I'm starting my new job as a newly qualified nurse this week. I am a single parent and will be using my parents and possibly her dad as childcare and have considered not seeing my DD until things calm down so as not to risk her passing anything around. If I wasn't a single parent and she could stay with the same person I was living with then I wouldn't be too concerned. I seem to be getting mixed responses with some people saying I'm being a bit 'over cautious' so I am wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Will list the reasons for and again and hoping Mumsnet can help me decide!
My job is on the neonatal unit, which is generally low risk at the moment.
Testing is becoming more common.
My parents aren't a particular high risk (late 50's)
However...
Staff are going to be redeployed if needed. As newly qualified, this is unlikely to be me, however I will be working alongside nurses who may have been in direct contact.
Parents are still able to visit. Working in a hospital aside, I will still be mixing with the general public who won't have been tested.
Although this may not be the case for some of the more poorly babies, many children don't seem to be getting many symptoms, so it's entirely possible I could be working with babies who are positive but we don't know.
Although my parents aren't high risk, my dad is very prone to chest infections and does struggle to shake them off. They also often do shopping for their elderly parents.
So am I being sensible as some have said, or a bit too over the top? I just feel like it's worth doing for the time being, as even if something awful happened that had nothing to do with me, I would never forgive myself if there was any possibility I had brought it to them.