Advice please!!

My grandson had covid a few weeks ago. He had been in close contact with me the day before. I didn’t get it although it was 8 days before my booster was booked. Neither did my son (his dad) or his 9yr old brother. His brother had to attend school!

loveOc, Franbern not in Scotland now. All household contacts must self isolate for 10 days and if they develop symptoms their 10 days starts again. Close contacts they don't live with must self isolate till they have a negative PCR. Just had mine today. DD is having to miss her last day with P1 before Christmas. We are delaying the meal and exchanging presents as DGS has suggested this to mummy because he likes us to see him open the gifts we have given them and also likes to see us open the gifts they have given us. He is 8.

It's easy to say everyone should isolate if a family member has covid. And I agree with that. But if Omicron is so transmissible what will happen if large numbers are affected. A friend who lives in Cumbria said that as she waired for her train, passengers were left stranded as five trains were cancelled to Glasgow and Edinburgh because of high staff illness.
How would the NHS cope?

Framburn Exactly. As it should be.

Surely, the rule is that if a child tests negative, they must attend school, or else have a truancy mark. This is regardless of whether anyone else in their household tests positive.

My friend's daughter, her husband and three children - one child got covid but no one else did. Daughter continued to go to work as a sister on a covid ward and the other children continued to go to school and the husband went to work as well.

I feel sorry for little children having to cope with this. Imagine wondering will Santa be able to come now.

JaneJudge unbelievable! keep well away! DGS1 (8) has just tested positive. His small sister is the one who was unwell but she and parents are negative - PCRs. He is distraught but we have managed to calm him a bit - Santa will come regardless as he is triple vaccinated. Granny and Papa will keep the turkey till after self isolation and drop off food at the end of the drive and we will FaceTime to check on him. Mummy doesn't need to go to work now (teacher) and will find cool things to do at home! Not the best news today but it is what it is ?

my neighbours have covid and have gone out tonight!

Unbelievable Gagajo. People need to think more and use some common sense.

One of our friends and neighbours (well, her and her husband) has covid. They are on their 6th day of isolation. Their children have still been going to school (I refused to send my DGS this week, because of this).

Today, the friend asked if my DD would take their daughter out, because she has cabin fever (today is the first day she hasn't been out mind, school all week). They haven't tested the children to see if they have it.

It beggars belief really.

Hetty58

nadateturbe, oh dear - maybe just hold up a big HUG sign? (My friend says we need whole body sized condoms!)

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Thanks Hetty58. Yes we must be optimistic.

Sorry nadateturbe, cross posted. There will be more Christmas get togethers soon, maybe next year, so start planning now and I'm glad that your son has seen sense.

nadateturbe, oh dear - maybe just hold up a big HUG sign? (My friend says we need whole body sized condoms!)

The instructions/info with LFTs state that a negative result means 'it is likely you were not infectious at the time the test was taken'. I'm not putting too much faith in that. Maybe Omicron is different, but the original Covid was highly infectious for the 48 hours before (any) symptoms.

I just don't like the uncertainty. People assume that they're 'clear' with a negative test. They probably are - but that's all. A test on the following day, when the viral load is higher, would give a positive result.

Sadly DD and grandsons aren't coming. We decided we weren't comfortable with it. Also DD was willing to do LFTs before coming but not before returning home. She was just going to take the risk of breaking the rules. If anyone tested positive they would have had to stay in Ireland for ten days and miss Christmas with the children's dad( her ex). I couldn't support her not doing the required tests before flying home. And I know she wasn't happy with it either.
We're all very disappointed but it seemed best. We have already rebooked for next year.
On the plus side I sent my son who hasnt spoken to me for over a year, a message asking if he would come and collect some presents and we eould just not mention the disagreement we had. Life is too short. And he said yes he would come next week.
What a day!

Reading these comments I feel we need to be careful. But how do you meet your family at the airport and not hug.

Oh goodness Bluebelle. Wasn't it good you'd had your booster! This bl**dy virus!!

nadateturbe

^As we're most infectious in the two days before we have any symptoms,^
In these two days would a LFT register as positive even though you have no symptoms?

And thanks for views everyone.

Most probably not a family member did a test before visiting me and was negative, two days later they were positive thankfully I did not get it which I put down to my booster

As we're most infectious in the two days before we have any symptoms,
In these two days would a LFT register as positive even though you have no symptoms?

And thanks for views everyone.

Lateral flow tests show positive for about 80% of infected people - and about 90% of the most infectious. I'm not happy with that margin of error and people relying on tests to keep them 'safe'.

We need masks, distancing and meeting outdoors too. As we're most infectious in the two days before we have any symptoms, we should all be testing regularly, twice a week, regardless.

Still, older people take a risk by contact with children. Who really wants to be ill with the NHS likely to be overwhelmed, just before Christmas?

My kids simply don't ask me to look after grandchildren, right now, although I'm very fit and healthy. We're still in the middle of a pandemic, after all.

I help with young grandchildren too - DD lat flows them before bringing them over, or us visiting. Their schools have Covid circulating so very likely they’ll catch it at some point

When my daughter was pregnant and unvaccinated (as was the advice earlier this year) she asked us to help out in the house for several weekends. We took a lateral flow test either the night before or the morning we travelled.
Your daughter could test your grandson again on Saturday evening or Sunday morning which might reassure you more.

I had my 2 and 1/2 year old grandson for a couple of hours. I am a fatalist. Tempting fate is another phrase I could use, but frankly, I don’t want to isolate from my grandchildren. If I knew there was an end in sight, I would isolate, but this seems to be never ending . I have had all my jabs. That’s it. My friend has just returned from a wedding in the USA, where there were 250 guests. Seriously …..

You're probably taking a risk too Shelflife, although no contacts of the children have been diagnosed with Covid. DD and I have agreed we will all socially distance while they are here, which will only be for two nights in a hotel, eating out and some time spent in our house. I hated suggesting it but couldn't see an alternative.
You on the other hand will be in close contact.
It's difficult to say something. You feel very guilty and fussy. I think in the end we have to decide are we willing to take a certain level of risk and hope that the vaccines protect us, or at least lessen the severity if we, God forbid catch Covid. They are our family and are very important to us.

I must say, today I am heartily sick of the whole thing. I can't bear to hear the news. I was watching A Place in the Sun and remembering happy days choosing flights and being excited flying off to see our children or to one of our favourite places. I had to stop myself from crying.

I hope you come to an arrangement that you feel comfortable with. You are triple jabbed, as am I. Fingers crossed!