Friend has had Covid-19, keeps wanting to meet

[Usernamqwerty]

My friend has been unwell with Coronavirus. Not tested but 99% certain she had it. She's had no symptoms now for two weeks but keeps asking if she can meet up as apparently she's now immune 😬. I am unsure about the science of this and struggle to understand whether she is immune.

I can't take the risk of her possibly infecting us, but it's pissing me off that she keeps asking to "accidentally" end up in the same park as us, but stay two metres apart (not that we are visiting parks anyway!!). I feel sorry for her as she lives alone and works from home and is lonely. AIBU to just keep saying no?

Oooh, no no. We are 99% sure we've had in this household (full house of symptoms, v. unpleasant, live in hotspot). Even if there wasn't a lockdown I would be staying away from people at present. I am not feeling fully well and it's been just over a month for me. There are too many unknowns about how long we remain infectious and how much if any immunity is conferred.

Unless there's a care need or you are moving house (in with someone) you aren't allowed.

Under no circumstances do you meet her. Tell her to stop being irresponsible

Thanks @Magic2020, that's good to hear. I don't feel like a leper, btw, and don't think anyone I remotely care about would treat me like one! Just being cautious.

@LilacTree1 what on earth do you mean?

@Magic2020

I think people are confusing long and short term immunity. As I understood it we're fairly sure most people do gain short term immunity (there weren't many people reinfected in places like Wuhan). This doesn't mean they'll be permanently immune as what we know about Coronaviruses (and we don't know how much applies to covid-19) not all immunity is permanent and may last around a year. For that reason it's likely that anyone who has definitely had and recovered from covid-19 will at present be immune. That said there is some question about how long people are infectious - it's by all accounts a very strange disease - someone can appear to be almost better then suddenly decline. People have also been shedding virus weeks after recovery - but this could be dead virus which wouldn't be able to infect anyone - lots of unknowns.

Regardless of whether she’s had it or not, we’re not allowed to be meeting up with anyone outside of you household. Just tell her no.
I’ve just had a “meet up” tonight with 4 friends. We all had a laugh, a drink and enjoyed it. Could you not suggest something like that?

Not a scientific paper, but

www.cnn.com/2020/04/17/health/south-korea-coronavirus-retesting-positive-intl-hnk/index.html

So shes had it-you havent doesnt she care about that

cardibach

I mean

The government tell us to behave as if we have it in case we give it to others

No one knows if we are immune after we have had it

Who is going to say “oh I had Covid” if there’s no immunity? People will view it with even more suspicion than if you never had it

Governments the world over, with their panicked illogical reaction, have created a world where everyone is terrified. It’s ludicrous.

Sorry OP, that wasn’t about the rules but I am past caring. I keep the rules because I fear the law. And have no car, therefore no option to see family and friends anyway.

Zoom meeting her, like everyone else!
To be fair we have accidentally come across friends walking the dog - the dogs were thrilled but we all kept a good 3 or even 4 meter difference. From that angle I'm not sure it would be any different but if she thinks she is immune she may be open to more risk taking behaviour. It sounds a little like you think she may try to breach the 2 meters for example? I'd suggest a Zoom chat with wine.

Even if she's had it she could still pass it on, touch something with the virus and transfer it to you.

@HandfulOfDust - true. Yes, long term immunity is more questionable, especially as the virus may well mutate, like the 'flu viruses do.

Hopefully by that time though we'll have a vaccine, although like the 'flu viruses I'm assuming we may need a new one yearly. It needs so much more research though.

Just be firm and say no. Even if she didn’t have it/symptoms you shouldn’t be meeting anyway if you don’t live together. Maybe a video call could be a compromise.

@Rebootingagain - in the article you posted there is a possible explanation which seems likely

For now, the most likely explanation of why people are retesting positive seems to be that the test is picking up remnants of the virus.

So not active virus, but as the test for the antigen is based on it's DNA, there may be particles of DNA from the dead virus still floating around and flagging as positive.

No.

I am 99.9% sure I had it. It was that or some other weird lung corroding illness that absolutely matched the symptoms that people who were testing positive were experiencing. It was like nothing I’ve ever had before but I had to go without a test because there aren’t enough to go around. I’m considering myself as immune as I’d be from flu, IE immune for the present, there is no reason to believe this corona virus will be very different in that respect to any other. The reports from Korea etc were headline grabbing but on closer inspection were inconclusive ‘re infections’ and were more likely down to other factors as stated by the doctor who first reported them.

I followed the advice re isolation and returned to work still coughing but otherwise recovered. I work in an environment where distancing isn’t possible and none of my co workers have contracted it, we are well past even the most extreme of reported incubation periods. I am not practising any special hygiene measures that I wouldn’t have done in normal life before, so technically I’d be prime re infection fodder, I’ll keep you posted.
Personally I can’t see any harm in supporting your friend with a short ‘accidental’ walk together at a distance. There is a balance to be struck between maintaining the current measures to slow infection rates and maintaining mental health. Chris Whitty has repeated mentioned the deaths caused by a pandemic that aren’t people dying from the virus but rather by other effects of the situation. This is why it has now been made clear that people can seek support from friends and family in situations such as domestic abuse etc. Your friend may be struggling and trying to ask for your support.

You are an adult capable of making your own decisions. You know the risks, like you do if you smoke, drink, take drugs, drive a car, do diy.
Make your own mind up

No, just lonely.

Can you Facetime or Zoom with her? I'm doing so with friends and relatives and it really helps.

Well, Matt Hancpck had it - stated in for a week and back to work, sp presumably they do know that once you had it, you can't spread it. Otherwise surely he'd be at home for longer.
Obvs it applies to those who know for sure they had the virus.

*stayed in

Magic cross-posted!

Er, no! Although if she is lonely would you be happy to set something else up? Maybe a facetime call some evenings or something?

There is an antibody test but it's not widely available. ALSO, it doesn't actually tell you if you are infectious or not. Plus there are increasing reports of people getting the all clear then testing positive again - different theories around whether they are re-infected or whether the virus is lying dormant, whether its remnants of the virus showing up etc etc.

I personally believe there are different strains out there. IMHO.

There is misunderstanding/misreporting of the immunity issue.

We don't know about long-term immunity yet, but it seems likely there will be at least some, whether that's measured in months or years or permanently (though that may require regular re-exposure, like chickenpox & shingles).

The people who have had it "twice", probably had it once and their symptoms just improved in between. I.e. it was never really gone in the first place.

This is further confused by the kind of test that only looks for viral RNA. Just because someone is still shedding it, doesn't mean they are still infectious; it is likely inactive for most of that period.