azstate11 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 I am in didactic year, living with my girlfriend who is an ICU nurse. My program has been moved to online so I don’t necessarily have to be in one location for school. Wondering what the risks of staying here in this small apartment with her are compared to moving home with my parents temporarily. Would like to be able to support her through this difficult time but she is concerned that she will get me sick. For those who are on the front lines of the outbreak, how do you protect your family and loved ones when you get home from work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coloradopa Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 I'll repeat what our ID folks said. You are at higher risk getting COVID in the community than you are in the hospital. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas5814 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Given we really don't know who does and doesn't have COVID nobody can quantify the chances of her or you getting sick. This is just random speculation but here goes.... I am guessing you are young or youngish so, barring comorbidities, even if you get sick your risks are fairly low. She works in an ICU. I would imagine her patients are very closely monitored and frequently tested and the work areas cleaned often. She probably has a greater risk of unknown exposure in the cafeteria that in the ICU. My wife and I are both in healthcare. We do what we are supposed to do at work. When we get home we give each other a hug and a kiss and sit next to each other and discuss our day. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MediMike Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Exactly what SAS said. If your girlfriend is a responsible caregiver who utilizes appropriate PPE and practices good hygiene I'm willing to bet you're fine. By the time they make it to the unit they're normally either ruled in or in the process of ruling out. If she worked in the ED with undifferentiated patients it may be a little different, exposure risk is a touch different. Regardless, nothing is going to disrupt my life that much. I'm in the ICU, wife is in the ED. It is what it is. Do some reading on the virus, vector transmission, signs/symptoms to look out for etc. Should help you understand the disease and prep you for NEXT season which will hopefully be during your clinical year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dphy83 Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Same as the post above, but reversed (I'm in the ED, girlfriend in the ICU where they have confirmed Covid pts). We both do our best to follow PPE protocols at work to minimize risk but nothing brings that risk to zero. At the end of the day we each support the other. I'm sure she would love for you to be there for her, but it's understandable to want to mitigate risk of exposure. But hand hygiene would be big. Heck, so would body hygiene so maybe recommend she shower right when she gets home. Work shoes off outside and her work scrubs off ASAP before walking all through the house. Disinfect surfaces often. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgriffiths Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 7 hours ago, dphy83 said: her work scrubs off ASAP before walking all through the house. what are you suggesting here? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dphy83 Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 10 hours ago, mgriffiths said: what are you suggesting here? The specifics of that are up to the OP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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