Should my partner be self-isolating?

[katy200]

I am 31 years old. I have asthma and Crohn’s disease and I take azathioprine - an immune suppressant - for the latter condition.
I’m self-isolating because I’m doing a PhD so can just write at home. Only going out here and there to supermarkets or co-op for food. However, live with DP is 33 and fit and healthy. He works as a social worker. He is based in a large open-plan office of 50 people and does visits of the elderly / disabled throughout the day. He is not self-isolating because management of his job has not permitted him to. Is this right??

I doubt he can afford to give up his job with no notice and day at home with no money coming in.

Apologies I must have been not clear. Should my partner be working from home and only conducting essential visits (I.e not conducting visits of people in care homes as they are already safe).

Why? He isn't ill and you aren't ill? Am I missing something

*as in, ill with symptoms of the virus, to clarify my previous post

No, not until his organisation tell him to

Social workers are a critical service. So he needs to work.

You could both be ensuring social distance. Don't be physically near others if you can help it. Maybe he can do grocery shopping so you don't have to go out

Unless, he is allowed to because of your health conditions? He could speak to his line manager?

Management need him to do his job. He can’t do it from home.

He can do it from home - has has a work laptop, what he cannot do from home are his visits. @rottiemum88 yes that’s the point I don’t want to get the virus because of my medical conditions.

there has been no advice to self isolate unless ill or in contact with known case. so he's doing what he's told.

I would try and sleep seperate from him and be low physical contact in the house

I thought there was going to be advice in the next few days that over 70s and people with underlying medical conditions should be self-isolating.

There is no government guidelines saying he should do this. He can ask his bosses but I honesty doubt they will say yes do to the nature of his job and lack of government guidelines on this as corona virus will probably be around for another 18 months until the vaccine.

My husband has crowns and asthma and by coincidence is doing a part time PhD. His company has ordered working at home now it he was having meetings in uni. We all have
Corona type symptoms now due to the joys of having young children. He seems to have come out of it more Littley than the rest of us but not everyone will be the same. I would suggest you email your IBD nurse and asthma nurse to discuss the plan if you do contract it. Ask if you need to stop your crohns meds while you have symptoms and I know some people who have been told to start taking their reliever inhaler 4 times a day if they develop corona symptoms.

Ideally yes, he should protect himself and avoid the office, so that he doesn't pass it on to you.

He’s neither.
Self isolation would mean you staying away from him.

@wolfiefan does that mean the people he visits would also need to stay away from him?

He has a job to do. If that means he has to have contact with elderly people then he has to.
The advice is that he should continue to do it. If you are worried then it’s you who has to change your behaviour.

I'm afraid self-isolation means you need to stay away from him, or him from you, in order to protect you and allow him to do his job.

Also, self-isolation isn't working from home and popping to the shops here and there. It's not leaving your home, or specified rooms in your home.

I have similar conditions and a hole in the heart. I could work from home, albeit not as efficiently as if I were in the office, but my husband can’t work from home in his job so I don’t really see the point of being at home myself if he can bring the virus in himself. Seems counterproductive.

My medical history is not a concern of my husbands employer and we have bills to pay.

Not that the hole in my heart could really mean anything, we don’t know how corona will affect it but I don’t fancy being the case study 😂

I understand your concern I am on DMARDs and Biologics for RA and DH is hospital consultant so not a great combination.
We need to however be sensible, we don't know how long this is going to be an issue but it's likely to be months rather than weeks, his job can to a certain amount reduce contact but he will need to be involved especially now when they are putting contingency plans in place to reduce contact over time.

If neither of you have symptoms, practice good hygiene, avoid large groups out in public when possible, be vigilant for signs and keep on top of your own health.
If you are still worried I would isolate at home which will mean splitting your home and not seeing each other directly and cleaning any shared areas between contact.

Our situation is further complicated by children one of which has a cough so I am having to isolate with him, in part of the house, leaving the rest of the house to DH and our older child. Not ideal as I should be away from DS but they really can't spare DH at work and we are pretty sure DS just has a cold.

If worried you should isolate yourself fully from him and anyone else.
No one knows where the virus is, so you're have to not go out