It's 18th December. Christmas plans with family are made...

[ihatebikerides]

... and you receive a message from school to say that your child has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid.

What will you do? Or, what might you do to avoid this situation from occurring?

Won't make any difference here. We are going to stay just the 4 of us and not meet up with anybody. My mum is clinically vulnerable and dad over 70 so wont put them at risk. Its not worth it for the sake of one day. And I would never forgive myself if they got it from us. As sad as it is we will wait and make up for it when this is all over.

I’m surprised that the guidance isn’t to isolate before seeing family at Christmas. I’m in the US, and in order to see PIL for thanksgiving, we isolated for 10 days prior. Kept the kids out of school, but they were able to participate online so the school didn’t consider it an absence.

Hmm, I won’t take my kids out, although I might have considered it, but I work in the same school so there’s no point in taking them out early as I’ll likely be exposed if they are.

We will cancel then. ☹️ Hadn’t really thought about this angle though, think I’d better get in some lovely freezer stuff to see us through if we’re stuck at home.

We're not seeing anyone until 27th so should be ok.

We're doing Christmas just us. So the big upside is that I won't be on the tenderhooks wondering if it's all going to get ruined by a slight temperature on the 23rd or something.

It's a big worry for us (we live 300 miles from my parents and haven't seen them since August due to restrictions) - we were thinking of taking them out from 11th to avoid this happening. Now there's been a positive case in another class reported today and we've been told to isolate DS until 14th anyway so looks like they may not go back until new year if we do that.

@TableCat

Also as a teacher, I'm hoping not many children in my class have parents who take them out for the last week as I will have to provide online work and I'm not sure 'watch Elf' will go down well with parents so I'll have to plan proper lessons until the end of term (which will have to be done at school as well as those isolating) so as well as no Carol Service no nativity and no party the children won't get to watch Christmas films and make cards and calendars either.

I've informed the head already and they totally understandably will not be providing lessons for my son, I certainly didn't expect them to.

[quote pheonixrebirth]**@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady* @Backyard72*
Same position here, if I don't take the kids out of school from the 11th they won't be able to see their Dad (my XP) at Christmas. He is shielding as he is extremely high risk. They haven't been able to see him since September apart from one weekend after they had been self isolated for 10 days because of Covid contact in school. I feel stuck in such a shitty position. I wish the school would put remote learning on for cases like this. My kids have definitely suffered & really miss their dad. I'm also worried that the school will fine me for the kids missing a week of school, something I can not afford. My rationale of them missing 1 week before Christmas is that they normally spend that week watching movies in class and not actually learning. [/quote]
For you, I think the mental health benefits of your kids & XP getting to see each other safely for a few days at Christmas outweighs them being in school in the last week. It will most likely go down as unauthorised absence (though heads do have some discretion here I believe), but I don't think the school can fine you, I thought that decision lay with the local council? Though I hope they show a bit of leniency in this last week.

@TableCat

Also as a teacher, I'm hoping not many children in my class have parents who take them out for the last week as I will have to provide online work and I'm not sure 'watch Elf' will go down well with parents so I'll have to plan proper lessons until the end of term (which will have to be done at school as well as those isolating) so as well as no Carol Service no nativity and no party the children won't get to watch Christmas films and make cards and calendars either.

My kids are not yet of school age. It's likely I will keep them at home for the 10-14 days prior to our planned departure date to avoid any risk of this, even though they are in what is an extremely small and low risk bubble (childminder setting) compared to primary / secondary schools.

If they were of school age, I would most certainly keep them at home, where we'd be more than capable of watching Elf, making cards and calendars and singing carols. I'd have no objection to my kids' teacher planning those things for the last week of term, but please don't then attempt a guilt trip about how vital every day of 'education' is.

[quote StatisticalSense]@Backyard72
Which private company will have enough tests for that?
I strongly suspect the NHS will end up suspending testing for all but truly essential workers with symptoms and those who need a test for medical reasons for a few days before Christmas due to widespread misuse by the asymptomatic.[/quote]
I have the test kits already. If you can find someone medically trained to supervise you, they can be purchased, or there are private clinics who do tests eg. for people who have to travel overseas.

We’re seeing non vulnerable people on Boxing Day as our only social activity so I’d be risking it and carrying on with that plan although I wouldn't allow the isolating child to hug/kiss them and we’d probably ventilate the room more thoroughly.

It wouldn't change much for us, in actual fact it would be convenient as various 'poppers' from the family would hopefully be put off.

This is part of the reason we decided NOT to stay with family and to have our first Christmas at home just us. It's a very long journey and we found it better to say "we won't come" than "we might, but maybe not".
I know everyone is in different circumstances but we are able to have a perfectly lovely Christmas just the three of us and it keeps the chains down (dh's siblings and partners will be seeing his parents, but may also see the partner's family, who will in turn have other connections... it's like 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon!)

Holyhead you would take an isolating child to see relatives in a "well ventilated room"?
Would you at least be upfront with the relatives about your child's close contact with a positive case?
What if the ventilation doesn't protect them and your relative comes down with it and spreads it to others?

Yeah I'm dreading this happening, but am keeping the kids in school / nursery regardless (not least because both me and DH need to work).

We've made very 'loose' Christmas plans which we know may end up changing. DD1 is already currently home self isolating after one of her teachers had confirmed covid, and we're currently in an area with a high covid rate so it may well happen just before Christmas.

Me and DH have already discussed it and agreed if one of us adults has to self-isolate (but not the rest of the household) due to being in touch with a confirmed case that adult will have just miss out but the rest of the household will carry on so the kids can still have a 'normal' Christmas. But if one of the kids has to self-isolate we'll all stay home over Christmas and make the best of it as I don't think it's fair to have one child miss out, but not the other one. Obviously if we all have to self isolate because someone in the house has covid then that'll be crap but we'll do it.

Another reason we are having a quieter Christmas is because we can't control the behaviour of others. Most of our family are fairly sensible and I hope wouldn't do what Hollyhead describes. But I don't know what my in law's inlaws are up to. For all I know, they could be visiting an isolating person on Christmas Eve (in a ventilated room because they are not idiots, natch), then see dh's brother and sister in law for Christmas. Then we see dh's brother and sister in law on boxing day. Then we bring the virus back to our area and into dd's primary school. Just an example. Might seem low risk but scale this up across the country and it isn't.

@Hollyhead

We’re seeing non vulnerable people on Boxing Day as our only social activity so I’d be risking it and carrying on with that plan although I wouldn't allow the isolating child to hug/kiss them and we’d probably ventilate the room more thoroughly.

Seriously?

What if they were positive and the whole group you were with went about their normal business following your COVID party merrily infecting everyone they came into contact with?

Would you feel no guilt or shame about that?

If you get told to self isolate then you self isolate. You stay home, you order food for delivery and you don't put yourself in contact with anyone who lives outside your home. It's not difficult to understand.

Then we would have to tell my 86 year old dad he couldn't come and we would have absolute hysterical phone calls every 20 mins and he would get a taxi 200 miles and turn up anyway, banging on the door just like he did during the first lockdown (I was pregnant and was facing some harsh complications so he was more of a risk to me).

He's come to stay every three weeks since September. He doesn't care the the kids are in school (one in secondary) and even if one of us tested positive it would be a job to get him to stay away.

What is a bit frustrating is that people should be encouraged to get a test before travelling.I've heard that a large percentage of people aren't travelling this Christmas so it's not like it would be the whole country. The government has known this is coming and could have been setting up systems so that everyone who wanted a test before travelling could get one. Similarly to what has been offered in universities. I honestly can't see how that would cost more than the resulting lockdown they are expecting in January.

On the balance of probabilities i would yes, and yes I would be upfront with my parents and not go if they weren’t happy, but in some countries isolation is only 10 days anyway. Many consider 14 to be overkill. My parents have a massive outdoor covered space with fire pits too so actually we could probably mitigate further risk by socialising out there. Don’t get me wrong I would take precautions to lower the risk, but I don’t think an asymptomatic child 9 days into isolation in a well ventilated space with so social distance would be that risky.

All very theoretical anyway, I live in area where cases are so low the map is white.

We’ll isolate and change our plans, obviously.

@FatGirlShrinking no I understand it I just don’t give a fuck and want to see my parents at Christmas. I’ve followed every rule so far, and we would isolate as far as possible, but 9 days after a contact - more likely 10, I would be happy with the risk based on all the papers I’ve read online about the benefits of ventilated spaces and the lower transmissions rates from asymptomatic people. If he showed any hint of a symptom, including those not on the official list then obviously I wouldn’t.

My one child caught Covid at school. Touch wood, the rest of us have avoided it this time.

However, if my other child brings it home from school then this will quarantine us all. We won't be able to fetch our Tesco click & collect on the 21st so I would advise anyone to ensure they have access to food just in case. Do not rely on click & collect alone!

You've followed every rule so far?
Well if you're going to break just one rule, that's a hell of a one to break!

I'm not the kind of person who jumps on people for admitting to minor covid transgressions (getting closer than 2m to a friend one walk, 4 households at Christmas etc). But refusing to change plans after a child has been in close contact with a positive and told to isolate...? I'm sure you wont be the only family to do this. It worries me.

"In some countries isolation is only 10 days anyway"... well that perfectly justifies mingling after 9 days doesn't it.