A mum has told of her dilemma after her husband vowed to take their son to an event they have waited six months for - even though he has tested positive for Covid.
The woman says all three of her family had tested positive a few days apart and while her husband is now out of isolation after returning two negative lateral flow tests, she and her son are still showing as positive and each have at least another day of isolation to go.
The mum says both she and her son have had no symptoms throughout and even although the LFT is still showing positive, her husband says he will be taking him to an outdoor even this week that the boy has waited to go to for six months.
Posting on Mumsnet the woman said she was torn about what was the right thing to do.
She said: "I’m in such a quandary. Me, DH and DS (aged 7) tested positive last week.
"DH was ill for a few days but was back at work on Day 7 after two negative LFTs. I’m on Day 7 and my line is now starting to fade. I’ve been asymptomatic throughout. DS is on Day 6, he has also been completely asymptomatic but his LFT is still positive.
"My quandary is this… DS and DH have got tickets to go to an event tomorrow that DS been looking forward to for about 6 months and this morning (after his latest LFT) we had to break the news to him that he wouldn’t be able to go and he was absolutely devastated. He started crying and it broke my heart."
The upset mum said her little boy vowed to starve himself all day at the event so he "wouldn't have to open his mouth" so he had a better chance of going.
She added: "He asked me if he could still go if he promised not to eat all day so he didn’t have to open his mouth and I just wanted to cry.
"Everything is a 1,000 times worse because he’s absolutely fine, he’s not ill at all and it seems so unfair on him. This event is something that means a lot to him and his dad and I’m genuinely gutted that the positive LFT means he can’t go.
"However, my problem is that my DH has just phoned me and said that he wants to take our son anyway as the event is outdoors and DH said he doesn’t want to DS to miss out on something that means a lot to him when he’s perfectly well.
"DH said that if we repeat the LFT in the morning and it’s faint then he’s going to take DS on the trip."
The woman says she is finding it hard to "be the bad guy" and stand in her husband's way and asked fellow mums for advice.
She said: "I feel so torn. I know it’s awful because I really do know that if he’s LFT positive he shouldn’t go, but as a mother of a distraught little boy it’s so hard to be the bad guy. Do I need to put a stop to this?
"Or would it be ok to just hand control over to DH and say “I don’t agree with what you’re doing but I physically can’t stop you taking him.”
"I hate Covid. I don’t know what to do or what to say to DH."
The post received hundreds of replies from mums and seemed to divide opinion.
One mum said: "I wouldn’t, it’s sad but can’t be helped. The fact he has tested positive means he is breathing out virus particles. He can’t not breath all day. Book something for later."
Another agreed: "Your son should be isolating. It doesn’t matter if he’s asymptomatic- he can still spread it. It’s utterly sh** for him and I get that’s he’s disappointed but so many people have had to cancel events that they were looking forward to because of Covid. You need to keep him home OP."
Another mum said: "The reason you're in this situation is because someone with covid was out and about and so your family got it. If you allow your son to go you're likely to pass this situation onto someone else. He shouldn't go. It's sh** but it's the way it is."
Another woman said people 'would think less of her' if she let him go. She said: "Do you not think we have all had dilemmas like this? Things our children or family could not do after testing positive? It’s not only a consideration you would be breaking the law - it’s a test of your moral compass.
"Being outside does not make it ok - it just reduces the risk, but a seven year old is less likely to socially distance or be careful with hand washing. Regardless of that mumsent says - there will be friends and family who will know you took out a covid positive child and done won’t care but others will think less of you."
However the majority of people seemed to think the mum should let the child go.
One said: "I'd let him go. They have already said there will be no need for isolation by March. I don't see what difference a month makes."
Another agreed: "Outdoors and not much close contact, I’d let him go. Honestly, there will be a dozen other people there with it who don’t know about it and will be more contagious than he is on day 6."
A third chimed in: "Oh bless him. I'd let him go. My DS was still testing positive on day 11 when isolation had ended so what's the difference?"
"If tomorrow is day 7 I’d let him go. I’d do an LF in the morning and tell him he’s clear even if he wasn’t!" said a fourth.
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