To go or not to go?

[starryuk]

Good morning all,

A quick question please...

Tuesday I had a vomiting bug, so kept away from Mum's CH. That has gone now, only to be replaced by a stinking cold.

I haven't seen Mum since Monday and am feeling very guilty, but wondering if I should go in today with a cold?

I am thinking we all go around with colds from time to time, so maybe a cold is ok?

I have rung the CH daily and they told me to keep away re the vomiting bug of course, so don't want to risk them saying NO to a cold if I call again.

What do you all think?

Hope everyone else is surviving the onset of horrible weather!

 

[lin1]

Hi
Sorry to hear you're not well, hope your better soon
Personally I would stay away for a few more days, to protect the residents and staff.

 

[Noorza]

My sister brought her husband to see Mum while he had a cold, sore throat cough, a few days later mum had a cold which went to her chest then to her lungs and hospitalised on and off for the next six weeks. It nearly killed her and caused her a huge amount of suffering. I can't say it was the same infection but they were willing to expose her to it which made me extremely concerned and left me with all the additional caring to do.

The people in care homes are extremely vulnerable, often immobile with reduced immune systems.

My opinion FWIW: Feel guilty if you do visit, staying away is a kindness. It's simply not worth the risk.

 

[starryuk]

Thank you for the advice, which I am taking! I shall curl up on my sofa instead!
xx

 

[Izzy]

Thank you for the advice, which I am taking! I shall curl up on my sofa instead!
xx

Good for you. I hope you begin to feel better soon.

 

[Nebiroth]

It is best to keep any sort of infection well away from places like care homes. They are full of people with immune systems compromised by old age and/or other health problems, so a cold which is minor and self-limiting in a young and healthy person can have serious consequences in someone elderly and frail, espescially if they have heart or lung problems. They can so easily turn to bronchitis or even pneumonia. My mum and I are asthmatics and for me about one in ten colds will develop into a chest infection, but for mum who is now 83 it is almost inevitable and requires a course of antibiotics plus weeks to get over. Moreover, such infections spread like wildfire in enclosed environments and are almost impossible to control with cleaning.

You should stay clear until at least 48 hours have passed after the symtpoms have disappeared, because for viral infections like colds you are still infectious and shedding viruses after you are feeling better - your immune system by then has the infection on the retreat but not completely eliminated it.

This is MUCH more important with norivirus, as it is far more infectious and difficult to contain than a simple cold, plus it is a lot more unpleasant and again can be serious for the frail and elderly. Moreover, the immunity only lasts 14 weeks after which you can catch the same bug again - and the virus can live for months or even years in the environment (such as contaminated carpets), is impossible to remove (only chlorine bleech is really effective), this is why you get successive waves of infections, often in the same place and same people.