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Original poster

How the hell do I get through to my sister?

72 replies

Afternooninthepark · 27/03/2020 15:06

My sister is a cleaner working in people’s homes.
One of her clients had a ‘cold’ for the last two weeks so she hasn’t been in their home during that time. She has just found out that it was in fact Covid-19 and so very sadly, yesterday the gentleman passed away.
My sister last went into their home 16 days ago and seems to believe that she wouldn’t have been exposed to the virus. I’ve tried explaining that it has an incubation period of anything from a few days to 14 or so days so she could easily have been infected and that she must now self isolate (and her partner) for 14 days.
She said she was still planning on cleaning for a few clients next week. I am also concerned that she cleaned for a 90 year old lady I walk a dog for, on Wednesday and has visited our parents (mum has Alzheimer’s and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia which puts her at high risk). I had previously told her I was FaceTiming mum and dad and she should do the same but obviously hasn’t done the same.
I have insisted it is imperative that she distance herself now but she isn’t listening, she and her partner think I’m overreacting.
She was in my house last Thursday, I will now need to self isolate with my children and so will my husband who is still at work as he is a key worker.
I feel I am banging my head against the wall, how the hell do I get through to her??

OP posts:
Lowprofilename · 27/03/2020 15:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

Original poster
Afternooninthepark · 27/03/2020 15:11

Do you think it would have shown by now then?

OP posts:
littlemixarerubbish · 27/03/2020 15:13

The 14 days in which she should have self isolated have passed, so if she doesn't have symptoms by now then she's fine.

NekoShiro · 27/03/2020 15:13

The times already passed, she should of isolated when she came into contact with him, not now that she knows he had it, she would of been out for two saays already, tbh I think everyone should be inside though

FatimaLovesBread · 27/03/2020 15:14

The 14 days is frommtheir first symptoms not from when you find out. Its 14 days to give you time to catch and show symptoms. So if it has been 16 days since she last went to his house then that 14 days has now passed with her being symptom free

Hannah021 · 27/03/2020 15:14

Im having a brain freeze
She was at someone's house who died of CV and she still thinks you are overreacting? So which part is her thick skull is struggling to understand???? That it is deadly??? That it is spreading fast??? That she was a near-miss???
The fact she is still cleaning homes in and out of houses is a joke... This needs to be reported. She's taking the p*

Ellapaella · 27/03/2020 15:15

The problem is a large proportion of people will be asymptomatic - I don't think the lack of her having any symptoms means very much but I guess most people are just sticking to government guidelines.
I'm fairly sure I've got it at the moment, I've been having mild symptoms. Chest tightness and a dry cough, two days of mild fever and vertigo and extreme fatigue. I haven't knowingly been in contact with a confirmed case but I've caught it from someone. I'm a HCP and am self isolating and can't even get a test.

Original poster
Afternooninthepark · 27/03/2020 15:17

Hannah021 I am drained from telling her I really am, I can not believe she knew they were unwell yet carried on as normal potentially exposing my poor parents who are supposed to be self isolating.

OP posts:
Hannah021 · 27/03/2020 15:44

Honestly i would report her if she was my sister... Her clients lives, ur family and even hers need protection from this stupidity.

She's clearly arent bothered, and wont stop without force

swishthecat · 27/03/2020 15:51

You only have to self isolate if you live with someone who is showing symptoms. I think a few weeks ago she would have had to self isolate, but things have moved on now and the virus is so widely in circulation that doesn't apply now.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

swishthecat · 27/03/2020 15:52

The visiting people's homes should stop though!

HoffiCoffi13 · 27/03/2020 15:56

She doesn’t need to self isolate 14 days from now, the 14 days would have been from exposure. So that time has passed.
The rule isn’t ‘self isolate for 14 days from the day you find out it was COVID-19 that you were exposed to’.

nanbread · 27/03/2020 15:58

She might have missed the self isolation time but she should still stop working immediately. It's not essential work and her employers are being unethical asking her to clean.

Ellapaella · 27/03/2020 16:00

She should at least stop visiting the homes of others and also your parents if one is immune compromised. Her lack of symptoms means nothing, she's mostly likely had it or got it and asymptomatic. She can still spread it.

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 27/03/2020 16:01

She doesn't need to self isolate

Looneytune253 · 27/03/2020 16:01

You only self isolate if you or a member of your household has symptoms. This has been the rules for a little while now

Ellapaella · 27/03/2020 16:06

OP wants her sister to practice social distancing which she does need to do - we all do.
Being a self employed cleaner in peoples homes - is that considered essential work?
If not she shouldn't be going into people homes.

NewYearNewJob123 · 27/03/2020 16:07

She needs to self isolate if she or someone in her household has symptoms.

You don't self isolate because you came into contact with someone that has/had CV. If that was the case, everything in the country NHS, Police etc would collapse rapidly.🙄

yearinyearout · 27/03/2020 16:09

I thought cleaners weren't allowed to work now anyway?

NewYearNewJob123 · 27/03/2020 16:15

Such nonsense being claimed on here. Of course cleaners are allowed to work 🙄

NewYearNewJob123 · 27/03/2020 16:17

Ellapella - nope. No such thing as 'essential work'. Actually read the legislation. If you can't work from home, you go out to work.

HoffiCoffi13 · 27/03/2020 16:18

Of course cleaners are allowed to work. Anyone who cannot work from home is allowed to go out to work.
Does no one read the actual guidelines?

Ellapaella · 27/03/2020 16:23

I didn't say they couldn't! I asked a question about whether they were able to.
Common sense would say that if she's been cleaning in the home of a man who has died from it the she shouldn't visit her parents if they are vulnerable.
That's just my opinion. As a nurse working in a hospital which is in absolute chaos at the moment - when I am in close contact with a patient who has it I would not be then visiting my older relatives in their and putting them at risk. Symptoms or not. But those are just my thoughts.

HoffiCoffi13 · 27/03/2020 16:25

The whole point of isolating for 14 days is to allow you 7 days to incubate it and 7 days to show symptoms. The likelihood of you being contagious 14 days after exposure is very very low, whether symptomatic or not. She had contact with the gentleman 16 days ago, so there is no sense in isolating for a further 14 days from now.

Ellapaella · 27/03/2020 16:27

Op is talking about DISTANCING not isolating. And here's everyone asking me if I am capable of reading guidelines when they can't read the OP.
One of her parents is high risk - her sister should not be visiting unless absolutely necessary anyway regardless of who she's been around.