Preparing for someone getting it in your house.

[Frangipanini]

A lot of us think we are prepared because we have our shopping in, are self isolating/ social distancing, have some parecetemol and are keeping our places very clean.

Apparently though, we should also be prepared for what will happen if one of us gets Coronavirus in our households. I was listening to the radio the other day and a doctor on there was telling us a little about what to do if your partner gets it. Also, I've seen notes on social media about collecting toiletries and other things for patients who have been admitted and not prepared for a stay in hospital.

Do you have a strategy for if someone gets it in your house? What steps can we take if one of us comes down with it? What steps can we take to minimise expose to it in our house for ourselves and DC?

Just remembered I also bought rehydration sachets too.
Never used them so not sure if they are any good?

Just remembered I also bought rehydration sachets too

I've just remembered that DH suffered terrible cramps when he tried to walk. Presumably, because his salt intake was insufficient because he hadn't eaten. I gave him hydration tablets and that seemed to help.

For those that have dogs, can I ask what you did about walking them? It only occurred to me yesterday that if none of us can leave the house for 14 days we will not be able to walk him. Presumably no-one else form outside our household can walk him for us?

@doistay no you wont be able to walk him. I guess someone else could, but you may find they're not keen if someone in your household is infected. Fo you have a garden?

Think through different scenarios and work out a plan for each. I’ve got different ideas for what to do depending whether it was me/dh/both/the dc.

I’ve packed hospital grab-bags. Ours are more basic but for the kids:
• change of clothes
• extra pants and socks
• basic toiletries
• microfibres towels (the really thin ones)
• water
• snacks
• change for vending machine and money
• book, notebook, pen, game
• personal info (name, dob, next of kin, emergency contacts, address, phone number) and a family picture that is labelled on the back.
There’s a note on front telling them what to put in at the last minute (iPad, charger, lovey) and what to wear (warm clothes, coat, shoes)

I’ve taught my dc basic cooking and cleaning skills (should have done it years ago) and written a step-by-step for operating household appliances.

In terms of isolation, I have a list of what to take out of the area (eg my clothes for a week, my charger, my pillow if isolating dh in our en-suite bedroom).
A list of what to put in (spare sheets, towels, bin bags, bottled water, snacks, rehydration sachets, thermometer, toilet roll, glass, bleach spray, kitchen roll, paracetamol, phone, charger, laptop etc)
I have disposable dishes and cutlery for meals.

I’m not good at thinking on my feet, and prefer to plan ahead and hope I don’t need to use any of my plans.

@doistayordoigo you are actually still allowed to leave your house for exercise. I discovered this via another thread yesterday. It’s on both the nhs and gov.uk guidelines.

Thanks to everyone giving tips on what they found useful. I've added a few bits to the next shopping list.

I echo the pre preparing frozen meals.
It meant I could text with instructions as husband is a lousy cook but a good washer up.

One more..
Vitamins - C, D and Zinc.

This is really helpful (if a bit scary)! Thank you x

Yes, to more paracetamol than you think you'll need. I've taken 8 a day since I became unwell nearly 2wks a go.

Lucozade, (or coke I suppose) I hate fizzy sweet stuff but couldn't eat for days and it helped perk me up slightly.

DH had it (much more mildly) before me so we stayed in the same room, I didn't want to be left as I was scared about my breathing.

I've also needed Imodium and buscopan as I've had severe diarrhoea with it too.

porcupine We do have a garden thankfully so I suppose the healthy could run him around out there a bit

Paint That's interesting, I had assumed you shouldn't leave the house at all...it seems a bit contradictory that you can go out to exercise . I think I'd feel bad going out in case we spread it when we could have avoided it.

Nothing, we have no spare room so will have to carry on as normal. We're resigned to the fact that if one of gets it the other will as there's nothing we can do

I’ve ordered an oximeter which is due to be delivered tomorrow (from Argos) and made sure we have a new 9v battery for the thermometer but that’s it so far.

If I’ve had it I could only have got it from my partner or kids. We’re in a tiny house so no en-suite or spare rooms. I spent most of the past three weeks in bed but kids were climbing all over me. We have a 1m sq landing at top of the stairs so would bump into each other on our ‘landing’ going between bedrooms to toilet. It’s impossible for many families to isolate a family member completely. We do have a crappy leaky conservatory that came with the house and as we need to behave as if that’s not what I’ve been ill with, if my partner starts working with covid patients he’s going to live in there with a bucket for peeing in. I’ll leave his meals at the door. The only alternative is him going to live in an nhs hostel/hotel which leaves us in a bit of a predicament for food and walking dog.