Do I have to stay home if someone in my household is sick?

[Nicholas1302]

I just got over a really bad cold. May have been covid. I didn't test for it. I've been staying home just in case. My aunt lives with me, and now she says she has a scratchy throat, and a runny nose. It's obvious she caught what I had. Does this mean I have to stay home as long as she's sick too?

[SueShe]

No, you do not have to stay home because someone in your household is sick. Unless that person is unable to look after herself or that person is a child with no one else to take care of, you don't have to stay away from work because someone has probably caught what you had.

Since you are over that sickness, you are now immune to that type of influenza since you are not likely to catch it again.

As for your aunt, if she is disabled or unable to look for herself or there is nobody that can take care of her, you may need to stay home but I don't know how your employer will react to you staying away from work longer than necessary.