Please can someone who has lived with a positive case talk to me .

[Chaotic45]

DH tested positive via a lateral flow last Tuesday, regular test Wednesday which was positive.

Fairly mild symptoms so far- aches, chills, runny nose, big of a cough, lost sense of smell last night (Sunday).

Track and trace have asked us to all
Isolate until the end of Christmas Day.

DH has been isolating in our room since Tuesday. We share a bathroom but not a toilet. DC and I have been lucky to be provided with lateral flow tests which are so far negative (and I was allowed a regular test last weds which was also negative).

We have no intention of breaking the isolation rules whatsoever but I'm wondering about when to let DH out of the bedroom. He is really struggling with the confinement and it would be wonderful to have him join us in the house for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

I'm mindful that the isolation of ten days was technically started on weds when he took his regular test, but he actually tested positive the day before so that maybe takes things back one day?

Also I'm aware that until fairly recently the first person who actually tested positive in a household only had to isolate for seven days, rather than ten- so that's making me wonder if maybe he's ok to join us after seven days.

Having said all this I am really worried about catching it and I know I'm going to be worried about even looking in his direction despite loving him dearly and missing him being with us.

I've even asked him not to wrap my presents as I'm worried about him shedding virus onto them. Not that I give a fig about Christmas presents at this point!

Can anyone share how they navigated this?

Not the same, but my 2 year old had it recently. He slept in my arms, breathed and coughed in my face (thanks!) And breastfed. I didn't get it (I did have a test as felt unwell, but it was negative).

We are a family of five, and my 9yo tested positive first, then me. We did not isolate from each other and so far so good on day 8/9.

I did not stay in my room at all, house wouldn't run itself. I'm sure letting your husband out of captivity a few hours early won't hurt.

I had it. Dh and ds2 (20) didn't get it. I spent time in the living room watching TV ect with them. I sanitised surfaces as I went. Dh had been sleeping next to me when I must have been contagious but didn't catch it.

Are you CEV?

I would have to be at serious risk to even consider imprisoning one of my family members in one room for days on end and on Christmas Day?!! Sheesh, we’ve taken leave of our senses.

I didn't isolate; DH and DC didn't catch it, or if they did had no symptoms

When DH had it we isolated together as a family but not separately from each other. We did nothing differently inside the house it was just that nobody actually left the house. He tested because somebody he worked with had a positive test and he had no symptoms he did not get any symptoms until 3 days after his positive test. Nobody in the family showed any signs of catching it from him

I had it, was so poorly I couldn't even walk to the loo myself as I didn't have the energy so DP had to help me. DP didn't catch it, neither did multiple others I'd been in contact with prior. Several people at work got it the same time and none of their families or partners got it either. Hope you avoid it! It's a strange one the way some people catch it and others don't even in a household.

I wouldn’t think that if you were going to catch it you would have done so in the 48 hours before symptoms appeared. That’s when the infectious period starts.

Thanks for the input.

Interesting to hear that other people didn't isolate from their household. Everyone has to do what feels right to them which is what we have done.

18 out of 20 of DH's colleagues have it plus some of their household members. 4 people in their 40s have been hospitalised and this has made DH and I feel we need to do what we can to reduce the likelihood of him spreading it to the rest of us.

Also, if anyone else catches it we will have to begin our isolation again, and we are all desperate to get out and I need to get back to work. Plus if I feel as unwell as DH we will struggle to cook etc..

DP had it and whilst he tried to stay away from the rest of us as much as he could, it just wasn't possible to completely isolate from us.

I got it- maybe from before he even realised he had covid? And little DC got it as he's to little to be isolating away from me.

Teen DC didn't have any symptoms though so either he was a symptomatic or never got it.

I'm not sure what the point of your op is then - you ask if you can 'let' your DH out, then try to justify why you shouldn't.
As you put above, everyone must do what is right for them. I think locking a family member away for 10 days and making them miss Christmas is fucking insane, but if that is right for you, crack on.

As long as I respect how anxious you are to get coronavirus, but I would never confine any member of my family in the bedroom. In our family if one gets it, we isolate together and hope for the best. I guess it helps that I work in a school and surrounded by it day in and day out. I wouldn’t be able to alienate my own husband over it.

DS has it and we're just carrying on as normal. He uses the bathroom, we use our en suite, but apart from that and not being allowed to go out, not much has changed. I can't imagine how cruel it would feel to make him stay in his room unless anyone in the family was CEV.

I'm presuming he wasn't isolated from you prior to testing positive - you do realise that he will have been carrying the virus for some time before that, don't you?

I mean, you've clearly made up your mind that you're right, so crack on with what you've decided to do, but I'm not sure what the point of your thread is?

"When to let DH out of the bedroom".

He's a grown man!

@Superstardjs insane ouch that's harsh, especially as you've no idea about my own age, or health or that of my DC.

My OP was intended to be asking about him joining us before the end of his isolation period. I'm sorry if that was unclear.

DF had it, didn't isolate in the house, 3 family members shared a bathroom with him. Didn't get it

Du had it, we all isolated together. None of us caught it.

He had mild symptoms, more like a bad cold than anything else

I cannot believe you are considering confining himself to the bedroom for Christmas Day! I can’t actually believe you’ve made him isolate in 1 room either but I think you’re being cruel if that’s your plan.

It is insane imo. And unless you are about to drip feed that you have only half a lung and are 82yo, I stand by the fact that "letting him out" on day 10 is probably not the craziest risk a person can take.

He's not alienated, nor does he feel any of this is cruel. IRL everyone we know has taken a similar approach.

I've spoken to him at length about it over and over again. He's adamant that he's staying in our room until Christmas Day. I'd like him to come out sooner, and was posting to ask for people's opinions but it's his decision at the end of the day.

My teenage son had it, stayed mainly in his room, ate meals there, own bathroom. Fresh air in garden.

The rest of us had our own bathrooms and didn't mingle much together. We wore face masks and didn't catch it AFAIK. However, my other son is asthmatic which is why we took such precautions.

Hi, I had two flatmates test positive but we decided not to isolate them as we reasoned if we were going to get it we would have already as we were in close proximities before the results came back, it was also already a miserable sitch so why make it worse?!

It actually turned out that 3 of us never caught it (negative tests) despite being in the same room, sharing bathrooms ect.

I bet he is adamant!! A nice rest away from the kids and housework, holed up in the bedroom no doubt with Netflix! He’s pulling a fast one OP!!!

I stayed the first couple of days in bed on my own. Dp had an air bed in the lounge.

We have shared toilet and bathroom: I just bleached and anti bac'd after each use.

When walking around the house, to get food, toilets etc; I use to wear a mask.

I think it is was last Wednesday and Christmas Day is on Friday, you would be ok, to come together for Christmas Day, have dinner together etc, if your Dp feels up to it! Just keep the room ventilated.

I also would, up to Christmas Eve night, stay away from dp, just so you don't get it, as if both parents are ill for Christmas. That's going to be really, really rubbish.