Has anyone else done this-isolating in own home

[Wallawallakoala]

I have tested positive, DH is still negative and we have 2 young DC also negative.

I've been self isolating in the bedroom with DH taking time off work to look after the kids for a couple of reasons:

1. I'm quite poorly with it (would still class as 'mild' symptoms, but very unsteady and weak, congestion, headache, fatigue, body aches, shivers, gastric issues and temperature). So the rest is beneficial and I'm lucky to be able to do this.

1. If DH was also to get ill we would struggle to look after both, we would obviously manage as I would if it was just me looking after them but as this is possible this is what we thought might be best.

1. DH can take DC out and about while they are testing negative which is good for them and I feel it would be selfish to make everyone ill.

My 4 year old seems to kind of understand this situation and doesn't seem bothered until she realises I cant cuddle her and this is really hard. She will be easily distracted and I have been reading her bedtime stories and facetiming her and seeing her from a distance with the window open. It's only the 2nd day / 3rd night and they are all still negative...

What would you do? Continue this way or just carry on as normal?

I know people say that COVID won't affect people severely especially younger children, but I don't know if it's worse to keep them away from me or cared for by their dad for a few more days and be able to get out and about and more or less in their normal routine?

Sorry to carry on for even longer but even if I was seeing and caring for the DC I wouldn't be much use apart from meeting their basic needs as pathetic as that sounds just due to how I feel. I'd be interested on others opinions though

The only information I can give you is via a colleague of mine. He got Covid just before Christmas and full on isolated at home. He has a wife and 2 children. She brought up his meals, he didn't see the kids at all etc. Apparently it was pointless. His wife and DC still caught it. They're all fine now.

I just don't see the point, unless a household member is particularly vulnerable for some reason and even then, I don't think it really works. Especially keeping young DC away from a parent.

I would have thought it was pointless but if it gives the DC a bit more freedom for a couple of days I thought it might be worth it.

I totally agree about them being away from a parent, I think I may be spending periods of time away to rest if possible anyway but j get what you mean totally.

I would give in on cuddle front, wear a mask sit by open door/window for some contact time. You most likely had for 2-3 days before you had symptoms anyway. They could equally catch it from a school friend tomorrow and you be in same position.

5min contact few times day with mask and ventilation makes more bearable for everyone. Just balancing the emotional v physically health of while family

@DressingPafe

The only information I can give you is via a colleague of mine. He got Covid just before Christmas and full on isolated at home. He has a wife and 2 children. She brought up his meals, he didn't see the kids at all etc. Apparently it was pointless. His wife and DC still caught it. They're all fine now.

I just don't see the point, unless a household member is particularly vulnerable for some reason and even then, I don't think it really works. Especially keeping young DC away from a parent.

and on the other side of this, I tested positive on Christmas day. I didnt isolate at all, spent lots of time around teenage dc, slept in same bed as dh,and no one else got it! (Obviously I mean I isolated from anyone not in my household, just didn't isolate from family househild members)

I couldn't do this as I'm a single parent but I wouldn't have anyway. Up to you really.

We’ve all had it at ours. I tested on Christmas Eve but didn’t get results until the Monday, so could either isolate from my 2 young kids at Christmas or carry on & hope it was negative.

We did all get it. DH first then all DC. We’ve been in the house all together for some time now & it’s getting quite hard, so I do see your point about them being able to still go out for now.

I know others who have managed to keep it to just one or two that were initially infected. I think this was mostly with earlier variants though.

I think we’ve had omicron & I passed it onto a family member I don’t live with & wasn’t especially physically close to for a long period of time.

If you’re benefiting from the rest as well I’d probably carry on as you are for now if it was me.

Hope you feel better soon

I tested positive on Christmas day. We opened a few windows and I slept in the spare room but otherwise I didn't isolate from my family. None of the rest of them caught it.

DH is triple jabbed but DC are 7 and 10, so unvaccinated.

I had omicron at Xmas and didn’t isolate from the rest of the family. We don’t bother with much mitigation now (it was the fourth time covid has infected one of our household so we’re over it really). How many bloody times can you faff around with isolating within a household. 10 days each time multiplied by 4 times, in 6 months, adds up to a lot of days.

No one else caught it. They’ve all had delta, and are at various stages of vaccination as all different ages. So maybe that gave them some protection, who knows.

Another one who is a single parent so couldn’t do this, and don’t think I would either way

If your DC are upset or distressed by it at all, I wouldn’t do that no however if it’s working for you, carry on.
I wouldn’t do it personally but my youngest is only a toddler so absolutely wouldn’t understand so I wouldn’t do that to them.

I thought technically they can still go out and about anyway even if not isolating from you as long as negative on LFT anyway?

I isolated myself in my room but then DH caught it. DD then isolated herself from us so she could go to a party. She's 8. We still had to supervise her with some things but she stood away from us. She never caught it

Yes they can still go out but if me and dh get it there would be noone to take them out.

Noone but me is distressed by it but I don't want to be selfish and make people ill or stop them going out, stop dh seeing his family Etc. My DD is fine with it, she got a bit upset once but no more than she is when I go out or some days when she doesn't want to go to preschool.

I think I'll take on board what you are all saying and maybe compromise... Tomorrow I'll test and if I'm not sneezing and coughing as much I'll figure out how to get some time with them even if it's playing outside or something. My DH is less keen on the idea I know he doesn't want to get it for a lot of reasons and he also doesn't want the DC to be poorly.

If I was a single parent I obviously wouldn't do it!!

We haven’t isolated from each other at all.

My daughter caught it first, passed it onto my husband and now my son has just gone down with it today. I’m still negative but half expecting that to change.

The isolation is such a pain dragging on, would’ve been better to get it all at once!

If my daughter caught it I absolutely wouldn't make her isolate that wouldn't be fair or practical

Yes @feeona123 the timescales are a pain when staggered definitely a nightmare x

Two families I’ve spoken to today have done this, come out of isolation and then the other parent has got it 🤦‍♀️.

Our house had it when delta was the main strain about and they (6 of them) all tested positive within a day of each other, we didn’t isolate at all and I still didn’t catch it. It’s a weird virus!

I think you have to do whatever suits you and your family. I totally agree with you isolating and your DH seeing to the DC, whilst you are unwell and should they catch it, hopefully you will be feeling better to be able to look after them.

If DH does get it after say 4 days, then I guess I'll have had time to rest and be able to be more capable with the DC. I know I'm lucky to be able to do this. Also I will be halfway through isolation and will be able to get them out and aboutb

@Mindymomo thank you, I was worried I was totally nuts and harming the DC in some way by doing this tbf you've saved my sanity a little

My DH has it at the moment and is isolating from DS and me. DS is much older than your DC though.

I think it is what you are supposed to do & I don’t want to catch it particularly, who knows who will get really sick from it.

It is dull. And I am not mingling with people outside the home - who would want to mix with me?! So I’ll be peeved if I get it after him as it will feel like 2 periods of isolation.

I tested positive then my kids tested negative the next day, I didn't isolate from them at all in the house, they did daily lfts and never caught it, every family's situation is different

My DH tested positive on new years eve. I've daily tested myself and am still negative (different batches of tests etc). We haven't isolated at all and slept in the same bed.

We're both triple jabbed.

Dh did this when he was positive a couple of months ago. Now it's me! It's been ok but we have a big room with ensuite and our youngest is 8. I do give a quick hug if they want one. Nobody else in the house has caught it while we have done this. The older kids have been glad not to miss school this week so I guess it's worth it.