One person in isolation, one going to work. What to do?

bap98189

OH is a high risk individual due to chronic asthma. She has ended up on a ventilator once before, albeit when she was a teenager, so is understandably worried about catching it. As of yesterday she is working from home and not leaving the house except to go for a walk to keep her sanity. We live right next to some country lanes so she is very unlikely to meet anyone while out for a walk. 

I on the other hand work for a manufacturing company and will be continuing to go to work. Working from home is simply not possible, so I'm going to work every day for the forseeable future. Obviously I am now the biggest risk of OH catching the virus. I'm a pretty healthy person and very low risk, but potentially could catch it and not know. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same situation and what you are doing and what plans you have if someone in the household catches it?

So far we have decided to do the following:

• Disinfect hands outside the porch every time we enter the house
• Use different doors to enter the house and disinfect the handle each time
• leave internal doors open so we don't need to use handles
• Quarantine shopping etc. coming into the house in the garage for 24 hours (we have a spare fridge/freezer so can do that). It seems easier than trying to disinfect all the food packaging.
• Sleep in separate bedrooms
• Use separate bathrooms (not entirely possible as we have only 1 shower)

What we haven't figured out is what to do if I catch the virus. If that happens I'm seriously thinking about living in the garage for 2 weeks, although would still have to come into the house to use the toilet. Not sure what other options there are at that point other than a tent in the garden. 

Is anyone else in the same boat? What are you doing?

KxMx

At the moment the guidance for asthma is social distancing, the stricter the better.

There is supposed to be more advice coming next week for those at highest risk (for asthma that is classed as needing hospital admissions or courses of steroids).

I understand why your OH has taken the position she has, if she can work from home and chooses to self isolate then why not.

It's 7 days self isolation for the patient and 14 for the rest of the household.

I'm following stringent distancing, Mum is still working, I am lower risk than her.

So we have decided when she stops work within a few weeks and also does stringent social distancing, we are going to adapt the guidance for those sharing a household with a suspected infection:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

We have already increased personal and home hygiene, avoiding close contact and anything that just seems an unnecessary risk.

silvercar

Friends in your situation have decided the whole family needs to go into social isolation now.

74jax

My husband has a similar situation, his work allowed him to work from home and he has been for the last 2 weeks.  As of last Friday, my work has allowed me to work at home as obviously i was going int o an office and then coming home.
I'm in a separate room to him, sleeping in the spare room and we aren't sharing anything really.  We do however sit in the lounge on separate sofas on a nighttime.
after this week - so 7 days - we'll move back to being as a couple in the house, as i'll be happier i don't have anything from work.  

Glad

Advice from gov.co.uk

If you have a vulnerable person living with you

Minimise as much as possible the time any vulnerable family members spend in shared spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and sitting areas, and keep shared spaces well ventilated.

Aim to keep 2 metres (3 steps) away from vulnerable people you live with and encourage them to sleep in a different bed where possible. If they can, they should use a separate bathroom from the rest of the household. Make sure they use separate towels from the other people in your house, both for drying themselves after bathing or showering and for hand-hygiene purposes.

If you do share a toilet and bathroom with a vulnerable person, it is important that you clean them every time you use them (for example, wiping surfaces you have come into contact with). Another tip is to consider drawing up a rota for bathing, with the vulnerable person using the facilities first.

If you share a kitchen with a vulnerable person, avoid using it while they are present. If they can, they should take their meals back to their room to eat. If you have one, use a dishwasher to clean and dry the family’s used crockery and cutlery. If this is not possible, wash them using your usual washing up liquid and warm water and dry them thoroughly. If the vulnerable person is using their own utensils, remember to use a separate tea towel for drying these.

We understand that it will be difficult for some people to separate themselves from others at home. You should do your very best to follow this guidance and everyone in your household should regularly wash their hands, avoid touching their face, and clean frequently touched surfaces.

MoaningMyrtle

My OH is in the must isolate for 12 weeks and is having 12 weeks paid sickness from work.
I work closely with the public and will be doing the same however my employer will not pay me a penny.  

Sarahlee23

I have to self isolate for 12 weeks due to having severe asthma. I'm a carer. Will i get paid?  My husband is a postman. He wants to self isolate to protect me as there is no social distancing at the post office. No gloves or hand sanitiser.  His boss is saying he won't get paid.  Can they do tnis?