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Original poster

Hotel guest tested positive for covid, now what?

39 replies

ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 13:55

Hi all.
Have been to work today (hotel), manager came and informed me that a guest that departed this morning after staying quite a while with us, phoned her after he left to tell her he has tested positive for covid.

One of the housekeepers had already been in the room for around 40 minutes & cleaned it.

Manager took housekeeper to get a quick test, which is negative.
I can't help feeling like she should be going home, isolating & then getting a proper swab test in a few days? Manager seems to think its all ok and says said housekeeper will be in work again tomorrow.
I also wonder about us other housekeepers? I'm thinking to isolate now and get a test in a few days time to be on the safe side.

Sorry I know i probably sound as thick as a plank but genuinely have no idea what the process is after something like this happens.

Thank you.

OP posts:
shindiggery · 22/01/2021 14:00

It seems crazy to declare her covid free after testing so soon. I would share your concerns.

SunInTheSkyYouKnowHowIFeel · 22/01/2021 14:01

How close did you personally get to them? Did you go in their room while they stayed there?

dementedpixie · 22/01/2021 14:05

You would need to have been in contact with the person with covid as it is mainly passed on by them talking, breathing, coughing while in the same room. Close contact is defined as 15 minutes within 2m or only a few minutes within 1m.

I dont think any of you need to isolate tbh and none of you need to test unless you have symptoms

Original poster
ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 14:08

@shindiggery

It seems crazy to declare her covid free after testing so soon. I would share your concerns.
that's why i'm worried, i thought it was best to wait a few days to get a more accurate result? She was in the room for 40 minutes, worth noting as well in these particular rooms the windows don't open, there's no fresh air.
OP posts:
LaLaLandIsNoFun · 22/01/2021 14:10

Sounds like all your manager us interested in is their staff rota

Lipz · 22/01/2021 14:12

The windows don't openHmm surely this is a fire hazard.

Getting a test so quickly is pointless. The rules are clear.

Original poster
ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 14:12

@LaLaLandIsNoFun

Sounds like all your manager us interested in is their staff rota
thought the same, she's definitely the type that would still go into work if she caught it too. She 'doesn't believe' in covid.
OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/01/2021 14:12

What sort of test has come back that quick? I wouldn't trust it.

Did you have any contact with the positive case?

Original poster
ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 14:13

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

What sort of test has come back that quick? I wouldn't trust it.

Did you have any contact with the positive case?

I believe it was one of the lateral flow ones. No I had no contact but have been around the housekeeper that cleaned the room this morning.
OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/01/2021 14:13

Hang on - the guest tested, presumably prior to their departure from the hotel? Then they should remain in place, isolating, til they get their results. As the result was positive they should have remained in their hotel room.

Test and Trace will hopefully contact management regarding close contacts of the guests.

SingingWaffleDoggy · 22/01/2021 14:14

I would have thought that common sense would prevail here and they should treat her as a contact, which would mean 10 day isolation?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/01/2021 14:14

Then you don't need to isolate. Only contacts do. Test and Trace can confirm if Housekeeper is a contact (likely not). If she is, she must isolate for 10 days.

Those lateral flow tests are shite anyways.

Original poster
ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 14:15

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Hang on - the guest tested, presumably prior to their departure from the hotel? Then they should remain in place, isolating, til they get their results. As the result was positive they should have remained in their hotel room.

Test and Trace will hopefully contact management regarding close contacts of the guests.

Yes, he told us that he had been informed that somebody he had been in contact with had tested positive, so he decided to get a test which was positive.
OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 22/01/2021 14:16

Windows not opening is a little illegal in the UK

The rules are clear the housekeeper needs to self isolate for ten days and test if they get symptoms

OakSun · 22/01/2021 14:16

@dementedpixie, the room the person stayed in will have had covid in the air and on all surfaces.
A negative test means nothing. You can test negative every day until you test positive at day 14.
If your boss has lateral flow tests and will test her every day then that’s ok. It depends on cleaning practices and PPE. For example cleaners in hospital will clean covid rooms every day, but if wearing proper FP3 PPE and ventilating the room etc, then they are ok.

ThePricklySheep · 22/01/2021 14:16

She either needs to isolate or not. You can’t get out of it with a negative test as it can take ten days to develop. That’s the whole point of the isolation period.

ThePricklySheep · 22/01/2021 14:17

@Lipz

The windows don't openHmm surely this is a fire hazard.

Getting a test so quickly is pointless. The rules are clear.

Not illegal though it seems. (The windows.)
BeakyWinder · 22/01/2021 14:20

Woah, since when did anyone have to isolate after NOT being in contact with a positive person, just entering a room they have previously been in?? Confused

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/01/2021 14:20

Is the hotel busy? I'd have thought it in their risk assessment to leave rooms vacant before cleaning for as long as is possible.

Obviously if you are at 80-100% occupancy then the rooms need to be turned round more frequently, but surely that cannot be the case during a pandemicm

bailey999 · 22/01/2021 14:21

I worked in a hotel where the window overlooked the pool and didn't open. It was stifling hot, I wouldn't like to stay in there.

lljkk · 22/01/2021 14:26

The hotel should have cleaning practices and policies that would have prevented transmission. No such thing as 100% guarantee, but there are possible fairly effective policies. Is how hospitals get cleaned, too.

What are your employers actually doing to prevent transmission to cleaners?

brieandbacon · 22/01/2021 14:32

why on earth didn't they lock the door and leave the room for a few days?!

Original poster
ihavenoidea20 · 22/01/2021 14:39

@lljkk

The hotel should have cleaning practices and policies that would have prevented transmission. No such thing as 100% guarantee, but there are possible fairly effective policies. Is how hospitals get cleaned, too.

What are your employers actually doing to prevent transmission to cleaners?

They tell us to leave it 30 mins before entering a room, we have those generic blue face masks, aprons & gloves.
OP posts:
slidingdrawers · 22/01/2021 14:55

The housekeeper is not a direct nor close contact unless she was in the room with the positive case within a defined proximity or timescale. There is no expectation for her to self isolate on the basis of her 'contact'.

Your genetic PPE is the same as those who are in direct contact with patients. I would feel reassured OP that your employer is following the guidance.

The individual who left unfortunately wasn't.

slidingdrawers · 22/01/2021 14:56

Generic, not genetic.