ProudGrandma Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 my husband got the stomach flu at midnight Saturday night...but was having minor symptoms since Thursday. tomorrow my kids all have dentist appointments, my daughter has organ lessons and the kids have art lessons at another person's home. If nobody else gets sick by tomorrow morning, are we "safe" enough to go on with our plans? we are staying close to home today...we canceled a couple things already... What is your timeline?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 The incubation period for stomach flu is usually around 48 hours, although that can vary a lot. For example, my kids typically start getting sick on Tuesday mornings, thanks to exposure from church. ;). My experience has been when one child starts symptoms I give it a full 48 hours AFTER their last symptom before I breathe any sort of sigh of relief. There's usually that one day "eye of the storm" window where the first sick child is no longer puking but the rest have caught it but aren't symptomatic for another 24 or so hours. :( Depending how sick your hubby was on Sunday and was surfaces he may have infected it is possible (not saying likely, just that it's a possibility) that your kids could come down sick any time tomorrow. I read somewhere that surfaces can harbor the virus for up to three weeks and if a family has had a stomach virus that having people over for 3 weeks after can infect those people, even if the family themselves have been symptom free. I don't know how accurate that is but for *me* I personally won't invite anyone over for at least 2 weeks after, just in case. And I'm a big fan of bleach. Haha. To answer your question, when it comes to stomach viruses, I never feel safe. Lol. They're the worst and they're so darn contagious. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I should add I'm not saying your kids should not go out. I believe stomach viruses are one of the few diseases that are contagious AFTER symptoms appear, and not before. But if you are concerned about them becoming symptomatic while outside of the house, I personally would not rule tomorrow as "safe". I guess it depends on how much you would potentially enjoy cleaning out the inside of your car. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 In our house, one person comes down with a bug. A full seven days later, the rest of the family falls in 12-24 hour increments. This pattern has held for the last three stomach viruses - one in November and two in March. TMI - When I came home from the hospital after having shigella last year, I bleached the bathroom, showered, and changed clothes after every single BM for three weeks, even though I was the only one using that toilet. I also did not prepare food for three weeks. Only the baby had mild symptoms while I was also ill, no one else got it. We don't get that strict for 6-12 hour bugs, but I had the health department checking up on me that time. And it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I wouldn't stay home unless the home had immunocompromized people. I follow 24 hr rule for the sick ones. DH could've had food poisoning. The adults have picked up bugs from the kids, but we have never had the reverse happen. I guess adults generally have better aim and are more self-sufficient. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I would wash hands and go if no one has symptoms or looks puny. I agree the 24 hour free rule is good for someone who was sick. But...I would warn anyone with a sensitive or compromised immune system to be extra cautious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'd just go on with my life until someone gets sick. You could get sick tomorrow and it could be completely unrelated. Then again you could go a year without getting sick at all. It's just hard to know so I don't live like I'm sick before I'm actually sick. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 The gov exclusion policy for schools and childcare is 24 hours from the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. It's not perfect as we've followed these guidelines then had a relapse but I figure if it's good enough for childcare centres it's good for most scenarios short of hospital visits or time with someone immune compromised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 3-4 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Our co-op says 48 hrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'd just go on with my life until someone gets sick. You could get sick tomorrow and it could be completely unrelated. Then again you could go a year without getting sick at all. It's just hard to know so I don't live like I'm sick before I'm actually sick. This. I wouldn't have cancelled anything or stayed home from anything. Until I'm sick, I carry on as I'm perfectly healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I once got it four days after exposure. Probiotics can stop you from getting it. I think the study was technically done on Kefir. Since we started drinking A LOT of Kefir after every known exposure we've gotten it much less. And by a lot I mean a large bottle per adult drank as fast as we can stomach it (it usually takes a few hours). eta: obviously proportionate amounts for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 This. I wouldn't have cancelled anything or stayed home from anything. Until I'm sick, I carry on as I'm perfectly healthy. Unless I'm looking for an excuse to miss something. And I admit that I do that sometimes. I call that a mental health break. LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We carry on unless someone doesn't feel well. We have often had only one person come down with the stomach flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Unless someone starts feeling bad, I would carry on with activities. I wouldn't have anyone over to your house for several more days, but no reason to keep non-sick people from going about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Op, I wanted to add..."I hope no one else gets it." Stomach things can be caused by so many different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I had a horrid stomach bug on Friday morning a few weeks ago. No one else got it. My kids went to school as usual on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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