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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:
Hardbackwriter · 23/09/2020 10:21

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.

I wouldn't say my attitude is fatalistic (and I certainly wouldn't say it's less positive than the people making covid isolation boxes!), just realistic. If a loved one is ill I'm not denying them comfort or care in the hope I won't get it when that means I've almost certainly been living with them asymptomatically spreading it for days. Obviously if any of us were unusually vulnerable then the balance of risk would shift but we're not.

vanillandhoney · 23/09/2020 10:22

Nope. I live in a tiny terrace with only one bathroom and a tiny kitchen. You can't get to the bathroom without going through the kitchen. There's no way either of us could totally isolate from the other - it's just not possible in the space we have.

Our house is clean anyway. We both wash hands when we get in and at regular intervals through the day. I won't be doing anything more than normal.

BillywilliamV · 23/09/2020 10:22

I am preparing my home by keeping mad people out for the sake of my mental health!

Sophoa · 23/09/2020 10:22

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. 😂

The ill person in our house had nothing more than a bit of a headache and mild loss of taste. Certainly wasn’t ill enough to be in bed. He wouldn’t even have missed a day of school if we hadn’t known it was Covid. We need to keep in perspective that for the vast vast majority of people this is a really mild virus. Yes stay at home for the right amount of time but setting up isolation rooms in your own home when nobody else in the family is vulnerable is just nuts

Hardbackwriter · 23/09/2020 10:23

@stayathomer

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
This is a totally different thing to what OP was talking about. We have made sure that there's enough food in the house for a good few days so that if we all had to self-isolate there's time to arrange for deliveries or for family to drop around food on the doorstep as needed. That makes total sense; what doesn't make sense for me is planning for a scenario where one of us tries to quarantine from the others within the house because that just isn't going to happen.
TheTeenageYears · 23/09/2020 10:24

I still think the very best way to avoid catching is wash hands with soap regularly and sanitise when that isn't possible but most of all DO NOT PUT FINGERS IN EYE'S/NOSE/MOUTH. If I have to sneeze I do it down the neck of my top, it's easier to contain than either elbow and tissue and let's face it, you don't usually get much warning. All through Covid if I get an itchy eye for example, I won't rub it until I have washed or sanitised hands. The virus could be on every surface in the house but needs to actually get in to a persons system.

lazylinguist · 23/09/2020 10:24

Confused But surely you a) are infected with the virus before you have symptoms (or possibly don't even get any symptoms) and will have been in close contact with your family members during that time, so they are still going to have been exposed to your germs whatever you do!

Angel2702 · 23/09/2020 10:24

Not much we can do already disinfect high touch areas frequently and obviously wash hands.

They only one of mine has their own room so no chance of us avoiding each other at home.

Original poster
QueenBlueberries · 23/09/2020 10:24

I think the difference now is that kids are at school in bubbles of 240 each, and DH is a teacher, so a bit more at risk than in lockdown when we had a bubble of 4. Hmm

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 23/09/2020 10:25

I would have a fan in the window blowing out, and a O2 monitor (20 pounds on amazon) so that you can tell if the person is getting very bad and needs a doctor

DominaShantotto · 23/09/2020 10:25

I have young kids - if they come down with it I am NOT going to try to force them to stay in a room away from human contact.

Any preparation in this house would consist of digging a hole in the garden - DH is unbearable enough with a slight cold, anything more severe and I'd probably kill him myself so I'd need somewhere to hide the body.

WinifredSanderson · 23/09/2020 10:28

Nothing. I'm a single mum with 8yo DD, I cant shut her away in her bedroom for 14 days nor can I shut myself away from her for 14 days either. I have masks, hand soaps and sanitizers in but other than that we'll have to take our chances.

Original poster
QueenBlueberries · 23/09/2020 10:28

Domina I'll get a shovel then Grin

OP posts:
Keepdistance · 23/09/2020 10:29

Dc1 caught something at school. Tested negative.
When she spiked a temp she stayed in her room except for toilet. Had a kindle in there.
Result of that experiment.
Dc2 got ill a couple of days later but didnt seem ill just slight runny nose so not kept in her room.
Then me. I kept a mask on even to sleep after the temperature.
Then dp...

Conclusion.
Definitely try to avoid catching stuff but i think once the person starts with symptoms it's likely too late. She had a sore throat first and runny nose. And her and dc2 played together all day that day.I

Second conclusion. Schools cant prevent with a bit of handwashing

blibblibs · 23/09/2020 10:30

Honestly, absolutely nothing.
We've been isolating for the last three days waiting for a test result for poorly DS. There is no way I was leaving a poorly scared child alone in his room. He's used the house as he normally would and had cuddles whenever he's wanted them.
And he's in secondary school but he's still a child.

Fudgefeet · 23/09/2020 10:30

We have 4 of us in a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom flat. Looks like I’m going to have to accept my fate! Grin

GlomOfNit · 23/09/2020 10:31

Sod all we can do really, since we have three bedrooms and one of my sons is severely autistic and sharing a room with his brother simply doesn't work. If one of us adults gets it, then I suppose they get possession of the nice big bed in the bedroom and the en suite bathroom, meals outside the door etc. The other adult will have to kip downstairs on the floor on a camping mattress, yay!

if one of the boys gets it, I don't see a cat's chance in hell that we won't all get it. I can't expect children to isolate in their rooms without any comfort or contact from parents, and can't imagine anyone being able to do this.

As for food, disinfectant, meds etc - we have plenty. I prepped for Brexit and continued to maintain a good store cupboard so two weeks without food will be boring but fine. I was anticipating asking a local friend to drop off some milk and fresh veg.

Jrobhatch29 · 23/09/2020 10:31

"I kept a mask on even to sleep after the temperature."

Oh my...

ChavvySexPond · 23/09/2020 10:31

@Sophoa

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. 😂

The ill person in our house had nothing more than a bit of a headache and mild loss of taste. Certainly wasn’t ill enough to be in bed. He wouldn’t even have missed a day of school if we hadn’t known it was Covid. We need to keep in perspective that for the vast vast majority of people this is a really mild virus. Yes stay at home for the right amount of time but setting up isolation rooms in your own home when nobody else in the family is vulnerable is just nuts

It was mild in that she didn't go to hospital.

But she coughed and slept for two weeks. Lost a stone, and she still gets puffed really easily now. About day 9 her husband packed her a hospital bag. She's 38, and a runner. (Or was, then.)

Porcupineinwaiting · 23/09/2020 10:32

Have you never been ill before? Just do what you do then

What like see a doctor? Or be prescribed treatment? Or get taken to a hospital because you've got pneumonia? Doesnt work like that w COVID petal. You'll be left at home w no support but your family til you are half dead.

Jrobhatch29 · 23/09/2020 10:37

@Porcupineinwaiting

Have you never been ill before? Just do what you do then

What like see a doctor? Or be prescribed treatment? Or get taken to a hospital because you've got pneumonia? Doesnt work like that w COVID petal. You'll be left at home w no support but your family til you are half dead.

That's not true. The death rate has dropped due to much better and more prompt treatment.
sirfredfredgeorge · 23/09/2020 10:41

If none of you are at risk, it's better surely that you all get it at the same time as quickly as possible so you all isolate together and all isolate when not infectious. If you delay infections by limiting contact you increase the risk of the last people infected being out and about again by the time they are infectious.

The reality is that if one person gets it you all will

The evidence for this is not true, the Secondary Attack Rate in the home was found to be pretty low, even before there were measures taken. That may be because of unknown cross immunity, but still.

sirfredfredgeorge · 23/09/2020 10:42

@keepdistance you didn't have covid, you almost certainly had a rhinovirus which is easily aerosolised and therefore "handwashing" is of limited value in preventing spread (ditto non medical grade masks)

MadameBlobby · 23/09/2020 10:44

@Porcupineinwaiting

Have you never been ill before? Just do what you do then

What like see a doctor? Or be prescribed treatment? Or get taken to a hospital because you've got pneumonia? Doesnt work like that w COVID petal. You'll be left at home w no support but your family til you are half dead.

It is actually not that severe an illness for everyone. People seriously need to get a fucking grip here.
MadameBlobby · 23/09/2020 10:46

Jesus you’d think this was smallpox, the Black Death or Ebola the way some people are carrying on.

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