My husband just tested positive for COVID-19

[Coventina]

I'm in shock.

He's asymptomatic, at least for now.

But, this is kind of going to throw our lives into chaos. We live in a tiny, less than 1000 sq ft. house. One bathroom.
How are we going to isolate from each other? It's just not possible.

Plus, I'm probably exposed anyway.

Should I get a hotel room?

I don't want to stay with family / friends, I might be exposing them as well.

Thanks Trump!!

[Nevilledog]

1. Yikes!

I'm so sorry this is happening. Did the doctors have any advice or recommendations?

[Arkansas Granny]

2. The first thing you should do is get tested. Knowing whether or not you are positive will

undoubtedly influence your decisions.

[BootinUp]

3. Don't assume. Continue to follow

Recommendations and see about getting tested. Stay calm.

[soothsayer]

10. Masks, gloves, frequent hand sanitizing for both of you

Open windows if you can get fresh air circulation going.

Eat healthy.

Good luck! He could have a false positive...

[StarryNite]

4. Get tested, once you get the results go from there.

[uponit7771]

29. +1

[Ms. Toad]

5. I would get a hotel room -

Look into whether your state has funds available to support individuals who are trying not to be exposed at home (or trying not to expose others).

[Blue_true]

54. That can be enormously expensive in the area where she lives.

Maybe wearing minimum 2 ply masks and face shields inside her home will help, along with pulling in lots of fresh air into the home (avoiding heavily recirculated air).

Hopefully the test on her husband was a false positive, but no one should assume.

[Ms. Toad]

57. That's why I suggested checking out state aid that might be available.

Providing accommodations for people in her situation is part of the aid states received from the Federal Government.

[still_one]

6. Sorry for your situation. What you need to do is get tested yourself, and if you are negative

then you probably consider staying with family and friends until he tests negative

Take care

[LuckyCharms]

7. I'm sorry, Coventina

Please call your doc for advice.

Best wishes to you and your husband.

[CrispyQ]

8. I am so so sorry.

You need to get tested. There are articles on how to isolate a family member in a household. It helps if you have more than one bathroom. I don't know about a hotel room, how safe that is with the air being recycled through the system. Maybe a motel room where you can open the door to the outside & set up an oscillating fan? Just throwing ideas out there. Sending healing thoughts & positive vibes your way.

[W_HAMILTON]

9. You should probably get tested.

Not to raise concerns, but if he tested positive and has been asymptomatic, if you have been living with him, odds are you are infected as well. I had a similar situation in my household, except I showed symptoms, tested positive, and then the other person in my household got tested and she tested positive as well. Turns out I most likely got it from her, since she was asymptomatic the whole time.

[Pachamama]

11. Do you have a room or section in your house that has access out through another way?

I ask because my daughter had COVID and we had her staying isolated in the Master Bedroom that had access to a deck off the bedroom and its own master bathroom.

I brought food and beverages and medicines to the front of the sliding doors which she would retrieve when I walked away.

Your challenge is the one bathroom - is there a way to section off an area and have agreed upon use of the bathroom at times with mask on and good ventilation and thorough cleaning?

Have you been tested yet? You may also be positive. You should find out.

Definitely don't go stay with family and friends. And if you are positive, there is no point in going to a hotel.


I am so sorry. But stay strong and you will be able to get through this.

[Wellstone ruled]

12. Neice's Hubby tested Positive

Sunday on the quick test(Abbott),but yesterday his State test came back Negative. He has another test this morning when he gets to work. Sounds like the Abbott quick test has some false positives. Heard last night the State was to be on site and will be doing a everyone test today.

[Grasswire2]

22. yes

The Abbott test is notoriously not 100 percent accurate. And yet it is the test that Trump is sending out for schools, by the millions. I'm wondering if he has an investment in that brand.

[ihas2stinkyfeet]

27. that's why they turned down the who test.

jared had an in at abbott.
they are assholes and criminals. used to have a friend who worked there. all decisions were based on stock price, not science.

[Wellstone ruled]

37. Heard a Classmate of his was a

Wheel at Abbott.

[ihas2stinkyfeet]

44. figures.

wonder how much that lil favor cost the wheel.

[AlexSFCA]

46. My understanding that Abbot is a screening test

meaning, it’s very accurate if it’s negative but every positive result needs to be confirmed with a proper test.

[Jim__]

13. Sorry to hear that. I hope he remains asymptomatic.

[niyad]

14. So sorry to hear this you have gotten very good advice here. Sending healing vibes for the very

best outcome.

[padfun]

15. And take vitamin D3.

Nt

[Grasswire2]

24. yes, double dose we are told. nt

[ihas2stinkyfeet]

28. melatonin too.

proven.
and a baby aspirin cant hurt, either.

been doing all of the above, cuz the maskholes are everywhere here.

[phylny]

58. Our pastor and his wife had it (no, our church has been closed)

and he suggested Tylenol and Mucinex DM.

[Vinca]

16. Sorry to hear it. That's a real fear I have because it will throw life into chaos.

I'd first get tested and if you're positive just ride it out together. If you're negative I don't know what you can do with only 1 bathroom.
Agree with you on not staying with family or friends, but if you go to a hotel room you might expose someone there. It doesn't help that things like disinfectant spray and wipes are as hard to find as toilet paper was a few months back. All I can say is good luck and here's hoping your husband remains asymptomatic.

[cayugafalls]

17. So sorry Coventina! Call your Doctor and get advice.

If you have Vitamin D and Zinc, start taking it (ask your doctor, but it has been shown to help a lot).

Get tested as soon as you can.

Keep hydrated, wash hands, social distance, hand sanitizer in key spots, wear masks (both of you). Prepare some easy meals and freeze them. Soup is good to freeze. Prepare an isolation space, even if it is just in a corner with a couch near a window that you can socially distance from.

Open windows, get some cross breeze going (if you have a fan put it in one window, pointing out to draw air through the house).

Keep disinfectant/soapy rags (in a bowl of soapy water) in bathroom to wash surfaces after use.

Stay positive and do what you can to prepare.

Much love and prayers...

[Bayard]

18. So sorry to hear, Coventina!

I'm going to chime in with everyone else about getting tested. Do you have 2 bedrooms? Can you at least isolate him in there, minus the bathroom visits (then sanitize like hell)? Both wear a mask at all times.

[crimycarny]

19. Air purifier

If there is a room your husband can isolate in, get an air purifier and put ii in whatever room he is staying in. Below is some info on air purifiers and how to use them for COVID:

https://www.consumerreports.org/air-purifiers/what-to-know-about-air-purifiers-and-coronavirus/

Get as much fresh air into the house as possible.

Get some Coldeeze zinc lozenges and both of you take one every 4 hours. Take Vitamin D supplement.

As others have mentioned, there IS a false positive possible with certain tests. My daughter is a college athlete and they get tested every week. If a test comes back positive they have to get a second test to confirm due to the risk of a false positive. I’m not suggesting your husband’s case is a false positive, just saying this can happen.

[marlakay]

23. Add to that for many years my husband and I

Have separate towels not only for shower but hand towels in both bath and kitchen and i wash twice a week now. We don't usually catch each others colds because of that. But during this I would give him a roll of paper towels and a separate trash can to throw away in his room.

I am pretty anal but I hate being sick!

I would ask husband to stay in a room or rooms separate from you until he tests negative and bring him meals to his door with a mask. Keep window open in bathroom and sanitize frequently.

Good luck!

[brooklynite]

20. If my spouse tested positive, I would assume I did as well and quarantine with her...

Much easier than trying to stay separate.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. I'm so sorry

I hope that you both make it through everything ok.

[LaMouffette]

25. Coventina, do you have the option of staying at a campground?

Please know, I am not being facetious! If you have camping supplies and can stay at a nearby campground with bathroom and shower facilities, that could be an option for you. Camping would be less expensive than a hotel or motel and probably safer, pandemic-wise, if you are super-careful and take precautions, and you would not have to worry about infecting family or friends by staying with them.

My husband and I also live in a house of less than 1,000 feet, and I am certain that if I get Covid, he'll get Covid, and vice versa, which terrifies me, so I understand and empathize completely with your dilemma. If it happens that one of us gets it, we will likely do the camping maneuver ourselves.

Take care and God bless, Coventina!

[cwydro]

41. Not real safe for the other campers.

Come on now.

[cwydro]

26. As many others on this thread have said, get tested.

You don’t need to be out infecting others if positive.

When I got the virus, my closest friend who’d been essentially quarantining with me, went and got tested. She was negative, but she refused to leave while I was so sick. Both of us are fine now.

If negative, you have more choices. If positive, you have more responsibilities.

[SlogginThroughIt]

30. I just got out of isolation.

Be thankful no symptoms yet.

[SlogginThroughIt]

31. At a minimum you MUST quarantine according to rules.

You probably must be tested as well.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

32. Wear masks and gloves. Get tested and follow the advice of your doctors and state health officials..

... if your state gets involved.

My 30 year old niece had it and was mostly ok except for headaches and loss of smell/taste. Her fiancé tested positive and was completely asymptomatic.

Her 26 year old sister tested positive and was asymptomatic but her boyfriend was positive and somewhat lethargic.

They are in Illinois and we’re in contact with state health officials for guidance and tracking. Not sure how your state handles it.

I know it’s scary but everyone I’ve know that has had it did just fine. Not that you want to take unnecessary risks.

My buddy’s whole family had it a couple months ago. They figure his dad got it at the doctor’s office. They were all under the same roof while the sister’s house was being remodeled. 5 people got it and only the brother-in-law had mild symptoms. My buddy’s sister is a physician and her doctor prescribed Hydroxychloroquine for her husband (the brother in law). The sister’s group doctor swears by it.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

33. a hotel has issues of their own. I'd ask my doctor what to do.

If it were me I'd stay 6 ft apart, move ablutions and sleeping to separate rooms and keep an eye on each other.

[malaise]

34. Damn!

Hope he gets over this with no side effects.

[catrose]

35. Does your city have a place for family members to isolate?

Austin, Texas, does, just for these kind of situations, where one person tests positive or has been exposed, and needs to move out so as not to infect the rest of the family. I hope other towns have similar places.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, and I wish your husband a quick recovery with no lingering effects.

[Warpy]

36. Sleep on the couch

Be meticulous about wiping bathroom surfaces when you use it, washing your hands meticulously efterward. When he leaves the bedroom for anything, both of you need to mask and he needs to wash his hands, first thing.

For all you know, you might have given it to him, there seem to be a lot of asymptomatic cases out there. Just do what you can to protect yourself while he is in quarantine for two weeks, which of course will feel like two years.

[lillypaddle]

38. Damn!

I hate hearing that for you. Please keep us posted - and good luck to both of you.

[shanti]

39. Sorry to hear that.

It seems to finally be affecting us all. My ex in now in the hospital with Covid, in bad shape. An aunt and her husband also had it a couple of weeks ago. They're ok now. This is in California.

[Texin]

40. If you've been exposed, you're supposed to self-quarantine as well.

Have you been tested yet?

[Sucha NastyWoman]

42. Best solution if you can afford it is to rent an RV or camper with bathroom to park in your driveway

That way you aren’t leaving him alone if he gets sick. Actually, you should stay in the house and he in the RV/camper so you can cook for him, especially if he gets sick.

Wishing you both well, and good health

[Withywindle]

43. Oh no!

Please keep us posted. I don't have any advice, just good wishes for you and your husband.

[Tanuki]

45. Wishing you both the best of luck. Lots of great suggestions from others.

You might want to discuss this with your local health department. Some municipalities have designated places where people at risk can stay if a household member tests positivee.

[TNNurse]

47. Yes, talk to your doctor.

If you go to a hotel, there is food to consider, so there could be exposure from that.

Can you sleep on the sofa, keep your distance, wear masks and clean, clean, clean?


And, it could be a false positive, another test does seem like a good idea.

[rainin]

48. I see testing as being further north in the decision tree

I'd test for two reasons: 1) I have symptoms and I need to know if it's COVID19 or just the seasonal flu OR 2) I needed to know if I needed to quarantine.

I don't see the value of testing for you if you already know you need to stay put. I'd assume you're exposed and a vector for transmission at this point. Given your situation, I'd absolutely lock it down. Have food delivered. Protect yourself by closing off the room where your husband is, open a small window and block return air flow to your central air conditioner from his room. Have a plan for protecting yourself if you have to be in his room.

I would assume it's too late for you to leave. Like you were thinking, I'd be worried about exposing others at this point, so nobody comes or goes.

Get a pulse oximeter so your husband can monitor his oxygen levels. Have a plan to call the hospital if the oxygen levels get too low.

Sending prayers your way. I hope he recovers quickly and you stay healthy.

[matt819]

49. That's awful

Of course, hope the both of you remain well.

I've wondered what would happen if one of us got Covid. I don't think either of us would move out. Heck, I don't think either of us could. First, where would we go? Leave and live out of a hotel room? I just don't see it. And, second, it would seem like an abandonment. But in the actual event, I don't know what would happen.

Good luck.

[Solly Mack]

50. Oh, Conventina! I am so sorry.

Keep us posted!

Wipe down everything between uses. There is a Lysol spray that has shown to kill coronavirus particles in the air. Light blue can, white lid - Lysol Disinfectant spray. Get some. Spray the bathroom after he uses it. Spray the house as needed.

Wear a mask in the house.

Sorry.

[Demsrule86]

51. I am so sorry. first of all my brother did not get Covid even though his girlfriend did.

They live together. He wore a mask after he found out. She recovered quite well...Get a test. see if you have it. And then wear a mask...

[cwydro]

55. Same with me. I became quite ill, but recovered.

My best friend of many years refused to leave me alone, but she never became sick. She stayed in the other rooms.

We stayed apart in the house (no problem because I barely left my bedroom), lots of hand washing and disinfecting. A bit worried because of the four dogs running around. But all is well.

I was annoyed with my bestie for staying, but now that it’s over, I feel grateful. Can’t imagine leaving a spouse or partner alone...

[Maeve]

52. Please get tested asap

You need data.
Until then, mask up, hand-washing/sanitizer, as far apart as you can be, clean down surfaces....and find your calm place. It is also possible that it was a false positive--they happen.
One step at a time, but reach out to those who care and get what support you can.

Hang in there

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

53. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.

Unbelievable that so many Americans don't hold Trump responsible for his deadly mishandling (if you can call it that when it's done on purpose) of our country's pandemic response.

[LisaL]

56. Lysol the hell out of everything.

Wear a mask. Have your husband stay in a room by himself. Have him wear a mask when he ventures out.
Not sure what to do about a shared bathroom.
It's possible that you are not infected yet, even if your husband is positive.

[Coventina]

59. Hi all! Thanks so much to all of you!!

I got a rapid test and it was negative.

Hubby is "isolating" in our study, but we're going to have to share the bathroom.

He's not allowed to leave the house for 14 days.

I've been kicked out of my work for 14 days as well.

I'll have to work from the living room, as hubby is living in the study.

It's going to be strange.....

In a weird way, I almost wish I'd been positive, then we could have at least hung out together.....

Oh well, this way I can still make limited runs for necessities.
We don't have to impose on others to deliver stuff to us.....

Thanks for all your words of support, it really means a lot!!

[area51]

60. k&r n/t