Do any of you have a key worker in the family?

I’m very worried about my daughter and son in law, both doctors. Their situation really frightens me. I’m afraid of them being called in to work in the hospital. I’m afraid for all our hospital staff, they really are putting their lives on the line. About 8% of people in Italy with the virus are frontline medical staff. Some of them have died. We owe it to our doctors and nurses to follow advice, we don’t just put ourselves at risk, we put them at risk if we get it.

Hetty
This is why we need a government enforced lockdown. It’s been done in Italy, China, Spain, France, many states in America, why is it too difficult to do here? My son doesn’t work in London, but we are in the south east, the most badly affected area after London. He manages the finances in a big company and is in charge of a lot of people. He’s not a key worker, he and his staff could work from home.
My other son is a barrister and his chambers are in London but when he’s not in court he can work from home. He can use telephone and video link too, so hopefully will not need to be in court. I’ve just seen a jury member has the virus so the trial of those who killed (allegedly) the policeman so the trial has stopped. My son works in commercial law so very different, no juries normally.

my dentist dd has just had confirmation on being down to 1 day a week. Her husband a teacher is in work looking after comp children, several non-key worker parents have tried to sneak children in, nail artists, hairdressers etc They are having to check evidence now. Their children will be at home with mum on 4 days, she has prepared a structured day and timetable to help with routine

My daughter is a nurse and my SIL is a teacher. She is working 12 hour shifts and he has to work to take care of key workers children who have no choice but to work. Yes I am very worried.

DS1 is a police officer; other son's partner is a supermarket manager who has the virus at present. Their teenage children are currently under a 14 day quarantine.

I am NHS Admin - and considered a Key Worker. I am on the 'Raised Risk' group - and can carry on working in a backroom capacity.

dizzy thank you to you and your wider family and all those others who are supporting us through this crisis.
My 19 yr-old DGD is a health care assistant and of course I worry but am very proud of her.

I have just watched as the respiratory team in a NI hospital broadcast a plea for everyone to stay at home.
It was heartfelt and very moving.
How anyone could ignore such a message from frontline staff, I don't understand.
Moved me to tears.

I’m a key worker (paramedic) and my DD who lives with us is a paeds nurse working in A&E. Younger son who also lives with us is a night shift worker for a distribution company so I count him as just as important as they deal with a lot of medical supplies delivery. Older son doesn’t live with us but is in constant touch, he’s a manager in a local theatre which is closed but they’re getting on with loads of neglected admin, he’s very cheerful although concerned about his staff, he knows he has a safety net in the form of us but not all his staff have so he’s making sure he is doing everything he can to support them.
I’m not overly worried, we’re all being sensible, have enough food to keep us all fed although there might be some interesting meals! Stress and worry wreck the immune system so I’m doing lots of meditation etc to help ensure I sleep well. DH is working from home and never worries about anything he can’t fix so I’m modelling myself on him. He’s still playing golf but as he’s always about 500 yards from his golf buddy(they’re not very good) and there’s no clubhouse or socialising I think that’s a good form of exercise and fresh air. My DD isn’t worried, I think she’s too busy to think about it. She’s always done lots of things to support her mental health and sleep which, I think, has stood her in good stead for times like this. I’m very proud of all my children’s calmness and resilience in the face of unprecedented national disaster.

DD is a key worker. ie she has to remain at school, including the hols, to ‘care’ for other key worker’s kids. Only 7 so far but parents are trying it on & the school is having to be firm & getting abuse in return. In turn, as I can’t care for them being in isolation, her 2 boys are in their school 2 days per week being cared for by yet another key worker.....and so it goes on. .... (there must be some way small schools can amalgamate & share the load?). SiL has put his staff on reduced days and has to go into work for those 2 days to keep the business afloat in the absence of laid off staff, so they have a job to return to eventually. He will be the carer on the other days at home while trying to work at the same time. Some folk just don’t get it : one affluent Mum in tears apparently, because she just doesn't want to have her children at home f/t. Can’t cope. wtf ?

maddyone, my younger son was in the same situation, travelling into London and a boss who didn't want to allow working from home.

My son, and the rest of his colleagues, decided to self-isolate and work from home anyway!

My son who lives here is a Police Officer.
I'm a childminder and have four keyworkers' children on my books: three NHS and one food supply.
Three are school age and could still go, but I've said I'm not happy doing the school run and they can stay here instead. Parents are relieved as being in a smaller group minimises the risk for them.
I've had to tell another family I can't have their two boys any more as we can only care for keyworkers' children now.

I’m in awe of you all on here. So many of us with our beloved adult children who are on the front line. My daughter and her husband are GPs, but have both been told that they will have to go back to hospital work, giving palliative care to the sick and dying. My daughter has also been told she may be ventilator trained and therefore working with the sickest patients. I know I should be proud, but instead I’m terrified. I’m terrified of them catching this awful disease and then what could happen. They’re young and strong, my daughter trains for and runs marathons, but I’m still so afraid. They have three young children, six year old twins and a two year old.

My son is also apparently a key worker, he is a lawyer, but luckily he thinks most of his work will be done through video link. He says the justice system can’t just stop. I guess he’s right. He’s out of London now and working from home. I just hope he doesn’t have to go to court in London during this time.

My other son could work from home much of the time, he’s not a key worker, but his boos refuses to allow his employees to work from home. So they all put themselves at risk because the boss doesn’t want to follow government advice.

But the ones I’m most worried about are my daughter and her husband.

Bankers are key workers too!

yes my o/h is a key worker. I won't say what he does but he doesn't work in a supermarket or a school ...

Yes I work in a large supermarket doing the online grocery shops. I have had to start getting up at 3.15 to start early at 5am because otherwise the hoards of shoppers that rush in at 6am when the store opens would leave us with nothing to pick. We have to put up with verbal abuse and have no chance of social distancing. Both my children and their families are self isolating due to illness or low immune systems. I have started with a cough today but it’s not continual so I’m hoping it’s nothing.

Yes my daughter is a support worker in a hospital and I must admit I am worried sick that she may catch the CV, I am just wishing people would take notice at what advice we have all been given and start distancing oneself from other people so this virus doesn't spread more.

My stepdaughter and her husband are both aneathsatists in different London hospitals. This means they are involved with intensive care and also deal with respiratory problems. They have two daughters aged 10 and 14 who are no longer at school, but as they are privately educated they can't access the care for children of key workers. Please don't think they are complaining about this, it's how life is at the moment. We can't help as we are both over 70 and DH has underlying health issues.

A massive thank you to all the families on here putting themselves in the front line for us. HEROES every one, and that includes grandparents and family members stepping in to help. We don’t know where we would be without them. My mum used to say God doesn’t pay his debts with money. On behalf of the whole country Thank you. I promise do my bit by staying well and not panic buying.

We have two ICU nurses, two police officers and two teachers in our close family.

We also have two people with severe mental illness in our family and (understandably) their support workers are now NOT offering contact support services.

All are ‘at risk’.

Yes, my daughter is a nurse and my SIL is a teacher. She is working 12 hour shifts and he is still going in to work to look after the children of key workers, who have no choice but to go to work. I don't know which one is more likely to catch this beastly virus.

I'm a key worker, kind of - processing claims for Universal Credit. Anticipating quite a busy time. It's mainly phone work though, so not public-facing.

I have many friends in nursing who've been called in to ensure that the ball keeps rolling; others work for charities helping some of the most vulnerable.

Four out of five of us are key workers. Only my husband is not.

I am in frontline Children's Services
One son works in a supermarket
The other son works in a laboratory, making chemo and other therapies
My daughter is a nursery nurse, whose nursery is remaining open for the children of their key worker clients.

Lovestopaint.Thanks.The DD who is the nurse has just rung after a day at home with 3 and 1 year old. She is tired and furious.Near by neighbours are basically having a party.Presumably with some of their stockpiled food.She feels like going round and reading the riot act.But she has teatime and bathtime and is just too angry.I think this good weather means some people are treating it like a bank holiday.

DS2 is in the police force. He was concerned that things would turn violent on Friday night when pubs were closed. DSD2 is a nurse, working in a surgery dedicated to possible corona virus patients. She has a 5 year old son, who will be staying home with his dad.

Dd who has health issues and sil both front line workers Police and NHS with no chance of working at home.

Our 2 gc are entitled to go to school but the school allocated is nearly an hours drive away. The staff begged her to to keep the children at home because they won’t cope with the numbers. As they will spend most of the time playing and watching videos so for now they will keep them home.

They will have to manage their shifts as we can’t help of course and other friends in the area won’t want to either without risking themselves. It’s day 1 tomorrow.