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Original poster

Do my kids need to islolate in this situation?

53 replies

52andblue · 04/10/2020 10:43

Hi, silly qu possibly but

My kids visit their father whom I'm separated from most weekends.
They are there now, When I dropped them off I went had a cuppa.
He just texted that he has a temperature and thinks his sense of smell is a bit off but no cough so far. I suggested he get a test.
Do the kids need to stay off school until he gets the results, even though they don't live with him?

OP posts:
AlexaShutUp · 04/10/2020 10:45

Yes, I think so. Technically, perhaps not, but they have been in close contact with him and I would not take the risk.

EachPeachPearSums · 04/10/2020 10:46

Yes they do.

Sirzy · 04/10/2020 10:47

Yes because they have been in close contact with him

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arewethereyetmum78 · 04/10/2020 10:48

Well yes, if they are staying there just now then they have been in contact with someone with symptoms. It's irrelevant that they don't live there full time as they have been in close contact with him. Hopefully test will come back negative and results won't take long.

spottybitch · 04/10/2020 10:49

Yes.

arewethereyetmum78 · 04/10/2020 10:49

Sorry also if you went inside the house and had a cuppa then you need to isolate as well.

Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 10:56

Sorry, it's probably a stupidly obvious question.

That was my feeling too but thought I'd double triple check with MN!

thanks all. x

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 04/10/2020 11:00

Hang on a second. Only household need to self isolate for symptoms so you certainly dont at this stage. Whether the children do depends on whether they are part of his household. I would say yes because they can go back and forth between houses. If he tests positive then all of you will be close contacts.

Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 11:05

they've been there since Friday evening, so they could have caught it, if he has it. I went in for about 20 mins (never do, usually, but dd forgot her bag etc so dropped it off and he was being civil so thought I should be)
Kids are allowed to go between our houses as parents separated and exH is my 'support bubble' I guess as although we are separated he helps me parent kids by taking them most weekends and drops off food sometimes (I am disabled)

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 12:54

I just hope he sees sense and gets a test and doesn't brush it off!

OP posts:
Smelborp · 04/10/2020 14:16

Helpfulperson: if you are in close contact with someone with Covid, then you also must self isolate. The only technicality here is that he hasn’t yet had a test so it’s not confirmed, but I think it would be responsible to self isolate anyway.

MsAwesomeDragon · 04/10/2020 14:20

Yes I think the children officially count as belonging to both your households. So if they are there now and he has symptoms now, they should be isolating there with him until he gets a negative test result. Or for 14 days if he doesn't want to get a test.

Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 14:48

He's got a test booked now for tomorrow morning.
dont' know how long to get results.

Can School insist I send them in whilst we wait for results?

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 14:49

will they need evidence of test being booked etc?

(sorry for 20 questions)

OP posts:
optimisticpessimist01 · 04/10/2020 15:09

I recently had to have time off work because I came into close contact with someone who tested positive. DP could carry on going to work unless I started showing symptoms, then he would have to isolate

I don't know the answer specifically to your scenario but I hope this helps

MsAwesomeDragon · 04/10/2020 15:20

School won't insist you send them in while you wait for results. They are far more likely to insist you DON'T send them in. When you contact them you just need to say " their dad has symptoms, they're isolating until the results come back", school will say "ok, let us know what the results are."

AskMeOnce · 04/10/2020 15:29

Phone the school in the morning say they have been with their DF all weekend who is now showing symptoms and been tested - you will need to keep them off and isolating until the test results are back. The school will require you to keep them off, they won't need proof.

We all need to do our bit.

whirlwindwallaby · 04/10/2020 15:35

If they stay overnight then I would see it as them living in both households, not visiting. I don't know if a support bubble treated as one household, so if you should isolate as well, or if they stay and isolate there then you don't have to?

AlwaysCheddar · 04/10/2020 15:38

You do need to isolate as you were with him, unless he has a negative test.

Original poster
52andblue · 04/10/2020 15:53

I am happy to isolate, just wondered if kids would HAVE to stay off school and if school would need any proof?

seems majority consensus is yes

OP posts:
AlwaysCheddar · 04/10/2020 15:57

Yes, kids isolate as they stayed at his house!

whirlwindwallaby · 04/10/2020 15:57

Yes, they live with him some of the time. If they stay to isolate there you could get away with not isolating I think. Google says support bubble you do, but children can move between houses, and you can drop off food without needing to be in a support bubble iykwim?

Lollyneenah · 04/10/2020 16:00

Yep sorry OP.you do too x

alexdgr8 · 04/10/2020 16:00

i think would be very annoyed if you took them in.
you all need to isolate until test result.
good luck.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 04/10/2020 16:01

Yes, all of you need to isolate until he gets a negative result, or for 14 days if it’s positive. You really cannot send the kids into school. If you hadn’t been in his house for a cuppa, you would not have to isolate.