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Original poster

Impossible to self isolate in a flat with no doors/one bathroom

27 replies

Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 01:37

We aren't at the stage of needing to isolate yet but I can't see that it's going to be at all possible if one of us is ill. We are a two adult and two child family, youngest still bed shares and breastfeeds, oldest 6 years old and likes to cuddle a lot! I can't see a way to change those things without causing a lot of upset.

We live in a two bed flat with one bathroom and an open plan kitchen/lounge. There is a communal garden, which I won't use if we have symptoms but it might be our only option for fresh air. We actually only have a door on the bathroom currently, so can't follow advice to leave food outside doors of bedrooms and in any case if one was ill where would we all sleep as no room for extra beds in either bedroom.

Can anyone advise on measures we could put in place for self isolation? We can't be the only family who don't have enough rooms or doors for self isolation.

OP posts:
iMoan7 · 15/03/2020 01:40

I don’t know the answer but I’m not sure I’m understanding this correctly.

So...if I have symptoms, I shut myself away and my husband assumes all childcare (and faces the battle of keeping my tiny children out of my bedroom) - ok. But by the time you’re displaying symptoms is it not too late anyway? Won’t I have exposed them to it by then?

Rosainryehead · 15/03/2020 01:41

I live in a similar set up (though we dont even have a communal garden) and honestly I think it will be impossible. We will just have to isolate as a household.

ZombieFan · 15/03/2020 01:43

Why cant you just isolate in the bedroom? I know its not easy but it has to be done? No-one had chosen this.

Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 01:45

40iMoan7 I'd not even considered that. Dp is still going to work every day, so actually there's a massive childcare issue too! And if potentially contagious before symptoms then I guess it's more important that we all stay away from the public rather than each other. Although under current advice dd would still need to get to and from school and I'm not sure there would be anyone except myself who could do that.

OP posts:
GrumpyHoonMain · 15/03/2020 01:46

You wouldn’t be able to self-isolate it you are part of a family. You would all need to isolate as there is no guarantee you haven’t all infected each other. The priority in this case would be to ensure your 6 yo knows how to give himself and the younger child specific foods / snacks / drinks (load up on fruit and veg that can be eaten whole, prepare snack packs that can be eaten straight from the fridge) and knows how to dial 999 if you or your DH needs it

Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 01:49

41Rosainryehead I think I've already come to that conclusion too.

43ZombieFan our bedrooms don't have doors, so no way to prevent children from coming in. Also no where for the other adult or cosleeping babe to sleep.

OP posts:
ZombieFan · 15/03/2020 01:51

Fruitteatime, then get some doors, teach your children NOT to come in

LynnSchmob · 15/03/2020 01:52

I really think it would be impossible to self isolate if you have small children.

ShyTown · 15/03/2020 01:52

We are in the same situation just with the added ‘luxuries’ of an extra bathroom and a small private balcony (although it share the fire escape with the upstairs flat). If one of us goes down we’ll all be isolating together which is the advice here anyway I think (not UK). DH and I are both working from home for the foreseeable future, schools have closed but our 2YO’s daycare is still open for now.

PatricksRum · 15/03/2020 02:04

I'm a single parent. I'm isolating with my dc. If your dh got symptoms he'd have to isolate also

Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 02:09

6 year old wouldn't come in if we told her why it was important but the younger one can't be expected to understand and would be distraught if not fed. I don't think advice is to stop feeding so I'm guessing they expect baby to stay with you.

I'm not sure I'm willing to invite someone into my home to fit doors as how would I know if they have the illness. We like having more space without doors as it's a tiny flat and so have been putting it off. Never imagined we'd need them for something like this.

43ZombieFan thank you for the helpful advice. I'm sure she can definitely manage that. Although will need to buy rechargeable batteries and plug in our phones as we currently only have mobiles.

Looks like we'll all be staying home together then!

OP posts:
Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 02:11

GrumpyHoonMain thank you for your advice!

OP posts:
Sunshinesky1981 · 15/03/2020 02:24

@Fruitteatime would a stair gate work as a temporary barrier instead of a door. Would be cheaper and if you vet a pressure one you wouldn't need anyone to fix it for you?

Cissyandflora · 15/03/2020 02:31

I live in same setup but high rise and no garden. We are six in a two bed. I have the living room. Four children in one room. Not even a bed each. I am desperately worried.

Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 02:35

24Sunshinesky1981 potentially. I guess i thought the door provides more of a barrier to stop the virus spreading.

I'm still struggling to work out sleeping options. I guess if I'm ill dp will have to sleep on lounge floor, but if he's ill I can't sleep on floor with baby.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fruitteatime · 15/03/2020 02:38

31Cissyandflora so sorry to hear that you are worried too. As you can see I don't know the answers, but I hope the symptoms will be mild if the whole family end up catching it.

OP posts:
Mlou32 · 15/03/2020 03:32

OP DD doesn't need to get to school. If you think she has been exposed then you as a parent can make the decision to keep her off school. She may be ok but if she is a spreader, will those who she comes into contact with be ok?

If you're really worried about her missing school work, could you maybe email the school and ask for work to be emailed to you?

iMoan7 · 15/03/2020 20:38

I have a terrible throat today. Terrible.

I get tonsillitis every single Spring when the weather starts to turn. It’s weird. This is what this is. No temperature and/or cough but I’ll have that horrible shivery-ness by tomorrow.

I usually drag myself to work as much as I can but I don’t really know what to do with this.

plinkplinkfizzer · 16/03/2020 00:23

What is the fire risk in your flat with no doors ? Crazy.

bemoreeverything · 16/03/2020 00:30

You do it together.

BMW6 · 16/03/2020 02:24

I believe you would all have to stay home in quarantine in this scenario OP. Your DH cannot go to work. You all stay home together.

Flaxmeadow · 16/03/2020 03:58

Why don't you have any doors? Isn't that a fire risk?

BonnieSeptember · 16/03/2020 04:02

Regarding your youngest, advice for bf mother's is to keep bf. Like previous posters have said by the time you show symptoms you've already been exposing to others around you.

SleepingStandingUp · 16/03/2020 04:14

Yup quarantine together op.

If you're poorly poorly, you'll need DH home to help. You won't be doing school run as you'll expose everyone at school and your daughter may already be infect so you'll be home with two kids. If you have it properly, you won't be in a fit state to do that and you can't put thst burden on your 6 yo. So he stays home too. If he's sick, your daughter will already be exposed so I wouldn't be sending her any way.

If either is sick I'd say DH goes in the living room. Can you get a blow up bed so he's comfortable? Potentially you could have it if sick and he could Co sleep and just bring baby for feeds, depends if baby will sleep just with him.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 16/03/2020 04:19

Not quite the same situation, but my lodger (a good friend) and I have agreed that if one of us comes down with it we'll just assume we both have it and the second just hasn't yet started showing symptoms. Self isolation isn't practical in our tiny flat anyway, so we'll just look after each other at best we can without fucking about trying to avoid each other