What to do with kids

[Tootshoots]

Husband has tested positive. I am to be tested tomorrow and assume I will also be positive. At present he is in a different room to me and kids. But if I test positive I assume there is no need to stay separate? We cant isolate from kids as they are too young to look after themselves.

You won't necessarily test positive.

But yes if you're both positive there's not a great deal of point to staying separate, apart from maybe to decrease the potential viral load the children get (presuming they stay with only one of you as currently).

Hopefully not but if I do, I suppose I just want to know what others have done.

@JanuaryChill

But yes if you're both positive there's not a great deal of point to staying separate, apart from maybe to decrease the potential viral load the children get (presuming they stay with only one of you as currently).

This is the kind of thing I mean, if we both are around the children could they get it worse? None of them have any symptoms at present

No how would that work, I’m a single parent so what am I meant to do isolate from them?? If you both test positive then no unless you plan to let them fend for themselves?

Think OP meant the adults staying separate from one another.

Oh right I’ve not heard of that, if they are both positive what would be the point?

@JanuaryChill

Think OP meant the adults staying separate from one another.

Yes, I'm asking should we continue to keep my husband separate from myself and kids if I test positive. Would there be any benefit to the kids by only being exposed to 1 covid positive parent rather than 2.

If my OH tested positive but I didn't and the children didn't, I would banish him to the top of the house and leave all meals outside his door. I would expect him to do the same if the tables were turned.

If I tested positive too, I'd just have to hope they got it mildly and we all made it out the other end fine. There's no way I would isolate from them in that instance.

Ohh right silly me 😂, that makes much more sense, I think they will probably get it either way though sorry

There is not much you can do so no point in isolating. Young children get little or no symptoms thankfully so I wouldn’t worry.

I'm not sure how effective staying in another room is unless you have more than 1 bathroom / toilet etc. Like any respiratory illness, it seems once 1 member of the family gets it then everyone will inevitably get it.

I don't think there is any harm in trying to reduce viral load by your husband staying in a different room though. Honestly, I don't think there is much else you can do. Social distancing with children is pretty much impossible, that's why the government doesn't even mandate it with schools since they know it is not possible.

We deviate the start that if it came into the house we would deal with it as a house.

No underlying problems.

Dd2 tested positive just before Christmas, followed by me. We didn't keep separate as we accepted it was impossible with a 2yo and 5yo.

DH did sleep in a separate room to minimise build up of viral load at night and we kept windows open as much as possible.

DH and dd5 never developed symptoms. Not sure if they were asymptomatic.

@BertNErnie

If my OH tested positive but I didn't and the children didn't, I would banish him to the top of the house and leave all meals outside his door. I would expect him to do the same if the tables were turned.

If I tested positive too, I'd just have to hope they got it mildly and we all made it out the other end fine. There's no way I would isolate from them in that instance.

He has been isolated from us and will continue to be until I get my result. Just to be clear I will not be leaving my children to fend for themselves obviously! I just wondered if we could reduce their risk a little by being exposed to 1 positive parent instead of 2. Or maybe myself and husband should wear masks around them? They're young so wont be able to keep distance from them.

Since you're kids are young I'm not sure how practical wearing masks would be. I assume they're going to still want kisses and cuddles?

I would focus on trying to ensure the window between your husband testing positive and yourself potentially testing positive is as far apart as possible, that way the time you're both potentially ill is reduced so at least 1 of you is well enough to look after the children.

If you do both test positive, maybe alternate so you both get some decent time resting in bed?

Your you g children, unless they have underlying conditions, are very unlikely to be seriously ill from covid. If you're both positive just employ the best house cleanliness you can without going loopy. Hope you're ok OP.

My husband and I both had it and were very unwell. We were too poorly to do anything other than feed the kids and lay on the sofa watching them go about their lives (not tiny kids, ranging from 5-16). They all had COVID too, but were barely unwell at all. You may well need to stick together to get through it

When I say 'go about their lives' I meant within the house obviously, just realised I made it sound like they went to school or out and about

It depends how you both feel.

You can't isolate and will obv need to see to their basic needs.
If you are both feeling rotten, take it in turns to rest and see to kids.
If one of you is okish & other one suffering more, then one who is ok takes over the main parenting duties.
If both are OK then have lots of family sofa time, watching movies. Play games if well enough and just try and make it as nice a family times as possible.

DH tested positive, he was unwell so stayed in a room away from us but I still had to go in a lot to provide care to him. He used a different toilet to us.

4 days later I tested positive, but not as unwell, so still had to look after kids.

9 days later two kids lost sense of smell and taste, no other symptoms, tested positive. Eldest has had some nausea and headaches, but that has been it. Youngest negative but had fever and a cough 7 days after DH tested positive, but not as poorly as usual winter viruses.

Most children do not become seriously unwell with Covid-19 so I would try not to worry. Maybe wear a mask if you go near DH, use a different toilet and good hand hygiene to try and avoid getting it from him, but in reality that may have already happened and you cannot both isolate from the children, so if you both end up positive then share the child caring load between you unless one of you is much worse than the other.

Ventilation reduces viral load. Open the window.

Do you have symptoms OP?

I think your dc’s will be fine and no, if you test positive I wouldn’t isolate from your DH.I know two families where the parents both caught it but the (primary aged) dc’s tested negative.

DN (35, fit and healthy) got Covid, temperature 38.5 and cough, went to spare bedroom straight away. Test came back positive. After 5 days his wife and DC4.5 started showing symptoms and were tested positive. DS had mild fever and cough basically 2 days. Wife felt quite unwell for a few days but by this time DN felt better so took over “childminding duties”. He’s got a couple of long days with lots of TV, then wife became better so it’s all ended up in 10 days.

Thanks for the replies, it helps to hear others experiences. I have my test later today, fingers crossed for a negative