Self-Isolation Support Thread

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

So it's been over two weeks since I originally felt bad and I kind of feel like if anything was going to happen it would have by now. However I'm being super cautious and I'm going to have to speak to a doctor about the chest pain stuff as there's a history of heart problems in my family

I'm so glad that the worst hasn't happened, you know.

Since this all started in January, I've had stabbing chest pains which I've periodically been convinced were a sign of the virus. I did eventually notice that they went away if I watched something especially absorbing on TV, so I think they're actually anxiety.

I am allowed to leave concentrated quarantine tomorrow. I've tested negative for coronavirus three times and never developed a fever. They've treated us really, really well here, but I get more depressed and paranoid every day, being in a room on my own, so getting out is very welcome.

 

[Brainaddict]

So help me out urban, do the isolation rules for infected households (as outlined in the govt leaflet and on gov website) make sense?

[Withdrawn] [Withdrawn] Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection

www.gov.uk

In particular this:
"Should a household member develop coronavirus symptoms late in the 14-day household-isolation period (for example, on day 13 or day 14) the isolation period does not need to be extended, but the person with the new symptoms has to stay at home for 7 days. The 14-day household-isolation period will have greatly reduced the overall amount of infection the rest of the household could pass on, and it is not necessary to restart 14 days of isolation for the whole household. "

I am now in this situation, with a second person getting ill fourteen days after the first person. How does the fourteen day isolation period reduce my chances of getting ill from the second sick person? It makes no sense to me. Surely if there's, say, a 50% chance you would get it from the first person, there's also a 50% chance you'd get it from the second sick person.

Don't get me wrong, I would like the government advice to be right, because then I can go to the shops. But it makes no sense to me and I'm worried they did this in order to reduce the impact of self-isolation. What even is a reduction in the 'amount' of infection, when you've had one person sick, then another person sick?

I wonder if elbows has been looking at this.

 

[elbows]

I suppose the theory is that if you have all been self-isolating together for the period, then the chances are you would already have been infected and be showing symptoms by now if you were ever going to.

It does not completely exclude the possibility that you could have avoided infection from the first person, but could still get it from the 2nd person. But the chances are much diminished. Its a numbers game, like so many things in this pandemic.

And yes, I would say that some of the guidelines are quite arbitrary and they came up with the numbers not based on the pure medical science alone, but that balanced against the costs to the economy etc from having too many people off work for too long. The most vivid example of this that I dont agree with and doesnt seem to me to be the right balance, is this whole thing where people who were confirmed cases but stopped showing symptoms after 7 days, are free to get straight back out there. Contrast that with what we heard from some other countries earlier on, eg people not being allowed out of hospital or isolation until they repeatedly tested negative, sometimes weeks after they got through the worst bit of their illness.

 

[Brainaddict]

A friend thinks it might be them actually following their old strategy, where they were just trying to slow infection rates, rather than stop everyone getting it. But would the government really be issuing advice from the old strategy still? They'll end up really in the shit if they carry on like that.

 

[Brainaddict]

I suppose the theory is that if you have all been self-isolating for the period, then the chances are you would already have been infected and be showing symptoms by now if you were ever going to.

But this doesn't make sense. There's a statistical probably you might get it from a housemate but from what I can make out it's not 90% or anything, as most of the cases I know of have involved one or two people in households with other healthy people in. So it's not uncommon to not catch it from a housemate. Just because you didn't get it from the first person doesn't say anything about whether you'll get it from the second. They are independent events, statistically speaking, no? One toss of the coin followed by another.

 

[muscovyduck]

I'm really struggling with my mood and motivation and all that crap at the moment. It's because life hasn't just stopped, but when something stresses me out my usual ways of dealing with it are a no go. Also I've found myself getting drawn into social media again which leaves me feeling really detatched and isolated

 

[Brainaddict]

So my housemate who has a fever developed a cough overnight. Definitely feels wrong that govt advice is that I can go out and about shopping etc, just because a housemate already had it. But at the same time I obviously don't want to quarantine fully, so I'd like to believe the government advice...

 

[killer b]

So my housemate who has a fever developed a cough overnight. Definitely feels wrong that govt advice is that I can go out and about shopping etc, just because a housemate already had it. But at the same time I obviously don't want to quarantine fully, so I'd like to believe the government advice...

isn't government advice that everyone in the household self isolate for 14 days if anyone else in the household has symptoms?

 

[killer b]

oh sorry, i see you have an earlier post

 

[Dogsauce]

Shit has got a bit real this week with youngest son (nearly 2) having had a fever mostly over 39 degrees (up to about 40.5) for the last two nights. I’m in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ category due to immunosuppressant medication, advice was to keep out of my son’s way (2m distance), not share bathrooms etc. A bit impractical in a flat with only one bog.

As a result I’ve migrated to the vacant granny annex at my sister‘s place a few miles away for seven days of solitude, filled the car with my bike, a turbo trainer, bass guitar, several boxes of Lego and some food. The poor gf is having to handle the two kids by herself while I relax in solitude, burdened with guilt.

Probably isn’t C-19 as son hasn’t left the house in three weeks as we’re isolating bar a few cautious shopping trips by the gf and exercise. He’s been throwing up this morning so quite possibly something else, but no idea how he could have got it. Highly likely I would have been exposed given I’ll often finish off his food with his spoon, clean up snot, cuddle etc. Feels a bit tense really, every time I get the slightest feeling of a headache or dryness of the throat I get a bit panicked, especially with the very public deterioration of our esteemed leader going on at the moment. I don’t intend dying here.

 

[editor]

I AM SO FUCKING BORED. I'm six days into self isolation, I don't have a garden, it's 32C outside and hot inside, and everyone is having fucking fun. Bollocks.

 

[ska invita]

I AM SO FUCKING BORED. I'm six days into self isolation, I don't have a garden, it's 32C outside and hot inside, and everyone is having fucking fun. Bollocks.

i feel for you...if i were you id go outside ad get some "fresh" air - as long as you arent interacting with anyone i dont see the harm

 

[Riklet]

i feel for you...if i were you id go outside ad get some "fresh" air - as long as you arent interacting with anyone i dont see the harm

On day 6 when positive with covid and possibly still highly contagious? Thats irresponsible. If editor lived in the middle of no where maybe but not in a flat/house in central bloody London...

Sounds shitty. But there will be more sunny days. I'd just chill and rewatch some football games, do something calming or low energy arty stuff.

 

[Brainaddict]

So my housemate who has a fever developed a cough overnight. Definitely feels wrong that govt advice is that I can go out and about shopping etc, just because a housemate already had it. But at the same time I obviously don't want to quarantine fully, so I'd like to believe the government advice...

Huh, funny to see this post now. I definitely had covid as I typed it. You'll be pleased to know I did not go to the shops.