To think that self isolation within a household isn't that effective

[IDontGetOutMuch]

Would love to hear stories of self isolation within a family actually working. We are all covid positive at the moment, but all bar one of us tested negative on LFT one day, then all bar one positive on PCR the next. So, although the positive LFT immediately self isolated and we all had PCR the next morning, and then the one negative PCR then isolated, don't think it will have helped much because a bit too late, if that makes any sense.

Anyone have an opinion? Is it worth it to have people self isolating within a household, in their bedroom? Or is it just trying to hold back the tide?

Rooms in a house are not air tight. Home have shared resources, such as bathroom, kitchen. It may reduce viral load if someone stayed mostly in one room with good ventilation but as the door to the room is not air tight, then surely some particles will exit the room.

We didn't idolate and only dh got it. My friend also didn't isolate from her dh when he had it and her and her ds didn't get it. My friend is currently at the tail end of it. 2 sons back in school having had it. Her dh still isolating. She and her other dc are still negative.

It's a load of rubbish in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't separate anyone in my household that tested positive, if they are going to pass it one it would already have happened before testing in my opinion. It's up to individuals but I won't be doing it.

Unless you have a rather large home where each bedroom only houses one person and they have an en-suite it’s not going to work abs even then someone’s still going to have to knock and run the food at the door and take back the dirty dishes.

2 with, 2 without. Not isolating from youngest who is negative, but we’re all staying away from DH who is negative as he needs to work. Youngest doesn’t have it (so far) I’m starting to think he was our patient zero.

My relative came home from uni with it at the start of the pandemic. They were able to isolate him as he could have the family bathroom to himself and the rest of the family use the main bedrooms ensuite. His parent left food outside the bedroom door on trays. No one else in the home caught it. They've all had it since though!

I can't see how you can unless you have a huge house and all go separate wings. I also can't imagine isolating away from dp if he was sick and am horrified by some people's accounts on primary school aged children being alone in their bedroom for 2 weeks.

Two of us isolating in our rooms here - we both caught it at the same time - DH has continued to test negative after ten days and numerous lft and pcr tests. So worked for us.

Even with having meals put outside their door presumably either the sick person has to come out of their room to wash their dishes or someone else has to wash them so risk catching covid.

I am smarting a bit from a friend telling me how marvellously they are all doing isolating and how they have thus managed to have only one case in their house. I'm oversensitive, and still a bit ill, but it took me right back to baby days when people took complete credit for baby's superior sleep/eating etc.
I'm not sure what more we could have done. We did best possible isolation from me getting LFT test, but given that next day there were majority positive PCR, it seems it was too late.

@NotAnotherPushyMum if you both have then at least you can isolate together for company. I hope you both feel better soon.

@KylieKoKo

I can't see how you can unless you have a huge house and all go separate wings. I also can't imagine isolating away from dp if he was sick and am horrified by some people's accounts on primary school aged children being alone in their bedroom for 2 weeks.

This is my worry-all these kids essentially in their rooms for ten days or more?

Back in the days when a case in the house meant everyone had to stay in, we didnt isolate my 12 yr old further. I even ended up sharing a bed with him on his worst nights. None of the rest of the house got it.
With the lower isolation requirements, I dont know what we'd do.

We did it when DW got it. She got the bedroom, I had DDs room and DD(3) did a 10-day 'sleepover' with nanna and grandad.

I left meals at the door. DW wore a mask to use bathroom and sprayed disinfectant on any surfaces on way back. Plates etc were left outside and I washed them immediately.

It was the tidiest the house has ever been and DD had a great time too!

I isolated away from my family for 5 days, none of them got it. Stayed in my room, husband slept in sofa.

BUT I provably had it for 5 days before my positive test (lots of close contact with family) so was there any point?

My husband and daughter had it, so I felt it was inevitable that I would get it. Shared a bed with both of them at different times and didn't catch it. In fact, I took part on a study where as long as I got a negative LTF ever day, I was allowed to got the shops etc.

As a family we aren't particularly covid opinionated, it just seemed the right thing to do. The risk of doing nothing is we both get it and try to look after a 3 year old who also then can't leave the house. Rely on family to drop shopping off etc.

We were fortunate with family support. It would be very hard to keep a 3yo away from her mum for 10 days in the same house.

My teen DS was isolating last week. He spent a lot of time in his bedroom, but as he is a teen this was not a hardship for him. He came downstairs for meals (but sat on the other side of the room to the rest of us). He used the family bathroom. None of us caught it from him. DH and I are double vaccinated, but DD didn't get it either.

We haven't had it at all. None of us. Barely anyone we know has, and no one badly. But I would NOT now make teen ds's stay in their room all the time. I just can't see that it's that effective, having read bits.

My parents and brother managed it. My brother knew he was likely to get covid due to his job so he started isolating from them before he got it. They used separate bathrooms. My mum prepared all his meals and drinks so he didn't use the kitchen. She left meals and collected dishes from outside his closed bedroom door and all communication was by text message.
Thankfully my brother is self contained and resilient. My mum used to be an intensive care nurse so she is very experienced in correct hand washing and other infection control measures.

When my teenage DS tested positive he tried pretty hard to keep isolated - ate his meals in his room etc - but in a few days DH was positive. I guess DS may have infected him even before he knew he had it. Once 2 of them were positive we gave up on the internal isolation idea. I figured out I probably already had caught it, and 36 hours later I was proved right!

@IDontGetOutMuch

I am smarting a bit from a friend telling me how marvellously they are all doing isolating and how they have thus managed to have only one case in their house. I'm oversensitive, and still a bit ill, but it took me right back to baby days when people took complete credit for baby's superior sleep/eating etc. I'm not sure what more we could have done. We did best possible isolation from me getting LFT test, but given that next day there were majority positive PCR, it seems it was too late.

Look if I’ve learned anything from this whole bloody pandemic, it’s that it doesn’t matter how intricately you follow the rules and how amazing you are at distancing and washing down your shopping. It takes one unlucky timed visit and boom. Catching covid or your household catching it is not a bloody failure. There’s no winners.

@Yellow85 I think that's it in a nutshell really. Obviously, you can try not to have contact within a house, but unless it's palatial or has a separate annexe or en suites, it does seem to be a bit luck based.

My then 14 dd isolated in her room last year and me and other DC never caught it.

My dd got it. She did self isolate. We brought her food and she used the main bath room. We all wore masks when opening her door. She wore one any time she left her room.

I disinfected door handles and light switches. Dh our younger child and I didn't catch it.