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DH working on wards - how to stay safe?

12 replies

TeamEponine · 29/03/2020 12:45

DH works for the NHS. Very patient facing, community work, but not medical (so not a doctor or nurse). At the moment he is able to do everything from home, managing the team and speaking to patients over the phone. But he is going to be redeployed soon. This will be in two phases. Phase two will be onto the COVID wards, but my question is about phase one.

Very soon, he will be redeployed to work on the wards one or two days a week - essentially this is to look after the acute patients during the phase before they would usually come under his care. This allows the medics to go to the COVID wards. He says the ward has been very isolated from any Covid areas, cleaned constantly and PPE provision is good. He says it is possibly safer than going to a supermarket. His plan is to strip at the front door, put clothes into wash and him shower immediately. I’m quite anxious about this, but know him going onto the wards is the right thing to do and he is a very cautious person, so I trust his judgement.

My question is (if you made it this far, thank you!), is there anything else we can do to protect ourselves while he works on the non-covid wards?

For phase two of redeployment to the COVID wards, he wants to look into staying elsewhere.

OP posts:
CommunistLegoBloc · 29/03/2020 12:59

I have this situation - DP coming back from wards. He strips at the door and clothes go into a plastic tub, then straight into washing machine.

We've designated the back spare bedroom as his 'covid space' where he dumps work bag etc. I don't go in there.

He doesn't touch anything at all - has a shower with hot soapy water right away and puts on clean clothes. I don't come out of the living room to greet him until he's done all of this. I'm not sure what else we can do?

We don't share a car, and obviously I'm not going anywhere anyway, but I wouldn't use his if I needed to drive. If you share a car and need to drive the shops, wipe down the handles, gearstick, steering wheel etc with hot soapy water. Back inside, wash your hands, then go and get in the car. Some people are using disposable seat protectors.

Talulahoopla · 29/03/2020 20:46

My sister does the same as CommunustLegoBloc. Strip at the front door - clothes in the wash and straight to the shower. Takes as little as she can to work, keeps things in the boot of her car so that she doesn't need to bring it in to the house. I think that's all you can do, just be aware of what you're doing and touching and keep washing hands, surfaces etc. If you can get sanitiser at the front door, that should hopefully see them through until they get from the door to a sink should they touch anything on route!

user1471453601 · 29/03/2020 22:06

This is what majorly pisses me off. Some people don't seem to realise the risks that NHS workers are putting, themselves and their families to.

You husband ( like my niece and nephews wife) are willingly putting themselves and their families at risk in order to nurse others.

They have no idea, and don't care, if you have C 19 because you were unlucky or because you were careless.

It seems like doing the best you can. It's what DD will do next week when she gives blood.

Quicklittlenamechange · 29/03/2020 22:10

Why the stripping at the front door?
He should change at work and place uniform into a disposable bag, tip into machine when he gets home.
No one should be wearing uniform to travel to/from work

tilder · 29/03/2020 22:18

Dh works on Covid ward. He does not bring covid clothes home. Complete change there. Washes hands 'surgeon style'. Wears full ppe. Stands at distance unless has to examine. Full on kit for invasive stuff.

Am reasonably comfortable as long as patient numbers remain manageable and ppe provision remains sufficient.

Testing needs to increase.

However I know he will get it and we will get it. We are looking for low viral dose. So separate bedroom and loo planned as soon as any sign of symptoms.

Plus crossed fingers.

Charlottejade89 · 29/03/2020 22:39

I'm an nhs worker but I'm currently self isolating due to my young daughter having symptoms. Our hospital has a strict policy to change into work clothes once you get to work and change again before you leave. Also no visitors at all now so less people to pass on your way to your ward. I will come home and go straight into the shower, full wash and hair etc. and then all uniform in the wash on a 60 degree wash.
I cant stay separately to my dp and dd, as I work nights and do works days (also a key worker) although looking at her symptoms my dd may have already had the virus

Quicklittlenamechange · 29/03/2020 22:54

I should add the not travelling in work clothes has been applied to anyone in our Trust who is at work currently.
Everyone wearing leggings etc, washing hands then changing and vice versa going home.

Popc0rn · 29/03/2020 23:02

I don't think there will be such a thing as a "none covid ward" soon; it is so easily spread, and within a few weeks I think it will be on most hospital wards unfortunately. I am now working on a "covid ward" (as of 4 days ago).

I wear my own clothes to work (old stuff I don't mind boil washing), get changed there and at the end of the shift put my uniform in a disposable plastic bag, wipe down my crocs and anything I keep in my pocket like pens etc with an alcohol wipe, wash my hands and arms thoroughly, drive home, and wipe down the steering wheel and gear stick with an alcohol wipe when I get out of the car. As soon as I get in I wash my hands and shower and wash my hair. I soak the clothes I wore to work and my uniform in a bucket with some dettol laundry cleanser in for 20 minutes (says it kills viruses), then wash on a 60oc wash and iron thoroughly after. I don't drink anything in the ward area at all, only drink when I'm on my break in the staff room. I bring in my own cutlery to eat and wash it up at home. I leave my phone in the glove box of my car and wipe it down with soap when I get in.

Because you can be contagious before showing symptoms, and it can be up to 14 days before you show any symptoms, I'm paranoid about infecting my boyfriend. So I am insisting that we sleep in separate beds, sit on separate sofas and don't kiss atm. That's the hardest thing.

PNDventing · 29/03/2020 23:06

DH does the following as well as obvious hand washing/PPE/not touching face etc:

  • wears own clothes in/out and changes at hospital
  • leaves bag in car and only takes in things he absolutely needs
  • leaves glasses and wedding ring in office before going onto wards and changing into PPE
  • cleans glasses, keys etc just before leaving hospital site
  • hand sanitizer in car
  • comes into back door and doesn’t touch back gate
  • strips out of own clothes immediately when gets home and has full shower/hair wash
  • clinical uniform into plastic tub and put into laundry every other day
  • disinfects phone, glasses, keys again when home.
  • practices social distancing with work colleagues as far as possible.

It’s this last point he finds hardest - particularly with the current “NHS are heroes” feeling there’s a lot of food being delivered and also more training/meetings than normal with often no consideration to the fact that they shouldn’t all be crowded round a table.

CommunistLegoBloc · 30/03/2020 16:40

As for why DP is wearing a uniform home - he isn't! 1) there is a national shortage of scrubs due to the need to change them so often at work now
2) doctors outside of surgery and A&E and a few other wards don't tend to wear them.

Some people will pick a hole in anything Hmm

Quicklittlenamechange · 30/03/2020 18:12

Umm I was asking why the OPs DH was stripping at the door ?
Or are you the OP?
Not picking holes at all just wondering why he would need to strip off?
I really dont understand your comments

Quicklittlenamechange · 30/03/2020 18:19

Ok I get it !
Your DH is wearing normal clothes at work ?
If so he shouldnt wear the same clothes home , he should travel in one set, change into work clothes, change back into first set prior to coming home.
No one should be wearing clothes they have been wearing in a clinical environment to travel in Shock

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