If your child is sent home from school to isolate. Potentially stupid question.

[SistemaAddict]

If your child is sent home from school to isolate due to a positive case in the school, do they need to keep away from the rest of the household as much as possible? I know the rest of the family don't have to isolate and that the child must stay at home but I'm just wondering about how it all works in practice. With 3 dc over 3 different years I want to be prepared.

Yes, if at all possible they should be completely isolating including using a separate bathroom.

I don’t think so, at least it’s not been mentioned in any of the guidance that’s come from our school or council.

If they don’t have symptoms, I believe you carry on as normal apart from them not leaving the house.
Depending on age, this may or may not also affect a parent if they cannot be left home alone, for example.
If you are able to leave a bathroom for their sole use, great but not necessary.
I wouldn’t attempt to distance from healthy isolated children, the damage mentally when they’re already away from friends etc would be cruel.

They don't need to isolate from others within the household unless they start to show symptoms. Then the recommendation is to isolate from others at hoe where practicable.

Well, that's cleared things up 🤣

Yes, they should be in their own wing. Which of course we all have!!!

Meant to add, parents can still go out, go to work, other siblings still go to school.

one of my DC is isolating currently after her teacher tested positive. You get a letter from school with the Public Health England guidance.

I think people get confused over the differences between isolating due to possible contact and isolating due to having symptoms while awaiting a test result.

If they have no symptoms they just stay home. No need for any other measures beyond childcare needs, that’s it.

Cross posted with the 3rd response there. I am/was shielded so I'm so freaked out by this now they are at school. One year group (both one of theirs) has already been sent home and we've been home 3 weeks isolating due to symptoms anyway. We are in a local lockdown too. I feel quite exhausted by it all today and trying to keep safe.

I guess live separately ideally yes, but I wouldn't bother unless shielding.

Why...
The suspected case (asymptomatic person) probably won't get it. Most exposed people don't get it.

If they do get it, they will probably show symptoms before the housemates (they probably won't pass it to, even with ordinary interaction) become infectious.

So if the housemates follow protocol & isolate as soon as suspected incubating case becomes a symptomatic real case, then the chains to outside world are broken -- no onward transmission outside the household unit will happen, and nobody vulnerable will get it.

I know someone will blather on about transmission from people who never get symptoms, but nobody is too sure that really happens, and it's probably very very low risk even if it ever happens.

I imagine that doesn't help shielding OP, but keep in mind, your child probably does not have it. Most exposed people don't get it.

@Crunchymum it was the plan for them to have the East Wing but it's closed for renovation over the autumn and winter. Terrible timing but we've really struggled to get the staff this year with everything. Obviously they have their own en-suite rooms but we only have the one library and billiards room so it's impossible to keep completely apart.

One of mine is currently self isolating due to his friend testing positive.

Apart from having to stay at home we're not treating him any differently. He shares a room with his younger brother and a bathroom with two other siblings too. And he's getting the same amount of hugs from his youngest sister.

You should have received guidance from public health via the school when you were told they needed to self isolate.

Surely it depends how old they are. When I was 15 I could have isolated quite happily for a fortnight, all the more now broadband exists. My early primary children could physically have their own bedroom and bathroom but they still need help with basic personal care like hair washing and tooth brushing, climb into my bed at night, need cuddles and stories and are basically too little to be physically or emotionally distanced from a parent for a fortnight. I accepted when they returned to school there was every chance they’d get covid and every chance they’d give it to me. I don’t think it’s practical otherwise. I guess if I was shielding I’d have to isolate instead so they could be cared for by my husband.

No I didn't keep my 6 year old away from my other 2 children. He has just finished his 2 week isolation and had no symptoms. He shares a room and only have 1 bathroom.
If he had symptoms then I would have kept them all away.