DS Class Bubble Closed Panic

[TrueTrianfle]

My DS (7) class bubble has closed due to one of his best friends testing positive for coronavirus this morning.

My DH was shielding until it was paused and I was always worried about sending the kids back to school. Now I feel sick. DS is going to have caught it isn't he? Someone talk me down please, the anxiety is awful this evening.

Lots of DDs friends have been isolated already. None of them have developed any symptoms. Just because someone in his bubble has it doesnt mean he will. Be careful obviously but try not to panic - easier said than done I know

I don't think there are many examples of spread between children aged under 10. Most cases in primary schools are imported and occur where a child has been infected by an adult.

What condition led to him being shielded originally?

Did the consultant review (which should have happened over the summer) take place, and what was the outcome?

Does your DC have a specialist nurse you can contact? Or is there a charity for his condition with a helpline? They can be really useful

Make sure you both maintain as much distance as possible. Dh to wear a mask?
My dc 8yo stsyed in their room when they had symptoms. (Still caught their cold though)

Oh OP of course you feel worried over this. Hopefully your DS won’t have come into contact with the virus. Nothing can be done about that now of course so do try not to worry and keep things calm and normal for DS’s sake as well as yours.
Children, even those who were shielding, remain at very low risk of very serious complications. Is your DS under a consultant or anyone who you would could take advise from if needed?

Oh ignore me OP, I’m so sorry I misread it that DS was previously shielding.
Yes to all the other advice about distancing, Cleaning and a mask for DH.

Could your DH self isolate in a bedroom away from the rest of you?.

Oh, worrying for you both x

I would treat DS as if he's tested positive himself. Do everything to shield DH.

Keep them in separate rooms not just distancing. Keep all rooms ventilated. Best if you can sleep separately to DH & not kiss, spend too much time with him etc (as DS is young & will need you).

and to clean the loo & sink/taps after DS has been in there. Better if they can use separate ones, but we don't all have that option

No shared towels - including hand towels.

Make sure cutlery cups are washed thoroughly (preferably dishwasher). Keep separate sets IF you can.

🌷Doing your best is all you can do.

When did DS last spend time with the other little boy?

I will set up camp in DS room and keep us 3 away from DH. I have everything crossed that DS doesn't come down with it. If he does or he doesn't it's making me rethink sending the kids to school. DH thinks I am overreacting.

If DH were worried too, I'd suggest he goes to a hotel, or a parent etc for 10 days or so

However, sounds like he isn't bothered enough to do that,
so your precautions sound sensible and are all you can do

Chances are your DS will not have caught it
and a very high chance your DH won't

@TrueTrianfle

I will set up camp in DS room and keep us 3 away from DH. I have everything crossed that DS doesn't come down with it. If he does or he doesn't it's making me rethink sending the kids to school. DH thinks I am overreacting.

I know that you're worried, but you really can't live like this. There's going to be risk from this virus for a long time. Your DS will go back to school and will probably be in contact with someone with it again .. maybe several times .. before this is over.

Just do sensible things like social distancing, masks and hand washing - and don't let it take over your life too much.

You don't say what condition your husband has (I don't think) but remember that even for those with underlying problems, the VAST MAJORITY will be absolutely fine.

I know it's scary, but don't forget to live - and certainly try your best not to project your fear onto your kids, which is what you're doing by setting up camp in DS's room :(.

@Keepdistance
There is little point in DH wearing a mask, if anyone is to wear a mask to reduce the spread it would be DS. It is also illogical for you to be in anymore contact with DS than absolutely necessary in order to reduce your contact with DH unless you are going to do so for much longer than the 14 days (if DS has it asymptomatically he could theoretically transmit it to you on day 14 meaning you are contagious long after this point). The longer that the false narrative that masks protect the wearer from others (rather than others from the wearer) persists the easier it is for people who don't want to wear a mask to go around claiming they are happy to put themselves at higher risk (when they are actually putting others at increased risk at very little personal cost).

@weepingwillow22

I don't think there are many examples of spread between children aged under 10. Most cases in primary schools are imported and occur where a child has been infected by an adult.

Much as I think the OP should try not to worry, this is just not true. There is no way to know who infected who or even who was infected as testing is poor and most young children will be asymptomatic.

DH has follicular lymphoma but is not receiving any treatment at the moment, we are "watching and waiting". DH thinks it is daft being anxious about what we can't control. I think we could control things a bit better if he took things more seriously. Like him staying away until we know if DS is infected. Our different attitudes on this are starting to annoy each other I think.

@cardibach
I agree most children that are infected are likely to be asymptomatic however community studies have also shown that infection rates in children including the asymptomatic are low. There are a few community studies linked in here that might be reassuring
www.bbc.com/news/health-52003804

@weepingwillow22 thank you. Reading that has helped calm me down a little

@weepingwillow22 they do keep saying that. Yet Johnson has now admitted it is ‘readily transmitted‘ from children to adults. I don’t need reassuring, or want it really. I just want people to accept that if schools are safe with no distancing or PPE at All then we don’t need distancing anywhere because it clearly isn’t spread by proximity.
This is clearly nonsense, so someone needs to address the situation in schools. Otherwise I’ll just ignore all measures to limit spread - after all, the government wouldn’t lie and say I was safe at work when I wasn’t, would they?

@cardibach I think Johnson cherry picks the science to fit whatever policy he is trying to promote at the time.

If you look at the Iceland study and the others in the link above it does show that children under 10 years of age and females had a lower incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than adolescents or adults and males.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32289214/

I am not saying there shouldn't be PPE and other precautions in schools but just there is some scientific evidence for optimism regarding spread in the under 10s.

OP. My DH has a stage 4 lymphoma and is one year post 2 years of treatment and in partial remission. I'm back at work (Central London and have to use public transport) while he is still WFH.

It's a worry, but all you can do is be careful, try and keep some perspective and be positive. I bet your DH is less worried than you ... I wouldn't isolate anyone. Just maintain a bit of additional distance. Chances are (really) that all will be well. This is a war not a skirmish, you need to live your lives and your kids need an education.

(PS I remember 'watch and wait' ... for us it was 6 years! Stressful, but he's probably less compromised than he will be after treatment).

Hi op my son,s bubble also closed last week due to some students testing positive,my son is due back in school on the 29th all being well,he has had no symptoms,and me and Dh had a COVID test both negative.

Thanks @RedRosie. He is much less worried than I am and is in fact irritated with all my fretting. I know I can't and shouldn't pull my children from school. My anxiety about corona is awful at the moment, worse than it was in March in fact. Not helped by the fact we are in a Local Lockdown area.

I wish you and your DH the best.

@TrueTrianfle We are doing as well as can be expected - as are most people during these difficult times. I do know how you feel. But it's a long haul (the pandemic AND the cancer), and you will all benefit from a measured, proportionate approach to risk and worry. Good luck to your DH. Lymphoma is bad ... Many, many cancers are worse. I hope he does well and I'm thinking of you.

@weepingwillow22 the figures for under 10s don't really help me at a secondary school shit up with rotating classes of 30 biological adults. So it's either safe and I don't need to distance or follow any rules or it isn't and I'm being thrown under a bus.