Preparing for covid exposure today

[MarianneFaithful]

I'm going to be with +ve people today. We then plan to isolate together.
What should I do/get before exposure? I can get to a supermarket before I see them.
Paracetamol
Calpol
Fruit juice
Tins of soup
??
??

Of course they need looking after. I'm just bewildered as to lack of advice on facemarks/gloves/hand washing/sanitiser in place of tomato soup and fruit juice...

I haven't caught it despite my children having it more than once. We haven't separated in the house and at least for my youngest child (who's had it twice) I've cuddled her as normal.

My child has it now and I'm not isolating. I can't - I need to shop, work and walk the dogs.

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Yes, a throat spray, and salt and vinegar crisps should protect you from a fatal disease.

What is wrong with people? Do you not listen to the scientists? (Forget the politicians).

Have you not considered grad many parents need to look after their covid positive children? I couldn’t move out when dh got covid. Yes, people do die from covid but it’s not likely for the vast, vast majority of people.

But yes see your point about being stuck inside with them! I'm stuck inside with my youngest child until the older ones come home from school. Just go for lots of screen time. Keep them topped up with calpol and nurofen. Easy lunches and dinners. More screen time.

Hand washing. Alcohol gel. A different towel for the children - perhaps a different bathroom for them to ensure they don't mix up which towel etc. How old are the children?

I swear by Vicks First Defence to at least prevent a cold developing into a bad cold or a chest infection, so you could start using it as a precautionary measure. In the event of you catching covid it might prevent it being terribly serious (not sure whether it can trap covid the same as it traps a typical cold).

Good plan to get an oximeter as they are useful in a number of situations. If you don't have a thermometer that's handy too if you need to monitor fever.

You can reduce your chances of catching it with good ventilation and a HEPA filter air purifier. It may not be practical to wear ffp3 masks in the home but if you can get some they could be useful. Especially if you remain negative and the child needs to be seen at GP - increases your chances of staying negative. Ffp2 if you can't manage ffp3.

Good luck

We have it in our house. I have been ordering online for anything we needed but the real thorn in my side has been lfts. They take ages to arrive so ive had to get them from friends.

Plenty of drinks and paracetamol plus ice lollies have been our essentials so far.

@MarianneFaithful

Sorry, didn't mean to start a bunfight! Its not a covid party. I'll be looking after +ve children, so I will effectively be isolating with them as they are too small to be left alone. I'm not going to try to catch it, but won't be keeping away from them either. I'll pick up throat spray and an oximeter. I think we're okay for entertainment & food thanks.

What? Why are you going into a house to look after children who have Covid?

Unless it's a complete emergency you really should rethink this.

If it is a true emergency and their parents/ usual carers for some reason absolutely can't be there, then you will need full PPE. FFP2 mask at the very least and ideally an FFP3. Ideally also an air purifier.

It might seem over the top, but you could literally lose your sense of smell/ taste for the rest of your life, even if you're totally healthy. I wouldn't risk it!

One that helps you read the thread, perhaps?

Oh, thanks ever so much. It's really kind of you to police the thread so thoroughly. I see now that the suggestion of a brain has already been made.

@SofiaSoFar

Who normally looks after the children?

Sounds odd!

Not really.

I moved in with friends when they had Noro. Both parents & both kids were I'll, the kids were 2 & 4. Someone had to look after them all, clean up & do endless washing!

I bought 10 litres of a good cleaner & sanitiser and kept the taps/sinks/buckets & loo clean, cuddled the kids, read books, played etc & managed not to get it.

My friends were very grateful for the help.

It's just what you do, when you can, for people you love 💁🏻‍♀️

It's just what you do, when you can, for people you love

Sure, in an emergency situation, with full PPE.

If it's just going round to babysit because normal carer/ parent is going out/ working/ on holiday or whatever, then it's crazy.

Nobody is going to wear full PPE looking after family or close friends’ children.

Your posts are coming across as totally bonkers here.

Ideally the op wouldn’t have to be exposed to covid but I doubt she’s just doing it for the fun of it.

People really can't think of a scenario where an adult might need to care for ill children?

Such as the parent being too ill to care for them?
Or the fact its their own children and they had been away when they became ill?
Separated parents?
Emergency Foster care?

When my children had it its was online food deliveries, Disney+ and coming up with different activities each day that kept us going. I didn't get it off them.
I just had a scare and honestly my first thought was seeing if the grandparents could have them over the weekend if I wasn't well enough to look after them properly.

Optrex or other eye drops/ wash - my eyes were very sore and itchy

@cookiemonster2468

It's just what you do, when you can, for people you love

Sure, in an emergency situation, with full PPE.

If it's just going round to babysit because normal carer/ parent is going out/ working/ on holiday or whatever, then it's crazy.

Why do you feel its your business to know the exact situation?

@Abraxan

Just seen Calpol

I'm assuming children involved

At school we have many little ones testing positive. Most have headaches and cold like symptoms, and feel lethargic. But are bouncing back fairly quickly and most seem to be testing negative again quickly and back at school by day 6.

So entertainment for when they feel better but are still isolating - especially if the adults are feeling worse for longer
And lots of snacks they can get easily

And if school age - how to access their home learning. It may be one way to stop them being bored!

Could I ask how they are back at school on day 6? Thought it was 10 days if unvaccinated?

Where are you @Restlessinthenorth?

It's 5 days with negative lfts in England

Bless you OP- I’m guessing you’re going to help a friend or relative. You’re very selfless.

FWIW for all the arsey posters here- im a single mum. My DM offered to do the same when DS and I had covid a couple of weeks ago, and I could barely move to look after my 5yo. Antipyretics weren’t reducing my fever and for a couple of days I could barely stand.

Luckily I turned a corner after day 5, but for the first five days I was pretty much incapacitated and it was about the lesser of evils. My DM is triple vaxxed, has no underlying health conditions and is relatively young. She would be low risk from Covid.

Sometimes there are no “good options”. Bully for you if you have covid mildly enough not to need help, children old enough to look after themselves or have better choices you can make in extremis.

@MarianneFaithful

Sorry, didn't mean to start a bunfight! Its not a covid party. I'll be looking after +ve children, so I will effectively be isolating with them as they are too small to be left alone. I'm not going to try to catch it, but won't be keeping away from them either. I'll pick up throat spray and an oximeter. I think we're okay for entertainment & food thanks.

I did have a picture of you licking people to catch it like. The new pox party.

Good luck, you may not catch it anyroad. It's a funny bug.

Having just had covid, I would say - food that’s easy to cook a) I couldn’t be arsed to do anything complicated and b) although we all ate at every meal, nobody had their usual appetite.

Proper old-fashioned Lucozade was strangely comforting.

Cough syrup for bedtime.

Yes, loads of LFTs.

Book a couple of supermarket deliveries so you can get things you find you need or fancy.

Stuff that has according to studies anti-covid properties /from the top of my head/- roiboos tea, echinacea, manuca honey, cbd oil, omega 3 fatty acids, food rich in mercury, zinc, selenium, vit C and D, rhubarb, bluberries, pommigranite, elderberries, apples

@LethargeMarg

Practically speaking get bongela I had terrible mouth ulcers and 'covid tongue' couldn't speak properly for three days (this was omicron recently)

Interesting, I have covid now and have a mouth full of ulcers.

My mediation means I can't have things like Bonjela, so it's been the odd salt water gargle here. But I'd really forgotten how sore mouth ulcers are!

@PurpleDaisies

Nobody is going to wear full PPE looking after family or close friends’ children.

Your posts are coming across as totally bonkers here.

Ideally the op wouldn’t have to be exposed to covid but I doubt she’s just doing it for the fun of it.

If you knew you would never be able to smell or taste again for the rest of your life if you didn't wear a face mask, you'd wear one.

Unfortunately that is an actual potential outcome of this.

I had to isolate with my other half who did not have it . He did not catch it from me , he is triple jabbed. You may not catch it .

@JetTail

Hand washing. Alcohol gel. A different towel for the children - perhaps a different bathroom for them to ensure they don't mix up which towel etc. How old are the children? I swear by Vicks First Defence to at least prevent a cold developing into a bad cold or a chest infection, so you could start using it as a precautionary measure. In the event of you catching covid it might prevent it being terribly serious (not sure whether it can trap covid the same as it traps a typical cold).

I wondered about First defence a while ago, so looked it up - the internet and obviously the company that make it seems to think it could help

www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/pg-health-nasal-gel-tech-covid-19/

Certainly couldn't hurt as just one more measure when you're in this sort of situation where you're pre-empting exposure?