Self isolating in the cold conservatory

[coldconservatory]

Hi all,

We have had covid recently and I need to self isolate before Christmas.

AIBU to think that I can sleep and work in the conservatory for the next two weeks so I can then visit my daughter for Christmas.

It's large and I already work in there everyday as working from home.

My partner and the children all go to school which is how we got covid in the first place.

There is a downstairs bathroom that I can use. I would only have to go upstairs to shower. Which I could possibly do every 3 days so or.

I'm the only one home during the day so I can make food, do washing etc after cleaning.

My main issue is that the conservatory is so, so cold! I usually wear several layers to work in there during the day.

I can bring a mattress down and we have lots of duvets and blankets I can use.

Need to possibly get gloves and a hat.

Any ideas of how else I can keep warm overnight please?

But you will be going into the other parts of the house, even if you are alone , the potential virus can still linger in the air/get on curtains etc.
It's pointless

@PurpleDaisies

DW had an antibody test after we caught it previously (from school again) and she had no immunity after 6 weeks.

I might be reading this wrong, but are you saying you’ve all had it twice?

Yes we have! DW works in a school, the kids go to school.

Their bubbles appear to get smaller, as in kids have it but the schools aren't closing the bubble.

One went from a bubble of 160 and a class of 30 to a class of 8 and they still stayed open. She wasn't allowed to not go as hadn't spent 15 mins within 2 meters to her recollection with any of the other children.

Guess what she had symptoms of 4 days later! Her class was then down to 2 and they still didn't close.

DW has had kids in the class who are supposed to be at home waiting for a test. 4 different times.

We have just isolated for 14 days but they are all due back this week. Hopefully we are immune, but I really don't fancy a 3rd time!

I work from home btw and order shopping online. I'm low risk but have caught it twice.

Wow people are losing their actual minds!

Yes ok isolate in the bloody freezing and don't shower apart from every 3 days.... enjoy flu or some other bug!

Bonkers. Just be reasonable. Plenty of people have to "isolate" in close quarters. I think this goes beyond the realm of the practical and expected.

Enjoy your home and disinfect after yourself. Genuinely cant believe this is what it's come to.

@MagicSummer

Sounds heavenly to me, OP. No kids, no snoring, no being disturbed. You can make sure you are really warm with duvets, blankets. HWBs, etc. and still breathe that lovely cool air. That's what I like, albeit in a bedroom!

I actually wasn't thinking about the positives, that all sounds lovely!

In order for this to work, the other people in the house have to sanitise everything - all surfaces, all handles etc. before you touch them. Since I think it has been determined COVID can last 24 hours on soft surfaces (and 72 hours on hard surfaces) you cannot go into a room they have been in for at least the previous 24 hours if not 72.

Since you have a separate bathroom (which you could also use as a source of water) and if you are prepared to eat packaged foods which you store in the conservatory with you (so you don’t have to enter the kitchen) this might just about work. However, unless the others are prepared to not enter the bathroom for however long it takes to be sure there are no particles in the air, you might need to stick to sponge baths.

I’m not sure it’s doable. You may feel otherwise.

@MrsLebowski

I agree that it seems unnecessary but if you are determined to do this then I would try to put some insulation over the conservatory something like bubble wrap you get for greenhouses over all the Windows and hang some blankets over that like curtains using some washing line.

Blanket idea sounds good, also loads of bubble wrap from the Amazon stuff. Thank you

I think you are completely mad, but if you are really going through with this plan then this is what you need

Im with you OP, I havent hugged my DD for months. We are both going to isolate for 14 days and then she is coming to stay for a week.,

Can you not move into one of your DSC bedrooms?

@CaraDuneRedux

Answering your actual question rather than speculating as to whether you need to do this.

I used to camp in Scotland every new year (ice climber - oh the madness of youth) and it used to get down to -10).

Overnight, you will need: a foam roll mat on top of your mattress for extra insulation (specially if you're planning on using an air mattress); a second duvet (I used to put a down sleeping bag inside a synthetic one); bed socks and warm PJs; and I'd recommend wearing a woolly hat. At typical English winter temps, your biggest problem will be damp so see if you can get hold of a dehumidifier

Ice climbing sounds very hardcore!

I have a yoga mat I can use, on top of or below the mattress? We also have a dehumidifier that we use in the utility that I thought I would repurpose for the duration as well.
Thank you

Did you actually test positive twice or just symptoms?

No antibodies doesn't mean no immunity. You need to look up T cells - antibodies are the temporary response and they do wane over time - your T cells then carry the memory of the virus and can recreate them quickly when necessary.

Can you afford one of those instant COVID tests? If so, just book one right before you see her and you’ll be in the clear.

You’ll have to buy an electric heated blanket or similar

You could make yourself ill if you sleep in a cold conservatory and wont be able to see anybody at all at christmas as you will be in bed , or hospital, with pneumonia ! Ffs.

I’m also wondering if you tested positive twice

I hope you know that sleeping in cold conditions will not help your health.

You're being ridiculous.

@Happygogoat

Wow people are losing their actual minds!

Yes ok isolate in the bloody freezing and don't shower apart from every 3 days.... enjoy flu or some other bug!

Bonkers. Just be reasonable. Plenty of people have to "isolate" in close quarters. I think this goes beyond the realm of the practical and expected.

Enjoy your home and disinfect after yourself. Genuinely cant believe this is what it's come to.

I don't believe you can catch flu etc from being cold. I'm aware there are other things that you can, which is why I was asking regarding tips on staying warm.

People camp out in all weathers due to enjoying it. I'm not saying that I'm going to, just asking how it can be more comfy

@coldconservatory

We are a blended family. DD was staying at DM's as it is nearer college.

DSD caught covid from school. She and the others will be going back on Wednesday when our isolation is up.

I was planning to go to DM's to spend Christmas Day with her and DD -see above and blended family.

I want to make sure I don't have it or any lurking symptoms before I go. Once everyone is back at school there is a chance we can recatch it.

DM had underlying health conditions.

I understand there is possibly limited immunity after having it but I can't find information regarding how long for and if everyone has the immunity.

But you have had it right? So why are you sleeping in a conservatory. You know the infectious/ shedding phase is long gone right? So what are you isolating from.

Besides Christmas is the 25th of December and it's still November.

No idea how you think you can re-catch it. Maybe go read up on virus lifecycle and immunity.

Wow. You have been really unlucky. Very few people in the whole world have been documented as having had covid twice and your whole household has.

@MaxNormal

We tested positive twice. Please can you tell me more about the antibodies? SW was part of a pilot due to where she works and didn't have any.

From a purely comfort perspective, the thing that is recommended if you have no heat is to sleep inside a tent in the house. That might work in your conservatory too. It may sound daft, but it's very effective in keeping warm when you sleep as we found out when our boiler bust during a snowy week. And if you have no tent, you could maybe mock up an enclosed space within the conservatory. Great advice above about keeping layers underneath you too.

I'm low risk but have caught it twice
I was told by a health care professional that the chances of getting a positive test twice within 3 months was practically zero and to test again within that time was a waste of nhs resources.

[quote coldconservatory]@MaxNormal

We tested positive twice. Please can you tell me more about the antibodies? SW was part of a pilot due to where she works and didn't have any.[/quote]
Has anyone from public health contacted you? They must be really interested in this cluster of reinfection.

This is from Professor Tim Spector of the ZOE app fame...
"We've had six months experience of this virus now, and the number of confirmed people who have had it twice is extremely small," says Tim, explaining that he has only heard of around four or five cases of proven reinfection across the whole of Europe.

covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-reinfection-immunity

@PatriciaPerch

give the house a good clean, get on top of the washing and open all the windows when nobody is in. Then put the heating on and get an electric blanket for yourself in the conservatory and go and see your Mum and daughter and have a lovely time knowing you have done what you feel is right x

Thank you, that's what I've done.

Completely understand why people think it's futile. I love DW and DSD's so much.

Our plan has always been we spend the kids Christmas Day with them and then we have our own separately.

It works for them and for us.

I'm surprised more people would do whatever it takes to see their child at Christmas. She is 16 and putting a brave face on it, but it's my job to make sure I can see her.

@coldconservatory here you go.

Robust cellular immunity persists for at least for six months after even mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, research has shown.

www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4257