Would you self-isolate from ECV partner when back in school?

[thebookeatinggirl]

Due to return to school on Monday - Y1 class of 30 in a very small room with 2 other adults (both with x3 secondary age children) - no social distancing at all.

My husband is ECV to COVID because of two different health issues, which mean it would likely make him very ill, and he shielded completely during first lockdown (with me being allowed to teach online from home). This isn't an option this time around. We've been ok so far as our area was Tier 2 and low numbers, but this has changed with us going into Tier 3 and very fast rising numbers that will probably see us going into Tier 4 shortly.

I'm so worried about about bringing COVID home. Vaccine calculator has him getting a vaccine around Feb/March. We're thinking about social-distancing from each other until he's had the vaccine - me sleeping and working in the spare room (which is my 'office' anyway), using separate bathrooms etc. We have 1 teenager currently living at home too, but he is generally in v small 'A' level groups in school, works in his own study and hangs out mainly in his bedroom, and could use same bathroom as me, so we could both potentially socially distance from DH.

Are we being overly cautious and daft? Should I just get a grip and carry on as normal? I'm usually very stoic and no-nonsense about most things, but this is making me unbelievably anxious. What are other teachers doing who have ECV partners?

Hi, in a similar position except now Tier 4 where shielding is back. My son and partner are both CEV. I shielded with them till August and didn't go into school or leave the house (except for exercise) at all.

Since September, I went to work but kept apart from both of them - bath as soon as I came home, all clothes in the washing machine etc.. I asked for a risk assessment and altered duties as numbers rose and when shielding returned in November.

Now? Pretty much all unions are saying that family members of CEV people should be allowed to work from home if possible and given an individual risk assessment. I don't know if your class could be moved to a bigger room, for example.

I will go back to keeping away from my family when school returns, but consider using the section 44 health and safety thing if numbers keep climbing and I'm not able to keep distanced/ well-ventilated in school.

My family are so much more important than my job, but I'm hoping for a balance.

Oh, and I would rather be over-cautious and daft than the opposite. I am totally over-paranoid, won't even bring documents home from work and my bag stays by the front door, but being blase would be odder in this situation.

Thank you. Your situation sounds even trickier, but it was reassuring to hear you are having similar thoughts and worries. No chance of a bigger classroom, unfortunately, as Victorian one form entry primary, all small classrooms and space is already at a complete premium.

Canteen/ hall?

DH is CEV and I worked from home until September. I'm about to start a new 2 day a week job share in Y1 and have been doing supply (hoping that I can still get supply). I shower, change and wash clothes when I come in from work. We've all been covid free so far and I'll just have to hope that we stay that way.

It's so hard, isn't it? For me, I don't worry so much about the showering/clothes/bag etc, although I do the same as you, as I think transmission from that will be fairly low. For me it's more about sharing small indoor spaces/a bed, and aerosol transmission as I breathe and speak, if I caught COVID but was fairly asymptomatic. I'm lucky in that we have the space to socially distance, and can do it, but it's a huge upheaval physically and emotionally.

It's horrific. I didn't hug my son or partner from September until last week, as I feel like it's a risk I don't want to take. Partner at home all the time, son has very few F2F classes and they are very socially distanced with masks, but I was in classrooms and corridors with hundreds of people, mainly with no masks on them.

The holiday has been lovely for normal family time but dreading 11th when "normality" at work will (probably) resume and I will have to go back to in-home distancing from both. Fingers crossed that all the CEV get the vaccine soon.

Separate bedrooms here too.