[core-questions]

Well, what are you supposed to do?

If you have the snuffles, are you supposed to react like it's COVID, or react like it's just one of the million other colds and such going around every winter until things get bad enough that your symptoms concern you?

If you react like it's COVID, then what - go to a hospital or otherwise burden the health system? All they can tell you is to quarantine yourself, unless/until it gets bad enough that it's worth testing you.

[prox]

Home quarantine is one of the best things right now, so you don’t infect others. Right now a lot of countries ask you to call your doctor, he will come do a swab.

Another one is risk factor, like any ties with people who are infected or people who came from high risk areas.

[shados]

> If you have the snuffles

If you just have the sniffles you probably shouldn't panic and go to the ER, but you should stay the hell away from big conventions and not go to work, at least within reason.

I work for a company that has unmetered sick leave (that you can take without people judging you), great VPN/work from home policy, and will actively shun people who come to work sick (that is, no one is even remotely close to being pressured to come for butt in seat time).

And people still come to work sniffling and coughing. I keep having to kick them back home day after day. Like, wtf, seriously.

[core-questions]

I agree 100% for myself - I always self quarantine and work remote when I have a cold. However, you gotta remember that the vast majority of people still need to be physically present and can't work remote; and most of them have far more limited sick leave policies, sometimes including only partial pay, etc.

[shados]

For sure. I did add clarification that even some people with very generous sick leave policies and who can work from home still go to the office for no good reason.

Actually, as I'm typing this Im hearing someone coughing and sneezing a few rows from me, and yet again Ill have to talk to them and maybe even their manager, because here we're super privileged and there's exactly zero reason to come in sick.

I agree not everyone has that privilege, but if those who DO actually exercised it, it would at least have SOME impact on the spread.

[sunstone]

Apparently 88% of people with COVID have fever (WHO study in China). If you have fever then be very careful. If you have fever and a dry cough be even more careful. If you have a stuffy nose and an itchy throat you're very likely negative but stay home in any case.