SIL has covid and wants us to come for xmas

[Friendsoftheearth]

SIL, BIL and all three dc are just recovering from covid, they will be allowed out again in a few days - despite some of them being relatively high risk they were all ill but fine, so very relieved and happy about that.

However this evening SIL has invited us to her house for christmas - in laws have already passed away - and we are the only family she has. The can't come to us as one of their dc will need to work, and will be joining us later.

SIL said it is great news as she now can't catch covid, so we can relax. DH does not see it that way, and does not want to go, he is worried her house will be covered in covid, and sees the grown up dc as still a risk as no doubt they will go out and party for England. They are late teens and do love to party, which is why they were probably ill in the first place.

Is it is true we are now relatively 'safe' as it will be a month by the time we get to christmas? Are they are a fairly safe bet, or are they still a risk? I know you can get covid twice, but the antibodies are likely to last longer than a month surely? Dh is digging up info that confirms covid stays on surfaces for up to 76 days, and we are putting ourselves and children at risk by even considering seeing them.

I am close to SIL and would like to see them, but not if we are all going to be ill afterwards. DD asthmatic, but otherwise 49-55 age bracket with teen dc. Thank you!

So you DH doesn't think much of his sister (assumes her house is dirty and she won't bother to even clean for you) and is looking for an excuse to not go. Not sure you can win the arguement tbh op

It’ll probably be the safest time to see them. They will have had it and not been out so much. They may also have some short term protection from it so unlikely to pass it on to you. I’d tell her your DH is concerned but I don’t think he needs to be.

I wouldn’t be happy going if they had all had it, no matter how safe they think they all are

This makes no sense at all 🤷‍♀️

I mean, don’t go anywhere you don’t want to go, but the reasoning is daft.

Does anyone else feel strange going into the homes of others after so long? He seems to be worried about this. We have only seen friends and family outside all summer, and haven't had anyone inside at all.

I know that is a separate thing, but he is not keen at all being in other people's houses it seems.

We haven't seen anyone inside since January!

I would give it a miss this year.
Your dh doesn’t want to go.
It’s a 3 hour drive and you expect him to drive. I think that’s unfair on him.

That Guardian article is not helpful. "Survives for up to 28 days" but in lab conditions and with no indication of what quantities of the virus "survived" for that long and what condition they were in after 28 days. Total scaremongering unless we're talking about amounts that could feasibly cause infection in a human.

There have been a miniscule number of cases of people getting covid twice - so miniscule as to not be worth considering in reality

Yeap. I just looked that up to today and that is the latest thinking. Frankly if people could get covid twice within a month and a half, there would be no hope of a vaccine.

@ViciousJackdaw

Boris Johnson had covid in April. Ask yourself this: Why is Johnson in self-isolation right now?

Because he was contacted by Track and Trace and it’s a legal requirement to comply.

I think her and her house will be safe by christmas !
Covid brings out paranoia in people ! If DH really isnt happy going just say so, but my non scientific opinion is that it would be fine and no more dangerous than going anywhere else

He could wear a hazmat suit with a little hinged flap in the helmet which he could open to eat his xmas dinner.

Or an even crazier idea and just wash his hands? Carry hand sanitizer?

Remind him not to lick his fingers though

Covid can't last on surfaces that long. It will be hours, a couple of days at the most.They are probably one of the safest households you could visit!

I would say your DH either has high levels of anxiety that he would benefit from doing something about or else he does not want to visit for a reason that has nothing to do with covid.

Boris was not mildly overweight! He was obese.

Don’t go if you don’t want to but that has nothing to do with Covid.

They are probably the safest people to be around even if they went out partying every night.

They can’t pass on a disease they are immune to at least when you will be going

Your latest update seems to point towards your husband potentially having other issues.

My son has Covid. Waiting to see if we get it (yay!) and going to do a massive clean, hot washes etc at the end of our isolation.

Still thinking of not seeing my mother though at Christmas even if we all catch it. My teens don't go out though but the school is rife with it and wondered if they might catch it again.

What a pain in the ass virus. Six months immunity tops?!

Wow- your husband is over reacting big time.

Really? Even if you SIL hasn't cleaned at all, some of it survives that long and your husband gets so drunk he goes around the house licking all surfaces... I can't see him getting enough viral load.

However I'm not sure science and logical argument will work here... I think he just doesn't want to go..So do you?

I wouldn't personally, just because I want this to be over and the only way to do that is for us all to stay away from each other. However, it's my understanding that this is not a one and done virus, and having had it does not make you immune to getting it again.

DD and I are staying home and having quiet holidays on our own, I'm most comfortable with that myself.

I'd go in a heartbeat. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas

Smells like an excuse to avoid Christmas with the outlaws

This is seriously scary and suggesting there is a weird stigma associated with people who've had Covid. Fine if he doesn't want to go or has serious health anxiety, but disturbing to think there are people out there who are going to avoid others because they've had Covid months prior.

We go to see cousins every year, I love them, but I think we’ll give it a miss this Christmas

We’re in our 50s, aunt and uncle in 70s and there are kids in school etc

It’s just too much risk to mix all those people

I wonder if those who have had it can carry it. Like people can with chicken pox.

There will be other opportunities

Like when we’re vaccinated

Has anyone had it confirmed that Covid isn’t infectious just because it’s Christmas?

This relaxing of rules isn’t based on science, it based on appeasement. I for one want lockdowns to stop, not be prolonged by false suspensions of restrictions

You won't be catching the covid that's in their house now, but that's not to say they couldn't bring germs in from going to the shops or somewhere else in the run-up. They wouldn't be infected again, but you could be.