Covid, Christmas, elderly relatives

[oxblood]

I know that there is no longer supposed to be any differentiation between Covid and other viruses, coughs, colds etc. But I'm interested to know what you would do in this scenario.
Friend has just today tested positive. I saw her socially on Sat and Sunday. Spent 2 hours in a car both days travelling to an event.
We are hosting Christmas Day, relatives who are older and somewhat vulnerable in various ways. We are also planning to have an elderly relative over on Xmas Eve who is definitely vulnerable.
Would you tell them and let them make their own decision, even if we feel well and have no symptoms?
Or keep quiet and just have them over as long as we are all feeling fit and well, just as we would with any other illness?
Any thoughts gratefully received because I really don't know what to do for the best!

I would keep quiet and see whether I felt unwell. If you don’t feel unwell you are unlikely to test positive. If you do feel unwell then I would let them know and they can make their own decisions. I would do exactly the same for a cold.

@NAndJSaysVoteConservative they are no longer practical either is another reason they have been removed a teacher could have. Child with covid in their class every week do you then think they should take 10 days off everytime, in our office several have had it over the weeks , the business would suffer if we then all isolated for 10 days. The longer isolation was in the beginning when many places paid or places were not open to go to anyway. What your suggesting is not doable now

Testing isn't always showing up the newer strains. I think it's selfish to not tell them. Not comparable at all to school kids having 10 days in isolation. You're talking about having Christmas with elderly vulnerable people with the possibility You're carrying something that could kill them. Use common sense.

@NAndJSaysVoteConservative I have a CEV child and have been very ill with covid the second time I had it (ten days in hospital) but I wouldn’t expect anyone to isolate for ten days after a contact now.

I think @dementedpixie ’s approach is generous and sensible without being OTT.

I’m dismayed by friends who have rip roaring symptoms but say they won’t test as they don’t want to know and carry on out and about as usual in busy shops and restaurants etc as I think it’s cruel given we know what covid can do to some people (even if rarer now) and we can buy tests and take at least some measures to limit it that don’t hugely disadvantage us.

@mambojambodothetango i think you tell people if you know you have been a close contact and they decide but the reality is many of us won’t know when we have been a contact now and those in certain professions would be every other week. Some of my friends are teachers i assume they havs been in close contact many times s primary school and most kids being sent in, my sil is nursery worker again exposed a lot and many times unknowingly as no one is testing little ones really. So in that case if vulnerable if meeting those in certain professions the risk is always there

You do know it's not 2020 any more?

OP, I would let them know so they can make their own decision. I've got a cold at the moment and I know my elderly relatives may choose not to come, especially if DH comes down with it (no, I'm not isolating from him).

Yes you need to be honest and tell them. You can buy a covid test and test in a few days also.

But it is the height of winter, with JN.1 - the most infectious Variant to date - doing the rounds.

And I still wouldn't isolate for 10 days or isolate in my home away from my husband 🙄

Then you're part of the reason why cases are still sky high and hospitalisations are increasing.

This is just crazy and shows how some people are still acting the way we were brain washed into acting during lockdown. OP doesn’t need to isolate, obviously if she gets symptoms she should cancel her elderly relatives coming but it’s likely she won’t get ill at all. We have been vax anted and the virus isn’t as deadly, we got vaccinated so we don’t have to go through isolation when we’ve been in contact. There’s so many people walking around with it chances are w have all been in contact with someone carrying it.

I would avoid people if I was sick apart from DH, it's impossible at home.

You cannot seriously expect people to stay indoors for 10 days, in many cases losing money because they can't work, on the off chance they may be sick?

@PinkSparklyPussyCat I think they live in another world or are just being goady. 10 days isolation is just impossible to maintain now as we come in contact with it most likely every few days.

If you haven’t got any symptoms by Saturday I’d carry on as you probably don’t have it.

If you have even a sniffle between now and then, I’d advise the elders and let them make their own decision.

If you were to test positive, I’d tell them
not to come.

Exactly. It does bring back memories though!

Thank you for all the replies. It seems to be a mixed bag of responses. Just to clarify, I would never knowingly put my relatives at risk if anyone in the family had symptoms or of course tested positive. DH works in the travel industry and is very relaxed around the issue as he is so aware of the current approach. However we also both want to make sure we are doing the right thing.
We will see how we all feel towards the end of the week, if any doubt we will do a test and also inform relatives of the potential risk, then they can make their own decision. I agree that isolating is pretty much pointless and unnecessary as we are all exposed without even knowing it. Feeling fine so far, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Similar situation for my daughter who has tested positive for Covid and her partner has been around all 3 family members who are also positive. They’re travelling to his family in Wales for Christmas and his dad is vulnerable but everyone wants them to go including the father. Has put DD & DSiL in a predicament because they’re worried about infecting everyone else. They’re going to test again on Saturday and make a decision then. Rescheduling isn’t an option due to work and distance. I think you just have to be transparent and give them an opportunity to pull out, sad as that is 😢

I was absolutely floored with COVID for three weeks recently. It sent my blood sugars through the roof/caused temporary diabetes. I’ve never been diabetic in my life. Three weeks later it was back to normal.

There’s no way I wouldn’t tell elderly relatives I’ve been in close contact and test. My elderly mum wouldn’t survive another bout of COVID.

I'm in bed with covid at the moment and feeling really dreadful. We've got elderly relatives coming for Christmas Day so the plan is for us all to test beforehand to check we're ok. I'm assuming I'll be negative by then. Meanwhile I'm avoiding family as much as possible in a small house and we have lots of windows open. We have a back up plan if it all goes wrong and I've warned the relatives in question who would not want to risk it. You can buy tests cheaply on Amazon or at the chemist. To me it's a no brainier. I've been feeling utterly shocking and there's no way I'd want to put my relatives through this. I really hope you don't go down with it OP.

I hate this latest variant, seems to be spreading like wildfire. Out of 30 we only have 11 people left at work this week. A handful of booked holiday but 6 with confirmed covid and the rest with heavy colds.

I'm terrified ill catch one or the other and that will be it for my Christmas plans. I am supposed to be hosting for family Christmas and boxing day, both days involve elderly or vulnerable members of the family.

Have your relatives had their latest boosters?

NannyAndJohn, is that you? The username would suggest so…

It's not just me then...

Ah, a "legend" is reborn.....