How worried should I be....?

[Zem74]

One of the nursery teachers in my child’s room is self isolating for 14 days as her daughter has tested positive for Covid.
My child would have been in close contact with this lady everyday she’s at nursery.
I’m now in a total panic that if her daughter has it then she must have it. And if she has it then my child could likely have it?
I have anxiety as it is and find it really hard to know when I’m over reacting x

Well it's not impossible, but it's several steps removed so I wouldn't panic just yet.

Easier said than done when you have anxiety, I know

Try not to worry. My nursery age DD had to isolate for 2 weeks following someone in her nursery bubble testing positive, so she had prolonged direct contact and she never developed any symptoms.

It’s not certain she’ll get it, and if she has she’ll likely not even show a symptom. Are you particularly vulnerable?

I read that if somebody lives with somebody they have around a 20-22% chance of catching it.

Even if she did your daughter would have to have been near her in the contagious period. And again she may not catch it.

For your daughter to have it you’d need a few things

1. The teacher’s child to have given it to her mum before the teacher started isolating. Possible but not guaranteed. Not everyone gets it even within a household, and not all at once.
2. The teacher was infectious while she was at nursery, even though she had no symptoms. This is possible too.
3. The teacher has continued to have no symptoms- otherwise she’d have a test and have to inform the nursery. Again, it’s possible.
4. The teacher passed it on to your child.

So I reckon there is a small chance that your child may have it, and it really is far far more likely that she doesn’t. If all of these things were 50/50 for example then the chance if all 4 is 6%. This is why they don’t ask contacts-of-contacts to isolate.

Are any of you at risk? Remember that in the small chance that your daughter has it, she most likely won’t have any symptoms or even get ill.

There will be lots of other parents in the same position. If any child needs a test then the nursery will be informed if they have it and you will find out.

Hope you find ways to deal with the anxiety. Remember the risk goes down every day that you don’t hear from nursery.

Thanks everyone! Just need things put into rational perspective for me sometimes.

@Brunt0n I am on the shielding list, but consultant has told me I’m moderate risk rather than high so I guess I should be a bit more worried than your average person

@peakotter that’s such a good way to break it down, thank you so much!