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Covid

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Original poster

Are you preparing your home in case of Covid?

179 replies

QueenBlueberries · 23/09/2020 09:06

The Government is now saying that most of the contagion happens in the home, so I wanted to ask if you wouldn't mind sharing any tips on how to try and prevent Covid from spreading from one member of the family to others.

I have prepared a small box (shoe box) with gloves, masks, Dettol, an old baby monitor (my kids are teenagers now but I somehow kept a baby monitor all those years at the back of a cupboard), paracetamol, face masks and a face shield. We have two bathrooms so I know how we will use the bathrooms in case someone gets infected. We also have good neighbours and we have all agreed to get food for each other if one of us get ill.

Any other tips??

OP posts:
Graciebobcat · 23/09/2020 09:57

No, I'm not.

Theradioison · 23/09/2020 09:58

You’ve got to love mumsnet. Every time you think you’ve seen the most bonkers and OTT thing ever something else comes along to surprise you.

This! 🤣

dancinfeet · 23/09/2020 09:59

This is so OTT. Of course not, we have soap, disinfectant, bleach, masks and that's that. If someone in our house gets it, we likely all will, though we do have two bathrooms so will do our best to keep separate and can use bedroom to isolate if need be. I am strictly only visiting the home of one other person (who lives alone) and that's my best friend. Other than that, we will just deal with it if/ when it happens.

wheresmyhairytoe · 23/09/2020 09:59

DS has symptoms, he was in bed with me last night as he was scared and panicking. I figure if one of us gets it we all might as well, get it out the way quickly.

stayathomer · 23/09/2020 10:00

Oh and your own thermometer preferably!!!

Hardbackwriter · 23/09/2020 10:02

I just assumed that if one of us gets it we all will. The most likely conduit is probably DH (secondary school teacher), followed by DS (goes to nursery) and since I'm pregnant I'd really rather not get it but isn't the whole point that you can spread it before you're symptomatic (and that a toddler is fairly unlikely to be symptomatic at all)? I'm not going to give up sharing a bed with DH or cuddling my toddler on the off chance that they're silently harbouring Covid - if they were symptomatic then I probably wouldn't kiss or hug DH (I wouldn't if I had a cold) but I wouldnt confine him to the spare room (!) and I absolutely would let DS snuggle up and probably snot all over my face - I can't imagine telling him that mummy won't cuddle him because he's ill Sad

MJMG2015 · 23/09/2020 10:03

@ChromaBook

I mean, I live in a 500sq ft flat with DH and DS. I do marvel at how out of touch some people on MN must be with other people's lives if they seriously believe that the majority of people have got sufficient space in their home that allows them to quarantine people completely separately.
Oh the irony.

Why can't people who do have that space discus it? Not everyone lives in a shoe box.

(Current shoe box dweller. Ex large house dweller)

peachgreen · 23/09/2020 10:04

If I get it, DH will isolate to the bedroom and I'll have the house as I'll still need to care for DD. If DH gets it I'll be sending him straight into hospital as he has recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy so is at greater risk. We're isolating as much as possible but at the moment DD is still at nursery so she's our main risk.

Deelish75 · 23/09/2020 10:06

I have more liquid soap and hand gel in than I normally would at this time of the year, but probably got the normal amount of paracetamol, ibuprofen, cold and flu decongestant and tissues.

tabulahrasa · 23/09/2020 10:07

@QueenBlueberries

He doesn't have wifi, and has a pay as you go phone.
Tbh, that’s the bit that’s making me go Shock

How did he get through lockdown without WiFi and a phone he can use?...

MJMG2015 · 23/09/2020 10:09

@MadameBlobby

You’ve got to love mumsnet. Every time you think you’ve seen the most bonkers and OTT thing ever something else comes along to surprise you.
Given your regular 'Covid is nothing, you're all mad posts' I don't understand why you keep opening threads about Covid?

You're free to go & luck all the surfaces you want to. No ones stopping you.

serialtester · 23/09/2020 10:10

Isolation rooms and baby monitors?! OP, get hazmat suits and walkie talkies just to be on the safe side.

2020notfun · 23/09/2020 10:10

Why the sudden panic about COVID secure homes? It’s been around for months! What is so different now?

ChavvySexPond · 23/09/2020 10:11

We've definitely thought about how to isolate the infected person to try and avoid us all getting it.

When my friend had it all she wanted was hot drinks but she didn't want her family to keep having contact with her to bring them in so she told all of us in our WhatsApp group to get ourselves a travel kettle set up like in a guest house. 😂

People who are shielding are supposed to avoid being in the same room, and certainly the same bed as their family members and to clean the shared bathroom after each use. So we planned to follow those rules if one of us got it.

We do not have spare rooms and extra bathrooms. But we do have a "can do" positive attitude rather than a fatalistic "we'll all get it" one. It helps that our kids are older.

MintyCedric · 23/09/2020 10:12

The Government is now saying that most of the contagion happens in the home

There's a shocker...just like school staff are apparently immune and it can only be spread in pubs after 10pm.

I honestly can't see how it's possible to Covid-protect ones home beyond normal cleaning measures and quarantine if a member of the family becomes ill.

I have got my spare room set up as an office, WiFi booster and been prepping on the food, meds and household front, but that's about it.

hamstersarse · 23/09/2020 10:12

@2020notfun

Why the sudden panic about COVID secure homes? It’s been around for months! What is so different now?
I have come to realise the extent to which some people love a drama
shinynewapple2020 · 23/09/2020 10:12

Given that our bedrooms are upstairs and our bathroom downstairs just hoping we don't get too unwell to use the stairs to the toilet !

MJMG2015 · 23/09/2020 10:12

@tearsandtiaras

This is absolute madness.

I hope your adding some MH self care to that list

Yes,reducing you chance of getting or spreading an illness is complete madness. What on Earth are people thinking? Far better they look forward to a spell in hospital, lifetime impact on Their health or death.

Jesus wept.

middleager · 23/09/2020 10:17

I did all this last time. Prepared my bunker. We were all ill and in miserable self isolation. I don't know if it was Covid or something else.

My teenager is in SI as he had a case in school, but as he's already dealing with enough, we haven't ostracised him in his own home and are mixing as usual.

If we had a confirmed case then we'd try to isolate. I'm resigned to the fact we will catch it at some point, but viral load and all that...

We have medicine, thermometer some food and Netflix.

stayathomer · 23/09/2020 10:18

This is just crazy. Have any of you never been ill before? Just do what you do then
While it is a bit crazy if you're found to be positive for covid your family wont be able to go to the shops. Yes people can go to the shop for you or you can order from a shop, but until then you have to make do with what you have

Sophoa · 23/09/2020 10:18

Not done anything. One of mine had it. I tried to keep as away from him as possible but didn’t isolate him, he’s in his own home and none of us are vulnerable. Nobody else in the house caught it

Friendsoftheearth · 23/09/2020 10:18

I think it is helpful to be prepared, if you are really ill you will be glad not to run out of paracetamol, have food in the cupboards, and a plan of some sort.

We are entering the next stage, cold weather and more infection. If you are organised and prepared, then you feel far calmer and more in control, than those that are happy to take the chance. When you have young dc it is not responsible in my view, everyone should be getting prepared to some degree unless you have live in staff that are happy to run your life whilst you are out of action for a few weeks.

middleager · 23/09/2020 10:19

@Sophoa

Not done anything. One of mine had it. I tried to keep as away from him as possible but didn’t isolate him, he’s in his own home and none of us are vulnerable. Nobody else in the house caught it
This is the sensible approach.
Porcupineinwaiting · 23/09/2020 10:20

The reality is that if one person gets it you all will (that's what happened to us despite me decamping to our bedroom/ensuite at the first sign). But that still doesnt mean it's not worth thinking about. My dh and sons had v mild cases, partly I'm sure because I wasnt coughing all over them all day for weeks.

Depending on the ages of your children also think about what food prep they could reasonably be expected to do if all adults in the house are ill. I made sure my 11 year old could cook pasta in Feb so he could survive for a week on that cereal and sandwiches if needs be. In the event this wasnt necessary as dh had a mild case.

Original poster
QueenBlueberries · 23/09/2020 10:21

Tabulahrasa, we do have wifi, it just doesn't reach his bedroom in the loft.

OP posts:
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