Covid-19 House Arrest Strategies

Digs

I’d +1 to what JLM said. If you have RTE player catch The late late show, the bit on self isolation etc is very near the start but the whole thing was quite informative.
It’s certainly not ideal and we were saying ourselves it would be a nightmare to work it out but has to be done.

shesty

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

I think in exceptional times, I’m relaxing the screen rules which are usually more strict. I have a 4 month old and a 3.5 year old who is bonkers. I’ve always shipped the poor fella off to crèche for a few hours to have bonding space with the baby, but now, god forbid I have to mind my own child! How did our parents have such large families and remain sane and happy??? I literally cracked by 11am, baby crying with wind, 3 year old jumping and screaming, scooter, tractor, bumpy car, jigsaws, paw patrol toys, pj mask costume, fire engines, crayons, scissors and cut paper everywhere, cartoons on full blast. It’s only been the first day!

Turn off the TV.Ration it!!Carefully!!it drives them crackers if it is on all day.As best you can limit how many toys he has out at one time.and if he is absorbed in something DO NOT interrupt it, let him at it!Also notice that if you let them go cracked and whine for a bit with no TV on, they will usually get over it after anything between 20 and 40 mins....and will find something to do by themselves, once you don't get involved.Encourage him to amuse himself by doing nothing!If they don't then maybe it is time for food or a rest.

That's been my experience anyway.We also make sure to get out to the beach or whatever for an hour or so first thing because it really takes the edge off the rest of the day.

tempnam

I watched the piece.... what i don't understand though is that if 1 person in a household has to self isolate, how are other members of the family OK to still interact with others?

kandr10

I know they’re saying to self isolate if you have symptoms but shouldn’t you also contact your gp/a&e by phone to get their advice on whether you need to be hospitalised? Obviously there will reach a critical level where people will have to be treated at home but surely they’d give you advice over the phone as to how to approach it? I read a piece on how It affected some Chinese people and it basically said they kept themselves in one bedroom with phone, charger, books. Other family members left food etc at the bedroom door and they were given specific times to use the bathroom where the others knew to stay clear. Then they had to clean down the bathroom thoroughly before returning to their room. I guess that’s one way!

PaybackPayroll

Neyite wrote: »

I'll be relying on wine I think...:pac:

or Valium by the time this is over.

Excellent idea for a thread. It's early days yet (we've survived 2 days now) so I guess as time goes on and people adjust we'll see more adaptations and ideas.

The weather is a real problem

Digs

tempnam wrote: »

I watched the piece.... what i don't understand though is that if 1 person in a household has to self isolate, how are other members of the family OK to still interact with others?

What I got from it is that if the person showing symptoms self isolates correctly they shouldn’t pass the virus on (using their own plates, cutlery, washing bathroom thoroughly after use) therefore the rest of the household is ok to carry on normally (well the new normal). If they then start to show symptoms they must self isolate too. Logistically it does blow my mind.

My brother has started to show symptoms. He rang his GP who told him it was just a “normal virus” and to carry on as usual. We’ve told him to ring the HSE ASAP. He has a 4yr old, 17 mth old and 5 day old baby. Along with a wife recovering from a csection. We can’t even turn up like normal to give them a hand.

Edit to clarify. The GP wasn’t referring to Covid-19 as a normal virus, he maintains what my brother has is just a “normal” virus.

tempnam

My wife has a slight cough, but no other symptoms. She got it about a week ago - before there were any confirmed cases in the country. Reckons it's just a poorly-timed 'ordinary' cough.

She doesn't work outside the home and looks after the kids while I go to work. She wouldn't have had much interaction (if any) with people over the past few days - like her daily mid-week routine consists of walking to the supermarket while kids are at school and then collecting kids from school and going home. It's highly unlikely that she was in contact with any people affected or anyone who had come from any of the affected areas. She hasn't been outside the house since Thursday.

Wondering what we're to do next week.... do I stay off work, does she have to self-isolate in the house? - the youngest child would be heartbroken as he's extremely attached. Crazy times!

We're all staying home anyway and not going anywhere. Will call the doc on Monday and see what they have to say.

jlm29

tempnam wrote: »

My wife has a slight cough, but no other symptoms. She got it about a week ago - before there were any confirmed cases in the country. Reckons it's just a poorly-timed 'ordinary' cough.

She doesn't work outside the home and looks after the kids while I go to work. She wouldn't have had much interaction (if any) with people over the past few days - like her daily mid-week routine consists of walking to the supermarket while kids are at school and then collecting kids from school and going home. It's highly unlikely that she was in contact with any people affected or anyone who had come from any of the affected areas. She hasn't been outside the house since Thursday.

Wondering what we're to do next week.... do I stay off work, does she have to self-isolate in the house? - the youngest child would be heartbroken as he's extremely attached. Crazy times!

We're all staying home anyway and not going anywhere. Will call the doc on Monday and see what they have to say.

I think the standard answer in this scenario is that your wife should self isolate now, call her gp on Monday morning, and hopefully get tested asap.

jlm29

Digs wrote: »

Edit to clarify. The GP wasn’t referring to Covid-19 as a normal virus, he maintains what my brother has is just a “normal” virus.

Isn’t that so aggravating. People are being amazingly socially responsible, and doing their best to fight this, and then doctors are saying crazy things like that.

Digs

jlm29 wrote: »

Isn’t that so aggravating. People are being amazingly socially responsible, and doing their best to fight this, and then doctors are saying crazy things like that.

Exactly. He wouldn’t be one for a GP anyway but was worried. Fever, chills, cough etc
HSE have referred him for testing and he’s isolating. His poor wife, 5 days post section and 3 kids to mind.

jlm29

Digs wrote: »

Exactly. He wouldn’t be one for a GP anyway but was worried. Fever, chills, cough etc
HSE have referred him for testing and he’s isolating. His poor wife, 5 days post section and 3 kids to mind.

Hopefully the testing can happen quickly. I wonder how long results are taking

shesty

If people google #wewilldraw, it will take you to an artist in Cork who is running a comic drawing challenge for kids.There is also Paddy's Panes going around....kids do artwork and you stick them i the windows for Patrick's day, so they can walk around the area (observing distances!) and look at the decorations...a backwards Paddy's day parade, so to speak.
Twinkl.ie is also doing a free offer for parents while the schools are closed-they provide school resources with printables, educational resources etc....you can create a free account and print stuff off while the schools are closed.
Just some ideas that have come our way.A local photographer here is also doing a competition where they post a topic each day, (yesterday was a mirror!) and kids take pictures of it in their house and post them to her page, and she does a winner every evening....because kids view things differently to adults.

uck51js9zml2yt

I've 2 young kids. Thankfully we have nearly 5 acres of a "garden ". I had them out with me harvesting the last of the veggies and making compost.

Thankfully we're rural and have access to some nice beaches.

Their principal was in school yesterday and this morning sorting out school books for them. The kids are thrilled ...not

I was speaking to a friend who's a nurse in a hospital with a known case of C19.
She says a cough and high temperature is the sign of it.

I've a heart valve replacement and my wife has been on immuno suppressants for the last 6 years. She's avoiding town.

I've a cough, but I've also a sinus infection so I know the cause. On my second course of antibiotics.

tempnam

My wife is waiting for the HSE to contact her to advise of a test. She called her GP this morning and he said her symptoms sound consistent with covid-19.

He also said that if she tests positive it's highly likely that I have it too.

It's practically impossible for us to isolate inside our home considering the 3 young kids and the size of our house which is quite small.

So we're waiting to hear what's next and in the mean time we've told friends & family and are just staying put.

Not sure how it's going to affect me work-wise if I have to stay home for the next couple of weeks. There's a certain amount I can do from home but not 100%.

Will have to wait & see.

Also, the kids are already starting to go stir crazy!

shesty

Nuts, it is really starting to be very hard on them.I am beginning to get irritated to be honest, there is only so long you can corral perfectly healthy kids in a house, and keep them out of school and their routine indefinitely.

jlm29

shesty wrote: »

Nuts, it is really starting to be very hard on them.I am beginning to get irritated to be honest, there is only so long you can corral perfectly healthy kids in a house, and keep them out of school and their routine indefinitely.

It’s only day 4! I feel like crying when I think of the coming weeks!

Loveinapril

jlm29 wrote: »

It’s only day 4! I feel like crying when I think of the coming weeks!

My two year old spoke with my mam today on the phone. He would usually see her a few times a week. He kept saying "nana house? Go nana's house?". It is so terrible for the little ones. My husband doesn't want us going further than the back garden but I would be okay with the local beach or park for a walk.

jlm29

Loveinapril wrote: »

My two year old spoke with my mam today on the phone. He would usually see her a few times a week. He kept saying "nana house? Go nana's house?". It is so terrible for the little ones. My husband doesn't want us going further than the back garden but I would be okay with the local beach or park for a walk.

I’m definitely going to be hitting beaches, forest recreation areas etc over the next few weeks. I don’t know if this is going to affect my kids or my mam more

appledrop

Loveinapril wrote: »

My two year old spoke with my mam today on the phone. He would usually see her a few times a week. He kept saying "nana house? Go nana's house?". It is so terrible for the little ones. My husband doesn't want us going further than the back garden but I would be okay with the local beach or park for a walk.

You have to get out. We went to local demese today which is huge + once we parked car we walked through fields so literally no one around us + my little boy was happy out playing football. Hard part will be trying to work from home from Wed onwards while keeping him entertained.

Tigerandahalf

Going to be very difficult to keep young kids in the house all the time. Fine for a week or so but after a while people need to get back to a routine.

Given how mild some of the symptoms are you would wonder if the right approach is being taken. Should we be having such a work lockdown when it is only the very old and the medically vulnerable that are liable to be in trouble. Put all resources into ensuring that they are isolated and have their needs met - food, medicines, etc.

Instead we have people in their 70s and 80s going into town to do their weekly shop, mass, etc.

Schools, preschools and creches are closed yet employers are asking people to go back to work. It is a huge problem for parents once the school system is closed.

xper

Disney+ launches in 8 days.


Seriously, an outdoor activity in a large, non-crowded place is fine as long as you maintain social distancing. Beach, woods, park (not playgrounds) are low risk

Loveinapril

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Given how mild some of the symptoms are you would wonder if the right approach is being taken. Should we be having such a work lockdown when it is only the very old and the medically vulnerable that are liable to be in trouble. Put all resources into ensuring that they are isolated and have their needs met - food, medicines, etc.

The vulnerable cover a hell of a lot of people though! Anyone over a certain age is deemed vulnerable. Anyone with asthma or other lung diseases, anyone with diabetes, anyone on immuno suppressant medication etc. I have MS so I count as medically vulnerable, but I still have a husband, toddler, a baby and a job. Even if I am isolated, I will still be in contact with people who could easily infect me. I know a load of 'vulnerable' people, whether it's sick people, people with asthma/ breathing issues or people who are a bit older. I thought most people could easily identify a good handful of people who could die from this. We can't shut individuals away from their families so I appreciate that these (maybe) extreme measures are being taken to ensure that the health system can cope with the cases that need additional intervention.

Digs

Loveinapril wrote: »

My two year old spoke with my mam today on the phone. He would usually see her a few times a week. He kept saying "nana house? Go nana's house?". It is so terrible for the little ones. My husband doesn't want us going further than the back garden but I would be okay with the local beach or park for a walk.

This is it. My girls are feeling the effects of missing Granny & Grandad etc especially my 6 yr old who is all too aware of the news and is so afraid of making her grandparents sick. So she’s desperate to stay away from them but we FaceTime them loads and she’s always asking them if they’re ok. I feel for her.

I’ve brought mine out for a walk daily, on their bikes etc I got them rain gear in Lidl recently and it was my purchase of the year. They’ve been out the back loads. We refilled their sandpit, let them have the hose to water the flower beds, bought outdoor chalk and they are colouring everywhere. Also saw so many recommendations to buy seeds and compost and pots etc and that has been amazing. They’ve planted and are now really enjoying nurturing their little projects.

I also bought my 6 and 3 yr old scrapbooks which was one of my better ideas. I’ve let them glue in newspaper clipping etc but in between that they’re sticking in any paintings, pictures of what they’ve done that day and we’ve dated them. Hopefully it’ll be a nice little project for them to look back on but if nothing else they’re really enjoying doing it. Pity the baba is too young!

Tigerandahalf

I have sympathy for anyone who is in a vulnerable position especially young kids with health issues.

However this virus appears to be here for the long term. They reckon 4 out of 5 people will get it before year end. So this lockdown is all about helping the health system to cope and keeping vulnerable people away from the virus as long as possible until the numbers are mangeable.

How long do you lock things down for? Are vulnerable people just going to get it at some stage anyway?

I think a lot of people thought the symptoms would be similar to the flu but they appear to be mild in comparison for the average person. Are we not better off to have everyone get it quickly and after a month everyone has built up immunity, with less chance of spreading it.

The UK have been laughed at but they may have a case.

Digs

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I have sympathy for anyone who is in a vulnerable position especially young kids with health issues.

However this virus appears to be here for the long term. They reckon 4 out of 5 people will get it before year end. So this lockdown is all about helping the health system to cope and keeping vulnerable people away from the virus as long as possible until the numbers are mangeable.

How long do you lock things down for? Are vulnerable people just going to get it at some stage anyway?

I think a lot of people thought the symptoms would be similar to the flu but they appear to be mild in comparison for the average person. Are we not better off to have everyone get it quickly and after a month everyone has built up immunity, with less chance of spreading it.

The UK have been laughed at but they may have a case.

From what I gather it is about flattening the curve. So we’re going to have a lot of sick people, numbers will increase and we are heading towards a peak but by putting these measures In place, we should (Hopefully) ensure we peak at a slower pace and our healthcare will be better able to cope by comparison to what has happened in Italy. A sharp and rapid peak has resulted in a collapsed healthcare system.

Rightly or wrongly I am much more comfortable being in the ROI as opposed to a UK citizen right now.

Tigerandahalf

It is difficult to know and only time will tell.

If we both have to go back to work we will feel the pinch financially as the 3hrs of preschool was saving us a significant amount plus the childminder now has her own gang of kids at home as well with the schools closed.

Even if she was willing to take them for the full day she would have a very high workload and the potential for the kids not to be properly supervised is higher.

The UK are still holding out on closing the schools. Nurses here with kids in school must be in a right pickle.

Ms2011

It hasn't been proven that we will even be immune once we become infected and hopefully recover, so I think relying on herd immunity is a risky strategy.
If 15,000 are expected to become infected by the end of the month that's 2,100 who will need hospital treatment and 900 more who will have severe symptoms.
It may be 'only' the old and vulnerable to some but as someone said, one persons 'only' is someone else's everything.

Tigerandahalf

Coronavirus: Dutch adopt controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/coronavirus-dutch-adopt-controversial-herd-immunity-strategy-1.4204578

Going to be a lot of heated debate if the country continues to be shut down. 200,000 retail jobs on the line if things continue. The finances just won't make sense soon.

Pouring rain today. Not much you can do with kids. Bath time is killing an hour.

RedXIV

Need some advice on this one because I feel caught in a rock and a hard place.

I am lucky enough to be able to work from home so the job situation is safe but my wife is a nurse and I've a Junior cert teenager to help prep for his exams, two in primary school to keep on school work as well as a 2yr old toddler. Any day my wife is in work is going to be ridiculously difficult if Monday is anything to go by.

The house is tiny, and even if there was an office, the toddler comes looking for me and I wouldn't want to hide away so to speak. I'm reluctant to make the others grow up a bit and help with childcare but i can't think of any other way to get the work done as well. I originally said I'd try and shift my working hours later in the day but the reality is that my wife works until 8.30 usually and I'm effectively on childcare duty until then and even if I go straight to "working mode" after that, I'm only going to get half a working day in if I'm lucky?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed right now and not sure what the plan is but already miss my childcare/office!

jlm29

RedXIV wrote: »

Need some advice on this one because I feel caught in a rock and a hard place.

I am lucky enough to be able to work from home so the job situation is safe but my wife is a nurse and I've a Junior cert teenager to help prep for his exams, two in primary school to keep on school work as well as a 2yr old toddler. Any day my wife is in work is going to be ridiculously difficult if Monday is anything to go by.

The house is tiny, and even if there was an office, the toddler comes looking for me and I wouldn't want to hide away so to speak. I'm reluctant to make the others grow up a bit and help with childcare but i can't think of any other way to get the work done as well. I originally said I'd try and shift my working hours later in the day but the reality is that my wife works until 8.30 usually and I'm effectively on childcare duty until then and even if I go straight to "working mode" after that, I'm only going to get half a working day in if I'm lucky?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed right now and not sure what the plan is but already miss my childcare/office!

Tbh, it’s any port in a storm at the minute, do what you need to do. If your other kids share out a bit of keeping an eye on the small one (depending on what ages your primary schoolers are, and what level of work your two year old Is (I have a 2 yr old myself who I cannot take my eyes off)), it’s not unreasonable to ask them to help out.
If you can get the bulk of it done by day, and finish off when your wife is home/kids are in bed, that might help get you through! Good luck!