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Original poster

Going into the house of someone who had covid

122 replies

AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 18:53

If somebody finished their isolation period after testing positive one one day and then person two went into that person's house the following day and stayed drinking all night (literally coming home the next morning), what do you think the chances are that person two could catch covid? We know it lives on surfaces.

OP posts:
amicissimma · 18/10/2020 23:19

@remainin

I googled and found this:

Plastics
Examples: milk containers and detergent bottles, subway and bus seats, backpacks, elevator buttons
2 to 3 days
Stainless steel
Examples: refrigerators, pots and pans, sinks, some water bottles
2 to 3 days
Cardboard
Examples: shipping boxes
24 hours
Copper
Examples: pennies, teakettles, cookware
4 hours
Aluminum
Examples: soda cans, tinfoil, water bottles
2 to 8 hours

Glass
Examples: drinking glasses, measuring cups, mirrors, windows
Up to 5 days
Ceramics
Examples: dishes, pottery, mugs
5 days
Paper
Examples: mail, newspaper
The length of time varies. Some strains of coronavirus live for only a few minutes on paper, while others live for up to 5 days

The virus tests I've read about were done in a lab. In perfect conditions for the virus, in the dark (ultraviolet light deactivates it), with no draughts.

They didn't check whether the viruses found were still infective, just that enough were present to show up on testing.

Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 23:20

in which case none of us should ever go anywhere.
Not true. We're supposed to be washing our hands before touching our faces. No way a drunk guy who obviously doesn't care about covid was doing that.

Presumably it was OK to go to this guys house the day before he tested positive? Remember people who live in the same house often don't even pick it up.

Well obviously not. We've been on high alert for weeks.

OP posts:
Justmuddlingalong · 18/10/2020 23:21

Who is your annoyance with? The guy who'd self isolated for 2 weeks in order to prevent transmitting it to others, or the guy who decided to visit him and spend 10 hours drinking in his house.

cbt944 · 18/10/2020 23:25

We know he's not infectious.

I'm really sorry to say this, but you don't know he's not infectious. Most countries have longer isolation periods of 14 days. You also have to consider being indoors for some several hours, with poor airflow, no doubt, jawing on and laughing, and the fact that the virus is now officially understood to be also airborne. So... I'd not be happy about this.

Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 23:37

@cbt944. I didn't know some countries have longer isolation periods? Do you know which ones?

jawing on and laughing,
What did you mean by this?

@Justmuddlingalong the one who decided to spend ten hours drinking in the house, knowing he's coming home to a family who are doing everything to keep themselves safe.

OP posts:
gjejgej · 18/10/2020 23:40

@AKissAndASmile

You get a grip of YOURself *@gjejgej* We know viral load exists, so if I'm going to get it I'd rather it's not from the person who sleeps next to me every night. If he's at risk of having it, I want to explore that.

So piss off with your 'Jesus Christ'. Why don't you go out and lick some door handles if you're so brave?

You conveniently ignore the part of my post which mentions the 99.9% survival rate of the virus.

Please rationalise your fear.

Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 23:44

@cbt944 I've done some Googling and the UK isolation period was increased from 7 to 10 days in July. So who knows if it's even correct now? As you said, several hours indoors in one room with no airflow is not ideal. I didn't even consider the fact that the guy could still be infectious: I was thinking of surfaces. From my Googling, the UK advice says if you've had it badly you may need to isolate for up to 20 days. Truth is we know fuck all about this virus.

OP posts:
Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 23:47

I had a colleague of 46 die from it and a colleague of 40 have a ICU stay for 95 days. My mother-in -law had a family friend die from it aged 62. So excuse me if 99.9% survival rate doesn't really perk me up.

OP posts:
Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 18/10/2020 23:48

I also work in GP land and see lots of 'long-covid' cases.

OP posts:
Downwithcovid · 18/10/2020 23:49

You still haven't said why he was tested.

Worldwide .014% of the population have died with COVOX 19 in 2020

Let's remember most of those people would have died this year anyway, and other dies in car crashes etc without even knowing they had it.

You really need to get some perspective

cbt944 · 18/10/2020 23:52

Australia and New Zealand have 14 days. The CDC said 14, but it may have changed in the States. Countries with better testing can clear a person via a negative test sooner, but the UK is a mess.

Inkpaperstars · 19/10/2020 00:03

We don't know for sure the risks of infection from surfaces or from someone who has had the illness for that time. None of us can confidently say the risk was not there. Hopefully you and person 2 will get lucky this time.

I would reading person 2 the riot act though...how irresponsible are they? If this kind of behaviour continues then it won't be last incident of concern. I think you are probably already on that though! It isn't just the risk to you....if person 2 gets infected and has no symptoms who knows who they will spread it to.

Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 19/10/2020 00:17

I think you're right Inkpaperstars. He's in the spare room and will be staying there. Riot act has been read. You are right, there have been other incidents...this is the last straw!

I assume the kids and I are low risk but he works with a few older and/or overweight people. Whether I'm low risk or not, I'd rather not get it right now while we don't know much about it.

OP posts:
Barryisland · 19/10/2020 00:22

A person who has been drinking all night has bigger issues than covid in my
Opinion.
Also no one can tell if the person will catch it. One person in those circumstances could catch it another in exactly the same circumstances won’t.
So no point in worrying.

wigglywormx · 19/10/2020 00:26

A family member had covid. His wife and child didn't get it despite living in the same house.

Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 19/10/2020 00:30

So no point in worrying
I guess the point in worrying is to mitigate my risk, such as sleeping in separate bedrooms.

A person who has been drinking all night has bigger issues than covid in my
Opinion.
I don't disagree. That's why I was a bit Hmm at the person upthread asking if it was a stick to hit him with for drinking all night, and the person who said I just didn't want him having fun Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
AKissAndASmile · 19/10/2020 00:33

A family member had covid. His wife and child didn't get it despite living in the same house.

I work in GP land. We got antibody tests. Lots of surprising results, so I do understand that that can happen. Thanks for trying to reassure me.

I know I probably sound hysterical, but it's been a long, draining weekend.

OP posts:
cbt944 · 19/10/2020 00:56

You don't sound hysterical. You sound frustrated, stressed, worried, and incredulous re person 1's behaviour and general recklessness/lack of care or consideration.

It is upsetting when people act as if this isn't real, and even more upsetting when they casually put you and others at risk. I would say it is a reduced risk, but it is hard to just shove out of your mind; it is perfectly normal in this time to be concerned, or apprehensive.

Downwithcovid · 19/10/2020 01:29

@cbt944

You don't sound hysterical. You sound frustrated, stressed, worried, and incredulous re person 1's behaviour and general recklessness/lack of care or consideration.

It is upsetting when people act as if this isn't real, and even more upsetting when they casually put you and others at risk. I would say it is a reduced risk, but it is hard to just shove out of your mind; it is perfectly normal in this time to be concerned, or apprehensive.

Given the bloke had literally just completed isolation, the risk of going to his house was far far lower than going to a shop, on a bus, work,a kid going to school, getting petrol or going anywhere where you could be following someone who was positive and didn't know it yet.

In each case the risk is tiny but I really can't see the issue with what he did. Its about as low risk an activity as you can get- going g to visit someone who has been in isolation for two weeks with virtually zero percent chance of having been in contact with a positive case vs going pretty much anywhere else.

Where is the logic in worrying about this?

cbt944 · 19/10/2020 01:37

Given the bloke had literally just completed isolation...

Er, there. "Just." And given he's invited a friend over for a pissup seconds later, one does tend to wonder how excellent his social hygiene was during his "isolation."

But hey ho, haven't you got more pressing covid-downplaying and denial to do?

Downwithcovid · 19/10/2020 01:40

Well, he is deemed well enough (we still haven't been told why he was tested so my guess is he was asymptomatic and therefore much higher risk before he was tested and just mangling in society) and deemed low risk enough to be back to normal.

Fact is that having not seen anyone for a couple of weeks he is about as low risk as you can get.

cbt944 · 19/10/2020 01:51

Mangling in society sounds about right.

Downwithcovid · 19/10/2020 02:01

@cbt944

Mangling in society sounds about right.
Picking out a typo (on a site that bizarrely still doesn't allow edits)

That's the best response you have?

Its virtually zero risk and way safer than going to the same house pre test would have been - or do you disagree because I am really struggling to see the issue.
What do you think happens when people finish their miserable isolation? Do you think they all voluntarily isolate for a few days extra to be on the super safe side, or do you think they do what this guy did and seek out some company?

I know what I did, and doubt you would have liked it

TheClaws · 19/10/2020 04:39

Its virtually zero risk and way safer than going to the same house pre test would have been - or do you disagree because I am really struggling to see the issue.
What do you think happens when people finish their miserable isolation? Do you think they all voluntarily isolate for a few days extra to be on the super safe side, or do you think they do what this guy did and seek out some company?

You seem to really banging on about this for some reason - and you also seem to struggling with empathy. The OP is simply concerned about her partner's health. Sorry you can't see that. Of course people just out of isolation seek company - but there are safer ways to do so than going on a bender when hygiene standards etc. are likely to be abandoned. You don't know this person's cleanliness standards, either. (Also, PPS are correct - other countries, like mine, do have longer isolation periods. I was surprised when I read the UK's is just 10 days.)

PineappleUpsideDownCake · 19/10/2020 05:06

Wow the two people you know in their 40s scares me.

Ive tried to comfort myself with the low statistics for those in their 40s. But I have risk factors.
To know 2 people badly affected is so different to round here where most people dont known anyone. Bur then scares me again.