Distancing at home

@ozma Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a group of people sharing our journeys through a wide variety of health conditions, but we are not doctors and cannot offer medical advice. What we share is how we live and adapt. Along the way we try to share science based information and knowledge.

That said, most current advice says close contact with immediate members of your household is generally okay unless you (or one of them) is in a risk category, whether due to age or health conditions. Or unless someone has symptoms of illness (but remember some people seem to have the virus without showing symptoms) or has been closely exposed to someone who has the virus (like caring for an ill person, working for hours close to someone infected.)

So, sleeping with a partner who is also self-isolating (and taking proper precautions) would probably be okay. If you are not high risk, sleeping with someone who works but is not in a frontline job and takes precautions - probably okay. Sleeping with a partner who works in a frontline job, exposed repeatedly, even if careful - maybe - if you are not high risk.

Same answer with others in the household - you need to know they are using good judgment and taking proper precautions, otherwise they should minimize contact within the home - either stay in their rooms or a separate part of the house. And use a separate bathroom or sanitize between users, same with the kitchen. Some people seem to feel if it is okay to go to work, it is okay to socialize with friends during breaks or before or after work - I would class them as high risk and minimize contact if I was in a risk category.

I hope this helps. I will say, my daughters are nurses, many of their friends are also nurses or other first responders, they have mostly decided to remain in contact WITH their families, except those directly working in ER and ICU. But both of them have always had the policy of removing their work scrubs and washing up thoroughly immediately after work - long before Covid-19 came on the scene.
Sue

Thank you for your well phrased post.

@ozma Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a group of people sharing our journeys through a wide variety of health conditions, but we are not doctors and cannot offer medical advice. What we share is how we live and adapt. Along the way we try to share science based information and knowledge.

That said, most current advice says close contact with immediate members of your household is generally okay unless you (or one of them) is in a risk category, whether due to age or health conditions. Or unless someone has symptoms of illness (but remember some people seem to have the virus without showing symptoms) or has been closely exposed to someone who has the virus (like caring for an ill person, working for hours close to someone infected.)

So, sleeping with a partner who is also self-isolating (and taking proper precautions) would probably be okay. If you are not high risk, sleeping with someone who works but is not in a frontline job and takes precautions - probably okay. Sleeping with a partner who works in a frontline job, exposed repeatedly, even if careful - maybe - if you are not high risk.

Same answer with others in the household - you need to know they are using good judgment and taking proper precautions, otherwise they should minimize contact within the home - either stay in their rooms or a separate part of the house. And use a separate bathroom or sanitize between users, same with the kitchen. Some people seem to feel if it is okay to go to work, it is okay to socialize with friends during breaks or before or after work - I would class them as high risk and minimize contact if I was in a risk category.

I hope this helps. I will say, my daughters are nurses, many of their friends are also nurses or other first responders, they have mostly decided to remain in contact WITH their families, except those directly working in ER and ICU. But both of them have always had the policy of removing their work scrubs and washing up thoroughly immediately after work - long before Covid-19 came on the scene.
Sue

@ozma Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a group of people sharing our journeys through a wide variety of health conditions, but we are not doctors and cannot offer medical advice. What we share is how we live and adapt. Along the way we try to share science based information and knowledge.

That said, most current advice says close contact with immediate members of your household is generally okay unless you (or one of them) is in a risk category, whether due to age or health conditions. Or unless someone has symptoms of illness (but remember some people seem to have the virus without showing symptoms) or has been closely exposed to someone who has the virus (like caring for an ill person, working for hours close to someone infected.)

So, sleeping with a partner who is also self-isolating (and taking proper precautions) would probably be okay. If you are not high risk, sleeping with someone who works but is not in a frontline job and takes precautions - probably okay. Sleeping with a partner who works in a frontline job, exposed repeatedly, even if careful - maybe - if you are not high risk.

Same answer with others in the household - you need to know they are using good judgment and taking proper precautions, otherwise they should minimize contact within the home - either stay in their rooms or a separate part of the house. And use a separate bathroom or sanitize between users, same with the kitchen. Some people seem to feel if it is okay to go to work, it is okay to socialize with friends during breaks or before or after work - I would class them as high risk and minimize contact if I was in a risk category.

I hope this helps. I will say, my daughters are nurses, many of their friends are also nurses or other first responders, they have mostly decided to remain in contact WITH their families, except those directly working in ER and ICU. But both of them have always had the policy of removing their work scrubs and washing up thoroughly immediately after work - long before Covid-19 came on the scene.
Sue

@ozma @vclove I agree, the way Sue @sueinmn shows different scenarios is a great way to give examples. Welcome to Mayo Connect, to both of you!

Two questions I have for each of you. How did you find Mayo Connect? What are you practicing for social distancing in your home, if needed [due to at-risk persons or perhaps frontline worker]?

To see a wide variety of topics related to COVID-19, and living in these times with this challenge, you will find a lot of good reading in the COVID-19 group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/covid-19/ We look forward to your input!
Ginger

I found Mayo Connect through the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. It's easy for me to practice social distancing. No others live in my home except for my cat, Tom. I am 11 days into my quarantine. Yesterday with my Doctor's permission I went to the Pharmacy and the Bank. The cat and I spent some time in the front yard. It was not difficult to social distance from the neighbors or those walking by.

We live as much by the guidelines as possible. My husband is working from home so we are following social distance guidelines. Our son lives at home and works as a construction carpenter. He works with guidelines. When he comes home he immediately undresses and hits the shower and stays in his living space upstairs. My Daughter works for U of M. In sterilization. She has an apartment and we only see her on nice days outside 6ft apart. Once a week. We all have senior parents to care for. We do so by taking turnes dropping meals and needs and supplies and talk by phone or face time in between. When we go for essentials we go about once a week. One of us goes. With gloves and a face mask. I have a routine I’d cleaning in the morning. Every day disinfecting surfaces. Change pillowcases twice a week. But should be done every day. And sheets every 10 days. But should be done more frequently. I also run an air filter I have dust allergy’s. I clean showers sinks and toilets every day. Floors once a week, but we take our shoes off at the back entrance.
When we have supper we are spaced apart appropriately and then I clean up with soap and water then spray surfaces with a barbicide spray...fun.😕 I stumbled upon mayo clinic google searching for questions I was not sure about.