Which is crazy when they live together IMO. Totally different when they do not.
My sister, BIL and now niece are all positive. BIL’s mom, brother, sister, her H, D, SIL and 3 grandkids got it also. My nephew, his wife and three kids were exposed via my sister, but they are quarantining and are negative so far.
Spreader event was a visitation for my BIL’s brother’s wife’s mother. (WTH?!?!?) Funeral home didn’t enforce masks. Sister and BIL wore masks, stayed at a distance, left after 15 minutes and sanitized when they got home. They figure enclosed room aerosolization did it. I get BIL’s family is very large and close, but really?!?! My sister is a kindergarten instructional assistant on rotating weeks of in-class and remote. She also is backup sitter to her grandkids. She has been fanatical about germs. Fortunately she had finished her in-class week on Friday 10/30 before being exposed two days later.
She said she presented with congestion and bad headaches, and would have assumed it was her fall allergies except that BIL’s family was also getting sick. She now has a fever, and her D tested positive yesterday.
We had a beer on our patio Friday night with a couple who are close neighbors. They told us that their DIL in another state had just recovered from CoVid. She is an ob/gyn, pregnant and with a two year old. (Fortunately the other grandparents are in town and were already in “the bubble” to help with child care.)
Evidently a staff member at her office came to work feeling “just a little sick”.so didn’t mention it, and it was someone’s birthday so they all gathered in the lounge for cake. Their son is a cardiologist at a different hospital system so had to quarantine for two weeks.
Geez, folks, mask up and get serious!
All these stories is what makes me crazy when I read about holiday plans that include “we will test ahead and we should all be fine” or “the house is big and we can be apart if needed” - what is the point?!
What’s this “if needed”? It’s too late if you start feeling sick half way through the family weekend whether you tested ahead of time or not.
Up until yesterday, I only knew of a handful of folks with only one potential exposure (one friend and spouse in March, who we saw outside and six feet apart when they were contagious). However, yesterday found out that my son (who lives in another city) was directly exposed to someone who is asymptomatic but tested positive (so far he has no symptoms), someone I work with has a son that tested positive, and another co-worker was exposed to a kid whose brother tested positive. It feels like the circle is getting smaller.
My friend’s nanny came to work with cold symptoms and didn’t think anything of it. They sent her home after she complained about a sore throat and asked her to get tested. Positive. Whole family quarantining.
One of my daughter’s very good friend, just tested positive for the coronavirus. She was very surprised (she told people on Instagram stories lol!) because she’s been very very careful the last two weeks as she wanted to visit her disabled niece.
This friend is symptomatic
I do not think that my daughter has seen her. The friend is an artist and daughter commissioned a piece from her that she was to have done today but when I talked to daughter, the piece was not to be done until the last minute. For my daughter’s sake, I hope that held true.
Daughter already cancelled her plans to come for thanksgiving so no worries there.
This is only my opinion but I think the time is passing when we will have an idea of where we contracted the virus as it is in too many places.
I’m sad. One of my friends had surgery for throat cancer last month at Univ of MI. He was back in the hospital 3 days later, with a fever. Next he battled problems swallowing, followed by a blood clot, and now COVID. He’s been in the hospital for almost a month.
Look for the three Cs of risk:
Closed spaces
Crowds
Close contact
Seasonal family gatherings that will more likely happen indoors in the winter have potential to be superspreader events.
We thought we were being risky going to visit med school lad. We’re back home now, so will isolate and see what happens before heading to FIL’s again.
While we were gone H learned some people he was working with were exposed directly, so perhaps the riskier thing would have been staying here (in hindsight). H tells me he only saw them in an open field, using masks, and it was before their exposure so he should be fine, but I’m glad we’re isolating for a bit because the tidal wave seems to be hitting our rural area. There have been multiple cases in school including with one of the adults who is at a higher risk. School has not updated us on his condition yet. It has me a starting to get concerned for him.
Ugh. After my meeting from (see get it off your chest thread), we just got word that my co-worker with the super high risk pregnant wife just tested positive. He was the one with the most contact with the other positive person in my office and has been quarantining since the weekend. But, he is probably the closest contact I have in the office. When he’s here, he sits directly across from me (~15 feet away), and being a supreme extrovert, he talks non-stop. Fortunately, he goes out in the field for a few hours each day. And I haven’t seen him since last Friday afternoon, so that’s in my favor, right? ugh. I sure hope his wife and D don’t come down with it. They’ve had so much tragedy in their lives already. They don’t need to lose anyone more. He is also morbidly obese (as per his doctor) and a type II diabetic - but in his 30s. Hopefully that will be in his favor.
DD is living with us. Her co-worker’s husband was diagnosed today with Covid. They are both managers and work relatively closely. Although they are good about distancing and masks and cleaning in the store, they work together 8 hrs a day. So she is now isolating in her room and wearing a mask when she comes out. Her co-worker has to wait 3 days and get the more accurate test so DD has to wait that long to see if she has to test too. It will be a long weekend.
Update. Co-worker #1 is back today after 10 days. I expressed my concern to my boss about him returning if he had a cough. He understood and called him to ask about his symptoms. He said he didn’t want him here with a cough either. But no cough and he’s back. I did not mind him coming his usual 30 min late today. He is wearing a mask - sort of. When he gets up it’s on well. But it’s under the nose otherwise. I suppose that’s better than nothing. I’ve got my good one on all day. It’s not the most comfortable, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. And I’ll be taking my snack outside.
Oh, and my employee called in sick yesterday - congestion and a sore throat, but it’s “allergies.” Now her allergies do rival mine, but I had to make her get a COVID test. Her rapid was negative, but the doctor also did a PCR test. She is working from home until she gets that result back.
Yesterday was not a good day for my anxiety. Today is a bit better, but it’s so quiet. Right now, there are 3 people in the office and nobody has said one word to each other all morning.
It has been interesting to observe how over time the ability to get tested has changed.
Our daughter lives in Spain and tried to get tested when her roommate tested positive (in March). They refused to test my D since she didn’t have symptoms.
She was just exposed to a symptomatic coworker who tested positive. Contact tracers called my D within 12 hours and she was very quickly tested. Luckily it came back negative, but they still require that she quarantine.
We think there’s a fair chance she had the virus back in March, and has antibodies.
Pandemic social problem input sought – apologies for being long-winded!
Wishing health/healing to all those who posted above.
Mine is a minor issue compared to so many more significant concerns. However, I would appreciate input/reactions.
Feel free to say I am out of line in how I am trying to handle this situation.
I have a long-term friend (a former neighbor with whom I have stayed in touch after she moved in with her divorced daughter and grandkids following her own divorce). We are close but not as close as we used to be. By the way, the grandkids are in a shared custody arrangement so spend every other week with their father and his new family.
Recently, this friend had some back surgery and now needs injections for her post-surgery pain. These will likely be a series of appointments. Because she can’t drive herself until fully healed, she asked me if I would drive her (about a half-hour drive each way) for a pain injection appointment. I believe she asked others first and did not get anyone to volunteer. Her daughter has an out-of-home job so will not be available.
I am on the fence because I am turning 70 andhave a heart condition and Type 2 diabetes. I also recently survived a serious cancer but seem to be in remission now with a pretty good prognosis. Anyhow, I am concerned about in-car Covid risk and inclined to avoid doing this driving because it could be a risk to my health.
My daughter, who does not live near us, is very protective of me re Covid and wants me not taking any risks. I do, however, I confess, grocery shop (of course masked and careful). Husband and I do not socialize indoors with anyone, even our grown kids and grandkids. We will be a twosome at home for the upcoming holidays. I have not been in a car with anyone besides my husband since the pandemic began.
I e-mailed a response to this friend needing rides that I felt I should decline because of my medical concerns and the fact that she is living in a house situation with people coming and going to other households. But feel terrible about declining her request. I have not gotten a response from her yet (after two days) and am concerned she is angry and feels I am being overcautious. She is a retired nurse so is familiar with health issues.
I offered to pay for her to take a ride service and to send her a check to cover any ride services she might need in coming months. (Her finances are tight and I have helped her out financially several times in the past and she has been very appreciative.)
But I have not had a response to my long-winded e-mail rides decline to her. (She prefers e-mail or text to phone calls.)
So I am asking the College Confidential forum for reactions/suggestions. Please don’t hold back, as I encourage full feedback.
THANKS if you have slogged through this post.
Please stay well, everyone!
JEM I’m sorry for your friend and her health issues and now transportation issues. You however are not in a situation where you should consider being her ride. If she knows any of your health situation, she should not have asked you!!
I thought your offer to pay for her transportation is the best solution you can offer. Or help her look to see if the health system she is going to offers any transportation. Do not feel guilty.
Her health care provider might offer transportation or a visiting nurse to give the injection at home.
As I was reading the story I was going to suggest paying for and Uber, but you offered that.
No guilt. You are taking the precautions you think are necessary. Whether others agree is not your problem.
I echo abasket’s response. Before finishing your post, I thought of paying for rides for your friend. There seems to be a lot of risk if you let your friend’s bubble also become yours, which is what would happen if you give her rides.
You were right to look out for your own health, and generous to offer to pay for her transportation.
Maybe she’s still looking for other options and that’s why she hasn’t responded to your offer.