What would you do NOW if you were to test positive for Covid?

[patooties]

In the next few days DH is
1/ chairing a committee
2/ invited to house party on Friday and another on Saturday
3/ a school Christmas assembly
4/ we are having friends over for dinner

he has been rough since Saturday- WFH so no problem there. Only tested this morning.

WWYD of those things (if feeling well enough) ? All or none of it? Or some of it. Give reasons for your answers please.

I would expect both of you to stay home
I couldnt knowingly ruin other people's Christmas'

This

We all tested in work a few months ago when something was going around the store. We all had the same symptoms at the same time yet only some of us tested positive for Covid. We took the tests from the shop floor and after that I do question the accuracy of them.

Is he actually feeling well enough to do any of these things? No matter what illness it is, that's the first consideration.

What symptoms does he have? Vomiting/diarrhoea, he shouldn't be going anywhere. Fever? Stay home. Infectious and frequent/uncontrolled coughing? Stay home. Stuffy nose/sore throat/head cold? If he feels ok, that's less likely to be a problem.

Is he aware of anyone he may come into close contact with at these events who is elderly or immunocompromised, as that could play a part in which ones he might choose to attend or not.

Test for covid! I had to check if this was a zombie from 2021
I would do everything if I felt well, and none of them if I felt unwell.

He should absolutely do none of those.

He should isolate from the rest of the hh, open windows for ventilation because COVID particles flat in the air to infect others, mask up with a tightly sealed mask and the rest of you should assume you are all infected if you've done none of the above. So you should all isolate too.

COVID is NOT the flu or a cold. It leaves a lasting mark on your body, causes cognitive damage, immune system dysregulation (leaving you more susceptible to all the other viruses and bacteria and fungal infections around), increases risk of stroke and heart attack (it's a vascular disease) and ultimately should never knowingly be spread.

Please do the right thing.

COVID is far more transmittable than a cold, it is second only to measles in terms of infectiousness. It's airborne so merely being in the same room as an infection person is enough to infect you, as you will be breathing in their exhaled viral particles.

COVID is also very different to a cold in terms of the lasting sequelae on your body. Immune system dysregulation, vascular damage, cognitive damage, heightened risk of auto immune disease, organ damage, these are all things that happen post-infection and that are bearing out in NHS data since 2020.

You should isolate as you are likely infected and keep testing every few days (other family members too).

Remember that rapid tests can show false negatives. It takes a few days for viral load to build to detectable levels so even if you test negative don't rule out COVID, keep testing every 2-3 days for a fortnight. Once you've got a positive, isolate till you get a negative.

If you absolutely have to go outz make sure you are wearing a well sealed FFP2 mask. Any bagginess in the mask and viral particles will escape.

See my previous response, COVID takes a few days to build sufficient viral load to be detectable. If you suspect you have COVID but get a negative, keep testing every couple of days and assume you have it.

On the other hand, flu viral load builds rapidly so flu rapid tests work well on days 1-3 of symptoms.

Hand sanitizer won't stop you inhaling viral particles. Wear an FFP2 mask that's tightly fitted to avoid catching an airborne virus (flu and RSV and measles also all airborne, just like COVID).

None. With Covid or flu you should be staying home until you are no longer contagious, even if you feel ok, the person you pass it to may not be so lucky. Anyone who does not do this is selfish.

Certainly not see the friends. If he gave them covid for Christmas and knew he had it, they’d be rightly fuming. At least tell them so they can make a decision (to cancel). He needs to stay at home if testing positive.

I would never have even considered testing. If I was feeling unwell though, I'd try and avoid getting other people ill right before Christmas.

Id be fuming if someone knowingly passed on an infectious illness to me just before Christmas

Until he tests clear, none of it. Don't be so blasé. COVID can and does make some people seriously unwell, and I knew 3 people, (previously fit, non-smokers, no previous respiratory illness, not obese) who died from it, so just because some people shake it off, not everyone does.

Most of the events you have listed involve many people who potentially may get infected. Unfortunately, it's a busy social time of the year with everyone at close quarters, indoors.The possibility of this being passed on is high. Personally, I would stay at home if I had tested positive.

I’ve never taken a COVID test and definitely wouldn’t start now.

If I felt unwell I would cancel, if I felt fine I would carry on as normal.

I wouldn’t risk passing it on to people and ruining their Christmas.

This. The fact he doesn’t feel too bad, you were clear he still feels rough, to the extent he took a test. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.

people react very differently to getting covid, some get no symptoms, some can be very unwell indeed. Xmas is a time where families get together, so to attend any of these events, knowing he is infectious, and he is likely to infect many people. Who will in turn infect others, who will then do the same, and dozens if not more will be unwell on Xmas morning, or unable to carry out their Xmas plans, would be an awful thing to silently do on Xmas. He needs to just stay home till Monday. Then he’s good to go.

for your freinds dinner, you need to tell them he’s Covid,that you and the kids are fine, but as it takes four days to see symptoms, you won’t know on Friday if you will have it or not and he will be still infectious, and give them the choice. I am fairly sure they will pull out. But not telling them would be awful.

I wouldn’t test in the first place. It’s just another endemic illness now like the flu or a cold. People catch them, some people get sicker than others and there are vaccines for the most vulnerable. It isn’t a big deal and I have no idea why tests are still available.

Use common sense really and stay at home if you’re so sick you can barely move, have a fever etc.

Why is he testing?

You’d have to go out of your way to buy one

This. I caught COVID in October, having never had it before and previously being fit and healthy. I tested because I wanted to know what was making me so ill and to know not to be in contact with vulnerable friends and family until I was negative. I usually bounce back quickly from illness - I was off work for nearly a month.

I've now been told by my GP to spend my entire Christmas holidays doing nothing - i.e. I can have a ten minute walk per day and occasional short visits from friends, but otherwise bed/sofa - to try to hopefully deal with the crushing fatigue and nervous system symptoms I've developed (early stages of long COVID, basically).

Nothing terrible is going to happen to you and your husband if you miss a few events.

Just had a friend who tested positive and they were really poorly! If I was going to a party or dinner I’d at least want the opportunity to know that someone had tested positive to give me the agency as to whether I went! We take our risks at public events!

I really would not want Covid over Christmas and would probably stay clear of someone currently positive!

If I tested positive myself, I wouldn’t go to the events.

I chair a few boards and committees. I would change 1) to a virtual one, if not already done, and alert my VC / alternate that they may need to take over should I become too unwell.

I would avoid mingling with large groups of people (you don’t know their circumstances and everyone is feeling a bit more nervous about catching bugs before seeing their families for Christmas). If meeting small groups of people, I would let them know and leave what they want to do up to them.