DH, covid, due in 10 days

[MCR2021]

DH works in an SEN school. This evening the student he worked with today (who has been coughing in and spitting at him for allot of the day) tested positive for covid. DH has been wearing a mask and washing hands all day.
He is picking up tests tomorrow to test daily but he got the call to say about the student after we had had a kids/cuddle.
My NHS Trust states that if I have covid I have to give birth alone on an isolated ward with other women in same situation.
My due date is a week Sunday and I’m so worried that I’m going to get covid and have to give birth to my first baby alone.
I don’t even know what I am expecting anyone to say.. I just need to vent :(

Sorry OP that's difficult. Does your DH have to isolate now? Have you got a backup birth partner in case he's still in isolation/gets covid?

I'd distance yourself as much as possible in the house and sleep in different beds to minimise the risk of you catching it.

DH now needs to isolate for 10 days, and may not be allowed into the hospital to accompany you for the 4 days following that as many NHS trusts are sticking to the original 14 days due to the heightened risk faced by many in a hospital environment. This includes isolating from you for the next 10 days so you need to think about whether there is somebody else who you would like at the birth if it occurs during this time.
On a more positive note if today is the first time he has worked with this child since Xmas it would be extremely unlikely that DH would yet be able to pass the virus on so it is unlikely that you could have caught it off of him (although if you fail to isolate from each other in the coming days it is likely that you will catch it).
DH should also be asking the school to remind parents not to send in children with symptoms of the virus and to send home those with obvious symptoms as it is clear that this child will have already have been waiting on test results and shouldn't have been in school in the first place.

Can DH go somewhere else for the 10 days so he can't pass it to you and someone else be on standby as birth partner if he becomes positive?

God that's a worry. FWIW, my DH is in hospital with covid. Once he showed symptoms (which led to testing), we isolated from him. It was not nice at all and I had an extremely ill husband who required my very limited/distant care but it's vital that you do this. I would start now, tbh. Don't sleep in the same bed. Don't use the same bathroom. If you can, give your bathroom a quick disinfecting clean. Do not share towels, of course. And if he's positive, he really just has to stay in his room. This is paramount. Keep the bedroom windows open at all times, just a bit. And get air yourself. Stay downstairs if you can (if you have a downstairs). Even without DH at home, I still open the back doors from time to time. I stand outside and breathe in the cold air throughout the day. Just get your fresh air. And mask up. Order a box of vinyl gloves to wear and keep door handles, rails, light switches, anything he touches wiped with rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol).
I sound paranoid, but I've just watched my husband battle covid at home only to end up on a CPAP machine in hospital. Not that this is your outcome in the least! Six of his staff members had it and didn't have anything close to his experience, thank goodness. So try not to worry. But my point is, follow the measures anyway so that you and your baby stay healthy. It is possible to stay safe even in the same household. It's boring, it's lonely, it's sad, but it's short-term. Start putting measures in place now and hang onto the hope that it's very possible he won't get covid. There is an incubation period of 14 days though. It's so scary. You've made it this far and now, just as you're about to give birth, you have this anxiety. You poor, poor thing. But believe me, you can really protect yourself in the same household. It's a bit dystopian, but it's short-term and absolutely worth it. No cuddles or anything until you're in the clear. if he continues to get negative tests after two weeks, brilliant!

I don't think your DH does have to isolate under the new rules issued by the DfE. I also work in an SEN school and if we come in contact with a child who is positive then the child obviously isolates. Staff who have had close contact (in our case all staff as we are a tiny school) we have to have daily rapid tests for 7 days, unless we get symptoms in which case we have to isolate and get ourselves tested. However, If we test negative for 7 days on the trot then we go back to weekly.

Here's hoping your baby is late and your DH misses it. Agree with previous posters.. Seperate for next 2 weeks, good cleaning and ventilation

fingers crossed you both will be fine and baby is late.

How's it going OP?