Blog Catchup

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted and I had every intention of posting last week, but unfortunately I managed to accidentally delete the post and didn't have the heart to re-write it, deciding instead to do a two weekly catch up this week.

Last week, was a little more eventful than usual, as LB was getting her A level results on the Tuesday. I'm happy to say that she did well and got better than her required grades for University next year, which was good. She, of course, went out to celebrate with her friends that night.

The following day our Shop Manager had arranged another shop social gathering after work. I wasn't at work that day, so decided to take a trip to the shop of an ex-volunteer who recently got a paid job with our charity, running another of their shops. It was interesting to see her shop and find out how she was doing in her new job and then we both travelled to our shop to meet everyone for the social. We headed out to a pub in Central London and had a nice evening catching up, as I don't see everyone from the shop, as I work on different days to some staff and volunteers.

The rest of the week was pretty normal, save that our Shop Manager was going on leave at the end of the week, so I was anticipating being a bit busier at work this week and having to take on some of his responsibilities in his absence. What I wasn't counting on was what happened next, which has had a big effect on the first week of his leave.

On Sunday, LB started getting messages on social media to say that a couple of her friends had tested positive for Covid. The particular friends being those she'd been out with the night of her exam results. She immediately booked a test and within 6 hours found out she had a positive Covid test.

The next day, the Covid self-isolation rules changed and people in close contact with someone who'd tested positive were now no longer required to self-isolate, which meant that I was expected to go to work. OH and I booked PCR tests to see if we'd caught the virus too, but both came back negative and after speaking with the acting area manager, I was advised to do lateral flow tests daily, go into work if negative and symptom free, but take extra care around vulnerable volunteers.

Whilst I understand that the Government are trying to get us used to some sort of normality in spite of the virus, I was worried that I might unknowingly pass on the virus to others, so for this week I've been cycling in and working just two afternoons, allowing volunteers to open and run the shop in the mornings and working with just one other fully vaccinated volunteer in the afternoons, who works upstairs on the till, whilst I work downstairs in the stockroom. I don't go up into the shop at all, save to enter or leave and cash up the till. 

Whilst I have been lateral flow testing negative daily, I can't help but feel like I'm a bit of a guinea pig, as we have no idea what implications this change will mean in terms of increased infection rates, etc.

I've probably upset a few volunteers by asking them not to work, even though they were willing, but I had to go with what I felt most comfortable with.  After all I am living with someone who has the virus and sharing a kitchen and bathroom with them.  On any day I could test positive.  At the end of the day, I feel like I've done everything I can to avoid passing the virus on, including wiping down all surfaces I've touched, even when I've been wearing gloves all day, wearing a mask all day as usual and not coming within meters of other volunteers as they leave the shop and I arrive, but only time will tell. I just hope I've done enough.

You may feel I have been over cautious and it will probably have slightly affected the takings this week, but at least we have stayed open everyday and are taking money. I don't see what more I could have done in the circumstances. I am not working on Saturday and instead I am letting the volunteers run the shop in my absence, as they are quite capable and I feel it will be safer. I will make up the time another week.

So that was this week, and I've got another week left before the Shop Manager returns, but I think I will be changing my days to Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with my fellow Deputy working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, by which time LB will be out of her self isolation period and providing myself and OH are still testing negative and have no symptoms, we can get back to normal. 

It's been a stressful week, but the big positive is that LB is fine, thankfully she has very few symptoms and she is enjoying her self isolation.  She will have to re-organise her second jab, which she was due to have next week, as I don't think they will give it to her if she has recently tested positive for the virus.  All things considered, we've been lucky, the scenario could have been a lot worse. Just taking it day by day and lateral flow test by lateral flow test for the moment.

I hope you've had a good couple of weeks.