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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not understand why we have now got rid of isolation for household members?

219 replies

AlexaShutUp · 25/08/2021 22:29

Sorry if there is already a thread on this, but isn't it a bit crazy to be sending children into school when their parents and/or siblings have tested positive for covid?Confused

I totally get that the pinging was getting too much and I am OK with a lot of rules being relaxed as we have to get back to some kind of normality at some stage, but surely it isn't unreasonable for members of the same household to carry on isolating. Isn't it going to spread like wildfire as soon as schools open up?

It just seems crazy...

OP posts:
Awalkintime · 26/08/2021 08:19

GreenWillow

Every member of staff who got it at ours was very sick - double jabbed healthy adults. There are ECV staff in school - two immunosuppressed - they are just collateral damage? Seems to me that 'well they are ECV' is the new 'well she was wearing a short skirt' victim blaming.

I would beg to differ that it is only government policy causing issues given how sick our staff have been.

Bizawit - true but I was responding to your comment about making them stay home if they are sick so surely you wanted a response on this topic of which I gave.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:19

*Awalkintime

Iggly
When we had cases in our school it caused 3 members of the same family to end up ventilated. They are still requiring their arses being wiped now. People conveniently ignore those facts and gaslight people who remind them.
Exactly. People are absolutely narrow minded or have the memory of a pigeon.

Every year hundreds of people are ventilated for RSV and other cough & cold viruses that circulate widely. We don't shut society down for them (or even test for them) because most people are only mildly affected. We don't vaccinate for them either and not a lot of money has been spent on trying to have an effective vaccine. One of those almost killed my daughter, I know what it's like to sit by your child in bed on a ventilator but I can't take my anecdotal individual experience and extrapolate that to expect society to do something that would be mad given the statistics.

Cissyandflora · 26/08/2021 08:20

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Do you stay off work if someone in your house has a sickness bug (but you are otherwise well?) Or if your child has chicken pox does everyone stay home?
If one of my children has a sickness bug I keep them all off school and I wouldn’t mix with anyone else until we are certain we are free of the sickness. That’s being decent responsible humans.

I know lots of people would just send their other children to school and that’s why these bugs go around schools. It’s selfishness.

Awalkintime · 26/08/2021 08:21

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland
My mum got the RSV vaccine this week.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:21

Awalkintime
I'm amazed immunosuppressed people continue to work in schools. When my friend was immunosuppressed she was given very firm advice from her doctors that it wasnt a suitable working environment for her and she ended up having to change role. That was pre-covid. As has always been the case, people need to consider if they have health conditions what is a suitable working environment for them.

BettyBlueCheese · 26/08/2021 08:21

@Marcee
Hope you and your family are ok ? Did you get your results ?

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:22

Palivizumab? She's been very lucky. My daughter was vulnerable and we were never even told it exists.

sherrystrull · 26/08/2021 08:22

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Awalkintime I'm amazed immunosuppressed people continue to work in schools. When my friend was immunosuppressed she was given very firm advice from her doctors that it wasnt a suitable working environment for her and she ended up having to change role. That was pre-covid. As has always been the case, people need to consider if they have health conditions what is a suitable working environment for them.
And immunosuppressed children?
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:24

Oh and awalkintime my daughter is still vulnerable to RSV due to other health stuff and note I'm not our there a) complaining that your mum (presumably an older person) gets a terrifically expensive vaccine but my little daughter with her life ahead of her doesnt, or expecting your mum to limit her life to reduce transmission to my child.and in return I'd like people to let my kids get their education!!

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:25

Sherrystrull again they have always often had to miss some school, that's not new? If you are immunosuppressed you aren't only vulnerable to Covid, any common cold virus can be extremely severe for you

Bizawit · 26/08/2021 08:26

@Awalkintime I think we have got our wires crossed here.
You responded to my initial post (- that we don’t isolate children if their household member has any other virus-) by asking if I meant we should send children to school , when they are actually sick. I responded and said no that’s not what I meant , and sought to clarify. You then said but that is what people are doing (sending children to school when they are sick). I said well I don’t support that and it’s a bit off topic.

The topic is should children isolate when a household member is sick...

hippychick10 · 26/08/2021 08:26

@Fairyfalls

No point having our jabs then?
Exactly. My son had Covid and we all had to isolate....I then got Covid and we all had to isolate.

My other son now has Covid but we no longer have to isolate thankfully.
We've all been double vaxxed too plus had Covid....so why should we isolate yet again....
We consistently lose money if we don't work as all self-employed too

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:26

every member of staff who got it at ours was very sick - double jabbed healthy adults

What % of staff was that? Were they all more than 3 weeks post second vaccine?
And what is "very ill" - hospitalised? Or a week in bed feeling really crap?

SuperCaliFragalistic · 26/08/2021 08:27

@Morph2lcfc

“I certainly wouldn't go into the office if others in my household had norovirus or similar... that would be incredibly selfish.”

It would never have occurred to me before reading this and before COVID to stay off work if I wasn’t ill but others in the household were, except if I had to look after a child of course which is holiday or unpaid leave. Did people genuinely used to stay off before, was it a done thing? Is it claimed as sick leave if you aren’t sick or holiday/unpaid leave?

The people who are able to choose to isolate their whole household if one person is ill need to recognise that they are very privileged not to need to maintain their income for potentially weeks at a time. In the real world people use good hygiene procedures and common sense but still go about their normal life.
sst1234 · 26/08/2021 08:28

@AlexaShutUp

I’d rather live with some precautions so others can live with a little less fear.

Totally agree.

Fill your boots. No one is stopping you locking yourself down permanently. But others don’t have to subscribe to this lockdown obsession. Especially post vaccination and especially for an illness for such a low mortality rate.
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:28

Supercalifragilistic
The people who are able to choose to isolate their whole household if one person is ill need to recognise that they are very privileged not to need to maintain their income for potentially weeks at a time. In the real world people use good hygiene procedures and common sense but still go about their normal life.

This.

wheresmymojo · 26/08/2021 08:30

@AlexaShutUp

What does it mean when people say learn to live with it? For me, that means things mostly getting back to normal but still taking sensible precautions like isolating household members. For some people, learning to live with it seems to mean pretending that the virus no longer exists?

For me it means treating it like we would the flu. If you have it, you stay at home.

I think common sense with the flu would be to try to stay at home if you can (if someone else had it at home) but it's not legally mandated.

BTW I was fully on board with lockdowns and masks etc. I just think that now most people are vaccinated we have to get back to 'normal' life. I realise that is horrible for those who are immune suppressed but COVID isn't the only thing they have to worry about, presumably flu would be just as bad for them too.

If we can't get back to normal life now, then when can we?

Bryonyshcmyony · 26/08/2021 08:32

I don't think my employer would let me take time off if one of my teens had norovirus! Obviously if a young kid is sick and has noone to look after them then they'd be understanding

Wakeywakey86 · 26/08/2021 08:32

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I don’t come to work ill because I’m ‘a good little martyr’.

I go to work when I’m ill because I don’t get paid otherwise, and statutory sick pay is a joke.

Exactly this! And my brother and SIL both lost two weeks of wages when they did the right thing, had a test which came back positive and isolated. They both did feel well enough to go to work. They are both in a ridiculous amount of debt which they are trying to make headway to get on top of. They have both said if they had symptoms again they wouldn't even do a test and would go to work as normal. This probably seems very selfish to some, but I can't help but wonder how many others will take this stance? And from a privileged position of not being in any debt, having a great sick pay package and being able to adapt and carry out some work from home in an emergency I can't say I'm best placed to judge them. But I certainly do have empathy and understanding. People have bills to pay, food to put on the table and don't have the luxury of lost wages. Until this is resolved there will be untold numbers of people not isolating when sick 🤷🏼‍♀️
justamomentplease · 26/08/2021 08:33

@maddening

For passing contacts I totally agree that scrapping isolation is the right thing.

But households should definitely isolate imo.

Agree.
hippychick10 · 26/08/2021 08:33

[quote Sweettea1]@Alexashutup Sorry I read it wrong I thought you was saying child was at home with covid not a family member at home. Yes I agree I think if households should still isolate if 1 member has it.[/quote]
Why though? What if they've all already been double vaxxed AND had COVID themselves? In a family of 5/6 it would mean the family could potentially be permanently at home and not out earning money? We're not all rich enough to entertain weeks or months off work with no money!!

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/08/2021 08:33

For me, that means things mostly getting back to normal but still taking sensible precautions like isolating household members

It will be widely circulating & it's likely there will be repeat infections. Remember children often get 8-12 coughs/cold in a single year, an approach where children not only stay home when they are poorly but also when anyone in their home is could result in huge amounts of missed school and would be catastrophic for parents having to miss weeks of work on no pay.

Moonface123 · 26/08/2021 08:34

Have we all forgotten about our very natural and capable immune systems that have survived plagues and viruses since the beginning of time?
I think our ancestors will be in total disbelief at the paranoia surrounding this virus.

BluebellsGreenbells · 26/08/2021 08:41

When mine children were younger, in reception nearly half the class was absent with chicken pox, a quarter in year 2 had hand foot and mouth, year 4 a huge sick bug went round and the Christmas play was almost cancelled

These children have had little exposure to covid so we should expect numbers to rise hugely to start, but then as they recover the protection kicks in.

Those who should be worried are people to continue to visit elderly relatives.

It should be more honest

Greenrubber · 26/08/2021 08:42

The vaccines are wearing off!
People in their 40's and below unless CV won't be offered boosters (as far as I'm aware)
1 in 3 people are asymptomatic

All the government has done is slow the virus down

In 5 years time we will still be in the same position

So unless your having a booster every 6 months (which isn't 100%)
You are probably going to have to live with the fact you will get covid

I think the vaccines should be kept for the CV and people who work with the CV to minimise the virus for them but everyone else will just have to accept at some point you either get on with it or you turn into a hermit

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