People who didn't catch Covid-19 from housemates?

March 16, 2020 2:31 AM

So my sister has developed a persistent dry cough over the weekend and is self-isolating on medical advice. She won't be tested and has no other symptoms (no fever for example). She lives with us. Do you have any reports of people living in the same household that didn't spread the disease?

There was a lady on the news this morning who had been diagnosed but her husband didn't catch it from her -this gave me hope. We are doing everything we can - we are lucky enough to have a separate toilet but do have to share the same shower. My sister is limiting the time she spends in the kitchen but is insisting on cooking her own food so I sanitize everything when she comes out. Of course I am offering her all the help I can and dropping supplies at her door for her. We have windows open was much as we can around the house.

This may or may not be Covid-19 but we are of course treating it like it is and we are self-isolating also. I have high blood pressure and my husband has asthma so we are worried. Reports where one person had it in a household but it didn't spread would help keep us calm. Thank you.

posted by hazyjane to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Best answer: Does Justin Trudeau count? His wife has had it for at least a few days now, probably shedding asymptomatically for at least a week or so. He has no symptoms as yet.
posted by tinkletown at 2:38 AM on March 16, 2020 [3 favorites]

Dr Clare Gerada was on BBC Breakfast this morning, describing how she has isolated in her home, alongside her husband.
posted by Ness at 3:49 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

A first person account of a woman who cared for her mother but did not contract it.

Her regimen is pretty intense, but the thing she stresses the most is not sharing meals.
posted by clockwork at 4:10 AM on March 16, 2020

Ugh, re Dr Gerada, they edited out the useful bits, where she talked about how she stayed apart from her husband, used a different bathroom, wiped down surfaces she had touched, loaded crockery into the dishwasher herself. She's done quite a few phone and video interviews past couple of days so you may find some video if you look for her. Here is her Twitter
posted by Ness at 4:13 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

A friend in Washington state and his son did not catch it from his wife and daughter, who were in the same house the whole time. They were extremely strict about quarantining the sick people to their own part of the house.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:15 AM on March 16, 2020

Not a direct link - but I suspect that this applied many times in Hong Kong - given the population density and that many people live with older parents in apartments. Taylor R released a video today where she talks about this (concentrating on preventative measures taken form this point) - in summary it seems that memories of the SARS outbreak meant that people used masks. made liberal use of temperature sensor testing to screen for victims and isolate them - and were super-fastidious about hygiene.
posted by rongorongo at 7:25 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yes, there is a family of 5 in Frisco TX where the parents and 1 child caught it, the other children were not isolated from their parents, they all were self-quarantined in their home (none severe enough to require a hospital stay) and the last time they tested the other kids, none had caught it. The kids are all school aged, there is no way they are even slightly isolating from their parents in any real sense.


Of course, they still could catch it since it is an active case.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:33 AM on March 16, 2020

Just chiming in to note that not developing symptoms is not the same as not contracting the virus. Unless you have access to testing, there's no way to guarantee that feeling well means you are not yourself a carrier. If you are cohabitating with someone who is a suspected or probable case, you should consider yourself in the same boat for practical purposes and isolate yourselves for two weeks.

I suspect in due time, especially when we can retroactively test for circulating antibodies against COVID-19, we'll find a greater than zero proportion of asymptomatic people who were, indeed, carrying and shedding virus. We still have much to learn.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:58 AM on March 16, 2020 [4 favorites]

The latest numbers I've seen on viral shedding is T-2 to T+34. ie 2 days before you show symptoms to 34 days after recovery...but research is ongoing about all this stuff...keep informed. On the safe side, I would say to stay seperate for at least 6 weeks-2 months.
posted by sexyrobot at 11:31 AM on March 16, 2020