Would it be rude to ask for a covid test?

[Anonymous]

My FIL is a widower in his 80s. He does not go out very often but is a firm anti-vaxxer. He has three young adult grandchildren living in his home who are also decidedly unvaxed. He is a homebody, they are not, and thus we have not visited their home since the pandemic started.

He has let us know that he will likely be alone on Christmas as the grandkids will be going on a cruise. I would like to invite him to have Christmas dinner and spend the holidays with us. Ordinarily, I would be okay with just wearing masks and social distancing for a short visit, but if he will be present during meals and for a longer duration, it would be nice if we could all go maskless.

Would it be out of line to ask him to get a covid test after the grandkids have Departed but before he comes to stay with us? He has never had a covid test before. I don't want to draw a hard line in the sand if he refuses, but my DH and I will be almost at the 6-month post-vax mark over the holidays and I really do not want to take a chance of getting sick.

[Anonymous]

Not at all. I would.

[Anonymous]

I think its fine to ask but you may need to take him yourself.

Are you sure these unvaccinated grandkids are really going on a cruise? I thought you had to be vaccinated to go on most cruises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its fine to ask but you may need to take him yourself.

Are you sure these unvaccinated grandkids are really going on a cruise? I thought you had to be vaccinated to go on most cruises.

+1

Cruise ships are requesting negative tests and some might be fully vaccinated cruises. I think it’s OK to ask him to test before he comes over but if you say he’s a homebody he probably doesn’t even have any exposures.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the reminder about cruises requiring cases. I am now rethinking the holidays if the kids don't go, because I really do not want all 4 of them gathering with us, because I am not sure the kids would actually take a covid test or just say they had. 😕

[Anonymous]

This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

[Anonymous]

It’s totally fine to ask. You can have a saliva PCR mailed to his home and all he has to do is put it in the mailbox and wait on results. Vault is one company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

Read the thread, Sarah Palin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

Read the thread, Sarah Palin.

I did. Obviously you did not.
OP ulitmately (at 9:42) decided that she was "rethinking the holidays" just in case the other grandkids don't go on the cruise and decide to accompany grandpa to OP's house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

Read the thread, Sarah Palin.

I did. Obviously you did not.
OP ulitmately (at 9:42) decided that she was "rethinking the holidays" just in case the other grandkids don't go on the cruise and decide to accompany grandpa to OP's house.

But if grandkids don't go away, FIL won't be alone.

The anti vax crowd likes to say that everyone has freedom to make their own choices. But then they have to live with the consequences of those choices. There's still time to get vaccinated now before the holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

Read the thread, Sarah Palin.

+100000000000000000

[Anonymous]

You can ask, but it's not really needed in the situation you describe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. You and your husband are fine to have his elderly parent alone on Christmas?

He is choosing to remain unvaxxed.

I would tell him that if he gets vaxxed and is willing to do a covid test, you would love to have him for Christmas. Otherwise, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can ask, but it's not really needed in the situation you describe.

Are you kidding me?? He’s unvaxxed and lives with three unvaxxed young adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can ask, but it's not really needed in the situation you describe.

Are you kidding me?? He’s unvaxxed and lives with three unvaxxed young adults.

Yes, he also has very limited contact with the outside world. Is he wearing a mask when he goes out?

It's very unlikely he has COVID and will give it to OP and her husband, no more so than when they are wandering about DC doing whatever it is they do.