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Original poster

Do you really keep DC indoors for 14 days?

999 replies

notevenat20 · 17/11/2020 17:37

DS's school year has been sent home for 14 days because someone in his year has covid. I know we are supposed to keep him indoors the whole time. But what have people really done in practice? It's a very long time not to walk further than the bathroom.

OP posts:
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walksen · 17/11/2020 20:17

"But my 4 year old child who has already had Covid should not have to suffer for the sake of it.
Saying that she can't leave the house in case COVID is ridiculous.

Well the guidance makes no allowance for people who have been infected even if it is very recent. Boris has had to have covid but is still isolating. I've not seen my support bubble for 6 weeks. I got covid a month ago so could consider myself low risk but if my bubble got a case i'd need to isolate again. I choose not to risk that so I can keep teaching in person.

If anyone is told to isolate there is a good reason. People do their own risk assessment and because the rules are ridiculous. So did the supply teacher who tested positive but still went to work. Maybe she risk assessed she would be 2m away and schools are covid secure and after all no one can prove she infected them can they? Or maybe not being at work was bad for her mental health...

Fouroclockonamarblemorning · 17/11/2020 20:17

Yes. It’s called isolating.

Ugzbugz · 17/11/2020 20:17

No I wouldn't spend 14 days in my flat with no fresh air plus i would have to take my rubbish out to the communal bin or am I expected to keep 2 weeks of rubbish in my flat?

coffeeforone · 17/11/2020 20:18

Aren’t most childhood injuries in the home? So drowning in the bath, cutting themselves, burning themselves, electrocuting themselves etc etc. I don’t buy the ‘don’t go for a quiet walk in a field in case you have an accident’ argument.

Agree with this - of the times I've took both DC to A&E it's both been accident / head bump / fall at home, indoors.

Jroseforever · 17/11/2020 20:18

No where does it say that a child needs to be kept in their bedroom and separated from their parents and siblings during their self isolation.

RonaLisa · 17/11/2020 20:19

[quote timeforanewstart]@RonaLisa so you would let yours go to the shop and potentially infect others as you know your contagious before symptoms ans wearing a mask doesn't fully protect
Even vunerable people need to eat and may have to go to the shops
My nan hasn't been out much since march and not at all this lockdown seeing no family but she doesn't matter because she is old , might be her last few months on this earth but she should just stay home and not even go to the shop incase someone else can't stay home ot at least away from a shop [/quote]
Oh goodness. Yes, I know that vulnerable people have to eat. I am, as I said, a vulnerable person. However, I'm also a real person who doesn't want to live a shadow of a life, and so I have been out every day, just for fresh air and a change of scenery, and some shopping. I've even been to The Range just to wander around, because while I'm physically vulnerable, I'm mentally vulnerable too, and I'm not going to sit at home.

If I thought it were my last few months on Earth (which I have thought several times, as it happens), I'd be pushing the boat out and going to B&M as well, quite frankly. So would my Gran, if she were still alive. I have no desire for people to be sanctimonious about me as a "vulnerable adult", and I have no problem with the idea that I might die. I'll have even less problem with it if I live to be 80.

timeforanewstart · 17/11/2020 20:21

@MondieBee lots of schools are sending whole year groups home as sd is near on impossible in most schools especially secondary
My ds will go to 8 different subjects in a week and sit next to 8 different people and have several around him not 2 m away , also he will then mix at lunch /break they are in year group bubbles

MrsBlue4 · 17/11/2020 20:21

Out of interest how many people who have had children isolating actually ended up with any of the family displaying symptoms?

HazeyJaneII · 17/11/2020 20:21

@Jroseforever

No where does it say that a child needs to be kept in their bedroom and separated from their parents and siblings during their self isolation.
No, but as I posted earlier, it does say that if you can isolate from people in your house as much as possible, then you should....if the teenager is ok doing it, or the parents work with vulnerable people, then why not?!
Do you really keep DC indoors for 14 days?
NotAKaren · 17/11/2020 20:22

A massive failure here to make the connection between lots people who ignore the rules because 'it doesn't matter if' and 'no one else is following the rules' and the fact that restrictions will continue.

timeforanewstart · 17/11/2020 20:22

@RonaLisa yes my nan wants to go out more but she feels guilty as she doesn't want to put pressure on nhs
But you said you would let your isolating children go to the shops ?

scubadive · 17/11/2020 20:23

I wouldn’t take them to a playground or anywhere they can come into contact with other people but I see no harm in a country walk or bike ride. It depends where you live.

redkenso · 17/11/2020 20:24

And the people who are elderly now had a childhood that didn't have COvid. They didn't have school closures, they didn't have lockdown. So I think they owe it to the younger generation who aren't at risk to take the responsibility for their own health.

My elderly mother didn't have a childhood with COVID. She had a childhood with WW2. Perhaps we owe it to her generation to make sure that their dotage is as pleasant as it can be?

timeforanewstart · 17/11/2020 20:25

@Mrsblue4 how many have it without knowing as well especially children
We should be doing testing of small groups sent home to see if it is spreading , home tests could be given ans done day 3, 8 , 14 etc but we don't have the capacity

redkenso · 17/11/2020 20:25

@coffeeforone

Aren’t most childhood injuries in the home? So drowning in the bath, cutting themselves, burning themselves, electrocuting themselves etc etc. I don’t buy the ‘don’t go for a quiet walk in a field in case you have an accident’ argument.

Agree with this - of the times I've took both DC to A&E it's both been accident / head bump / fall at home, indoors.

Mine have only been to A&E for outdoor injuries, two thirds of which occurred in fields.
MojoJojo71 · 17/11/2020 20:26

Of course. We live in a flat with no garden but still managed to stay inside

chinateapot · 17/11/2020 20:27

Currently isolating my 13 year old and no, she won’t go out for the full 14 days.

It’s a doddle compared to the three months we spent not leaving the house and garden while shielding my 7 year old earlier in the year. Which, in turn, was a doddle compared to being in hospital isolation with a very sick child.

MoggyP · 17/11/2020 20:27

No where does it say that a child needs to be kept in their bedroom and separated from their parents and siblings during their self isolation

That's a rather misleading way to put it. Of course there is no mention if bedrooms.

Info here:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-to-avoid-spreading-coronavirus-to-people-you-live-with/

No age is excluded from that guidance.

It's not 'must do' it's 'do as far as you possibly can'

The requirement is clear, because people in SI are potentially infectious and spread within the home really does happen

Jroseforever · 17/11/2020 20:27

@HazeyJaneII

If the teen is an adult and made that decision - fair enough.

But if not an adult and the parents have decided to keep that child / teen in their room, only serve meals in their rooms etc - I think we can apply adjust a dash of common sense and realise that guidance to try to minimise social contact really does NOT mean - stay in your bedroom alone for two weeks and we will talk to you through a closed door.

NotAKaren · 17/11/2020 20:28

My elderly mother didn't have a childhood with COVID. She had a childhood with WW2. Perhaps we owe it to her generation to make sure that their dotage is as pleasant as it can be?

^

This.

JuliaJohnston · 17/11/2020 20:28

[quote Jroseforever]@JuliaJohnston

Another poster posted this

Seems to contradict your insistence that when a child sent home to self isolate they need to be in their bedroom behind a closed door away from other family members?[/quote]
Why not just read the link you've posted? What don't you understand?

Jroseforever · 17/11/2020 20:29

@MoggyP

I raised it because a pp mentioned her teen being in his room for a fortnight, and she talking to him through a closed door and serving his meals for him to eat alone in his bedroom.

timeforanewstart · 17/11/2020 20:29

@Notakaren exactly that
The thing is what next longer restrictions , look at what scotland has just announced , then this affects us all
I suffer from mh and its affecting me hugely as well I also fall
In an at risk category but sent my kids to school knowing it was a risk but knew they needed to go back but if they get told to isolate or i do it will be hard but I will at least give if my best shot

AlwaysLatte · 17/11/2020 20:30

Yes. I think it's worth having a stash of ideas of things to do/watch/make/bake etc, maybe draw up a list with them. We got a negative test result so was only a few days but 14 days is a lot- definitely need a plan!

islockdownoveryet · 17/11/2020 20:30

Made me chuckle this thread like we are sending dc to 14 days hard labour it's just isolation .
You can sit in your pyjamas watching Netflix hardly difficult.
And I say this as someone who likes to go outside every day .
But dc is on 2nd week yes he's fed up and I am too but yes you stay home .
Saying that I don't see why a little walk if no body about is any harm but you don't know if anyone is about so we are staying home counting down the days hours .