Covid positive family next door accidentally threw ball into my tiny garden

[StuffCovid]

It bounced and rolled.I'm CEV.

Do I:

1. Chuck it back and ask then not to kick the ball against my fence but on the other side to the non-CEV neighbours!
2. Say nothing, but wear gloves and then wash my hands thoroughly and spray the grass with dettol kitchen spray
3. Put a knife in it, and bin it, like DH suggests
4. Stroll out there and simply chuck it back and don't worry, it's outdoors, just wash my hands with soap and that's it.

PS, I wouldn't really take option 3, it must be hard for them being cooped up for 10 days over the summer holiday.

Is this genuinely serious?

4 of course!
2 has got to be a joke and 3 I'm glad your horrible husband is not my neighbour!

Have you been vaccinated OP? I’m sorry that you are so anxious and ill- informed after all this time that you think you can catch Covid from grass, but you really can’t.
Just chuck the ball back and wash your hands if you’re that worried.

I suggest you set fire to the ball. You can't be too careful.

It's been proven that Covid doesn't transmit well on surfaces. 4.

@JosephineDeBeauharnais

Have you been vaccinated OP? I’m sorry that you are so anxious and ill- informed after all this time that you think you can catch Covid from grass, but you really can’t. Just chuck the ball back and wash your hands if you’re that worried.

Some CEV people have been double vaccinated and could still die if they caught a mild form. DS 30 is one of them.

Number 4. Maybe put some gloves on first or double up with hand gel if it calms your nerves. You could put on a visor and mask if you're worried about secret snot spashback

Do it however you feel safe long as the kids get their ball back.

4 is fine but if you feel anxious wear gloves.

Although, if they are kicking it against your fence, that is a bit cheeky... you could "quarantine" the ball by leaving it exactly where it is for 72 hours. No risk of fomite transmission from touching the ball or accidentally licking the grass where it was, plus they might be more considerate next time if they have to wait to get their ball back.

Don't spray the grass with Dettol. It's really not necessary, it's poisonous to wildlife and it could hypothetically increase the risk of transmission from zero to almost zero by aerosolising any virus there won't be any on the grass...

We ate birthday cake which had candles on that were blown out by a covid positive child (his symptoms started the next day) and I'm not as worried as you are about a ball. Ds has asthma as well.

Isolate it for 10 days. Only solution, I'm afraid. Don PPE, place a large plastic box on top, cover with hazard tape and attach a sign saying "DANGER. DO NOT MOVE. BIOLOGICAL HAZARD".

You may also want to contact PHE for advice.

Get DH to throw it back and then wash his hands

I think OP hasn't returned because they are out getting the weekly shop for their self isolating neighbours maybe. Or busy baking them a pie.

I would do Option 6: burn their house to the ground, then the one on the other side of it, just in case.

Then I would move.

You can't be too careful.

1. Minus spraying the grass, that’s overkill.

Get your weirdly cruel DH to throw it back

No, it was a genuine question. Thanks for those understanding why I might ask as CEV and double vaccinated. But I am comforted that there is absolutely no risk at all. And yes, my first thing was to ask if I can buy them any supplies.

Call the police, then put your house up for sale, just in case.

Blimey. Had no idea people still needed to ask about stuff like that.