Couples who live separately

laurajane6486

I honestly do see your point of view. But if we did already live together (like the majority of couples do including NHS workers) we wouldn’t suddenly be expected to live apart so that we didn’t spend time together and to reduce the risk of transmission. We’re genuinely torn.

laurajane6486

Ironically if one of us had just returned to the UK from abroad (because flights in and out of the country haven’t yet been stopped) we would have spent hours confined in a small space with hundreds of complete strangers, and would still be going to work the following day.
So on a separate note why isn’t Boris stopping travel in and out of the country?

afis1904

I don't live with my partner but we only live about 15 minute walk apart and we spend all nights together so our "exercise once a day" will sometimes be walking to each others places. If possible I'd suggest you'd try to come up with something similar but that might not be possible as both of us work from home.

laurajane6486

That would be a good idea, but we live nearly a two hour walk away from each other lol

onwards&upwards

laurajane6486 said:

I honestly do see your point of view. But if we did already live together (like the majority of couples do including NHS workers) we wouldn’t suddenly be expected to live apart so that we didn’t spend time together and to reduce the risk of transmission. We’re genuinely torn.

There’s no dilemma here, you can’t visit each other. 

There are key workers who are saying goodbye to their spouses and children right now to move out to protect them and to protect the vulnerable people they care for.  Think about that. 

laurajane6486

They’re moving out either because of someone in the household being symptomatic or someone in the household being vulnerable, that’s not the same

Chilli6

I worked in emergency services for years and we are probably the most aware of why we all need to follow the advice. 
I see what you are saying about if you already lived together however you dont already live together and so you can prevent that. If you get infected at work you would have no symptoms initially, you then visit your partner in that period and he goes off to work and infects many more. Or vice versa.
If you remain separated for now you limit that number

onwards&upwards

laurajane6486 said:

They’re moving out either because of someone in the household being symptomatic or someone in the household being vulnerable, that’s not the same

No, some are just moving out to avoid risking bringing the virus to their healthy loved ones.

onwards&upwards

Chilli6 said:

I worked in emergency services for years and we are probably the most aware of why we all need to follow the advice. 
I see what you are saying about if you already lived together however you dont already live together and so you can prevent that. If you get infected at work you would have no symptoms initially, you then visit your partner in that period and he goes off to work and infects many more. Or vice versa.
If you remain separated for now you limit that number

You might think you won’t see anybody else driving back and forth, but for one thing you will have to get petrol more often, you will touch each other’s front doors that delivery people might need to touch, and if you break down or have an accident you will need to have contact with others. 

p00hsticks

laurajane6486 said:

We certainly don’t want to move in together under these circumstances. But if it would be ok for us to move in together and see each other 24/7 bar the time we’re each at work, then why would it be such an issue to spend a couple of days a week together at each other’s house where we wouldn’t see anyone else (because we both live alone) and we wouldn’t see anyone else on our journey to and from (because we would be driving alone)?

The thing is... you do it, and then the person next down the road from you notices and thinks ... 'if she's not paying any attention to the rules then I won't either' and the  guy living next door to your partner sees you arrive thinks 'well, if he's getting some I'm going out to see my girlfriend too' and then the virus spreads..... and spreads..... and spreads

Please, please do what is being asked at you and stay in your separate homes for the duration -  at present, it's only a matter of weeks.  You can still talk on the phone, text, skype to each other.