Whoops... Younger son has covid

[rodi]

So younger son was home for winter break. On Monday he got his booster, on Tuesday he took a train up to NorCal to hang out with his girlfriend till college starts this coming Monday. He's been feeling achey - but chalked it up to side effects from the booster.

They (son, girlfriend, girlfriend's family) decided to get tested today before having 2-3 friends over for NYE tonight. Son turns up positive.

What to do... He has to quarantine at least 5 days, school starts in 3 days. His girlfriend is going back to school in 2 days. GF's parents have offered him the guest room and will leave him food outside the door (nice people!!!). School had cancelled one of his enrolled classes so he was going to be scrambling for replacement classes so he could maintain full time status - but that will be more challenging from quarantine off campus.

Of course there is a high likelihood that his girlfriend will test positive in the coming days.

I just tested myself - negative. Thank goodness.

 

[rodi]

I should add - he was complaining about being achy on Tuesday-Thursday... I assumed it was booster shoot side effects. Go figure.

 

[cathy63]

Oh no! Is this the one who traipsed all over Europe without getting it a few months ago?

Wishing him a speedy and easy recovery.

 

[MichaelB]

Wishing him a speedy and easy recovery.

+1

This will be a memorable New Year!

 

[Ronstar]

Wishing him a speedy and easy recovery.

+2.

He might as well quarantine at the girlfriend's parents. Chances are girlfriend will be quarantining as well. I'm sure that missing a couple of days of school at the beginning won't be a problem.

 

[rodi]

Yep - same one. Avoided it during a month of hostels and train travel in Europe, got it at home in San Diego - and is now transmitting it to a family in San Jose.

We think we may know the source - a friend of his just tested positive (along with the rest of her family) yesterday and he saw her the day before leaving. Because of the exposure to my son, GF's twin brother is delaying his return to his college in the NW... plane travel probably not advised if you've been hanging with a positive covid person. We're assuming GF will test positive soon. No home tests available here or there - I just ordered some home tests shipped to their house to get them out of quarantine... but they won't arrive till next Wednesday.

 

[MBAustin]

Bummer. I think with the new CDC guidelines that he could leave isolation in 5 days from first symptoms as long as he wears a mask when around others for 5 more days. Hope they all have mild cases.

 

[Alan]

Sorry to hear this rodi. With luck no one will get very sick and this will “only” be a PITA logistical nightmare.

 

[Sue J]

Oh, sorry to hear this.

Did you order the tests online? Around here we used to have free antigen home tests at our libraries. Those are out of stock and all the stores are also out of stock. The health department is offering drive up testing sites but no appointments until Wednesday 1/5/22.

Good luck to him and all involved. I hope it doesn't mess with his college classes, etc. And of course I hope he doesn't get seriously ill.

 

[W2R]

How frightening! I am hoping it's a false positive (would the booster shot cause that? I have no idea). Perhaps that is extremely wishful thinking.

Good luck to your son, you, and the rest of your family and I hope that all of you get through this quickly and without any of you developing a severe case of Covid.

 

[easysurfer]

Hope that he recovers soon.

Sounds like his GF and GF's family are a keeper.

 

[braumeister]

Wow! To be honest, I was amazed that he managed to avoid it on that big European trip, but you really can't ever predict this sort of thing, can you?

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[rodi]

SueJ -
He was tested at a private ($$) clinic. Girlfriend's parents paid for the household (including son) to be tested before having a few people over tonight. They are assuming girlfriend will test positive in the next few days since they have been joined at the hip since Tuesday night when he arrived. They are actually quarantining in the same room... that's how sure the parents are that she will test positive.

I ordered tests online - I used some for our Christmas eve gathering - so I ordered more which arrived earlier this week. I've now ordered some to be delivered to GF's house (so they can test again in a few days... and some to replace the ones we used this afternoon when we realized we might have been exposed before he left.

Fortunately, it turns out home covid tests are a qualified expense for HSA and FSA accounts. So I'll be able to use cheaper money to reimburse myself.

As for libraries - we just got some free tests from the library - it was announced on nextdoor, we dropped everything and hurried up there... they ran out in 3 hours... but we got ours.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Hoping your son and his girlfriend recover quickly.

 

[pacergal]

Sorry other this, hopefully with his younger age, and vaccines on board, he will sail through this OK. And that GF family does the same.

 

[CP Soon]

Sorry to hear about your son's exposure. Family of GF sound like great people. They must consider him a keeper. With his vaccinations, and young age, he should recover quickly. He will not be the first student prevented from attending classes due to COVID and/or exposure, so a call to school first thing Monday AM is needed for direction. In today's Zoom World, he should be able to attend classes virtually until his recovery and ready to travel. Please keep us posted on outcome.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I’m posting the page with the updated guidelines.

Quarantine is for those who are exposed. Isolation is for those who have Covid.

Isolation time starts from first day of symptoms, not from date of test. One should isolate for 10 days if symptomatic. The new guidelines apply to asymptomatic people and people with mild symptoms that are improving. Those people can isolate for 5 days then they must wear a mask for 5 days.

Since I wear a KN95 mask properly whenever I go out, for me that would be easy. However, many people let their mask fall down under their nose and don’t care. I’m not sure how these guidelines will pan out.

Anyway, here is the page.

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I’m posting the page with the updated guidelines.

Quarantine is for those who are exposed. Isolation is for those who have Covid.

Isolation time starts from first day of symptoms, not from date of test. One should isolate for 10 days if symptomatic. The new guidelines apply to asymptomatic people and people with mild symptoms that are improving. Those people can isolate for 5 days then they must wear a mask for 5 days.

Since I wear a KN95 mask properly whenever I go out, for me that would be easy. However, many people let their mask fall down under their nose and don’t care. I’m not sure how these guidelines will pan out.

Anyway, here is the page.

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html

Seems as though the push back has been fierce and the CDC has signaled that they will either 1) adding a testing requirement to the "new" timeframes or, 2) try and make it more clear.

Fauci on Sunday said the health agency is “very aware” of the pushback generated by the new guidelines.

“The CDC is very well aware that there has been some pushback about that. Looking at it again, there may be an option in that, that testing could be a part of that, and I think we're going to be hearing more about that in the next day or so from the CDC,” he added.

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday...der-amending-isolation-guidance-amid-pushback

 

[rodi]

Son has now tested negative. Girlfriend, however, tested positive. She has very mild symptoms that started Monday and are quickly fading. Their tentative plan is to head to campus this weekend. Hopefully girlfriend will test negative before they leave.

Campus requires 100% testing on arrival to campus. (Within the first week). They are seeing a 10% positivity rate among students and staff. Note they required full vax before fall quarter and have added booster requirement to be completed by early February. (Younger son was boosted the day before he left.). We are now thinking he picked up covid on the train up to San Jose bases on the timing and that DH and I tested negative.

 

[Alan]

Promising news, sounds like things are working out okay.

 

[Bamaman]

Covid works in mysterious ways. My wife and granddaughter tested positive a month ago, and I also got sick at the same time with what I assume was a mild case of Covid. I just coughed for a week and was lethargic. Our daughter was also in our house at the same time, and she was just fine.

We've both received double jabs. My wife cannot take the booster until 2/2022 because she received an IV for monoclonal antibodies.

 

[tulak]

Campus requires 100% testing on arrival to campus. (Within the first week).

Do they live on campus?

DD is headed back next week and they also require testing, but it’s not clear if/how they are going to verify tests. She lives off campus and I suspect she wont be asked in any of her classes, but she’s planning on getting tested anyways.

 

[Scuba]

Does the school not accept proof of recently having COVID in lieu of a negative test? I’ve read that people can test positive for weeks or even months after they no longer have the virus, but they aren’t contagious.

https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-long-after-i-get-covid-19-will-i-test-negative

 

[rodi]

They live in the dorms. There is a schedule to test based on whether you live on or off campus and your last name. You won't be allowed to attend in person classes in week 2 until you comply. They've also stepped up masking requirements (kn95 or n95). And so n many kids tested positive they have had too book hotel rooms to isolate them.

Girlfriend took another test today and it's negative (son already tested negative). So they plan to head to campus on Sunday.

 

[tulak]

Yay, I’m glad they’re both negative.

DD’s school sent an update earlier today and while they recommend everyone get tested, they realize this might not be possible due to constrained access to tests and will not do any validation. They will require everyone be boosted, I think by end of January. Fortunately DD got her booster at the start of break.