Neighbour with Covid popped over yesterday

[Whatisthis543]

I genuinely don’t know if IABU here so could use some advice. My next door neighbour but one (lives alone) has tested positive for COVID. When he is walking his dog he sometimes knocks for a chat and as he’s old and possibly lonely we usually ask him to distance and chat to him at a ‘safe distance’ from the doorstep.

He knocked on the door yesterday when he was out for a walk, and stepped back 2 meters outdoors before chatting to me and DP. He noted after chatting for about 10 minutes that he has taken a COVID test as has had a bit of a sore throat. Turns out the test was positive (he found out today). I’m now driving myself mad thinking he’s probably passed it to us (but maybe he hasn’t as 2m away and outside). AIBU?

Probably you're fine. But he was certainly being unreasonable and should have stayed away. Does he have your details - could he phone you if he needs help?

It’s very unreasonable of him to leave his house if he has symptoms. I would not worry too much as there’s nothing you can do. When I had it my partner didn’t even catch it (or at least didn’t have a positive test and no symptoms).

Only way to know is wait and see if you have any symptoms.

Isolate for the required period. Hopefully his selfish attitude going out knowing he was waiting on covid results hasnt put anyone else at risk. I do completely feel for those who are vulnerable and understand why you would speak from within your house at a distance but he shouldn't have been out and in your shoes i would err on side of caution and isolate tbh. I understand why you're worried

Sweet Jesus what a lunatic! Some people have a bizarre blind spot that they couldn't possibly be infected or infectious. It all happens to 'Other People'

MIL is the same. She is elderly and frail but insisted she was going to a NYE party! Now she's out with us because we won't call to see her.

What an absolute bellend.

It’s hopefully very unlikely he’s passed it on to you, from 2m away outdoors, but what a total fucking whopper.

What did you say when he said he’d had a covid test?

Oh and isolate.

We will isolate now of course, but it’s not ideal as we are in a support bubble with someone vulnerable (which we will stop as of hearing the news)

We have bleached the outside door too so none of the delivery drivers could catch it from where he touched the door. Probably overzealous but want to protect where possible!

@readingreadingreading yes and we have offered to drop him supplies to his doorstep so he will be ok on that front

Sorry if I’m thick but why would you isolate if he was stood outdoors over 2m away from you? It’s very unlikely he would have passed it onto you outside and from that distance unless he was coughing near you?

I wouldn’t be isolating but I would be checking in on him (via phone or through the window) incase he needs anything.

Yes, he shouldn’t have been out whilst waiting for a covid test or after testing positive.

What was he thinking??? He knew he might have it as he took the test, now you have to isolate and he's put you at risk of getting it too. I realise he might be lonely but that was very selfish behaviour.

I think it's more likely due to his ignorance of how the virus is passed. We were talking today how worrying it is that the infection rates are increasing. One of those was a person who was bereaved before the lockdown. That person was over 65 so would have been eligible to be vaccinated.

You only have to isolate while waiting for test results if you have one of the three symptoms listed on the government website.

If all he had was a sore throat he needn't have taken a test at all. 🤷🏼‍♂️

That's quite disturbing, given that he was out and about and calling on people.

It was selfish and foolish of him to stop and chat to you when he was concerned enough to have had a test. I'd imagine you most likely won't have caught it under those circumstances, but it's understandable that you're worried.

You don't need to isolate- your contact didnt meet the requirements

He stayed 2m away, you don't have to isolate. Poor chap.

But sore throat on its own isn't supposedly a sign of covid...
It's unreasonable to expect people to isolate if they have any random symptom, and in fact government guidance is specifically to carry on as normal unless you have a cough, fever or loss of taste or smell.

@SnackSizeRaisin has it occurred to you that the government guidance might not be accurate and the reason Covid is spreading so rapidly?

The Whole Health Organization on their website actually has sore throat as a symptom of Covid.

I think people confuse the "get a test" poster as being the only reason you can request a test, which isn't true. Sore throat is a COVID symptom, and you can get a test because of it.

You should be fine, your neighbor should not be walking his dog though!

Technically you don't need to isolate, but if current isolation criteria worked we wouldn't be in this shit storm.

To all the people saying OP doesn't need to isolate as the neighbour only had a sore throat and didn't need to get tested, surely the fact that he tested positive without having any of the three indicated symptoms is the important bit here?
He is positive so if OP wants to be sure that she doesn't pass it on to others, that sounds pretty reasonable and responsible to me.

@SnackSizeRaisin

But sore throat on its own isn't supposedly a sign of covid... It's unreasonable to expect people to isolate if they have any random symptom, and in fact government guidance is specifically to carry on as normal unless you have a cough, fever or loss of taste or smell.

Yeah & look how well that's working

2m away and outside, you do not need to isolate.

However he was wrong to come to yours if he had symptoms and a test result pending