Anonymous wrote:Same thing happened in my household this year. MIL came to stay with us even though she had a nasty cold with a hacking cough. Failed to warn us before her several hour drive. She then insisted on helping to cook all while coughing, blowing her nose, and licking her fingers. She also refused to take any cold medicine to lessen the cough. Sure enough 72 hours after she arrived I’ve got nasty cold and am miserable. I’m so pissed.

Why didn't you or the husband or even any kids say anything to it? Isolate the MIL, stick an n95 on her face, feed the meal on a plate in another room-send her home. Sites state you can be covid contagious for 48 hours pre symptoms so anyone could be at a holiday gathering. I'm currently covid + and fortunately have felt more sick continuously when I had bad colds, any flu, etc. But others + in the household were far worse.

Can you have covid and cold or flu simultaneously? With each of the 3 you can be walking, talking, etc but really not be capable of a multi hour drive or be a hazard for 30 minutes on the beltway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why we didn't go to any thanksgiving gatherings this year, too many people feeling too pressured to go places even if they might be sick.

Feeling too pressured?

Wow... I mean, I'm an introvert, too, so I probably get where you're coming from. But you can only use Covid as an excuse for so long.

Np. I stayed home, too, because I don't want to get sick with anything. I have a surgery coming up which has been postponed enough already. My in laws kept pressuring me to come, telling me everyone was healthy. My nephew, who attended the dinner, told me later that the hosts all had "colds" and were coughing and sneezing. Another family member showed up with bronchitis. No thanks! Staying home is the right call because people are selfish a holes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never leave the house with my kids if we stayed home for every come.

Yup. Families with kids get this. If we stayed home every Thanksgiving or Christmas that one of us had a cold, we would simply never spend another holiday with anyone else. I actually like doing holidays just us at home and only travel for the grandparents, who I’m guessing would not be okay with our forever quarantine.

We’re a “family with kids” who also have manners. We would not attend a family Thanksgiving knowingly making others sick.

+1 c'mon people you know the right thing to do. Sit one out when you're ill so we can all make it through the winter with less illness

No, I will not stay home for a cold and neither will most people.

You want a prize for being selfish?

Not as much as you'd like to win a prize for being self-righteous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never leave the house with my kids if we stayed home for every come.

Yup. Families with kids get this. If we stayed home every Thanksgiving or Christmas that one of us had a cold, we would simply never spend another holiday with anyone else. I actually like doing holidays just us at home and only travel for the grandparents, who I’m guessing would not be okay with our forever quarantine.

We’re a “family with kids” who also have manners. We would not attend a family Thanksgiving knowingly making others sick.

+1 c'mon people you know the right thing to do. Sit one out when you're ill so we can all make it through the winter with less illness

No, I will not stay home for a cold and neither will most people.

You want a prize for being selfish?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never leave the house with my kids if we stayed home for every come.

Yup. Families with kids get this. If we stayed home every Thanksgiving or Christmas that one of us had a cold, we would simply never spend another holiday with anyone else. I actually like doing holidays just us at home and only travel for the grandparents, who I’m guessing would not be okay with our forever quarantine.

We’re a “family with kids” who also have manners. We would not attend a family Thanksgiving knowingly making others sick.

+1 c'mon people you know the right thing to do. Sit one out when you're ill so we can all make it through the winter with less illness

No, I will not stay home for a cold and neither will most people.

Anonymous wrote:This is why we didn't go to any thanksgiving gatherings this year, too many people feeling too pressured to go places even if they might be sick.

Feeling too pressured?

Wow... I mean, I'm an introvert, too, so I probably get where you're coming from. But you can only use Covid as an excuse for so long.

This is why we didn't go to any thanksgiving gatherings this year, too many people feeling too pressured to go places even if they might be sick.

People are not staying home for colds now.

I had a gathering recently and friend stayed home with daughter who had a fever the night before. Another friend’s husband was actively sick and stayed home.

I would not want to get my elderly parents sick but I wouldn’t care if I got sick going to thanksgiving at their house.

Your kids could have gotten sick anywhere. Several kids in their class will have colds.

Wow, I hope my relatives are a bit more compassionate that some in this thread! Often someone is sick during most family events during the holidays. If they have mild symptoms, I would not expect them to pause. Of course if someone has a fever, strep, or flu symptoms they are generally isolating. Family get-togethers need to happen and why sit on the sidelines for a cold?

We sat out Thanksgiving this year because one of the kids fell ill on Wednesday and slept the entire day! He felt fine on Thursday, but clearing something more significant was brewing and we didn't want to expose our 90 y/o MIL or pregnant cousin. If someone just had a case of the sniffles, we would have probably tested since it was going to be a big gathering, but otherwise I don't think we would have hesitated. We all have to figure out how to move on, even with Covid, RSV, and Flu still out there! These issues generally aren't black and white, but assume that people are trying their best!

Anonymous wrote:People who show up to things sick are selfish a-holes.

+1000

People already missed out on several family holidays because of Covid. So now a kid can never celebrate with their family because someone always has a cold in November and December. Thanksgiving is once a year- everyone keeps saying going with a cold is selfish but people gave up precious time with family members during the pandemic. Can’t we just enjoy some holidays in this region anymore?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you go to a gathering, assume you take the risk of being exposed to germs. Life is not risk free. You don’t have the right to not catch a cold.

Hey, rude people: When you have a contagious illness, skip the party and stay home.

Hey, hypochondriacs: it’s probably best for you to isolate at home all winter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never leave the house with my kids if we stayed home for every come.

Yup. Families with kids get this. If we stayed home every Thanksgiving or Christmas that one of us had a cold, we would simply never spend another holiday with anyone else. I actually like doing holidays just us at home and only travel for the grandparents, who I’m guessing would not be okay with our forever quarantine.

We’re a “family with kids” who also have manners. We would not attend a family Thanksgiving knowingly making others sick.

+1 c'mon people you know the right thing to do. Sit one out when you're ill so we can all make it through the winter with less illness

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never leave the house with my kids if we stayed home for every come.

Yup. Families with kids get this. If we stayed home every Thanksgiving or Christmas that one of us had a cold, we would simply never spend another holiday with anyone else. I actually like doing holidays just us at home and only travel for the grandparents, who I’m guessing would not be okay with our forever quarantine.

We’re a “family with kids” who also have manners. We would not attend a family Thanksgiving knowingly making others sick.

Anonymous wrote:OP Our older kids were home along w/SO and my 6 and 2 yo nieces. On the gorgeous day yesterday a group of 5 including my 14yo drove together down to ice skate in Georgetown, we had dinner and stayed up late playing games and visiting. Close quarters all day. At very end of day 14yo asked for tea, woke up asking for COVID test and advil. Tested positive for flu instead (luckily ped open today. Tamiflu prescription and refills on arbuteral. Your relative may have infected you - or anyone else at the dinner without any notable symptoms. Our responsible choices are to - sure test for COVID as your relative did and as then weigh whether they’re likely well enough to visit and likely not actively ill. Choosing to attend these social events is a risk everyone takes. My kid was the picture of health and vitality yesterday. Guess we’ll know in 2-3 days if anyone else gets the flu but there was no apparent reason to expect they were a vector of germs.

This is completely irrelevant to the OP, as the relative chose to go to an indoor family gathering KNOWING they were sick and symptomatic.