Window ventilation question

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I’ve got elderly family visiting on Saturday and again for Christmas. We have no opening windows in the living room, only French doors. We clearly can’t sit there with the doors open, we’ll freeze, so would opening the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom windows a crack be enough (I don’t plan to have them fully open, again it’ll be too cold)? That would mean rooms either side of the living room had fresh air circulating.

Everything helps but IMO that isn’t enough to stop infection if it’s present. I’d the doors open, because cracking the windows a little bit won’t make much difference.

We are going to test ourselves before Christmas, just like we did last year. I would recommend doing the same.

It's all about how quickly the air in the room is replaced with fresh air from outside, so no, that doesn't sound like it would make much of a difference.

I'd say it's better to have ventilation in the room you're all in, even if it's only open a small amount. I think you'll get used to it being cold. I've got two jobs, one of which head office insist on increase ventilation - yesterday it was 16c inside with heaters blowing. My other job (school) we have to have every window and door open, so staff and pupils are sat still for hours in cold.

The problem is I can’t expect a frail 93 year old to sit there with the doors wide open! I tried that last time they came and she asked me to shut them as she was so cold (she’s skin and bone). They want to come so I don’t feel I can cancel either, not that I want to.

The best thing you can do is give her a choice. Sounds like she understands the risk and would rather take the small risk of catching covid but be warm. You could do LFTs the day before and on the day of the visit as well.

I would just open the doors periodically to clear the air - and get everyone to do LFTs before getting together. They might not be that effective at picking up if you're infected, but apparently are very accurate at picking up if you're shedding enough virus to infect others.

That’s a good idea to give her the choice. Last time I asked if she wanted the door open for ventilation and she looked at me as though I was mad!

BTW I very much doubt they would do LFTs. Even if they’d thought about it I’d have to order them for them and sort everything out as they don’t have internet.

Isn't the advice to ventilate the room for 10 mins in every hour? So can you move the elderly person to another room whilst you open the doors, change the air in the room, then close them again and bring them back in. Whilst the room will be cold for a while at least they won't be in a howling gale.

I didn’t know that @bigbluebus. I suppose I could sit them in the bedroom for a while as we don’t have anywhere else

Unless they have dementia or something I'd just let them decide. My gran is a similar age and would rather risk getting covid than be cold for 10 minutes. (Seriously, she really hates the cold)

Doing LFTs first is the best idea I think.

Definitely no dementia for either of them. We got closer to her over lockdown as she's hardly seen her family, even during the times it was allowed. When I mentioned coming for Christmas they were both really pleased so I certainly can't cancel without very good reason! I think they're both of the opinion now that they want to enjoy themselves and I can't say I blame them.