DP coming home. Should he self isolate?

[Bouncingbelle]

DP has been away at work for a month. In a confined space only in contact with the same 10 people. He is due home this week. He will be driving straight home but due to the length of the journey, will have to stop at least once for petrol etc.
I have self isolated with my toddler for 2 weeks now. When he comes home, should we (me & DC) go stay with family who have also self isolated for 2 weeks? Or risk being at home with DP, incase he is infected when he is at the service station? I dont know what to do for the best.

None of the people he works with are/have been ill

Anyone?

Depends on the nature of the confined space and the others he has been with. If they have all been literally confined in a room for more than two weeks and none of them have had any other contact then I think there is little point in your DH isolating. But if it's possible one of the others is unwell or has been in contact with the outside world then you'll have to personally weigh the risks.

Re service station, I think the risk there will be similar to risks of going to shops etc. Get your DP to wear gloves or find some way to avoid direct contact with petrol pump, sanitise after etc. If he tries to avoid touching things and keeps his distance from others then I would be willing to take that risk.

If you are or dc are in shielded group then maybe reconsider.

I would interpret the strict advice would be to keep him in a different room for a week.

How are shopping with a toddler? It is about risk mitigation, i suppose..

No. I think it's fine.

Is there a reason why you’ve isolated? Unless you are at risk I wouldn’t worry about it. If you are at risk I would probably stay with family for two weeks just to be safe. Although if he’s paying at the pump and stopping by the road somewhere to relieve himself rather than using toilets at the service station then I doubt he’d pose any risk to you.

I'm not in the shielding group but I am high risk as I have an underlying condition. Friends have been shopping for me & will continue to do so once DP is home. He has literally been stuck with 10 people, no other contact.

I wouldn’t think you’d have to isolate separately. Could he plan his journey to use pay at pump stations and use gloves/sanitise hands once done?

This is a subject that is causing me much angst at the moment. My DD is staying in a flat within a relative's home. She is largely keeping herself to herself with occasional mixing with other family members. She didn't come home earlier because she was still at uni and working and then lockdown happened. In the meantime I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery so we decided it was too much of a risk for her to come back. However, I now need months of active treatment and my other child is 9 years old and I need the support with him. We are trying to work out a way forward. Nobody she shares space with has had any symptoms at all, indeed ever. She could be brought home by car by a member of that household. Then what? How can she safely integrate back home?

OP it's really difficult, he has to come home, I too am wondering about a period of isolation and how on Earth you balance the risk?