and few or zero medical bills- I hope that we get through this soon, and I hope this paranoia goes away eventually. I've had many moments like this, slowly walking away from people who coughed on public transport, postponing an appointment at the dentist's until the last minute because, oh well, the dentist's office is THE place to catch anything, calculating the best time to go to certain shops, monitoring my physical condition - "Is this a regular migraine, or the first symptom of Covid? My stomach is upset...I'm feeling hot! I need to get tested!" This is such a challenging and difficult time, and of course it's taking a toll on our mental health. I always enjoy your videos, and especially the ones about the pandemic. Being able to laugh at ourselves while dealing with this situation is really helpful. Thank you so much.

[@susie9893]

Ugh! Something else to be grateful for that I hadn't thought about. Thank God I've not needed to go to the dentist during all this! 😬

[@SfromWisconsin]

In 2018, a coughing virus went around my kids' elementary school. For several months there was always somebody coughing. My daughter had a mild version of it, but it hit my son and I hard. The doctor said that it was just a virus and there was nothing that could be done. It just needed to "run its course". He said we were clear to attend work and school and that we should come back if it continued for more than 3 weeks. We had that cough for almost the full 3 weeks. But there wasn't anything else we could have done differently back then. If a child missed 6+ days of school, the district sent you a warning note that if your child misses 10 days of school, you could be fined and the police could come to your house. I understand that there are situations where this is needed, but when the absences are excused (especially with a doctor's note), the district is just shaming & punishing parents for being responsible and keeping their sick kids home.

[@KNRK379]

Hahaha back in 2018... I'm a preschool teacher & aside from the bizarre 2020 school year, half my class is coughing all the way through winter. Or has a runny nose. Or both. Kids get sick. Parents can't afford to stay home half the winter for a cough & runny nose if it isn't covid. I say this as a working parent & a public school teacher.

[@gigih.2169]

Here's what drives me crazy- even in The Before Time I hated when people came to work sick. And I'm a dental hygienist and patients would call and say, ''hey, I have a cold, can I still come in?'' And the front desk would say ''Sure! They hygienist wears a mask, no worries!" I would be livid. But it was acceptable and I was the one being a jerk about it. Most people need to be told how to have common sense. Like now a restaurant will text you when it's 'safe' to come in, but urgent care will pack the waiting room with 50 people who are there for covid tests. Common sense is still really rare unfortunately. One of my favorites is people who take down their masks and lean in close to talk to you. Then pull it up and walk away.

[@wendibecker8443]

Or pull down their mask so it doesn't cover their nose. In a doctor's office! Insane!!!

[@missmustache4207]

I had people coming in to get facials, thinking thats just what they need while being sick

[@squiresphone]

There should be a sensible middle ground for 2022. Every sniffle isn't covid. But either way Stay Home if you're sick. Merry Christmas to you guys! Thanks for the laugh therapy thru all of this.

[@mazzy2121]

I think the point is that it doesn't matter if it's covid or not. We shouldn't be ignoring our illnesses and exposing them to others. I don't want your cold any more than I want your flu or your covid. I don't want your germs. As a society we should be respectful enough of each other to consider that when going out anywhere while sick and exposing others for our own selfishness. In Asian countries people who are sick wear masks. That's standard practice. To protect others from the germs of the sick. We should do the same.

[@kateskrmetta2022]

Well exposing those germs to others isn’t necessarily a bad thing.. yes I know that people can die from the flu and COVID but people that wash their hands 40 times a day lose strength in their immune system and COVID hits them harder. I respect your opinions I’m just stating what I think 😊

[@holdernessfamilylaughs]

I'm just so glad we aren't coughing and sneezing all over each other in crowded spaces anymore. It's acceptable to stay home!

[@neferkiti]

@@kateskrmetta2022 People should be allowed to choose for themselves what germs they're exposed to. Remind me to never eat anything you cook 😂

[@EEmB]

There should definitely NOT be a middle ground. That statement comes from a very privileged and abelistic way of life and it's tragic that people seem to think that it's ok.

[@pajamamama5965]

My daughter had cold symptoms so I kept her home, missing activities and dance class. She recovered in 3 days. Then I came down with an acute covid case, same time as my older daughter and later husband. Never would have guessed that she had covid until it hit me hard. I was so glad I kept her home and babied her during those days. Didn't spread it to anyone so no guilt.

[@LS-sg8rb]

Thanks for being such a good citizen and human.

[@LoveAtHome]

I used to come to work even if I was sick a few years ago and I was also bragging how dedicated I was, then when I get other people sick, they would then brag how dedicated they were🤦🏻‍♀️

[@lindsayroth3873]

Before covid, I called in sick (as a nurse), and my house super begged me to take a sudafed and come in. 👀👀 times have changed 😬 (I worked ICU…many critical and immunocompromised patients….what were they thinking? I stayed home)

[@amym1460]

As an immunocompromised person who can literally die from a common cold, it drives me crazy when people come to work sick. Their "pushing through" and "dedication" to the job can literally kill me and almost has before.

[@weallhaveanopinion]

Time for disability. Then you can stay home safe and the rest can get on with living. It's a win win.

[@theoriginalkrabbypatty]

My new job doesn’t give PTO the first year, people have to make a living and pay bills. I’m sorry something serious could happen to you if you got ill but that means YOU have to take precautions to protect yourself. You can’t rely on other people.

[@melb2734]

I can totally understand that, but I'm not sure they even wanted to be that "dedicated". That may just have wanted to be able to pay bills (if no sick pay) or not get fired for taking too much time off.

[@Nuncanuncanunca]

@heavenlyflame you say that like it’s easy for anyone to get disability or like someone who has disability wouldn’t want to participate in their community in any meaningful way. People don’t realize how many people are in the vulnerable category, or that it’s not just the vulnerable themselves that would need to stay home to avoid illness, but anyone who lives with them or works with them. It would be much better if everyone took some measure of personal responsibility for not spreading illness in the community.

[@LS-sg8rb]

@@weallhaveanopinion Ah the ableists, thinking disability is something that one can get without years of effort and money. Cute.

[@bethannslusser822]

As someone who has an autoimmune disorder, thank you so much for the message! Love Penn’s wig as the doctor! Thanks for the laughs!

[@QUICKBOOKS1]

I hope you were at the front of the line for Vaccinations, and, are OK. In THIS case, that WOULD be a benefit. In Canada, I am deemed Priority One, for my own age group due to my OWN health issues.

[@joyfulinhope1210]

A few years ago I took my college finals while I had pneumonia. I was coughing my head off the whole time, but if I didn’t show up I would have failed the class.

[@StephenMatrese]

My tenth grade principal yelled at me for taking one day off school after the school nurse sent me home with a 104.1 degree fever and pneumonia. Apparently, having a doctor's note wasn't good enough and I should have come in anyway.

[@mantha85]

Yeah years back my senior year of college I was rocking three different throat infections, probably had mono and still had to go to all my classes, give a presentation worth 1/3 of my grade and finals. Otherwise I would have failed.

[@lizZLupin]

I often "pushed through" because either I didn't want to waste limited sick leave or I didn't want to fall behind on projects at work. College is even worse because the subject matter can be really tough if you miss the lectures. The new way isn't great either because I'm somehow supposed to work full time while also taking care of my young children who frequently catch colds at daycare. I am lucky that I can work from home but it is really stressful. And what about those parents that have to take off of work. It becomes unsustainable if they have to stay home too often.

[@Books_BrewsandBeyond]

This was so on point. I loved kims hallmark voice for the 2019 flashback shots. I totally agree- if someone is sick they should definitely stay home until they recover.

[@arthistoryalli2]

Very true!! I had mononucleosis and was sick for 3 months. I was the sickest I’ve ever been and yet I did not miss one day of work. It was a badge of honor at the time and now I think it was super dumb!!

[@EEmB]

That illness is the most common cause for ME/CFS and life long handicap and suffering of one of the worst chronic illnesses in the world.

[@maryo.paddock8093]

I've been saying this for years and years. When my kids were young, nothing used to make me madder than finding out that someone knowingly brought a sick kid to my home. (Name changed to protect the innocent) Me: "'Little Jenny doesn't look like she feels well." Them: "Yeah. She was running a fever earlier today, but she's fine." I just wanted to strangle Them. Seriously. Decisions like that are selfish and can be expensive. And don't even get me started on people who came to gatherings (parties, etc) ill. And--of course--employers who don't offer paid (or even unpaid) sick leave and pressure employees to come to work anyway.

[@jitkas.sitter6080]

Same here. I wasn't raised in this country, so that may be why I wasn't conditioned enough to go to work sick. I am the mom who will not send my child anywhere public with a cough or very runny nose, or fever. It's bad for the sick person, so very disrespectful to others, never mind setting an unhealthy precedent for our children.

[@TheCoolCookieKitchen]

And now work is actually like ‘don’t come in’ unlike before when they were like ‘are you sure you can’t come in?’

[@ashleyr8765]

Or if you miss today you will point out and be fired.

[@cynthiajones1113]

Absolutely. We could have been on our death bed and they'd still want us to come in on threat of being fired. I did lose a job that way one time. I was terrified to even miss one day, knowing I'd make everyone sick. Ridiculous

[@theyeagers3088]

Around here, You could be dying from something else super contagious, but as long as it's not covid sniffles, you have to get to work. You're fired if you miss even one too many "regular sick" days. 😒

[@lindamarquart9933]

This video is spot on! I worked in the restaurant business most of my life. The management, at ever place I worked, would expect you to drag your sick, germ infected butt to work, spreading germs all over folk's food. Wondering 🤔 how many healthy people got infected by sick restaurant workers.😨

[@karenogush5622]

I used to work as a server many years ago and it was the same thing where I worked. I remember going into work with a bad flu because my manager told me he was short handed so I couldn't call in sick. I worked part of my shift with a 103 degree fever and a glassy eyed stare. When I finally had to run off the floor and throw up in the bathroom (and almost didn't make it) he finally told me to go home. I shudder at the thought of how many customers I probably infected because of that.

[@encourageandrepeat8375]

I was one of those that went to work always. My test was always that if I started thinking about the nice things I could do at home, I couldn't justify it. Halfway productive at work seemed better than no productivity at home (of course, we've wrecked that part). There is one time I probably wouldn't have gone, and definitely shouldn't have gone, but it was December 28th and by George, I wasn't losing my perfect attendance award in the last 3 days! Once the company abolished the perfect attendance to stop people from working sick, it started making more sense to me...

[@melanietillman6308]

Yes! I am a former teacher, and I remember a girl coming to school sick with strep and she gave it to me and the entire class. Fun times. Like you said, what were we thinking?!

[@danaconnolly8574]

This video can not be more accurate. Right? What were we thinking? How could bosses allow this and encourage it?! I remember I had my go-to elixirs and over the counter flu/cold medicine of choice that always got me on my feet. And like she said, you would brag about how sick you were but you were still at work! And it just prolonged your sickness bc you were stressed, in pain, weak and still had to meet deadlines and shit. I really hope we never have to go back to that and that companies and higher ups start to value their employees more permanently. Thanks for laughs! Great great video

[@racheli2598]

You nailed it, “We do what’s expected” that’s what we were and are still thinking, or not thinking perhaps. We as a society are basically conditioned to be followers and do what’s expected. It’s more than overdue that we question all of “what’s expected” and stop following along to things that intuitively don’t make sense because society says they do.

[@theoriginalkrabbypatty]

Well society says to pay your bills also sooo…

[@cholland67]

Nice to see the Hallmark actors getting a gig on the holderness channel........

[@beautifuldreamer0811]

Society is so weird! I remember pre covid, I worked through strep, the flu, etc. High fevers and mild delerium, bathroom issues, the works. But bills had to be paid! There was no way around it. Now with covid, companies are slowly starting to provide minimal paid sick leave for employees. But the majority still don't. This is something that definitely should be addressed. As for personal pride with working through illness, what is up with that?! Why do we type A's pride ourselves in pushing past our limits? As a society, we just need to chill 😅

[@kelly1827]

Kim's over-the-top 2019 voice is priceless!

[@lorenajones3729]

And yes I agree! Staying home when you were sick could cost you your job. What always amaized me was that if you were out 24 hours the boss required a doctors note. It takes a week to get a doctors appointment if your super sick, otherwise you have to go to emergency and wait for six hours with a room full of sick people to be told you have the stomach flu. Oh yeah, you also have to pay the emergency room fee, the doctor fee, and all the lab tests. Not to mention the fact that you were there for ten hours feeling dreadful and infecting those around you. Covid kinda woke bosses up to the fact that people REALLY do get sick.

[@SaraBlitenthal]

What about urgent care?

[@arleneaugustahair8393]

True!

[@arleneaugustahair8393]

@@SaraBlitenthal same concept because you’re not the only one sick. Everyone doesn’t have Urgent Care.

[@SaraBlitenthal]

@@arleneaugustahair8393 I live in a very metro area so there are a lot of urgent cares and they seem to be all over urban parts of the US. Not everyone is sick, although many are. Some are there for labs, school physical, back pain. Some are sick but not something communicable such as UTI, STD or skin infection

[@KayElayempea]

Except now my brother's school requires and COVID test and Dr visit and note for any symptom. If you were not sick and just coughing due to allergies now you might be sick.

[@MaineCoonMama18]

Makes me grateful for how understanding my job was about needing to call out sick even pre-COVID. Flu or stomach bug = stay home.

[@toshawhatareyoudoing6410]

Not a coincidence that I'm watching this two days into a cold I caught from somebody at work. I'm staying home. Thank you.

[@elaineparker1458]

So absolutely accurate! My husband is a retired public school band director, kids quite frequently would come to his office to brag about coming to school sick. He was always “Go Home! Ugh!”

[@SfromWisconsin]

My high school offered nice awards & recognition for having perfect attendance. I went to school sick several times each year so I didn't forfeit my perfect attendance.

[@Nuncanuncanunca]

As someone with a dysfunctional immune system due to a genetic condition, I appreciate people respecting illness and staying home, in Covid times and other times. I don’t want your germs, and when I am sick, I want to rest without guilt (and not expose anyone else).

[@tweetthang96]

I work from home and it feels weird to call in sick but even without the risk of exposing anyone else, sometimes you just feel too crap to do anything! And it’s nice to have bosses who just tell me to feel better rather than “Well if you’re sure you can’t come in….”

[@chrisdimarco2771]

I love how both ways seem completely unacceptable and ridiculous now.

[@UdderlyEvelyn]

Second way is still valid for many, there's still risk if you're vaccinated (albeit lower) and younger kids can't get vaccinated still, immunocompromised people, and older people are still at quite a risk even with the vaccine.

[@UmbrellaAve]

Nah, I miss the old way

[@johnlovesantoinette]

No, lol. The point is the new way shows some personal responsibility.

[@lilo638]

@@johnlovesantoinette not really. The new way shows how fragile we have become. Having a cold shouldn’t stop us from functioning and bring us immediately in a state of panic.

[@snowwhite5842]

@@UdderlyEvelyn keep running after those constantly moving goalposts.

[@contournut5726]

"Now when you're sick we respect that..." Where is this magical place you live where people are rational?

[@virginiahoffman2547]

I have no insurance and no money to pay a doctor in order to get a note so I still have to work sick. Why does Any Adult need a doctor's permission and Note to stay home when they are sick? It's because you are not trusted to be honest about it.

[@tobyleonard5410]

I hope people when continue to realize it's crazy to go to work sick and send kids to school sick. I haven't had the nonstop cold I normally get during winter and I'd like to quit getting sick from all the people who feel that they have to come in when sick

[@lauralmiller8852]

I love this so much. I recall a few years back my daughter got Hand Foot and Mouth disease from someone at her kindergarten and subsequently gave it to me as I apparently didn't have any immunity to it, I didn't realize that i had HF&M disease until I got really really sick and had spent an entire day at work with a 105f fever... but as a single mom in the USA, I continued to work, not realizing I had a fever until I got home... I felt like COMPLETE crap all day. Headache, body chills, and unknowingly a fever... so when I finally made it to my doctor the next day thinking I had the flu... it turns out I had what my daughter had caught at her daycare... but for me it was much worse...

[@MBA_Valerie]

My husband and I both caught HF&M disease a number of years ago from a children's bouncy castle we rented for my daughter's 4th birthday. The worst part? We went on a cruise to celebrate our anniversary, and we were BOTH SO SICK! My husband's hands were horrifying. He spent the whole cruise trying to hide them. The blisters on my feet made wearing shoes basically impossible, and my sore throat was so bad I couldn't eat or drink ANYTHING. I lost 10 lbs while on a one week cruise. Unheard of! And yes, we would have cancelled.... if we'd had any trip insurance. But we didn't, so we went, and it was legit the worst week of my life. We will never book another vacation/cruise without trip insurance again!

[@juliaclark4520]

Oh man, HFM in an adult is no joke! My husband caught it from my son 7 years ago, and still says that his feet aren’t the same (hyper sensitive, due to losing all the calluses etc. Seven years later!!). Somehow I did not catch it. It was a miserable week.

[@lauralmiller8852]

@@MBA_Valerie the feet and hand blisters were the WORST. I felt like I had shards of glass in them and anytime I touched them it was AWFUL.

[@KNRK379]

To be fair, HF&M is contagious before symptoms are present. By the time symptoms present, it's not contagious any more. That's why it rips through young classrooms. Adults getting it? Dudes, wash your hands & keep them out of your mouth 🤢

[@snowwhite5842]

Most toddlers get F&M around 18-24 mos and have few symptoms. And most adults have immunity to H&F. Sometimes we get stuff, but unlike the 1600’s, we survive and move on. Please stop accusing people of getting you sick, you will probably never know where you picked a sickness up from.

[@justuslightworkers]

I will add that when I first got sick and called in to work my boss was mad. And then, my first several days, prior to being able to get tested, were "unexcused absences". I don't get sick leave, or anything like that. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't and I have lost 3 weeks of pay.

[@taz2906]

I was super sick a month before lockdowns started last year. I had a fever of 100 on 800 mg of dayquil. I couldnt sleep cause all I did was cough. I went to the doctor and was told "its not the flu, just go home and sleep." I was quarantined in my room for a week and a half, sliding dishes under the door and texting for snacks. Several people have told me I probably had Covid, but there were no tests yet so we will never know. So this video is very real and very funny.

[@sabatham]

We had the same in our house! January through February 2020. We will never know for sure, but we went nowhere for 6 weeks and then finally were all better, got out for a weekend and everything was shut down the next week. I cried.

[@susanb2171]

I think a lot of people had covid before anyone knew what it was.

[@pjp9383]

A work friend went on a cruise in January, then ended up hospitalized with pneumonia when she got back. She now believes it was COVID, even though it supposedly wasn't in our area yet. From how sick she was, as a relatively young person, I think she's probably right. 😕

[@susanb2171]

@@pjp9383 Me too! Poor thing

[@the_sane_and_logical_hooligan]

Unfortunately many workers in the states don't have this luxury of sick days. Service, and restaurant workers are still expected to fight through their illnesses, buck it up, and show up. Many don't have insurance provided by their employer and can't get tested and take time be well. And if they are not able to be at work, there is no pay, and they risk losing their job. Systemic change is needed to offer these sane options to all workers.

[@juzoli]

Yeah, when being sick is a “luxury” you have to afford…

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

That's a public safety health risk ....disaster! It makes all of this stay home quarantine stuff out to be futile.

[@sheilakosoff5806]

This is so funny! However in the beginning of 2020 we still have that same mentality and that’s probably why Covid spread so quickly. I remember going into work as a teacher having Covid passing out and being told that I needed a doctors note in order not to come in if I was out for three days. So here I am super sick, barely hanging on , trying to get to a doctor.I tried to get a doctors note and she told me I was just being lazy. The entire time I had Covid and I had to work through that until we had a lockdown. I was consistently sick for two weeks without a break couldn’t take more than two days off because I would get docked.I think our capitalistic tendencies towards forcing people to be productive is what causes Covid to spread.It’s not the only thing there are other factors but being in a society that values work over people doesn’t help.

[@PrincessJamiG]

100%! I hope you don't have any long-lasting health problems because of this.

[@susie9893]

Feel bad for you hon and now things have shifted in entirely. I got a cold earlier this year that I couldn't seem to shake and I wasn't ALLOWED back at work despite negative tests until getting a clearance note from a GP (getting into a GP was challenging because as soon as they hear your symptoms they won't let you make an appointment - I literally had to talk over a receptionist to say my swab was negative😏)

[@kristinanoall]

Agree completely! America definitely has a problem with working too much, and demanding it of everyone.

[@benjibabe7314]

I agree that many policies regarding being ill were problematic (they still are), however it is not "capitalistic tendencies" that are "forcing people to be productive". It's simply a lack of caring for the humans around you as being individuals with needs. This is also often a result in and of many a corrupt government and culture of various economic systems; greed which causes dehumanization reaches its fingers into ALL economic and political systems. Throughout history in all sorts of cultures (including non-capitalistic & capitalistic) management demands people work or get on the chopping block. There is a reason chickens which stop laying eggs get thrown into the stew pot. As with chickens, people who don't work are a drain on resources. It's not pretty or nice, but workers who collapsed from illness or injury weren't sent home to eat pottage, they usually became part of the brick and mortar of whatever they were building. In the company I work for, BEFORE the pandemic HR would remind people that "Sharing is Not Caring" and encouraged employees to stay home when ill (and didn't requiring a doc note), and the company is not a non-profit (although there are many charities the company supports) but is nicely profitable. Policies are in place by whoever is in management/ownership, and that means individuals are making those policies, not an economic/political system. Just to remind, non-capitalist societies are also made up of individuals.

[@weallhaveanopinion]

Locking down caused covid to last longer. Countries that had much shorter lockdown are having much fewer cases now. Africa has 80% natural heard immunization. The 0 variant came Pete started going away in less than a month. Why? Because almost everybody had already had a variant. Everytime we "slow the spread" by shutting down we prolong this mess. Just sayin'

[@CampMelp]

Perfect attendance awards had BETTER be a thing from the distant past. 10 sick days max for kids to be excused from school does NOT seem like enough. We are still screwing this up.

[@danapettygrove9500]

Here I am working from home while sick so that I can save up sick days to have a baby in March... things have gotten better with sick days, but we've got a long way to go.

[@tanisgentle3576]

My thoughts on the matter have always been if you’re sick, stay home.

[@melindasteinert9995]

Yup. I had a family over for dinner, pre-covid and they all were SICK AS DOGS. Never even called to tell me...just walked in coughing and snotty. Should have been home in bed. I should have closed the door on them and said let's take a rain check, but I let them in and got sick myself. Missed 2 days of work and was sick a week. I do not speak with them anymore.

[@krisb294]

Years ago, I got called in on my day off & was 100% expected to come in even though I had a high fever & felt dizzy because they needed me. When I got home, I collapsed on the dining room floor. I vaguely remember my roommates getting me back into the car to take me to the dr. Ended up in the hospital due to how sick I was. Now, 2 coworkers tested positive for C19 right before NYE & the owners decided to semi-close the place for the rest of the week, only allowing 1 person to be there to receive shipments & gave us all sick leave to stay home. As a workaholic, it felt really weird, but I am thankful to now work for a company that truly cares for their employees.

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

We weren't thinking... or actually we had bosses who expected us to be "there" no matter what.

[@stephanietaylor8615]

It drives me crazy that my husband's current work does not seem to have learned anything. They wanted to write up my husband for staying home with a bad cold, because it wasn't covid. But then one of the other guys actually had covid, and they still wanted to write him up because they got behind on production when he was home sick. It's so frustrating.

[@theyeagers3088]

Exactly I'm glad I'm not the only family going through what you're going through. I wish none of us were dealing with that, and we could all be respected to stay home, and get well when we're sick. But unfortunately families like yours and mine, are living in areas where they still force you to go to work or school, whether you're sick or not, as long as it's not the covid sniffles. 😒

[@jenniferbond7073]

@@theyeagers3088 your husband need to leave that toxic e,player. Written up for being sick and especially COVID is outrageous!

[@lisagibson9030]

It's the same at my job. There's this notion that people are lying if they are out sick, even now. I see managers coming in sick- all proud of themselves like they are martyrs. Its terrible.

[@MrsMuffin11]

even with negative covid tests people are being forced to stay home for 10 days if they have any of the 50 symptoms of Covid. (God forbid anyone have a runny nose because of allergies)...hurting their livelihoods, their pockets, and their mental health. everyone is now overcompensating and it's driving me INSANE.

[@theyeagers3088]

@@MrsMuffin11 They don't let you miss around here. I'm highly contagious with covid right now. Almost got fired cause they thought I was lying to get off for holidays. Even though I couldn't do ANYTHING for Christmas. Couldn't make it special for my kids, couldn't see family. But had it been ANY other serious highly contagious illness besides covid, I would be jobless right now. It's insanity and inhumane.

[@triciaherdt9722]

True! I once got fired from a job because I called in sick…couldn’t even leave the bathroom and she expected me to show up for work.

[@jenniferbond7073]

She did you a favor. WTF? U could even leave the bathroom, sounds like you had sick coming from one or both ends. She want you to have sick at your desk?

[@spoonierv1543]

I got in trouble for having pneumonia and emergency surgery in the same calendar year… at a company with “unlimited sick time.”

[@braidygal]

When I tested positive with COVID, I spent 5 days alone in my bed and video chatted with my husband. We watched shows in separate rooms “together.” They went on day 5 to try to test out of quarantine but instead tested positive. I felt bad they caught it, but I was happy I wasn’t isolated anymore. Especially since my birthday was a few days after they tested positive.

[@KellyPaalArtist]

Exactly Kim, it was going to work and school sick that was the abnormal part. Granted when my hubby had covid I didn't wear a hazmat suit but he did live in the bedroom for ten days.

[@shiffyweinberg1493]

When my husband had covid, I was with him the whole time. We did not separate, and kept the vow of 'in sickness and in health'. And we are all doing OK.

[@jessiewalls1289]

Same. The hubby, our six yr old, and myself all went around our house as usual. Snuggled just like usual and i didnt go on a lysol infused, disinfecting the house craze either. We were fine 🤷

[@stephaniesmith1884]

Assuming you weren't isolated prior to someone testing positive for COVID, you'd already been exposed.

[@jessiewalls1289]

@@stephaniesmith1884 yup. Yet the covid team said it was imperative that we all stayed an our separate rooms. Including my six yr old 🤦 I told them, we are all sick with covid so why do we have to be separated and they said it's the only way for the virus to die off in the house. And I needed to disinfect literally every surface. 🤣 lawd

[@jessiewalls1289]

@@LS-sg8rb no we are saying it is like a flu virus. It isn't some crazy horrific disease that no one can live through. There's no reason to disinfect every single solitary item that you dare touch in your own house, spray down all the countertops, and walls. To seclude yourselves alone in each other's rooms, including your children. What we are saying is the guidance is ridiculous.

[@DioneN]

So true. I’ve only taken 4 sick days in my 19 year career and I’ve worked when I know I probably shouldn’t have. (A stretch of 7 nights with such severe laryngitis so I had to get my coworker to call my critical results, getting home and crying cause I was so sick). Now we’re screened every day and if we have anything we have to stay home. This has been going on for two years and I haven’t yet gotten sick luckily. Having to take a sick day would kill me.

[@MrsWheezer]

My family has remained remarkably healthy during COVID, and I’m absolutely certain it’s because people are doing crazy things like washing their hands and staying home when sick. It’s been so nice!

[@DioneN]

@@MrsWheezer it’s true! I get paid sick days but my guilt wouldn’t let me use them. Now I will know to take care of me.

[@michellejanssen7051]

I'm so thankful to be in New Zealand where we get now 10 sick days per year, and are expected to stay home if sick! You don't lose your job, you don't get a talking to. You get better and recover. I do actually feel guilty if I'm away sick as someone else has to cover me, but it's best not just for me but for everyone else too. Before covid, most people generally got at least 5 sick days per year, but some would still come to work sick if they had used them all up. Since covid, the govt has increased it to 10 sick days per year, and you are expected to not be at work at all!

[@BeckyAnn87]

As a former day care worker… yes lol. All of this is so true

[@belindahugheslifestyle]

As a former special ed aide, I was expected to be at work unless I was puking. As a pizza delivery driver, I watched an assistant manager handling food with bare hands, a fever and a nose full of green mucus. As a college student and corporate secretary, it's pretty much covered in this video. So yeah, very grateful for the new perspectives on health gifted us by covid. It's been a long time coming. Thanks, Penn & Kim! ^5 Lotsa love from Louisiana.

[@jenniferford2067]

My day care worker daughter brings EVERYTHING home. It makes me crazy that we live in a red state where there are no common sense precautions and this level of concern people have even now. The rest of us stay out of crowds and mask. We don’t go anywhere inside with people for 2 years now and we still get every cold or flu going around our town because she gets it at work and brings it home to the other 5 of us. As soon as she has the first symptom I know the rest of us are going to have a bad week. I say this as I’m currently in bed with a fever and I’ve been sweating and achey all day. No covid. That’s great. I still wish whoever’s little darling had this first had stayed home and saved everyone a lot of misery.

[@sdAmen]

Work sick days are so limited, they were mostly used for NON sick day reasons. Hopefully now we can take our health more seriously, because rest is best. ☺️😷 This was hilarious, and oh so true.

[@BlacksGodDaughter]

It’s sad that that is what is expected of us. Your body is sick and needs rest. Glad people are now okay with staying home when they are sick.

[@PolarDove]

The doctor thing was spot on. A few years ago - before covid - I got a serious flu and nearly fainted face first into a flower bed at work (I'm a gardener). Went to the doctor, waited two hours while having a nose bleed in the waiting room. I didn't have a fever (I rarely get one for some odd reason) and simply because of that reason the doctor said I was fine and should go back to work. I did, even though I could hardly walk straight.

[@Tayamiz]

That's sad, I hope you never have to work while sick again. Common cold needs rest, that's a fact!

[@charlenecastaldo3602]

Pre-Covid my husband would come home from work some days and tell me about one of his workmates who was sick. He always hoped he wouldn't get it. Let's take whatever we have to work to share it with everyone else and their families! How was that ever cool?!

[@rebekahjoytaylor8002]

This is me right now lol. It's such a relief when it turns out to just be a cold.

[@goldiloks08]

We were thinking that schools give out perfect attendance awards and jobs pressure you not to take sick days. I’ve never understood people who got sick and still went to school or work, but I’ve also always had a compromised immune system.

[@tonyabrookes9931]

I used to work in healthcare and I witnessed people come to work clearly ill, sweaty with fevers and looking pale as death. And this was before masking! Freaked me out even then but I did sympathize because taking time off was cause for marks against you and often meant you wouldn't get paid. I really truly hope that has changed now

[@KayElayempea]

Where I used to work used to have a policy that you had to come in and try to work before going home sick. Otherwise you got negative points on your record for calling in. Although I know people use sick time for other reasons sometimes, I always thought it was a very stupid policy.

[@kilendil]

My baby was born premie, and all the docs and nurses have been like, “No crowds. Stay away from stores. Wear masks EVERYWHERE!” And we just gave the thumbs up and reinforced that no, we will not go to any holiday gatherings larger than 10 people max. Including our kids. Well. At my baby’s 2-month appointment I wore a normal mask instead of a KN-95, and no one else was wearing masks and it was shoulder-to-shoulder people in the waiting room. And I caught SOMETHING. My husband still had to work. I still had to stay home with the kids. So we found some actual NIOSH approved N-95’s at Home Depot, my husband and I wore them for a week, I slept in the basement, and I was the only one who got sick. Did my toddler think I was silly? Yes. Did my newborn search for me and not be able to find me? Sadly, yes. But whether I had a breakthrough Covid case (tests came back negative), RSV, the flu, or a sinus infection, no one else got sick. Stay safe out there!

[@weallhaveanopinion]

My husband and I both had the China flu together. We were not real sick. Mild cold like symptoms. I cooked every meal, shared a bathroom with everyone else in the house and my 9 year old drank out of my glass twice. Not one of my 3 children got sick. So strange.

[@amberlancaster7055]

My kids have a stomach bug and I had to call the nurse’s line to ask a question about my baby and I’m so glad the ER nurse acknowledged it’s a stomach bug and didn’t go on some C rant.

[@mazzy2121]

I couldn't agree more. I don't want your cold either! It doesn't have to be covid - I don't want it, whatever you've got. Stay home, or if you must go out in public, be respectful enough of each other to wear a mask to contain your germs to yourself.

[@grassdungeon8433]

I have the flu now, and the part where you said you hoped you had the flu or strep instead of COVID is so true!! Wishing the best from home, love your videos!

[@brigettec8332]

I remember working in the food industry, and I was super sick like I fainted, had bronchitis, super bad migraine, vertigo...my assistant manager asked me for a sick note when for two years I didn't miss a day of work and they never asked any other employees for one especially the ones who missed once a week. I said I am not coming in, and if you ever ask me again I am quitting. My boss had a talk with the AM. It's interesting and very spot on how accurate this video is. Jobs used to be like you will be fired for being sick and I remember that at another job. Again had the same type of sickness although I didn't faint made me come in, and then the regional came in and went yeah you're not staying you never miss work. I really hope that jobs/schools keep it the stay home if you're sick deal. We all deserve to stay healthy especially since where we live multiple schools are shutting down, thank God we are remote but I hope everyone is safe and healthy..

[@rebeccajones9757]

I told my boss I don't want to go back to tiny desks and crowded offices. I don't mind showing up, but we do need space in between people. If I can smell your breath, you're too close.

[@brendalouquilts]

I love, love, love your "acting" voices/accents. Especially nice when your are doing your Hallmark movie funnies.

[@AnxieTEAMoM]

Growing up with my mom being a nurse, I remember going to school sick all the time. She never wanted us to miss a day. I remember once my mom taking me to a doctor appointment before school and I got to stay home with a fever but I kept telling my mom I felt great and was ready for school.

[@meliq13]

This is SO true. I used to be like that, too. Instead of not working for 2 or 3 days to get better, I would be sick for 2 weeks because I didn't let my body rest and I just kept working. It's crazy how MUCH we have to be impacted in order for things to finally change. 🤯

[@FolkFaninMA]

Even back before 2020 when I was sick, I stayed home. Always thought it was irresponsible of people going to work/school when sick. All you’re doing is spreading whatever you have to everyone else. I realize some people had the type of work environment where staying home was frowned upon, but hopefully that’s changed.

[@clellbritt3434]

My wife is a nurse and I almost built a decon shower in the garage in 2020 when this all first hit. Almost.

[@annbrookens945]

Yup. My daughter works at a hospital and we created a decontamination area in the garage so she could clean off before entering the house with the rest of us.

[@goyaliza]

One of my friends worked the VID floor and she would disrobe in the garage so all the clothes could end up in the washing machine and then showered downstairs.

[@wisneta]

I got into an argument with a coworker years ago about coming into work sick. He refused to use his sick time because you didn’t get commission relief calling in sick. I told him I have an auto immune disorder and him coming into work was disrespectful. He got so made he turned red and told me he doesn’t care and his family comes first. He got fired for trying to punch a hole in a cement wall shortly after.

[@1whowasNEVERhere]

"Do I need to go to the doctor?" "No, you need to get off your a$$ and go hang out with your kids"🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nataliegraham9552]

My daughter has been home from school the last few days with enough symptoms to pull out a Covid home test to check on it. Thankfully negative so we're dealing with what looks like a mild flu, but I've been planning in my mind how we were going to have to possibly isolate through next week. 😬 She's already spending her birthday 🎂 today on the couch again, doing homework and studying for upcoming mid-terms between naps. 😕 Since she's back in-person this school year we've got the whole passed-around illness thing to deal with even though she masks, so I've been watching out for the slightest of symptoms like an overly-alerted bloodhound. 🙁

[@kimolinger7770]

so true it was always expected we had to come into work unless on our death bed - i'm glad this has been a positive of covid!

[@susie9893]

I agree but please don't use the words Covid and positive in the same sentence 😱😆

[@veganvagabond]

I'll never forget that time I was in the elevator at work and someone coughed on me and my coffee mug. I literally felt the breeze of their cough on my face. Horrifying. I welcome our new respect for illness! Also, remember when we blew out candles on a birthday cake?! Ewwww....

[@Sarahr98998]

“2019 Kim’s“ weird hybrid accent is the best part of this 😆

[@casandramerkel7424]

I've always tried to work from home when I'm sick, but I was feeling terrible in February/March 2020 (pre-shutdown) and went into the office, only to be sent directly home by my boss. I know that's not the norm for everyone, but I hope that this becomes more acceptable as we get out of the actual pandemic stuff.

[@MadAboutBrows]

When that happens, eventually

[@christinekeefe9004]

In the 90s someone came to my office with an active, days-long barf bug. It was literally a badge of honor that she "worked through it". It was ridiculous.

[@whimsy339]

At one point in my life I was missing a lot of work due to an undiagnosed mental illness. I was getting my work done but I had a high absenteeism rate. My supervisor sat me down to let me know that my absenteeism was not acceptable. She proudly told me that she even came into work once when she was so sick that she ended up being taken out by ambulance. And she thought that was a good thing, something to be proud of. And I didn't miss so much work that I ran out of sick days so I wasn't missing that much work. I'd be quite happy if people stopped going into work sick. Unfortunately, for some people that isn't an option.

[@melallred6523]

So in 2014 I was working in a long term care facility. I was REQUIRED to be at work no matter what even SICK%, it didn’t matter to the nursing staff if you were towing your own hearse. They just wanted shifts covered by any means. One morning I had a fever and body aches, the works. But I went to work because we were not allowed to call in without giving a few days notice, the process is jacked! And it was beyond obvious that something was wrong with me. At the morning brief, I was doing my best to just stand up right and to breath normally. I showed the head nurse my hand and she took my temp. She ended up sending me to the ER after about an hour of debating who was going to cover for me. But I had to make that drive (45 min to work both ways….) and clock in and “prove” to them I was sick. They wouldn’t take it from me over the phone, I mean I did try to call in. But I was told show up or be fired. And this was my first job out of school. I had been bitten by a brown recluse unknowingly a few days before and while caring for a patient the previous day he had grabbed the bite area; that was by then filled with puss and popped the blister it had formed. I had at that moment become violently ill , as the poison spread systemically through my body. But I finished my shift first, and went home to die, basically. Then I Got up the next morning and could hardly move my hand or my arm. So I tried to call in sick, they said “no way”. The next time this happened I was a lot more wise to the game. It was two years later, and I had the previous day off anyway. I was feeling sick that whole day too. Woke up the next morning at 4am to go to work and knew instantly that I had the flu! 102.9 grade fever body aches chills vomiting! I didn’t need a diagnosis. I called work and the office manager read me my rights over the phone, and told me I had better show up. I was working home health at this time. And I cared for very vulnerable patients in their home setting. I knew I had the flu and could very well end up “killing” a patient if they got exposed to my germs. I told the woman to kick rocks in a very nice bless your heart way. I then called up the family I was supposed to be caring for their dad that day….told them my situation AND that The agency still wanted me to go in sick, and expose their loved one. The son in law told me to stay home! I got a Teladoc visit because I was not going into a doctor office and expose more people, and got the doctor note my job demanded I get to be able to stay home , and also so I would not be fired. Before COVID, Doctor’s notes were GOLD! This was in 2017. But before these two times in my life, I had also been that warrior and worked sick with whatever I had and exposed all my coworkers and customers too, because it was “expected”. And at the time I didn’t have the same training and knowledge that I did after nursing school. Now if my husband is sick, he gets quarantined to the bed room. I was doing quarantine long before it was popular.

[@kurtlarson2061]

Yet I think it needs to somewhat be up to the individual too. After a day or two of the worst of a cold, even though my cough or runny nose still gradually lingers, I want to get back to normal and would hate being told to stay home all the time. We can't hide from germs and contain them from other either. Don't tough it out just to tough it out, but once you feel better, I don't see what's wrong with getting back to things even if the cough or sniffle still persists.

[@ae4xo]

my covid started with a headache and then 3 days later I was in the hospital

[@holdernessfamilylaughs]

Oh no! I hope you're ok.

[@ryanpascual9598]

Yeah, that's a serious situation, not gonna lie.

[@jgreene81]

"What are we thinking? " Sh*t needs to get done and no one else is going to do it. That's what we were thinking.

[@lndsyg]

I really hope this sticks 😭😭 I already know people who are going to work with COVID because they’re scared of losing their jobs!! This is complete madness! But I really don’t think it will stick 😔