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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
Greenrubber · 26/08/2021 08:42

Unless they make a better vaccine of course

hippychick10 · 26/08/2021 08:44

@Dontforgetyourbrolly

It's not crazy , if people test negative then they haven't got it. Not everyone catches it, even in close proximity and especially if they are vaccinated. What is crazy is healthy people at home unable to earn money or continue with their education.
Spot on
Wakeywakey86 · 26/08/2021 08:44

@Babamamananarama I'm sorry to hear you are having such a terrible time. It must be such an additional worry being a mother to two young children.
I just wondered what precautions would make you feel comfortable? And when you see that the precautions could be lifted some?
Unfortunately, regardless of the current, or previous rules I personally feel the only way to keep covid out of your home is to isolate like we did initially. No school, no work, no socialising, no one in the house, no one out of the house. But it's just not feasible long term.
The previous rules have slowed it somewhat but other than the initial lockdown which was very restricted, the numbers have remained constantly fairly high for positives. No matter when we unlock there is going to be a spike.
I don't have the answers, I just wondered about your thoughts on it all.
I wish you good health Thanks

Awalkintime · 26/08/2021 08:46

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland
Multiple weeks off work both during and afterwards as walking for 5 minutes was too much for them - hospital attendance and 30% of staff and yes all 3 weeks post 2nd vaccine.

Your daughter will be able to get the RSV vaccine when it is certified for children. Maybe you might want to thank those doing the trials for the vaccine instead of criticising my mum and being jealous when she is putting herself forward for trials of a vaccine to enable your daughter to be protected.

Jemand · 26/08/2021 08:46

Have we all forgotten about our very natural and capable immune systems that have survived plagues and viruses since the beginning of time?

The human race survives, but with thousands of avoidable deaths. As a society, it's reasonable to say we won't accept that.

AlmostSummer21 · 26/08/2021 08:51

@Nousernameforme

I was just thinking this same thing. What do I do if say DP or I test positive and youngest dc has to go to school. I know there is at least one CV dc in the class, also what about people coming to the home. We have tutor visits to our home several times a week, it seems like madness for that to continue and a sure fire way to spread covid
Exactly.

Households with a positive case should isolate, closest class contacts should isolate & adult close contacts should at least LFT.

'Learning to live with it' doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If we take no measures to prevent the spread, schools will close, hospitals will be overwhelmed eith covid & unable to deal with other illness. Food supply chain will be screwed...

How 'normal' do you think that will be?

Greenrubber · 26/08/2021 08:53

My LFT did not show positive until after my PCR test so it's very possible you can test and be negative but still have covid

Cissyandflora · 26/08/2021 08:56

@Moonface123

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.
Haha you should be prime minister. Thousands of people forgot about their capable immune system and died.
Iggly · 26/08/2021 09:00

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

Maybe do some research before making such statements. Look what happened during the plague for example?

Awalkintime · 26/08/2021 09:01

Moonface123
Where do I get one of these natural and capable immune systems you talk of. I've not got one and would like to get one please. Before the start of the new school year if possible.

The fear of dying is not being pathetic when you have seen people die of this and you know you are at significant risk and keep getting told you don't matter.

You also forgot our ancestors had paranoia by the way of using red crosses on doors. How pathetic of them!

BluebellsGreenbells · 26/08/2021 09:05

It's not crazy , if people test negative then they haven't got it

You are assuming they’ll test themselves when there is no requirement to do so.

fizbosshoes · 26/08/2021 09:06

My DH is self employed, and neither of us can wfh - that would be quite a chunk of lost income if we have to isolate for 10 days (or more) when we are not unwell. (Potentially as well as - of course- isolating if we did become infected)

Bryonyshcmyony · 26/08/2021 09:08

@BluebellsGreenbells

It's not crazy , if people test negative then they haven't got it

You are assuming they’ll test themselves when there is no requirement to do so.

Even my 18 year old and all her friends tested themselves before I picked them up from camping holiday this week. I think people will happily test themselves if it means a positive result doesn't mean all their family has to isolate.
fizbosshoes · 26/08/2021 09:14

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.

Agree.

ragged · 26/08/2021 09:49

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

Most people who have detectable flu germs either have no symptoms or symptoms no worse than common cold. We don't historically expect people to say home with mild cold symptoms. It's not sustainable strategy. It may even increase risk of harmful infections by not getting mild constant ongoing exposure to all the respiratory germs.

Bizawit · 26/08/2021 09:57

Your daughter will be able to get the RSV vaccine when it is certified for children. Maybe you might want to thank those doing the trials for the vaccine instead of criticising my mum and being jealous when she is putting herself forward for trials of a vaccine to enable your daughter to be protected

What a ridiculous and manipulative post.
That wasn’t the point noidontwatchloveisland was making at all. She was simply pointing out that we all live with risks in our lives; there are other viruses out there , and diff people may be vulnerable to different ones in different ways. People are asking for others to make unprecedented sacrifices in their lives for the sake of this one disease (a disease that poses little danger to the vast majority of people, especially children ).

Maybe there was a case for such drastic measures when the pandemic first hit (personally I never agreed with the coercive ones at all). But at some point we have to find some proportion and balance. 18 months in and with vaccinations , many people (thankfully) think that time has come. 18 months is an inordinately long time in the life of a small child- my DD has been living with this situation most of her life. I would like her to have the chance to do all the things she would have been able to do in 2019, for the sake of her well-being and development.
I also have a dad and grandparents who I am very attached to , who are vulnerable to covid. I’m very grateful that there are lots of measures in place to protect them (vaccines, testing, treatments etc); they also take personal care/ responsibility for their own risk. but I’m not willing to sacrifice my DD’s education indefinitely in the name of controlling covid spread (which will only have marginal , short term effects anyway).

igelkott2021 · 26/08/2021 10:07

@SuperCaliFragalistic

What's crazy is the country remaining in a state of semi lockdown when the majority are fully vaccinated. If you're ill - stay home. If you're not ill - go to work/school/uni etc.
I agree.

Yes, there is a possibility you may pass on the virus at work. But people would be jumping up and down if their bins were not being emptied, shops closed due to lack of staff or their kids were sent home from school even though they were perfectly healthy.

There has to be a balance. In a few weeks, all adults who want to be vaccinated will be fully vaccinated.

Plus the fact you are meant to test before you go out. It seems that we neither trust the vaccines nor the tests. Makes you wonder why we bother doing either.

igelkott2021 · 26/08/2021 10:10

Most people who have detectable flu germs either have no symptoms or symptoms no worse than common cold. We don't historically expect people to say home with mild cold symptoms

Flu and colds are not the same. I've had proper flu twice in my life and it was not funny. MN loves to say that flu can be mild. It is not. It is a serious illness and I remember the German RKI pointing this out when covid first started - "it's just like flu". It isn't, but if it was, it would still be incredibly serious. When the people on Strictly say they missed training for a day because they had flu, they did not, they had a sniffle.

Colds vary a lot in severity, some are just sniffles, some are annoying, some I need to spend a day in bed with. But both flu and colds can be very serious if immune-compromised people get infected with them. However, we don't lock everyone away who has a cold or flu.

Awalkintime · 26/08/2021 10:18

Bizwit
Yes it was rude, it was in response to her rude post suggesting my mum was getting some kind of privilege not afforded to others who was still at risk and so I am within my rights to let her know my mum is not being given some very expensive privilege but in fact putting herself forward and putting her health at risk to ensure others could be afforded that right in the future.

user1471447863 · 26/08/2021 10:33

YANBU OP, it is crazy that the rest of the household can carry on as normal as they haven't -caught- -it- , sorry that should be haven't caught it yet
Schools are back here since last week. Friday we get the txt that contact tracing is going on at school (so seeing as tests are taking up to 36hr to get back someone must have been ill on Wednesday, so barely back).
And low and behold there is reportedly 7 kids in that one class positive now. So yeah it's going to spread through households too, yet their siblings can still attend school and nursery.

If it really was the case that it would be a minor illness and over and done with that would be ok, but reportedly 7% or 8% of young children are showing long Covid symptoms after. At my kids school that would potentially be over 50 kids being left impaired for life if it is allowed to run rampant through the school - which is a totally unacceptable figure in my mind.
I'd hope most households would have the decency to isolate but seeing as wearing a mask properly was too difficult for many people I severely doubt it.

@Babamamananarama I'm sorry to hear of your situation and feel very much for you. Fingers crossed you manage to be kept safe.

sherrystrull · 26/08/2021 10:45

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

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
Oh that's ok then. Let's not worry about them then.
RagzReturnsRebooted · 26/08/2021 10:48

@MoreHairyThanScary

I think it's mad too, fortunately my employer ( healthcare ) insists on working from home / time off for household contacts, I have been wfh since 14th when first 1 daughter then another and now me ( today) has tested positive. I could have infected my whole team in that time ... with significant impact to our essential service.
Same here, technically they could come in but organisation has decided it isn't worth the risk to the patients or the staff/business continuity.
LindaEllen · 26/08/2021 10:52

@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?
By doing what you'd do if someone in your house has flu. Stay at home if you get it too, but otherwise carry on as normal. If you do that, plus take sensible hygiene precautions, you'll have decent protection from spreading it. We can't live like THIS forever, and it's not getting any better than it is now.
ButteringMyArse · 26/08/2021 10:58

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

If your circumstances allow you to stay out of the workplace because someone in your household has norovirus, you are much, much more fortunate than some people. It isn't necessarily a choice. If someone's job is going to be at risk and/or they can't afford to lose the pay if they don't go in, they are not being selfish if they attend the workplace. It follows that this is also true of covid.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 26/08/2021 11:07

@ButteringMyArse really? Barring children that need care your boss would be OK if you phoned in saying sorry my husband has a virus I can't come in ??? Haha OK then