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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

What do we do in this situation?

48 replies

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 10:36

DP’s colleague has just tested positive so his boss has told them all to work from home for a couple of weeks.
DP says he hasn’t been closer than 2 metres from the colleague. None of us have any symptoms (including the colleague who has tested positive).
Do we isolate for 7 days (or is it 14?) or do we also have to get a test? I’m thinking as we don’t have symptoms we wouldn’t be eligible for a test and would be told to just isolate unless symptoms do start to appear?
DP thinks we don’t even have to isolate as he hasn’t been closer than about 3m to him in the office but I’m getting conflicting advise online.
Sorry if all of this is really obvious but I just want to get it right and not be doing anything we shouldn’t be.

OP posts:

AlwaysCheddar · 21/12/2020 10:37

Isn’t it 10 days?

Aprilx · 21/12/2020 10:39

You do not need to isolate. I don’t really think your DH does either, the employer is free to send them home but if he hasn’t had close contact there is no need to isolate. None of you should get a test if you don’t have symptoms.

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2020 10:39

Your DP needs to isolate for 10 days. None of the rest of you need to unless he or you develop symptoms obviously.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/12/2020 10:42

How big is the workplace where DH works? Is it well ventilated?

hobbyiscodefordogging · 21/12/2020 10:42

Technically it's not on notification from his boss that he needs to act, but on notification from test and trace. Your DP would have to self isolate for 10 days, rest of you are supposed to try to stay apart in the home but don't have to self isolate unless he develops symptoms.

Morally, that's on all of you to decide, but I wouldn't be too blasé - BIL got told about someone in his office testing positive and that he had to self isolate, 4 days later he came down with symptoms.

Original poster

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 10:43

It’s a big open plan office with around 30 people. They have had covid regulator people who have checked the office is safe and apparently it is because of the desks all being spaced apart and screens up etc.

OP posts:

partyatthepalace · 21/12/2020 10:43

It’s up to your DH employer if he wants to send people home to stop a spread.

But that wouldn’t mean your DH would need to isolate, unless he’s been within 2 metres, or been notified by the app or called by track and trace. I’m sure there are people who might decide to isolate in these circumstances, but there is no guidance to do so.

weddingplanning15 · 21/12/2020 10:46

When I tested positive all my
Colleagues were told they didn't need to self isolate as we had maintained social distancing (even though a lot of the time social distancing was impossible and managers knew this) so I would say you DH doesn't need to isolate if they were social distancing.

Swingometer · 21/12/2020 10:46

Has he been sharing facilities with his infected colleague? (toilets, staffroom, tea making etc)

Even if he hasn't been within 2 metres of his colleague if he has been in the same office from 9 til 5 each day and touching same doors, surfaces etc then he should still self isolate

The rest of family don't need to isolate unless you have symptoms

catsarethebestestanimals · 21/12/2020 10:48

It depends - was your DP in close contact with any OTHER colleagues who, in turn had contact with infected colleague?
If answer is yes then he should self-isolate for 10 days, along with any others whom he has come into contact with (you included).
If no then you are free to go about your business.
This is what I was told when I got Covid in August and was contacted by Track and Trace...

Regarding the current rules you are not allowed to get an NHS test unless you develop symptoms or have been told to by Track and Trace (this is in England, not sure about others). You can pay for a private Covid test but it's horrendously expensive, the cheapest is £99 a kit. Unless you have pressing business I would suggest you just isolate.

Original poster

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 10:50

Yes they all share the same toilet and tea making facilities etc. They are meant to use hand sanitizer etc but I bet they don’t bother half the time.
It’s only DP and I who live in our house. As I share a bed with him would I need to isolate?
I really hope we don’t get ill as my best friend had it last month and she felt fine for about 5 days and then it suddenly hit her like a bus and she was bed ridden for a couple of weeks.

OP posts:

TheFootIsDown · 21/12/2020 10:52

He doesn't have to isolate! Teachers are not required to isolate unless they have been within 2m of the child who tested positive in secondary school. Your husband is fine.

AllThatJazzle · 21/12/2020 10:52

None of you need to self isolate. Your DH needs to self isolate if contacted by test and trace. Otherwise, he (and you) can carry on as normal.

Close contact is considered as being less than 2m from someone for 15 mins or longer. So if workplace covid secure it soubds like his employer is erring on the side of caution.

wantmorenow · 21/12/2020 10:54

Not sure of image attaches but this site has clear risk levels.. I would suggest given new strain around, he should isolate but rest of family needn't unless you get symtoms or he tests positive.

We all need to err on side of caution to get out of this.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54251632

Almostslimjim · 21/12/2020 10:58

And this is why it is spreading.

Yes, your DP needs to isolate for 10 days from last contact with colleague.

Whilst 'officially' it would only be via notification from test and trace, or PHE, that's if T&T is working properly, which we all know it isn't. 1, it can take days (up to 8) for them to contact people. 2, not everyone has it/ uses it. Does colleague have it? Does DP have it? T&T would tell DP to isolate in these circumstances due to the length of time spent in the same room (even if more than 2m apart).

The rest of your household do not need to isolate unless DP develops symptoms.

wantmorenow · 21/12/2020 11:00

Teachers not isolating because DfE understandably wants them working. Ideally after spending hours in same poorly ventilated room with someone with covid not wearing masks, most people I think would prefer to them to isolate if WFH was an option and that was before the advent of the more transmissable variant.

wantmorenow · 21/12/2020 11:02

Agree T&T not working.

I know of 4 people who have tested positive Thursday and Saturday this week in South Wales. No calls yet from T&T to any one of them.

Original poster

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 11:02

His boss has phoned and said he definitely doesn’t need to isolate. I feel like we should though just incase. Boss has also said if we are that worried we can lie that we have symptoms and get a test. Seems like really bad and stupid advise to me

OP posts:

ineedaholidaynow · 21/12/2020 11:04

Did you have any plans to meet up with anyone in the next few days?

Original poster

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 11:06

No we aren’t seeing my family as mum is vulnerable (we live in tier 3 so could have seen them for Xmas day but decided against it). DP also isn’t seeing his family as they all live really far away from us. The only place we had planned to go to this week was the supermarket

OP posts:

NewMum0305 · 21/12/2020 11:06

Your husband doesn’t need to isolate but probably should to be safe if they are sharing facilities in the office. There are reasons this thing is spreading and one is because apparently many people are looking to ways around the guidance rather than erring on the side of caution.

A test is pointless as you could test too early and get a negative when you would have tested positive a few days later.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/12/2020 11:08

Can you do the supermarket shop, and leave DH at home?

Original poster

Caramel81 · 21/12/2020 11:11

Yes I could do it myself. Surely if he has it then I would too (or does it not work like that). We share a bed and are intimate so if it’s that contagious it would have passed to me by now surely?

OP posts:

ilovesushi · 21/12/2020 11:20

Get a test.

Notnt · 21/12/2020 11:28

In your situation, I would let him isolate and do any errands that involved going out myself for the 10 days.
My partner got it through work and was asymptomatic apart from mild cold symptoms (not an office, building always opened up and safety measures in place), we only found out when I started coughing and we all tested positive.

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