Advice please

Not sure where “out there” I can ask a covid question.

My daughter’s boyfriend’s stepdad has covid and is in hospital. This afternoon he received a call from family to say he is not expected to live more than a few hours. his wife has also had it but has (apparently) now been given the all clear. She wanted a lift to the hospital and asked him to take her. He has learning difficulties and asthma but felt pressurised into taking his Mum as 2 other family members said they couldn’t. He says he is not going in the hospital but will wait for them in the car and bring them home.

Along with the mother is his brothers girlfriend who (apparently) tested negative when her partner also tested positive but I am worried in case she now has it. he is in our bubble but should I stop him from coming round here in case he picked something up from one of them? Also should I tell him to get a covid test asap?

They are a very weird family and you never get a complete picture of what’s going on. Nothing is ever straightforward in their family I tell you!

Hi Penny,

His family sound very irresponsible asking him but his Mum must beside herself and not capable of thinking straight just now.

It’s so many what ifs - it would certainly be safer not having him around for 10 days. He could take a test which would say whether or not he was in the clear on that particular day.

I know you help him out.

Does he have his own place?

Melly1

Thank you Melly. yes I do help him out. He really needs loads of support so I have sorted out all his debts and he doesn’t owe any money now. I do all his UC for him and any other paperwork. He can barely read to be honest and as so much is done online nowadays I have to help him. yes he does live alone.

This morning he found out his mother HAS now tested positive. So he took her plus the crazy girlfriend of his brother to the hospital yesterday. He told his work this morning and they said to stay at home. He has also been for a covid test at lunchtime but I think it’s too early to show anything. I told him to ask them whether he should go back again in a week.

I have told him he can’t come over here until he gets the all clear. Just too risky.

Sorry to hear he has tested positive, not surprising since his mum has too. He now has to self isolate for 10 days (or longer if he develops symptoms.) Will his work continue to pay him?

Melly1

No, he hasn’t tested positive Melly. he was tested today but should get result in the next couple of days by text.

Oh sorry Penny for misunderstanding, (S only had 4 hours sleep last night…)

Let us know what his test result is.

Melly1

Well, after 5 days he hadn’t heard anything so I told him to ring 119 and they said he tested negative. The people at the test centre told him he should self isolate until he got his results so he stayed off work for 5 days. We then read that you should self isolate for 10 days in total so he took 3 days off the next week. His work were OK with this.

We then heard about the Test and Trace Support Scheme so we tried to apply for him as he only got statutory sick pay which isn’t much. I have spent hours on the phone trying to sort this out and get conflicting advice. i can’t get anywhere because he doesn’t have a special code number which they say would have been sent to him by text. All we have is the barcode from his test. One chap on 119 tells me you should only self isolate if you test positive. One girl finally gave me a Case No which I am supposed to use if I ring again so I don’t have to repeat everything. She said she would raise this issue with her superiors and did understand how difficult it was for people with special needs.

What concerns me is that he must be one of thousands with learning difficulties who just cannot understand texts they get from the NHS. Any idea what I can fo next?

Penny, how worrying that those at the test centre etc don’t seem to grasp the rules. Not good they didn’t let him know the results.
I hope you can sort out the extra payment for him now you have the info required.

He is lucky to have you supporting him.

I would contact Mencap about his experiences.

Melly1