Is this exposure?

[LillyBottom]

My husband ordered a takeaway. I don’t usually get involved in that as I don’t eat takeaways. But he was in the shower when the guy turned up and unfortunately I had to answer the door.

The guy wasn’t wearing a mask ( not sure if he has to but saying for context) and was by the door. I immediately stepped back and practically held my breath, not planned to but possibly involuntarily, he hasn’t if we placed an order and I just said ‘ ‘hmm’ and tapped the card to the reader.
My hallway is small so was not 6ft apart the duration would be possibly just under a minute. I’m pretty sure there will be plenty of posters saying how silly I am..sorry but I’m very anxious

@PlonkyPlink thank you for your response and mostly thank you for being kind and understanding. I’m seeking help for my anxiety in the form of CBT therapy- just started so will take a while for me to work through things.

Yes I’m very anxious and more so now

It’s more likely to come in on the packaging of the takeaway than it is the moment you spoke with him.

@Kennypowerstesticle I’ve already decanted all the food into our own containers - thrown the containers and bag and washed the worktop where the bag was placed.

My goodness me this is a very very high level of anxiety to carry for so long you must be exhausted.

I am glad you are getting some help as this is a very extreme reaction.

That’s good, OP. I must say though this is a good example of how strangely anxiety can affect COVID logic. You’ve worried you’ve breathed in something from him, that he may have breathed it into your small entryway, washed the packaging touched by him but... your family will be eating food prepared by the same people which (I presume) you can’t wash before you eat it.

Not judging because I have weird logic around it all too. It’s just interesting.

Honestly I would be going back to the GP. CBT alone clearly isn’t tackling this.
I am shielding. I have anxiety. This is not a proportionate response to a minuscule risk.
Why don’t you usually go to shops etc? Do you have any agoraphobic tendencies?

OP, for the love of all that is holy, please do not let your young and impressionable DD see how anxious you are about this. Really unhealthy to your emotions and mental state to be so on-guard constantly and to be so paranoid and assume anyone and everyone is carrying a disease.

I am not trying to be rude to you, and my heart breaks a bit for you, as it sounds like a sad way to live. You need to actually live in this world - sicknesses around or not. Staying at home every moment of everyday is not healthy (generally) and it sounds like you're at hiding-under-the-table levels of fretfulness.

Please try to put things into perspective. For your own sake and also for the heads of the other ppl in your house.

With the greatest respect you need to get this in proportion OP. Do you go outside at all for walks or exercise?

I’d make sure you gargle with antiseptic mouth rinse just to be safe. Have you bleached the doorstep and door he probably breathed on that too. Hope you are ok and don’t catch anything.

@whoamIamIalright

I’d make sure you gargle with antiseptic mouth rinse just to be safe. Have you bleached the doorstep and door he probably breathed on that too. Hope you are ok and don’t catch anything.

Don't be mean ! It really isn't funny to be living with that level of anxiety.

I think you know this isn't a proportional response OP. I am CEV and wouldn't of thought twice about the interaction you just had.

Please please go and see your GP. CBT alone is not going to help with the level of anxiety you describe. Recent research by Sussex University has shown that anxiety in parents, especially mothers, has very negative effect on children's development.

@Kennypowerstesticle I don’t eat takeaways neither does my daughter- it’s only my husband who does

I excercise outside- used to run in spring summer but have not been as mush due to cold weather
But I do walk 4-5miles sat and sun
Weekdays around 3 miles

It’s outside no interaction

Don’t go to shops as found it a drain on time- can do the whole thing but much easily over the internet and have more time for family and hobbies etc

@whoamIamIalright thanks for the sarcasm

Unlikely

You kept some distance and the door was open so lots of air flow

Thank you @midgebabe

Did you lick the delivery man?

If not I think you'll be okay and you should probably call your GP tomorrow to help you get a handle of your anxiety as this is way over the top and just not normal.

Despite what some people want you to believe covid isnt hiding around every corner or in the breath of every human.

Yes I’m sorry, it was meant to hold a mirror up, but I realise it comes across as mean. My anxiety makes me irrational sometimes and my family saying stuff like this can sometimes make me smile, it gives me perspective. The previous reply that really stood out for me was the one from a person who works on a COVID ward who took 9 months to catch it. I hope that makes OP see that opening a door for the takeaway is not going to pose a threat.

You sound really anxious OP which is understandable at the moment.
For context, it took me 5 weeks to catch it in a classroom of 30 children, 6 hours a day. Your interaction will not count as close contact.

@SpnBaby1967 no- don’t usually lick anyone let alone delivery drivers

@whoamIamIalright that’s ok

@FlippinNoah thank you- I feel a bit less worried but not fully there. Maybe I need to speak to the go again as one of the posters mentioned

OP your response would still be a bit over the top if you knew for sure that the delivery man was positive, the fact that there's a very very small chance that he is makes it wildly extreme.

Please go back and speak to your GP about your anxiety.

The higher risk from what I have read is more than 15 minutes. It’s good that you have had help for you anxiety but personally I don’t think it’s that abnormal to be more anxious than usual in a scenario we have never faced. It’s understandable especially if you have concerns over your child. I’ve just found out today someone dear to us has lost their battle with COVID. It’s also not the first loss we have faced due to COVID. If your anxiety is affecting your sleep or affecting your day to day living I’m sure you would go to the GP if you needed to. We are quite careful with interaction, wipe surfaces down, clean shopping but will go for walks, wear a mask if we need to pop to the shops. Having said that I mainly stick to online, did before this. Anxiety can be crippling, certain things will make it worse, hearing the current rates probably has most people slightly anxious. There’s nothing wrong with asking for reassurance when your feeling on edge.

Op health anxiety is very real when your in the middle of an episode and especially during a pandemic so I can see why your panicking

I was diagnosed with health anxiety and gad as well as ptsd after an emergency life saving operation six years ago but looking back I think my health anxiety started when my youngest was born.

She had really bad reflux which resulted in medications,special dietary and probably no more than three hours sleep a night for a few years.

Add to that she was a hard baby due to being in pain and I think the constant stress and tiredness literally gave me the trauma issues.

I'm a lot stronger now but I still have episodes but I deal with it better now.

It's very real and very frightening when you feel that anxious.

Have you tried talking therapy?

I tried mindfulness and cbt but don't practice them so much now as I find they can make me feel
More anxious at time's.

Distraction works better for me.

I have some great games on my phone and have just signed upto some free online courses that I'm getting into.

Are you under any counselling services?