How to help dd not get covid again from her office mates

[saraha]

In January, my dd brought covid home to our family from the  office she works in. There are three people in the office, desks spread out but she was the only one wearing a mask. As new variants kick up, how can she protect herself from her co workers, who refuse to vaccinate or take any precautions that are not mandated? Is there an air purifier she could buy to put in the office? Our precautions of vitamins, mask etc did not help last time, and as summer winds down and they are all inside together again, I want to keep more covid out.

Thanks!

Edited July 31, 2021 by saraha

[mommyoffive]

Is work from home an option?

Is your dd vaccinated? 

Great mask, face shield.  Maybe double masking

air purifier

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just asking for clarification- is she vaccinated?  Does she also have some immunity from having gotten Covid?  (Don’t know if that provides even more immunity if you have both…). 

[ktgrok]

Can she arrange for a fan to blow air away from her, toward them? 

[catz]

I'd definitely buy an air purifier to set right now her desk or at her feet!  I'd encourage her to keep her distance and wear a mask if she is ok with it.  Hopefully between them all having it and her been vaccinated, chances are lower they'll pass it around again?  

[Ausmumof3]

Is opening windows a possibility?

[saraha]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Is work from home an option?

They have all been taking turns working from home periodically over the summer, but it will be less of an option after August

3 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Just asking for clarification- is she vaccinated?  Does she also have some immunity from having gotten Covid?  (Don’t know if that provides even more immunity if you have both…). 

She is mulling this over while having immunity from actually having had covid

3 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Can she arrange for a fan to blow air away from her, toward them? 

This is a possibility. They will also be seeing clients in the office again after August

2 hours ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I'd definitely buy an air purifier to set right now her desk or at her feet! 

Have any recommendations?

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Is opening windows a possibility?

No, the windows don't open

Edited July 31, 2021 by saraha

[mommyoffive]

I hope she decides to get vaccinated.  They were saying that even if you had it you should still get the shot

CDC & WHO: People Who’ve Had COVID Should Still Get The Vaccine (yahoo.com)

[KungFuPanda]

How lucrative is this job?  Since she's living at home could she afford to look for another position?  She should definitely get vaccinated even though she's had covid.  Delta is easier to get and I know she doesn't want to go through all of that again.

[Harriet Vane]

Honestly, the very best thing she can do is get vaccinated.

After that, the most effective is ventilation with masking. A fan with an open window is ideal. If none of them are vaccinated, then the only way I see to be sorta safe (outside of quitting her job) is with an N95 and a face shield with ventilation. 

[EKS]

1 hour ago, saraha said:

She is mulling this over while having immunity from actually having had covid

If she gets vaccinated after having covid, she's probably good to go.  Seriously.  Why would she even consider putting her family at risk by not getting vaccinated?

[Lucy the Valiant]

Are people who have already had covid contracting delta variant? (Have not heard that locally and have not had time to research globally.)

(Anecdotally,  we have family members with neutralizing antibodies 12+ months after natural infection - I offer that as an encouragement.)

 

[Amethyst]

Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA, PlasmaWave and Odor Reducing Carbon Filter,Gray
 

Sorry I can’t make a link, but copy and paste this on Amazon. We’ve been very happy with it. 
 

One of my sons had (asymptomatic) covid back in October. He was exposed to a very sick co-worker and tested positive twice. When the vaccine became available, he gladly got the vaccine even though he probably had antibodies. I strongly encourage your daughter to get vaccinated. 

[saraha]

2 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

How lucrative is this job?  Since she's living at home could she afford to look for another position?  She should definitely get vaccinated even though she's had covid.  Delta is easier to get and I know she doesn't want to go through all of that again.

She is working in my dh’s cousin’s law office. He has been a true mentor to her and has been shepherding her through school. He has been a wonderful influence on her and has been able to see past some of her issues to develop in her a trust in herself. He gave her her first real job with real responsibilities, so there is no way she would leave this job. He is helping her craft a future we never envisioned. So her loyalty is at the utmost.

[prairiewindmomma]

My friends who are careful (vaccinated, masked, socially distancing) just got covid and were sick for 5-7 days. It wasn’t super severe, just like a bad cold (fever, coughing, etc).

If I were your dd, I would wear a good mask (N95) and run a HEPA filter.

[KSera]

3 hours ago, saraha said:

She is mulling this over while having immunity from actually having had covid

The data looks really good for immunity from infection plus one dose of mRNA vaccine. I don’t know how Delta changes the equation, but if she could get one shot, that would be really helpful. 

for air filter, I would make a Corsi cube if I were her. It cleans the air as well as a much more expensive air filter. https://encycla.com/Corsi-Rosenthal_Cube
 

n95 masks are also currently not difficult to find. For what it’s worth, I find the flat fold, boat style ones seem to fit a wide variety of faces best.

[prairiewindmomma]

7 minutes ago, KSera said:

The data looks really good for immunity from infection plus one dose of mRNA vaccine. I don’t know how Delta changes the equation, but if she could get one shot, that would be really helpful. 

for air filter, I would make a Corsi cube if I were her. It cleans the air as well as a much more expensive air filter. https://encycla.com/Corsi-Rosenthal_Cube
 

n95 masks are also currently not difficult to find. For what it’s worth, I find the flat fold, boat style ones seem to fit a wide variety of faces best.

It’s only anecdotal, but I mentioned on the other thread that I know six families this week who have come down with covid while fully vaccinated. At least two of those previously had covid (this past spring), and were/are symptomatic. They haven’t been as sick this go around (ie one family was hospitalized round one) but they are comparing it to a bad round of influenza.

It’s good-ish news….but they weren’t protected like they thought they were. 
 

I didn’t share those details here before because I don’t Know the exact dates of vaccination, which vaccine used, etc. like I do of the above family I mentioned.

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Are people who have already had covid contracting delta variant? (Have not heard that locally and have not had time to research globally.)

(Anecdotally,  we have family members with neutralizing antibodies 12+ months after natural infection - I offer that as an encouragement.)

 

This is a good question I'd like to hear the answer to. I've heard the vaccinated are getting sick. But nothing about people who were previously ill.

 

[Harriet Vane]

1 minute ago, vonfirmath said:

This is a good question I'd like to hear the answer to. I've heard the vaccinated are getting sick. But nothing about people who were previously ill.

 

There are people who have gotten covid more than one time. Therefore it is entirely possible for people who were previously ill to also contract the Delta variant.

[Lucy the Valiant]

43 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

There are people who have gotten covid more than one time. Therefore it is entirely possible for people who were previously ill to also contract the Delta variant.

But this is extremely rare, right? (Is it rarer than a post-fully-vaccinated infection?)

Are people with active neutralizing antibodies from prior non-delta infections now contracting delta variant? (Is that even being tracked?)

(Jus musing out loud as a way to offer hope to OP.)

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Lucy the Valiant

[Frances]

1 hour ago, vonfirmath said:

This is a good question I'd like to hear the answer to. I've heard the vaccinated are getting sick. But nothing about people who were previously ill.

 

See the post above yours. Since people have been getting covid more than once all along, I don’t see any reason to believe Delta would be any different. If anything it seems more likely given how contagious it is. My brother and his family had covid before vaccines were available and although his political and religious beliefs are much more aligned with the covid is no big deal/don’t vaccinate group, he thankfully followed his doctor’s advice and got vaccinated after being sick.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Frances

[RootAnn]

In addition to a mask, I'd wear glasses or a face shield. (Goggles would be best but I understand how weird that would be.)

[SoCal_Bear]

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

In addition to a mask, I'd wear glasses or a face shield. (Goggles would be best but I understand how weird that would be.)

This. Glasses! I would wear fake glasses. Or get those blue light ones for computer work. I always wear sunglasses in stores. I know I look weird, but it stops anything from getting in my eyes.

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by calbear

[KSera]

54 minutes ago, calbear said:

This. Glasses! I would wear fake glasses. Or get those blue light ones for computer work. I always wear sunglasses in stores. I know I look weird, but it stops anything from getting in my eyes.

 

Early in the pandemic, I bought some blue light blocking glasses from Amazon to wear when I had to go to the store. They look like regular eye glasses, but no vision adjustment. Figured I could use them for computer work too, if I wanted. 

[vonfirmath]

Are regular glasses enough or do we need lab safety type glasses -- sealed to the skin on both sides?

[RootAnn]

So, @vonfirmath, I look at it like cloth masks vs N95s (not a perfect analogy). My regular glasses are like a cloth mask - better than no mask, definitely does some good. Safety glasses or wrap around glasses are like a surgical mask - even better! Goggles would be like a well-fitted N95 (and its ilk).

So, I wear glasses indoors at the store where I'd wear my cloth mask. But with Delta more transmittable? Assess your level of protection needs. Something covering your eyes is better than nothing.

[whitestavern]

9 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

My friends who are careful (vaccinated, masked, socially distancing) just got covid and were sick for 5-7 days. It wasn’t super severe, just like a bad cold (fever, coughing, etc).

If I were your dd, I would wear a good mask (N95) and run a HEPA filter.

Do they have any idea where/how they got it? I can't believe with those precautions it managed to break through. Were all their family members tested? Wondering if there was an asymptomatic case. Feel free not to answer, I'm just super curious, plus it will help me assess level of risk for my mom (who's vaxxed but I don't think being super precautious). 

[ktgrok]

10 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Are people who have already had covid contracting delta variant? (Have not heard that locally and have not had time to research globally.)

(Anecdotally,  we have family members with neutralizing antibodies 12+ months after natural infection - I offer that as an encouragement.)

 

Yes, we have a boardie who had it twice, but others who have known people to catch it again. 

11 minutes ago, whitestavern said:

Do they have any idea where/how they got it? I can't believe with those precautions it managed to break through. Were all their family members tested? Wondering if there was an asymptomatic case. Feel free not to answer, I'm just super curious, plus it will help me assess level of risk for my mom (who's vaxxed but I don't think being super precautious). 

Well, if they were masking but no one around them was, they likely were able to catch it that way. 

[Farrar]

It's very strange to me that she would not just get vaccinated if she's actually worried. Or if she's not. It doesn't really matter. Everyone who doesn't have a medical reason or is a child should just do it. I mean, yeah, get a face shield and consider an air purifier for the space, but get her vaccinated. 

Not getting vaccinated is like... when you're worried about getting wet in a torrential rainstorm refusing to put on a great raincoat and instead debating whether putting plastic bags on your shoes and buying a slightly different tiny umbrella will help.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Farrar

[mommyoffive]

3 minutes ago, Farrar said:

It's very strange to me that she would not just get vaccinated if she's actually worried. Or if she's not. It doesn't really matter. Everyone who doesn't have a medical reason or is a child should just do it. I mean, yeah, get a face shield and consider an air purifier for the space, but get her vaccinated. 

Not getting vaccinated is like... when you're worried about getting wet in a torrential rainstorm refusing to put on a great raincoat and instead debating whether putting plastic bags on your shoes and buying a slightly different tiny umbrella will help.

Love the analogy.  Totally agree.  Getting vaccinated is the easiest thing to do and everyone without a medical reason should do it.

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, whitestavern said:

Do they have any idea where/how they got it? I can't believe with those precautions it managed to break through. Were all their family members tested? Wondering if there was an asymptomatic case. Feel free not to answer, I'm just super curious, plus it will help me assess level of risk for my mom (who's vaxxed but I don't think being super precautious). 

All five family members were tested, and all five had positive covid tests. 
 

They were in cloth and not N95 masks. They were in spaces with unmasked persons in a high transmission state (Utah).

[MEmama]

28 minutes ago, Farrar said:

It's very strange to me that she would not just get vaccinated if she's actually worried. Or if she's not. It doesn't really matter. Everyone who doesn't have a medical reason or is a child should just do it. I mean, yeah, get a face shield and consider an air purifier for the space, but get her vaccinated. 

Not getting vaccinated is like... when you're worried about getting wet in a torrential rainstorm refusing to put on a great raincoat and instead debating whether putting plastic bags on your shoes and buying a slightly different tiny umbrella will help.

Exactly. There’s simply no debate. She needs to get vaccinated, wear a good mask and keep her distance. An air purifier would be awesome if she can get one large enough for the office space.

I'm sorry that she works in such an unsupportive workspace and her boss is unwilling to take his employees' health into consideration. I had a similarly unsupportive boss and made the mistake of attempting to be loyal to him instead of to my own health and well being. It took a bout of COVID as a result for me to take control of the situation and put myself first. I hope for her sake she sees it for what it is. 

[sassenach]

9 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

Are regular glasses enough or do we need lab safety type glasses -- sealed to the skin on both sides?

Stoggles are a good compromise. They look like regular glasses but they cover the sides, too. They don't make a seal but I really do think they're good enough. They're pretty popular with healthcare workers. The only thing is that they mess up your peripheral vision, which I find annoying. 

[ktgrok]

7 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

All five family members were tested, and all five had positive covid tests. 
 

They were in cloth and not N95 masks. They were in spaces with unmasked persons in a high transmission state (Utah).

And this is why "masks optional" is not a safe strategy for schools, sunday school, etc!!! Masks like protect OTHERS mostly. I'm so sorry this happened to them. 

We are now wearing KF94 masks, which fit all of us well except DH whose head is too big. He can wear them, but not if he's going to be speaking much. We have happy masks too, but they are getting old, and the fit isn't as good at the bottom as with the KF94 ones. 

I'm looking to order him an XL happy mask, or find a KF94 or N95 that fits him. Or he's going places in a full on respirator. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by ktgrok

[mathnerd]

I go into an office with many people, a few times a week. As soon as I knew that I would be around people, I vaccinated.

YMMV as I am the type of person who doesn't care if the people around me think that I am weird or different. I make my own judgements and decisions no matter what. So, peer pressure or judgement rolls off my back like water off a duck's back. Many might think that I am overreacting, but this is what I do: I strictly keep my distance, I fully cover myself when I dress including wearing full sleeve shirts in the summer, I wear prescription glasses and I would get safety goggles if I didn't wear my regular glasses, I take my laptop over to the farthest seat from everyone else and work from there. I stand about 8 ft away when I talk to people. I request that my boss talk to me in the open patio when we have meetings and he actually likes the change of scene. I use a hand sanitizer as soon as I use a dry erase marker or anything that is shared, I do not use the restrooms (I leave for home if I have to and I have that flexibility), I never eat in the premises (I sit in my car and eat or avoid eating altogether), I wear double masks one of which is Merv13 rated. My coworkers go out together every day to eat lunch at outdoor dining spaces and I refuse their lunch invitations, I don't go to the break rooms and don't eat snacks or drinks inside and I leave the campus to work from home after I have finished what I need to do. I throw all my clothes into the washer when I reach home, leave my shoes in the garage and I take a shower. I always take a vitamin D3 and zinc supplement, so nothing extra on that front.

My HR offered to provide me a high quality air filter but I refused as I think that I already follow enough precautions.

Vaccination is the first line of defense. Masking, distancing, reducing time around others is the second line of defense.