We think DH has coronavirus....

[ChippityDoDa]

Hi, so this morning DH rang me from his work to say he’s developed a sudden cough and felt hot. He came straight home and we put him in the study which has its own bathroom and sofa bed. He’s been in there all day. I am literally putting food at the door for him and he’s self sufficient in the room. I’m sure he’ll be ok even if it is CV19 as he’s under 40 and pretty healthy however my question is this.... do I now need to isolate for 7 days? We have two young children, one of whom is at school and one at preschool. We are all well apart from DH. Would be a bloody nuisance to be honest but will I be unwittingly infecting folk if I go about my usual business? Our own elderly relatives have been isolated all week anyway so I wouldn’t see them now. Dilemma!

Why would you not isolate yourself family?

Because that’s not what public health experts have said to do.

How shit is England that you can't find out if you have it. What bullshit honestly. The govt can hide the cases but they won't be able to hide the deaths in 10 days, nor the panicked WhatsApps of doctors, nurses and anaesthetists.

Even if it is the flu, there's good reason to isolate. Whatever reduces the burden on the health services must be a good thing.

The 'new persistent cough' part of the advice has baffled me a bit. A persistent cough is a cough that's lasted longer than normal. So I'd think of that being a week or more of coughing to call it persistent. By that time, it's not new. Is this an oxymoron? By the time it's persistent, you've already been spreading it over 7 days...

I thought it wasn't a chesty cough, I've had one which has been coughing up mucus and NHS 111 said it wasn't corona virus when I called them.

I don't understand this.

OP 's DH has it.
We know it can be symptomless at first therefore OP could have it and 'feel' symptoms soon.
Op goes out as normal and could spread it whilst in infectious but symptomless phase.

Or have I got it wrong?

@B0bbin surely in this situation a persistent cough means it’s not just ‘cough cough, oh my throat caught there’ but coughing often throughout the day?

No, under current advice you do not need to self isolate. Only if you develop symptoms.

My husband has started coughing this afternoon. He feels hot but doesn’t have a temperature yet. He’s nhs and works in a hospital

We have 3 young kids (two disabled) and really unsure about what to do. Advice is for us 4 to carry on as usual, but we must have it too and be asymptomatic for now. We would be spreading it surely? Really hard to know what to do for the best.

I think if the whole family doesn’t self isolate it’s irresponsible.
It’s not showing up immediately, so the fact your husband is the only one displaying symptoms is meaningless.
There are a lot of people who are immunosuppressive so it’s unfair to put them at risk.
Supplies can be delivered
The government advise if clueless and wholly

@Buscake

That is what I don't understand - we know symptoms don't show immediately - aren't we spreading it by being out and about?

That is what I don't understand - we know symptoms don't show immediately - aren't we spreading it by being out and about?

The BBC press conference guy said that at this moment the vast majority of people with symptoms of coronavirus will not have coronavirus. He says that if we ask families to self-isolate at this point, people will get fed up of it and at the peak of the virus when we actually do need them to self-isolate will not bother. So they're waiting until later on to give that advice.

Someone quoted a temperature ‘over 37.8’ up thread. I’m sure I saw that figure too, but can’t find it on anything official.

Dd is currently a tad hotter than normal but only reading 37.6 Celsius.

I would follow the advice of the government and the country’s top scientists as opposed to some people on Mumsnet.

You might self-isolate for a week and then he doesn’t have it. So then you have to self-isolate again at some point in the future.

We’re mostly going to get this illness whether it’s now or later. The government has given specific advice to that they can manage the trend of cases and be ready for them. If people just ignore that advice and do their own thing then the way in which the government has set up the health services to cope at peak time will simply not work, because peak time will come later than they expect - probably next winter when hospitals are already creaking under the pressure of annual winter illnesses.

Do people really think that the country’s best scientists have not thought about this stuff? If well people deliberately self isolate then that will skew the curve.

I, not saying this as someone who does not have a lot to lose if coronavirus hits my house. At least one of my children is already in precarious health. I think sticking to the plan gives him the best chance.

Itsmybirthday
You're right. Persistent in this case might mean constant/ repeated coughing. There are so many coughs around at the moment it's a bit hard. Thanks for pointing that out though.

@ATailofTwoKitties it's on here:

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-51857856

Paragraph beginning, 'public health England has released new guidance'

...so if anyone has a link that has a definitive value of ‘fever’, that would be great.

I believe you do need to. But your husband does need to be tested. If it is not coronavirus then you can all stop isolating. Give 101 a call and ask for advice.

Cross posts - thank you

See the post above your latest @ATailofTwoKitties

No problem, Kit

I would do a next day delivery for Boots & get something like Night Nurse for his cough, painkillers like paracetamol & Ibuprofen, some tissues, Vick's Vapour rub, throat sweets etc, just like you would get for normal colds & flu. Then sort an online shop & make sure you have lots of easy food that doesn't need much cooking in case you come down with it. The Sainsbury's driver who deliveredmy mum's shop this week said that they will be using bags again for any shops that need leaving on the doorstep.

I think if the whole family doesn’t self isolate it’s irresponsible.

Irresponsible for following the official advice?

the droplets are spread by the coughing and can travel some distance. If you are not coughing you are not likely to be sitting Corona virus droplets around so that is why the rest of you are not expected to isolate. Anyone who is coughing should isolate