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Original poster

Preparing for covid exposure today

162 replies

MarianneFaithful · 26/01/2022 08:52

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
??
??

OP posts:
thetwofridas · 26/01/2022 13:38

I have just had it and I think throat spray and an oximeter are easily the things I wished I had most!

In terms of food make sure you have lots of soft/cool stuff (maybe even ice cream if you can!) as my throat hurt like all hell and it was a struggle to get any liquids down, let alone food.

Abraxan · 26/01/2022 13:38

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

Are you in England?

www.gov.uk/government/news/self-isolation-for-those-with-covid-19-can-end-after-five-full-days-following-two-negative-lfd-tests

All covid positive people in England can leave isolation on day 6 if they have two negative LFTs, 24 hours apart, on day 5 and day 6.

The unvaccinated SI 10 days is for unvaccinated close contacts. But this does not include children.

Stroopwaffle5000 · 26/01/2022 13:39

I isolated with DD when she had COVID and didn't catch it. I don't know how because we were cuddling and sleeping in the same bed for 5 days.

Nidan2Sandan · 26/01/2022 13:41

@Abraxan can you use anbesol liquid? It's much better than bonjela and excellent at numbing pain.

Firesidefox · 26/01/2022 13:44

There are some proper misery guts on this thread. Everyone knows the worst case scenario, everyone, so no need to spell it out nearly two years into the pandemic in self-righteous tones.

The worst case scenario when crossing the road is that you get run over, but we still do it.

Good luck OP - I've had four separate cases of covid in my house and successfully evaded it so far!

Giveaschitt · 26/01/2022 13:46

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.

Given that Covid has only been around for 2 years, how can ANYONE know for definite that any loss of smell or taste is for life?!? At most we can know that some people have lost it for 2 years.

And given that the number of people with 'long covid' in the UK is estimated to be around 2.5% of those who've had covid (post.parliament.uk/long-covid-the-long-term-health-effects-of-covid-19/), and that includes any symptoms 4 weeks after, and includes a wide range of symptoms from a cough to feeling tired, so the numbers of people with prolonged smell/taste problems is probably a fraction of that. It seems that the risk of losing your smell/taste "for life" is quite small really... Certainly not one that would have me donning full PPE to look after small children.

She could also get run over by a bus on the way there, fall down the stairs while at the house, or cut her finger and the cut get infected and turn septic - but I don't think that would be enough of a reason not to do this either...

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 26/01/2022 13:49

All the people losing their shit over this… you do realise that many, many people have to look after their covid positive children? And that people have wildly different situations which may mean that people who aren’t their parents may need to look after them? The actual circumstances are non of anyone else’s business, the OP has made a decision.
OP we have all had omicron recently (I caught it after contact with my covid positive children, who are too young to isolate from).
The main thing for us was easy to cook food as I was quite fatigued, and plenty to do to relieve the boredom of isolation! The children were climbing the walls for a lot of it. Other than that just paracetamol and fluids, like with all other viruses.

MorningStarling · 26/01/2022 13:52

*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. *

It's worse than that. It's not just loss of smell and taste that people face, it's a warping of those senses. If you have no smell or taste you can still eat. There have been plenty of cases though where the person's senses go haywire and everything smells and tastes disgusting, like faeces or rotting meat. That makes it significantly more of a problem because eating becomes unbearable.

I had experience of this with a virus I picked up a few years ago (pre-Covid). I lost all sense of taste and smell for a few months, then it gradually came back, but wrong. I was "lucky" that the smells and tastes I got weren't particularly unpleasant so I was able to carry on life as normal. It was weird because pretty much everything smelled and tasted identical. It was a slightly sweet smell, not repugnant, but almost everything smelt of it - from freshly baked bread to excrement, everything smelled the same. It gradually got better over the next few years and today it's more-or-less normal.

But that's the thing - nobody knows how long this will affect them.

userxx · 26/01/2022 13:53

@cheekychaplin

Ventilator 🤷🏻‍♀️
For fuck sake.
tigger1001 · 26/01/2022 13:54

Some of the replies on here are nuts!

Op, I would make sure you have pain relief both for yourself and for the kids.

Something to soothe a sore throat and plenty to watch

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 26/01/2022 13:56

@MorningStarling

*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. *

It's worse than that. It's not just loss of smell and taste that people face, it's a warping of those senses. If you have no smell or taste you can still eat. There have been plenty of cases though where the person's senses go haywire and everything smells and tastes disgusting, like faeces or rotting meat. That makes it significantly more of a problem because eating becomes unbearable.

I had experience of this with a virus I picked up a few years ago (pre-Covid). I lost all sense of taste and smell for a few months, then it gradually came back, but wrong. I was "lucky" that the smells and tastes I got weren't particularly unpleasant so I was able to carry on life as normal. It was weird because pretty much everything smelled and tasted identical. It was a slightly sweet smell, not repugnant, but almost everything smelt of it - from freshly baked bread to excrement, everything smelled the same. It gradually got better over the next few years and today it's more-or-less normal.

But that's the thing - nobody knows how long this will affect them.

And as you rightly point out, this can happen as a result of a variety of viruses, not just covid.
BobLemon · 26/01/2022 14:06

LFTs! Loads!

Giveaschitt · 26/01/2022 14:06

@MorningStarling

*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. *

It's worse than that. It's not just loss of smell and taste that people face, it's a warping of those senses. If you have no smell or taste you can still eat. There have been plenty of cases though where the person's senses go haywire and everything smells and tastes disgusting, like faeces or rotting meat. That makes it significantly more of a problem because eating becomes unbearable.

I had experience of this with a virus I picked up a few years ago (pre-Covid). I lost all sense of taste and smell for a few months, then it gradually came back, but wrong. I was "lucky" that the smells and tastes I got weren't particularly unpleasant so I was able to carry on life as normal. It was weird because pretty much everything smelled and tasted identical. It was a slightly sweet smell, not repugnant, but almost everything smelt of it - from freshly baked bread to excrement, everything smelled the same. It gradually got better over the next few years and today it's more-or-less normal.

But that's the thing - nobody knows how long this will affect them.

So a) not as it turns out life long and b) not specific to just covid...
itwasntaparty · 26/01/2022 14:12

Would you be wearing full PPE to care for a relative with flu? We've just had a noro outbreak, joy. My mum came round to help without being fully masked up. There are still other things out there. Flu could finish off an elderly relative, so could noro, and a host of other things.

cookiemonster2468 · 26/01/2022 14:12

All I am saying is why would you expose yourself to it if it's a) not an absolute emergency situation where there is no other option, and b) you are wearing PPE.

I don't see how that is an unreasonable comment to make.

Many people are underestimating the potential long term effects of this virus and if people are deliberately exposing themselves to it then they should do so with eyes open about the potential outcomes of that.

The risk is small but why take it if it can be avoided?

lovescats3 · 26/01/2022 14:13

A vaccine for stupidity

TimBoothseyes · 26/01/2022 14:13

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

DP will take that over the risk of having a seizure and chocking to death whilst wearing a mask.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 26/01/2022 14:13

Ventilator and brain.
Honestly I would let the kids starve to death and save yourself.

TimBoothseyes · 26/01/2022 14:13

Chocking??? Choking obviously.

cookiemonster2468 · 26/01/2022 14:15

@itwasntaparty

Would you be wearing full PPE to care for a relative with flu? We've just had a noro outbreak, joy. My mum came round to help without being fully masked up. There are still other things out there. Flu could finish off an elderly relative, so could noro, and a host of other things.
Flu is not the same as Covid.

I have young healthy relatives who have lost their sense of smell and taste 18 months ago and still do not have it back.

You can do what you want at the end of the day but I don't think people should go running in to be a knight in shining armour because mum needs to go to work, then come out without their sense of taste.

It's really not worth it unless it's an emergency.

Justilou1 · 26/01/2022 14:16

BUY ALL THE TOILET PAPER!!!
FFS!!! 🙄🙄🙄

Toanewstart22 · 26/01/2022 14:21

Drama llama much?

CoastalWave · 26/01/2022 14:22

Not necessarily!

My daughter has just had Covid. Neither myself, DH, or son has caught it.

You're overthinking it personally!

Lovemusic33 · 26/01/2022 14:27

So many drama queens on here and some really stupid comments.

OP obviously has no choice and has to look after these dc, wether they are her, her partners kids or friends/relatives kids.

Most people will only have mild symptoms, I didn’t have any symptoms at all, so making comments about ‘ventilators’ is exaggerating hugely. OP is likely vaccinated so the risk of her becoming seriously ill is pretty tiny.

Just stock up on pain killers, tissues and food.

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 26/01/2022 14:30

It’s really not worth it unless it's an emergency

And how do you know it’s not an emergency?