Covid in the house - some questions....

[greystripedpajamas]

Our first experience of having covid in the house. Ds11 is on day 3. Totally asymptomatic and picked up on routine LFT. Both parents currently negative of PCR / daily LFTs and no symptoms.

Are there any things that can be done in the house to help prevent spread or anything that worked for you? Or is it super likely we will all get it? (Ds is largely hiding out in his room, has his own bathroom and wears a mask round the house)

Is there a window where you are more likely to catch it or are the full 10 days fair game? (I don't think he'll tolerate being room based for the full 10 days but the novelty hasn't worn off yet!)

Also - are people going about their business (like you can) - shopping / work etc or did you tend to stay at home?

Thanks!

They say covid positive person is most infectious 2 days before symptoms start but as your DS didn’t have any it’s difficult to know when he was most likely to pass it on. Personally I would take each day as it comes and if he’s struggling being on his own, then you have to decide if you want him to come and sit with you. Also if I could work at home and not go anywhere I would, but not everyone can do so. Keep doing LFT and maybe another PCR tests for you parents in a couple of days.

I had covid a few weeks ago and no-one caught it from me. I didn’t distance from my 2 and 4 year old but DH slept in the spare room and we wore masks if in the same room. We had all the windows open and I sanitised my hands often. Didn’t deep clean.

I had it as did one Child. DH and the other didn’t catch it (although I fully suspect the little one was patient zero!). DH didn’t catch it although we stayed mostly in separate rooms for over a week - eased up a bit when my lft started coming back negative.

Youngest stayed home with us, although that was mostly due to the logistics of getting him to school. Husband went to work/shops as normal. But didn’t do any socialising/golf as he normally would.

@Mindymomo

They say covid positive person is most infectious 2 days before symptoms start but as your DS didn’t have any it’s difficult to know when he was most likely to pass it on. Personally I would take each day as it comes and if he’s struggling being on his own, then you have to decide if you want him to come and sit with you. Also if I could work at home and not go anywhere I would, but not everyone can do so. Keep doing LFT and maybe another PCR tests for you parents in a couple of days.

Thanks - yes, this is pretty much what we're doing.

I'm not allowed into work (NHS) but DH still has to go to work every day (school).

I don't want to deprive ds of anything he needs but if we get the domino effect through the house, it prolongs the crap for everyone!

I'm also curious is being asymptomatic means you're less likely to spread (I know they say that isn't the case) but just the lack of sneezing / coughing / snotty tissues around just feels less germy 🤣

I had it and dh caught it from me, even though we had seperate beds once I knew I was positive. I was also cooking all the meals prior to my pcr test, but 2 teenage dds did not catch it. I’m not sure there is a foolproof way to stop it spreading in a household, but also quite a good possibility that nobody else will catch it.

DD1 had a mild case. We isolated to best of our ability but didn't the day of pcr or day after whilst waiting which potentially is when she was infectious I think! None of the rest of us got it.

After that, all windows and doors open, limiting sharing space as much as possible, lots of hand washing/sanitising.

Is there a window where you are more likely to catch it or are the full 10 days fair game? (I don't think he'll tolerate being room based for the full 10 days but the novelty hasn't worn off yet!)

Infectivity tends to reach a peak the day before and after becoming symptomatic and wane afterwards. For that reason PCR tests aren't held to be accurate after five days as virus levels are often too low to detect the then. In short, you're much more likely to become infected day one than day ten.

My DS(17) had it just before half term and no one else in the household got it. He’s mainly stayed in his room (which was really no hardship for him) and wore a mask when he came out. We wore masks to take him food etc and opened windows, but no major hygiene precautions. We all share one bathroom too. I think he was probably infectious for quite a short period of time and cleared the virus pretty quickly, possibly because he had been vaccinated (single jab) back in August.
DH and I both worked from home to avoid mixing unnecessarily, and we didn’t socialise but still went out for shopping etc (in masks). As it was half term, our DD was off school anyway so we didn’t have to consider either or not to send her in (luckily).

@greystripedpajamas

I'm also curious is being asymptomatic means you're less likely to spread (I know they say that isn't the case) but just the lack of sneezing / coughing / snotty tissues around just feels less germy 🤣

An article on this subject

www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/05/mild-asymptomatic-covid-19-cases-may-be-infectious-severe-ones

It's a bit of a lottery regarding infectivity.

Thanks @Warhertisuff

DS(17) has just come out of isolation today. He was asymptomatic. I tested positive 5 days after his positive test. Asymptomatic initial case most definitely does not equal lesser symptoms for others if passed on in our case.
I've been in bed for a week now and last night we were close to calling an ambulance. I've been on the phone to 111 and GP most of today. It's really knocked me for six!
DP on the other hand remains negative (according to ltf taken daily).
DS isolated in his room, but we all share a shower as we only have one. I spent time with DS the night he tested positive as he had a panic attack in the middle of the night, so I expect that's why I caught it. DP immediately retreated to the downstairs when I tested positive and until last night when I was really ill had avoided contact other than to deliver drinks and food to my room.

DS12 had covid recently and nobody else caught it. He did pretty much stay in his room for most of the 10 days. We had to share a bathroom but I made sure I cleaned anything he touched regularly.

@afromom

DS(17) has just come out of isolation today. He was asymptomatic. I tested positive 5 days after his positive test. Asymptomatic initial case most definitely does not equal lesser symptoms for others if passed on in our case. I've been in bed for a week now and last night we were close to calling an ambulance. I've been on the phone to 111 and GP most of today. It's really knocked me for six! DP on the other hand remains negative (according to ltf taken daily). DS isolated in his room, but we all share a shower as we only have one. I spent time with DS the night he tested positive as he had a panic attack in the middle of the night, so I expect that's why I caught it. DP immediately retreated to the downstairs when I tested positive and until last night when I was really ill had avoided contact other than to deliver drinks and food to my room.

Gosh - I hope you feel better soon, that sounds awful.

My DS1 then DS2 then DH got it, I didn't. We did isolate from positive LFTs onwards, but not beforehand when they were all infectious.

We did isolate from each other once covid was confirmed for each person, DS1 and DS2 stayed in their rooms (they're 10 and 12 and were delighted with this) and DH moved into the spare room. We have two reception rooms so I had one to myself, I had the ensuite and they all used the bathroom and I was the only one who went in the kitchen. I made all the food and drinks and left it outside their doors (this got annoying!). Face masks worn on the stairs / landing which was the only communal area.

From DS1 testing positive to DH getting to his 10 days lasted 18 days in total. I'm pleased the house is back to normal!

It seems like more often people are testing positive after about 5 days of covid coming in to the house and then maybe passing it on to the next person maybe.

DS(12) had it, DH and I didn't get it. We didn't take any special measures to avoid it - no confining to bedrooms (DS would have hated that, but I guess it depends on the child), no extra cleaning or ventilation, no masks, no separate bathrooms, no embargoes on hugging. DH and I did test regularly. We only went out for walks/runs or very quick shopping trips, and cancelled stuff that would have involved more/inside mixing. Both WFH anyway so that wasn't an issue.

Out of 12 families we know who have had cases in the last couple of months, only 5 of those have passed it on within their household.

To clarify, DH and I went out for walks etc... DS stayed at home.

We were cautious and isolated as soon as DD got a positive.

Day 3 I got a positive.

Day 9 DS got a positive.

Day 15 DP got a positive.

Difficult to tell who gave it to whom and when.

DS had Covid in the summer and none of us caught it from him. I had it last week and nobody caught if from me.

We all used the same bathroom, and just squirted anti- around more frequently than we usually would, and stayed in different rooms and kept windows open. It seems to have worked. I'm surprised DH didn't catch it from me as we were in the same bed before I tested positive. Maybe we're not very friendly with each other

It's a funny old virus isn't it. Seems to be no pattern for in house transmission.

I had it back last November. Was bedshsring with my then 8 month old. He was totally fine. It’s bizzare

My dp is currently on day 9, he is not well at all. Since his positive lft he has been sleeping on the sofa and only leaves the living room for toilet and bath.

Twins 10 also tested positive at same time, they are in their rooms or living room and wearing masks when moving around the house.

Does anyone know when it is safe to enter their rooms? Their 10 days are almost up and I can’t wait to change their sheets and deep clean their rooms but surely their rooms like living room is full to the brim of Covid?!!

I need to be very careful as CEV

DH is currently on day 8/9 and still feeling very rough, DS is on day 5 and almost normal, I had my booster jab not long ago, however as bonkers as it sounds I would have preferred to get it out of the way, as I am going to start immunosuppressants soon and I don’t want to catch COVID then because it will likely be worse, also I have no clue if I can pass this onto others without being positive (COVID staying on surfaces like clothes and skin?).

My DC had it recently and rest of the family didn't. He's a bit older so being alone in his room was fine, but he went into the garden, didn't have an ensuite so walked to the shower and loo with a mask on, and we tried to ventilate where he had been. He got food taken to the door and had extra treats. Good luck!🤞