Just tested positive, can I still provide Xmas Dinner but not attend?

[Tereseta]

I was supposed to be cooking for dh and dds and elderly mil for Christmas. Felt a bit off colour today and did lft which was positive, waiting on results of pcr.
Obviously this has stopped my Christmas in its tracks, but dh and dds are still hoping to go to mils for Xmas day (depending on their lft being negative) would I be still be OK to cook/prep the dinner at our home for him to take to mils or not?
He's not much of a cook and mil is disabled and unable to cook a big meal. Dh is carer for mil so will be round there daily depending on negative lft.
AIBU to cook the dinner for h to take round on Xmas day? Don't want to ruin everyone's Christmas.

I don't think I would feel comfortable eating it if I'm honest

I would suggest

• your DH cooks supervised by you from a distance (you are ill woman!)
• he takes food to the in laws and returns (they are elderly, too risky for him and the kids to go, regardless of the technical rules, but food is not a risk)
• you guys eat Christmas dinner with you up top of table and a window open - zooming the in laws at some point

She wants us all there regardless of test results but I have said I definitely won't be round until clear to do so.

@Tereseta these guidelines may be handy

To estimate the temperature that could kill SARS-CoV-2, one group of researchers looked into the effect of temperature on other coronaviruses. One of these viruses was SARS-CoV, which causes SARS and is closely related to SARS-CoV-2.

Based off the data, the researchers estimated that most coronaviruses would be almost completely killed after exposure to temperatures of 65°C (149°F) or higher for longer than 3 minutes. The researchers also noted that:

For temperatures lower than 65°C (149°F), a longer exposure time should be used. For example, the coronavirus may need to be exposed to temperatures of between 50 and 55°C (122 to 131°F) for 20 minutes to be killed

So if your food will be reheated/served hot, your MIL should be fine. Personally I would avoid anything cold just to be absolutely sure. Soup/Turkey/Xmas pud will be fine
To ensure that all coronavirus particles are killed, it may be beneficial to increase the temperature by 10°C (18°F). This would mean heating the virus to 75°C (167°F) for at least 3 minutes.

@Suzi888

Covid is airborne. You cannot infect food…. Jesus WEPT!

Jesus wept yourself.

Obviously it can be transmitted to another person via surfaces and food is a surface.

Where do you think the virus goes when you breath it out? It lands, it doesn't go 'poof' & vanish 🤦🏻‍♀️

It seems old variants at least, didn't survive very long on surfaces, but they can. Why do you think 'wash hands' is important??

@amysaurus87

Sorry but if you have covid YABVU to go to your in laws for Christmas. This is how it spreads.

Try reading her posts. Unless English is your 5th language it's not that complicated (I suspect people for whom English IS their 5th language have better comprehension frankly)

Just because your family don’t have to isolate legally doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t morally. You can’t seriously be thinking of sending close contacts to an elderly relative. That would be a terrible risk to her health.

I think you all have to accept that none of you are going to MIL house this year. At best you can prep it and DH drop it on her doorstep. A thorough reheating will ensure food is ok.

None of you should be entering her house. Your DH is probably already in the early stages of infection. Going into his mums is nuts. You can all meet up when you’re in the clear.

It's not the food that's the risk here

I would be cancelling it completely, MIL is elderly, why would you want to risk it?

Your whole household needs to do PCR tests and then test daily with LFT (if PCR are negative) but I still wouldn’t risk it tbh. I would hate to think I had passed it to someone elderly.

@PrivateHall

Sorry but it is madness to even consider visiting MIL. Put Christmas day back a week and celebrate it then.

This. LFTs are not very reliable. Chances are that someone could be positive and it not show on the LFTs , really not worth the risk.

your DH can’t be that incompetent that he can’t cook. You’re ill for goodness sake!

@Tereseta

Thanks for all the comments, to answer some, if DH can't go to mils then she would have no way of getting food and drink or getting to the toilet. She has a carer in the evening to get her washed and changed for bed but the visit lasts about 20 mins and at the moment there is not much chance of more than that. If he tests positive then God knows what will happen, probably emergency care from social services.

We have agonised over the risk to her over the last two years and take as many precautions as we can.

I think I will order as much pre prepared veg and potatoes as I can and write out timings for DH what could go wrong!

Hmm... how does she feel about beans on toast??

Make it simple for him and you can always have a post Christmas, Christmas dinner!

Then in the new year, teach him to cook. What would he do if you were in hospital? Kids need to have dinner cooked for them!

Are you going to properly isolate in the house from them??

Link to guidance & advice

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#samehousehold

I hope you don't feel too bad with it x

She wants us all there regardless of test results

Surely you don't mean she wants people in her home who are confirmed covid cases?

DH is positive, we’re all negative but still need to isolate for 10days.

I would consider having a grocery store deliver a Christmas dinner to your MIL. We are dropping off a food parcel to my MIL (leaving at the door), sending her flowers/chocolates and we don’t have COVID. She’s very old and medically vulnerable, and with the variant, we don’t want to take chances.

@Skyechasemarshalontheway

In scotland household contacts also isolate for 10 days regardless of results so her dh wouldn't be able to go out.

We're not that sensibly guided here!!

The wee Nippy is far more sensible!

In scotland household contacts 'should' isolate but its not law. They do need to go for a PCR though

"Entire households should isolate themselves from events and gatherings if just one member tests positive, because they probably are also infected, government scientists have said" this is fro the telegraph who state although the government haven't advised it scientists think that whole house should not attend events. I would imagine they would recommend your family don't go to you MILS and not to cook a meal.

I think the most shocking thing about this post is that you have covid, were already feeling 'off colour', could potentially feel worse by Christmas Day, and are planning to martyr yourself for Christmas dinner

@Suzi888

Covid is airborne. You cannot infect food…. Jesus WEPT!

We got covid from the chef in our local pub 12 people. Might have been on the plates- who knows.

@Lalliella

Just because your family don’t have to isolate legally doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t morally. You can’t seriously be thinking of sending close contacts to an elderly relative. That would be a terrible risk to her health.

I don't exactly disagree, but MIL depends on her son for some care, have you ever tried getting additional care via SS, let alone right now! Plus her son is naturally going to be more careful about his mum than a carer AND he's one person, not a different person every day.

I don't know WTAF I'd do, probably see if there's another family member, or friend, who could help out IF anyone thinks carers aren't working when someone in their house has covid, they're deluded

Covid is not food-borne like other viruses such as norovirus that spreads like wild fire with food so I would say fine. What does your mil say?

I get a weekly take away and I don't know who's made it 🤷‍♀️

BUT I wouldn't put too much pressure on yourself to cook if you are poorly. Christmas dinner isn't necessary. You could always have a New Year's Day dinner instead!

If someone told me part of what I'd eating had been prepared by someone with Covid, I would not want to eat it.

I don't think it's fair on your guests - think how you'd feel in their position!

As said, heat will kill covid. You could wear a mask and disposable gloves while preparing it. Cook everything, separate yourself from it all while it cools, get it all chilled. Then husband takes it to MIL and nukes it all in oven or microwave to within a micro millimetre of its life.