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Original poster

Isolating anyway?

56 replies

Lifeispassingby · 04/09/2021 07:46

I’m interested in whether people who have been close contacts or live with someone who tested positive have still chosen to isolate even though they don’t have to? (Obviously those not fully vaccinated still have to).

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 04/09/2021 07:48

I haven't had a close contact (thankfully) but if I do my intention is to isolate. I'm privileged to have a job I can do mostly from home and would probably go to a shop but nothing else. Where I live masks are required in shops which I'm happy about.

Mindymomo · 04/09/2021 07:56

In our situation, my DS1 who goes to work in an office each day would be asked to work from home. DS2 works in engineering, they would ask for negative PCR and then he can still work. He took all his annual leave last time someone tested positive and still went into work, they said he wasn’t a close contact. Myself and DH are at home, not working, we would only go out to walk the dog.

TeloMere · 04/09/2021 07:57

Northernsoullover I don't think going to a shop could be described as isolating.

mrshoho · 04/09/2021 08:15

I'm a TA in an SEN school and we've been told we will be expected in school if double vaccinated. Head recommended getting a pcr test if a household member tests positive but no need to wait for the result. So I could be sharing a bed with a positive case and then coming into school working hands on with students as we do not distance due to their special needs. It doesn't sit right with me no matter how many data slides we've been shown!

MrsSkylerWhite · 04/09/2021 08:16

We would, would feel wrong not to.

BluebellsGreenbells · 04/09/2021 08:19

So I could be sharing a bed with a positive case

That’s not isolation though is it? Separate rooms and all

they would ask for negative PCR

Government won’t allow this much longer and businesses will have to pay

PerditaMacleod · 04/09/2021 08:20

We didn't, I'm not keeping the DC (4 and 2) cooped up at home unless I absolutely have to. Nobody wanted to see us socially though, which I understand completely Grin

MMMarmite · 04/09/2021 08:24

@mrshoho

I'm a TA in an SEN school and we've been told we will be expected in school if double vaccinated. Head recommended getting a pcr test if a household member tests positive but no need to wait for the result. So I could be sharing a bed with a positive case and then coming into school working hands on with students as we do not distance due to their special needs. It doesn't sit right with me no matter how many data slides we've been shown!
I completely agree.
Yellow85 · 04/09/2021 08:28

Yes we’d be isolating as I have no intention of self isolating from my kids for 10 days. If one child was positive, we’ve decided we’d keep the other off as well - partly for logistical reasons and partly because we don’t agree with this new change. School seems ok with it as other families doing the same. They’re just providing work.

I’ve found its actually easier to have both kids home than just one. The entertain themselves better in pairs, so hopefully I can continue to work from home

Panicmode1 · 04/09/2021 08:30

We are in this situation - DC1 and 3 have tested postive as has DH. DC3 and DH are totally asymptomatic. DC1 isolated in his room as he was fairly sick (and the vector for bringing it home). DC2 and 4 and I had negative PCRs. Today is 'release' day for those in SI so we are now free!

I have WFH and the children have stayed at home - but those of us who are negative have done daily LFTs - it was DC4s first day at secondary and DC2's first day in Sixth Form, so they did go in - the schools were testing everyone before they started too, so they have been rigorously tested and are allowed under the rules to go in. It seems bonkers but they've lost enough education and their 'first days' were really important.

Reallybadidea · 04/09/2021 08:51

Adult dd tested positive recently and I was not allowed to attend work (NHS) due to the possibility of causing an outbreak and/or infecting vulnerable patients. Absolutely correct decision IMO. I didn't have to self isolate but chose to cancel any social stuff, hairdressers, dentist etc as I felt that would be irresponsible.

PurpleDaisies · 04/09/2021 08:54

No. I’ll be extra careful when I’m out and might decide to avoid certain places or people but I won’t be isolating.

BluebellsGreenbells · 04/09/2021 09:00

Local school page

Parents refusing to test children
Kids sent in having not been isolated from positive siblings/parents
Allowing grandparents to bring children to school

Etc etc

I don’t see the point of us all ‘doing the right thing’ when nobody else intends to.

We are all on our own taking our own risk.

The government have washed their hands of this.

Schools can’t force children to test and can’t force them to go home - parents won’t collect

There are too many people who won’t get paid it they are off work with ill children - the government won’t offer any payment and companies won’t either

I also think they want companies to make their own rules - work from home/testing/PCR etc and companies will have to start paying for those things

Parents will have to buy LFT if they are required for school - it won’t belong before they start to charge!!!

BeyondMyWits · 04/09/2021 09:04

No, because I would not get paid.

Dh would isolate (on full pay) if I came down with it as he has been told that is policy where he works.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 04/09/2021 09:07

Probably as recent experience has told me that testing is not a fail safe even PCRs. DH positive and I had cold type symptoms so did LFTs and PCR all negative. Didn't feel right so decided to WFH just to be safe. Thankfully I did as days later I was positive. How many people would get a negative PCR and think right apparently I don't have to worry and go about their business as normal.

Yellow85 · 04/09/2021 09:22

@SilverGlitterBaubles

Probably as recent experience has told me that testing is not a fail safe even PCRs. DH positive and I had cold type symptoms so did LFTs and PCR all negative. Didn't feel right so decided to WFH just to be safe. Thankfully I did as days later I was positive. How many people would get a negative PCR and think right apparently I don't have to worry and go about their business as normal.
You highlight the massive flaw. Continuing as normal with a negative PCR should only be relevant if the household case is isolating away from the rest of the household. I also think they should give better guidance for when said PCR should be taken (I.e. not day 1!)
goawaystormy · 04/09/2021 09:39

"So I could be sharing a bed with a positive case

That’s not isolation though is it? Separate rooms and all"

The words of the privileged Hmm. Plenty of us don't have the option for isolation within our own home. We'd have no choice but to share a bed, let alone a room, with a positive case if it came to it.

And on top of that it's not really a 'choice' to isolate if they choice means me not getting paid. On top of that choosing to miss shifts for whatever reason would simply be seen as not showing up at my place of work and would have my disciplines and could even have me fired.

So no I will not be choosing to isolate. Because it isn't a viable choice and would leave me in poverty. And on top of that I wouldn't even get any help from benefits/HA as I would be seen to have 'chosen' my situation.

Bobholll · 04/09/2021 09:42

No, I’m not isolating my children repeatedly this Autumn unless it becomes law again. They need to go to school when they are not ill.

We WFH so will keep ourselves to ourselves but would still go for walks etc. I’ll do LFTs & a PCR a few days after contact.

Dee1975 · 04/09/2021 09:44

DD tested positive a couple of weeks ago. I am able to wfh so I did. Office policy is that if you can wfh, and someone you live with is positive, then do wfh for the 10 days.

In the main we did isolate. We cancelled any meets with friends and didn’t go anywhere apart from the shops, where of course I wore a mask. We did continue to walk the dog but kept distance from everyone.

Glad we did because DH then got it. And then so did I.

lunar1 · 04/09/2021 09:46

My husband's NHS trust expect them to isolate as before if a close contact.

We would do as a family anyway.

GoldenOmber · 04/09/2021 09:47

I can’t really isolate from others in the house and would be WFH anyway so I would. Don’t know about keeping children who’ve tested negative off school/nursery though - my work would be unlikely to accommodate that.

Arghlife · 04/09/2021 09:47

I think it's ridiculous that we can go to work if we're double vaccinated when we live with someone who is positive. I'm currently living with someone who is positive with covid, they're double vaccinated. I'm not allowed out as I've only had one vaccine. However being double vaccinated doesn't stop you getting it, as her ex husband is also double vaccinated and is now positive.

bigbluebus · 04/09/2021 09:59

Hasn't happened here yet but we would isolate - although I know of two households where everyone isolated for 10 days before the rules changed and then further household members tested positive on day 12 without any close contact with anyone in their 2 days of freedom.

My DH works with CV people so would definitely WFH if we had a case here.

I think there's a huge difference between being a contact with someone you spent time with for an evening and living in a house with a positive case where you are sharing facilities. In the 1st instance your chance of infection is a once only event, in the 2nd instance you're chance of infection is ongoing throughout the isolation period (or for the 7 or so days the positive case is infectious).

chaosrabbitland · 04/09/2021 10:00

no i havent ever isolated , even when dd was sent home from school because she was close contact with someone who had tested positve i didnt and neither did she .

i cant afford to be off work and not getting paid ,plus we are so short staffed anyway , its ridiculous to isolate kids just because someone in their class has tested positve , i later found out it was boy who sits at the opposite end of the classroom .
she no sooner got back ,did one day and they were sending them all home again , im not keeping the pair of us cooped up in the house for the best part of 20 days .
another member of staff in my shop caught covid and we were all told none of us needed to isolate as we didnt work in the pharmacy with her , but the toilets and other areas were all shared though , they just didnt want us all being at home with a crisis about an unstaffed store .

Crunchymum · 04/09/2021 20:22

@BluebellsGreenbells

So I could be sharing a bed with a positive case

That’s not isolation though is it? Separate rooms and all

they would ask for negative PCR

Government won’t allow this much longer and businesses will have to pay

Maybe I'm missing your point but I don't happen to have a spare room knocking about so if my DP tests positive where does he go?