I have covid and I'm very anxious

[crummyusername]

Hi, my older DS got Covid a week or so back. I just got a positive PCR test result this morning. Very fortunately I haven't had any symptoms so far, though it's still quite early days (I'd had a negative PCR two days earlier). I'm double vaxxed.

I'm feeling terribly anxious and scared. And I have two kids in the house (ages 10 and 13) so I can't just put my feet up all day and relax.

Any ideas how to deal with this mentally? I'm not sure what I'm really asking to be honest. It's too early in the morning to be calling people and I am really struggling to think clearly.

I guess I am partly anxious about handling the situation. I went out yesterday with DS2 and in hindsight shouldn't have (obviously I didn't know I was positive, and my LFT was negative). So I feel guilt about that. I have to get my angry miserable son to another PCR today, as the school have said he should go in if he has a recent negative PCR, but he will probably refuse and in any case, I am not sure I should be sending him in at all. Even if he can go in, I can't take him, in which case I'd have to coordinate with ex, who I can barely communicate with. Sorry this is a stream of consciousness, I'm not doing great

BTW I'm not judging you @crummyusername and don't want to sound sanctimonious. I'd just lay low and make the most of being at home with my family. It's rubbish but it will be over soon.

You're probably right. I'd be sticking to the official rules 100% but those rules are what's allowing covid to run riot.

and if DS does not go to school I guess I'd actually be breaking the rules, though I don't suppose the school would mind.

What is your Local Authority’s actual policy re school?

Ours is a negative PCR test for siblings 72 hours post someone in the house getting a positive. So if your PCR was yesterday they’d ask us to wait 72 hours before getting him another PCR here.

No local authority policy that I know of. DS2 school says he can go in, if he has a recent negative PCR. I think I'll actually keep him off for a few more days - maybe get another PCR tomorrow (which will be a full week after DS1 symptoms started), and send him if that's negative. One child in the class is clinically vulnerable as well.

More practically I'm worried how I will keep the kids from spending all day, every day gaming - they're unhappy stuck home and lockdown tired, and I really struggle at the best of times to get them to do anything else.

Don't worry about this for 10 days. If you stress about this it will make you feel bad and they will be harder to occupy.
Have a discussion with them now and agree that you will relax the gaming rules for the isolation period providing they agree to go back to whatever limits you set from the end of ten days.

@Veiaola

You may not get any symptoms so will be fine. Try to deal with stuff as it happens.

This. My dd had no noticeable symptoms through the whole period until the week she was back in school when she felt a little bit more breathless in PE, and a bit brain foggy, fine after another week.

You have my sympathy.
My husband and eldest DS have just tested positive. Me & youngest had a negative PCR so in theory could you put trick or treating but honestly in all conscience I can't knock on strangers doors knowing we could be incubating the virus.
Instead we are going to dress up,order a pizza, put a playlist of Halloween songs together and watch a scary film. We've hot loads of sweets in the house for trick or treaters so they won't miss out.
Maybe you could plan an alternative based on staying in?
I hope you stay symptom free. Please try not to worry too much x

Sorry for the typos. Meant to say could go trick or treating

I think your DS would be fine to go trick or treating if he has tested negative. Household contacts are more likely to not catch it than to catch it although many seem to assume the opposite. As you say, he'll be in school tomorrow (indoors) anyway!

Link re. Household transmission although there are plenty of resources out there that say the same.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231557/covid-vaccines-effective-household-transmission-delta/amp/

I’d LFT your son tonight and then let him go trick or treating if negative. He’ll be outside anyway and back at school tomorrow with his friends. It’s not a given that he’s going to catch it from you.

Thanks again all. LFTs have been consistently inaccurate for us - my PCR was on Friday (results came this morning), and I did a LFT test on Saturday which I was very careful to do properly, and was definitely negative.

I've decided he can't do the trick or treat... I toyed with a middle ground where he could go with his friends masked up but not collect any sweets, but it's hard to monitor and I can't put that onto another parent given I can't go. So I've asked his friends to collect some sweets for him and drop them round later.

And I'll do another PCR for him before he goes back to school. Think I'll do it tomorrow to be sure it's had plenty of time for any trace of covid to show up. If that's negative I'll send him back mid-week. I know that's not the rules, but I wouldn't feel right putting his classmates at risk.

Feel slightly better having made those decisions

You sound like an amazing mum, I hope your Ds's friends got him some nice T orT sweets and you have a fun night in if possible .

Thanks …. DS2 hates me right now, but I’ll just have to ride it out. His friend kindly brought round some trick or treat sweets.

Please don't go for a walk, it's busy out due to Halloween and it's really unfair on others.

I'd binge watch tv with the kids, get some snacky food in and easy to cook food. Do you have any support if you need anything from the shops etc?

Why are people loosing their shit about being outdoors after testing negative?! I’ve taken my neighbours kids out with mine tonight because they are both positive (kids are negative). Outdoor transmission has been repeatedly proven to be basically zero. And let’s face, my kids & my neighbours kids will be socialising & in class together at school tomorrow indoors anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m taking them to school!

I don’t know anyone who has kept their kids at home after testing negative (on a PCR). Please don’t disrupt your child’s education when they are not ill. But do PCR, it’s more reliable. And our school insist on it to be fair.

Your school don’t insist on it, the government force the schools to insist on it! It’s not their choice to have siblings in school with COVID brothers sisters or parents!!

I agree you will feel better when you’ve made a decision.

Keep him off for another PCR test and then go from there, I’ve just had covid and felt fine, no symptoms.

Thanks all. I took DS2 for another PCR today. He already tested negative on Friday, 4 days after his brothers positive test, but now I’m positive too I want to test again before I feel ok sending him back.

Incidentally I’m still negative on LFT tests, so they seem pretty useless. Perhaps I just have a mild case they can’t detect.