Tested positive but need to get out, is this okay?

[Puffler]

I’ve tested positive for Covid-19. I don’t know where I’ve got it from as I’ve followed the rules rigidly. I wonder if one of my children is an asymptotic carrier.

I feel quite rough but I’m not in bed. One thing I always do is a lot of exercise. I walk or run about 8 miles a day and without it my mental health deteriorates rapidly. I paced round and round the house and our tiny garden to do 10k steps today and the thought of trying to do that tomorrow is making me anxious.

If I set the alarm for 6am, do you think it is acceptable to go out for a walk? I live rurally so can take a head torch and go down lanes and tracks where I’m 99% sure I won’t encounter anyone and there is no need for me to touch anything, no gates etc. I will wear a face mask. DH says it is too risky in case I have an accident of some sort (I’m not sure how) or need aid. He thinks that would be putting others in danger. He does agree the chance of seeing anyone is very remote.

What would you do? I have to stay in don’t I?

@Lifeispassingby

I can’t believe the number of ppl saying it will be fine because you won’t wont anyone at 6am! *@damnthatanxiety* I am self isolating and have 2 dogs so I’ll tell you the answer- I don’t take them out because I can’t leave the house. I may be able to walk walk somewhere and not anyone but what happens if I fall over and break a bone? Or collapse for some reason and some poor passerby offers me first aid? Or CPR? And what if I have to attend A&E following an accident? there are lots of potential possible events that would lead to me having to see and therefore infect others if I leave the house.

So do they crap and pee in your house?

We’ve really stuck to the rules so I don’t understand how I’ve caught it

We have online shopping You could have caught it from parcels or post, unless you are leaving them untouched for days?

It must be via our two primary school children or at drop off / pick up

Children are super spreaders, all in one classroom with no masks.

Don't go for a run.

My breathing deteriorated 14 days after the initial chest pain of Covid & I had the phone in my hand to call 999.

(14 days prior to that was when I layed in bed resting and thought I was having a heart attack)

Covid is spreading through schools, universities, workplaces and the people they meet in their homes, at their childrens sleepovers - there is very little risk from the op going out at a time when they can keep 2 metres away from people and wear a mask.

However it sounds like you are becoming more ill OP - so if you have any vitamin D supplements take extra for the next week and rest, dont go out and try not to pace the garden. Retreat to bed to be away from the children and to get a break from the noise and to avoid giving anyone in your family covid if you havent caught it from them. Keep separate towels. Use a mouthwash regularly to cut your viral load. Dont worry about your weight as your food is likely to taste bad soon so you're less likely to want to eat. Close your eyes and mentally go along your normal run, trying to focus on how you feel when outdoors.

I would stay in - you’ve admitted yourself that you have no idea where the virus came from...I think it would be foolish to potentially put someone else in the same predicament e.g. if you needed help for some reason whilst out.

People who are vulnerable chose quiet times to go out and about.

Stay at home and rest. Though if you have a garden I'd definitely sit out there and get some fresh air and maybe do some stretching exercises.

Go out. You are putting no-one in danger and your DH is frankly not very ‘D’.

We have online shopping You could have caught it from parcels or post, unless you are leaving them untouched for days?
Utter nonsense and been proven untrue.

Glad you’ve made the right decision OP. Hope you feel better soon.

I think you should stay in. Four reasons. 1. It's the rules. 2. You need to rest. 3. Your husband's right. What if you trip and break your ankle? 4. There are vulnerable people out there who also believe their safest time to exercise is early morning, before anyone else is about.

Go out. You are putting no-one in danger and your DH is frankly not very ‘D’.

I can't believe I've just read this

If OP had a broken leg, couldn't run, and had been told that it was vital it set straight and must not exercise for 10 days, and should spend as much time as possible lying down with leg elevated, I bet she'd manage it. Because it's in her long term interests not to worsen things.

Isolating when you have tested positive is just as important - because it's in everyone's interest not to have high tramission, many people becoming lonely and struggling with long term isolation (when shielding in force) or frequent contact isolation.

No-one ever thinks that what they're doing is unfair and risky, but it is people who are out and about when positive whomare spreading the disease. Some will be doing so unknowingly (before symptoms or asymptomatically) but to do so knowingly is unthinkable.

OP: would it help to think of this as a taper before a big race? And do try other workouts - you know every good running coach recommends crosstraining to improve running. Here's an opportunity to have a few days of it.

please turn your step counter off op.
use this as an opportunity to reset yourself somewhat

Honestly, go out.
If you get up early, wear mask, see no-one down a country lane and aren't touching gates and so on, it will be fine. You are hardly likely to have an accident are you?

I had COVID much earlier on, when we weren't wearing masks and so on. For the first couple of days I was so ill I was in bed anyway, after that I went out walking down our completely, totally deserted country lanes every day. It did me the world of good and probably aided my recovery. I came across no-one at all, and no-one caught anything or died because of it.

That said, I wouldn't exercise as much as you normally do as you will feel the difference in your lungs, I certainly couldn't take such deep breaths as I normally do, and walking uphill I could tell I needed more oxygen (felt like being on top of a mountain at altitude). So just pace yourself gently...

@Puffler

I’ve tested positive for Covid-19. I don’t know where I’ve got it from as I’ve followed the rules rigidly. I wonder if one of my children is an asymptotic carrier.

I feel quite rough but I’m not in bed. One thing I always do is a lot of exercise. I walk or run about 8 miles a day and without it my mental health deteriorates rapidly. I paced round and round the house and our tiny garden to do 10k steps today and the thought of trying to do that tomorrow is making me anxious.

If I set the alarm for 6am, do you think it is acceptable to go out for a walk? I live rurally so can take a head torch and go down lanes and tracks where I’m 99% sure I won’t encounter anyone and there is no need for me to touch anything, no gates etc. I will wear a face mask. DH says it is too risky in case I have an accident of some sort (I’m not sure how) or need aid. He thinks that would be putting others in danger. He does agree the chance of seeing anyone is very remote.

What would you do? I have to stay in don’t I?

You're more likely to need help than normal because you have an illness which could get worse. What if you suddenly became breathless and a passer by stopped to help?

Also, if you are walking 8 miles, even if you leave at 6, you'll be getting back at 8ish, when presumably you'd be more likely to see people (eg dog walkers). I'm also amazed you can go 8 miles without touching anything!

I do think it's a balance between mental and physical health, but I think you need to find a different solution. I think if you did this every day for the next 13 days, your chances of interacting with someone would be higher than you think.

So you need to think of another solution eg indoor exercise, getting some mental health support etc.

@Puffler There is some evidence that runners can leave the virus in the air where it can linger for long enough for another passer-by to breathe it in. The research showed this was more so on still, windless days.

I exercise outside on a popular country lane where I live. I always step right back from runners, walkers and cyclists - keep as far away as possible, and don't touch a couple of gates.

As others have said, you might fall and need emergency treatment.
Unlikely but not impossible.

Also, can you find other ways to maintain your mental health? Relying solely on one source is never a good idea. It sounds as if your body is addicted to the endorphins released by running but you can look at other ways of feeling good that will help you.

@WanderingMilly I know people when out walking have tripped over and hurt themselves to the extent of needing someone to help them up and needed medical assistance- if that person had covid that would be ok would it?

You’ve made the right decision to stay in OP. Hope you feel better soon and that the isolation period goes quickly for you 💐

Another one who thinks the rules don't apply to them and will make this go on and on.

STAY IN

@WanderingMilly

Honestly, go out. If you get up early, wear mask, see no-one down a country lane and aren't touching gates and so on, it will be fine. You are hardly likely to have an accident are you?

I had COVID much earlier on, when we weren't wearing masks and so on. For the first couple of days I was so ill I was in bed anyway, after that I went out walking down our completely, totally deserted country lanes every day. It did me the world of good and probably aided my recovery. I came across no-one at all, and no-one caught anything or died because of it.

That said, I wouldn't exercise as much as you normally do as you will feel the difference in your lungs, I certainly couldn't take such deep breaths as I normally do, and walking uphill I could tell I needed more oxygen (felt like being on top of a mountain at altitude). So just pace yourself gently...

@WanderingMilly So you and we were lucky! How would you have felt if someone had breathed in your germs and died?

Your 'lucky' experience is hardly good advice.

Shocking, really.

Can you work up a bootcamp routine that you can do in your garden, if you don't feel too rough? Burpees, mountain climbers, spidermans, lunges, push ups and squats etc on a circuit for an hour. Then do an hour's yoga flow which is very beneficial for the lungs - all that deep breathing into the base and back of the lungs would be a good way to combat Covid.

But as others have said, you do need to rest. Your MH will suffer even more if you get long-tail Covid and are too tired to exercise for months.

I hope you feel OK today. I would say try not to push yourself when recovering from a virus, even if you had it mildly, but I fully understand the need to get out for at least a walk. Id have said go, but walk not run, or stay within a mile of your home so if you suddenly lose energy, its not far to walk home. (Do laps of a short route)

Mental health matters too. The chances of you bumping into someone at 6am who also is vunerable or is going to get close to someone who is vunerable, and you get under 2m from them is not very high.

Also worth considering that exercising with Covid, even when asymptomatic, can risk development of myocarditis.

Glad you’re staying in. It means ex-shielders like me who’ve been chucked back into full time work with nary a back-glance from the government (after spending all summer on severe restrictions) can go out to exercise and shop. Thank you for helping to keep others safe. ❤️

If you go out so early you'll meet no-one I don't think there's an issue of spreading Covid (depends where you live - rurally, probably OK, middle of Clapham, maybe not so much), but are you sure you're well enough to be going for a long walk/run? You say yourself you're feeling rough. What happens if you keel over mid-way and some poor sod has to help you and you pass the virus on that way?