Do you really keep DC indoors for 14 days?

[notevenat20]

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.

[InTheLongGrass]

Yep, all 4 of us stayed inside for 14 days in March as DS1 had a cough and there was no testing. While he could have gone out before the 14 day as he was the symptomatic one, he didnt fancy it on his own.

DS1 has also done 14 days as isolation from close contact at school, again, he didnt leave the front door.

The chatter currently is who was seen at the corner shop when they were supposed to be isolating from school, and if the head should be told.

Just stay indoors.

[TheGriffle]

My daughter had to come out in the car with me so I could take/pick up her sister from nursery. There was no one else who could have done the nursery runs. She came in contact with no one and other than doing that 5 days a week she didn’t go out.

[Excitablemuch]

Crikey, if they can’t follow the rules for 14 days without it having long lasting harm - ‘more than Covid’ then I would be a bit worried about their ability to cope in the world. There cannot be that many children whose mental health is THAT bad can there?! This will not cause long term damage to the huge majority. Parents should be able to help their children through this ‘turmoil’ of tv and computer for 14 days.
(Obviously there are exceptions to this where I sympathise but Rey are few and far between)

I’m free tomorrow after positive we test but my 2 year old has and will compete the whole isolation.

[ProfessorInkling]

If my DC are to isolate because of a positive case in their bubble, I will take them for walks where we live at quiet times when we won't encounter anyone. If they are isolating with symptoms, then we will stay in for the duration.

[Didyousaynutella]

No I wouldn’t just for someone in their year. I would take them on isolated walks away from people. I am not messing with their physical and mental health anymore. I would if it was someone in the family. I would just my common sense. The risks are ridiculously low.

[FredtheFerret]

Fines start at £1,000 for leaving the house when told to self isolate, so be aware of that.

I am aware of two families who we are told were fined for their teenagers not isolating when the bubble was sent home. I don't know how much they were fined.

[AldiAisleofCrap]

@OverTheRainbow88 I genuinely don’t see the harm in going somewhere no one is for outdoor exercise, I understand those living in London etc won’t have that luxury... where we are, we do.

If there was no risk outdoors then the law would reflect that. You can pass Covid on to others outdoors it’s less likely than indoors but perfectly possible.

[OverTheRainbow88]

Parents should be able to help their children through this ‘turmoil’ of tv and computer for 14 days.

I don’t want my kids watching tv or being on a Computer for 14 days

[Wolfiefan]

Of course you stay in.

[OverTheRainbow88]

You can pass Covid on to others outdoors it’s less likely than indoors but perfectly possible.

You can’t pass covid on if there’s no one there to pass it onto...

[Augustbreeze]

No @Covidwoes it's not for /from the over zealous. It's from the health experts who know:

a) how serious Covid can be, to what proportion of people, and

b) how many hospital beds we've got left.

[WyfOfBathe]

Yes, we kept 3 year old DD in the house and garden for 14 days when someone in her nursery tested positive. It is harder if you don't have any outside space, but I would still keep them indoors. It's boring, but it is only a fortnight.

The school where I teach sent home a whole year group, but only those identified as close contacts had to self-isolate. There were simply so many close contacts that it made more sense to teach entirely online for a fortnight. Previously we sent home a whole year group, who all had to self-isolate. It depends on the circumstances and the local public health team's advice. This may be why students at different schools are doing things differently.

[FreekStar]

My dd is supposed to be on her second14 day Isolation since september. We did keep her in the first time, but not this time. It's unhealthy and so bad for their well-being to keep doing this. As a one-off we managed, but seeing as this is turning into a periodical thing then we are going out for walks, going out for drives, and letting her go to the Supermarket if we need to go.

[Underhisi]

We have not had to do it yet. We managed 4 days whilst waiting for a test result. We would attempt it for as long as we felt it was safe. Ds is severely autistic, has no understanding and his behaviour may become unsafe if kept indoors for a long period of time in which case we would take him for isolated walks.

[Oblomov20]

No. I haven't let Ds1 or Ds2 anywhere other than the house and garden.

Those are the rules! How can people not know this?

[OverTheRainbow88]

and letting her go to the Supermarket if we need to go.

Well this I wouldn’t do!

[Covidwoes]

@Augustbreeze I think you tagged me by mistake there! All I commented on was being indoors with my 2 year old due to me having Covid. Didn't mention anything about being over zealous. We won't be going anywhere during our isolation, wouldn't dream of it!

[Happyheartlovelife]

@FreekStar

Letting them go to the supermarket?!?!?!???

[allabitboring]

The 'posh London school' would have had to send out the same government wording as any other school, state or private, so it sounds like the family were choosing to ignore it. Private schools have to follow the same rules.

[Noidea2114]

And this is why the lockdown will be extended.

2 of my DGC have been sent home from school today to isolate for 14 days.(different years).
For 1 of these it will be the 3rd time to isolate and yes they stayed in the house and only went in the garden
for 14 days.

[formerbabe]

Honestly, as if private school kids have different rules they can follow...yeah right!

[OverTheRubicon]

@notevenat20

A friend whose DC are at a posh London school wern't told their DC had to stay indoors. I guess you get what you pay for.

I bet they just chose to say that to justify why they were out. My DSis works at a very posh London school and they've had a lot of work reiterating to parents why the rules apply to them too, and said her counterparts at other schools have the same issue.

Sharing these stories is not helpful in my view though, they're often not true, and encourage people not to follow on the basis that 'it's one rule for us and one for them', Cummings style.

[myhobbyisouting]

When we need to isolate we do that instead of creating special rules, because we're really not that special

[Delatron]

I despair at what we are doing to the health of our children by keeping them locked up for weeks at a time. It’s like Spain! We know what the risk is outside, it’s negligible. Transmission occurs inside at close contact at for more than 15 minutes. Not outside in the fresh air.

We haven’t had to isolate yet but I understand those who would go out for a walk or bike ride near nobody.

I think we need a new system. I’ve heard some people are on their 3rd or 4th period of self isolation. How can we think it’s ok to keep kids inside for 8 weeks?!

Just close contacts from the bubble should be isolating then we wouldn’t have this.

[WyfOfBathe]

I don’t want my kids watching tv or being on a Computer for 14 days

Then get them doing school work, reading, puzzles, craft, new toys, indoor workouts, cooking, repainting the skirting boards...

Nobody wants to self-isolate. That's why there are fines to enforce it. But staying inside for a fortnight isn't the end of the world.