Help...quick... I have covid ?

[dominobrown]

Got a covid test yesterday and its positive.
I am fine, if anything have mild cold symptoms.
Now I am just trying to think of what advise to put out to my liveries.... so far I was thinking I am going to avoid being anywhere near the yard if liveries are there. Wear a mask on the yard, santaetise my hands and disinfect any surfaces. Luckily the DIY livery barn is separate from mine, so will tell them to stick to their own stables. Anything else? I am still wondering about shared areas... like tack and feed rooms. I will disinfect everything I touch but since I am the one with with and I have 7 horses to care for. Only have isolate for 10 days from test according to guidelines. Also need to organise food shopping for me and the horses/ dogs/ cats etc as don't really have anyone to do it for me.
Ideas and suggestions welcome!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would let your liveries know, ask if if any-one could do your shopping and let them know the times when you will need to be on the yard, so that they can avoid those times. Do you provide full livery? If so it will be easier for you to do your jobs while the liveries are not on the yard, if they are DIY, it might not be so easy to organise everything around them but you could talk to them about when they need to be on the yard around their workshifts.

I would wear a facecovering and gloves at all times when you are on the yard, avoid sharing tools, disinfect as much as possible and try not to do too much yourself in order to preserve your energy - you don't want to end up with the long-lasting fatigue that affects some people, so even though your symptoms are mild currently, take it easy.

 

[Trouper]

I am not in your area unfortunately, but if you could say where you are there may be some members on here who could help with external things like food shopping etc??

 

[meleeka]

Well I think isolating means staying indoors really. If you can’t do that can you get someone else to move your feed so you don’t have to go in communal areas? Failing that, fresh gloves every time you set foot outside your door and a proper face covering, not just a cotton one. Have your own tools and equipment where only you have access to it and just try to work it that you are as separate as you can be.

 

[dominobrown]

Tools and equipment not a problem. Going to put out a group message telling liveries and asking them to message before they get to the yard so I can disinfect everything and run inside! 5 horses are my own, 1 full and 1 holiday livery plus DIYs. I haven't got anyone else who can look after the animals so I will need to try and be careful to avoid people and disinfect stuff. Might be easier if i don't ride ? saves going in the tack room.

 

[meleeka]

Tools and equipment not a problem. Going to put out a group message telling liveries and asking them to message before they get to the yard so I can disinfect everything and run inside! 5 horses are my own, 1 full and 1 holiday livery plus DIYs. I haven't got anyone else who can look after the animals so I will need to try and be careful to avoid people and disinfect stuff. Might be easier if i don't ride ? saves going in the tack room.

I think it’s sensible to spend as little time there as possible and I’m sure your liveries will appreciate it. Fingers crossed you stay feeling ok.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Wear a mask on the yard, santaetise my hands and disinfect any surfaces

I’m afraid that this is what you need to be doing anyway - without a positive COVID test.

You really need to take this seriously, and either ensure no one else comes onto the yard at all for 10-14 days, or stay indoors yourself and hire help.

I would suggest that you immediately inform all of your liveries that they may have come into contact with someone who has a positive COVID test. They need to get tested, and to isolate if they are feeling unwell at all.

They should absolutely, under no circumstances be visiting any of their relatives or friends in care homes or hospitals until they are certain they don’t have it too. If they work in those environments, they need to inform their employers. They may well advise not to go into work until they have a negative test, regardless of symptoms.

 

[dominobrown]

1) have informed all liveries... done
2) we have had santisitng and disinfect stations dotted around the yard since March so have done a reminder to liveries to use them.
3) They yard is broken up to sections, but I don't have anyone else to care for my animals so I need to continue to do that regardless.

 

[Welsh Dragon]

Sorry to hear you have tested positive, fingers crossed your symptoms remain mild and you recover quickly.

My understanding is you have to self isolate, which means stay at home and don't fo out. My daughter is half way through a 14 day isolation as she came into contact with a pupil at school that has tested positive. Track and trace have been very clear about it and she has to stay at home and not go out. In total 78 pupils have to self isolate due to 1 confirmed case.

I am surprised that track and trace haven't contacted your liveries to tell them to self isolate as they have been in contact with a confirmed case? ?

 

[dominobrown]

Dam..
Just thought we have a public footpath that runs right through the yard.... what happens there?

 

[ihatework]

Shut footpath off and tell council.

You really should isolate, surely you have an emergency back up plan for if you can’t work?

 

[Ceriann]

You should only go to areas only you use - no shared areas (assuming these mean no contact with other people). You are supposed to be isolating - I appreciate you have horses to care for but the guidance is pretty clear on this. You are supposed to stay at home and isolate if you are positive. If you have to go to the yard and can’t find someone to do the basics for you for the isolation period, you should isolate yourself at the yard.

 

[TheBigPony]

Agree with LadyGascogne entirely here. You need to isolate that means staying in your house, not looking after your horses where you could infect other people. You need to get someone in to look after your horses or ask your DIYs to pull together and look after them for you.

You may have already given your DIYs covid so they need to be careful to.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Here is the official guidance. It doesn’t really cover those who manage a livery yard but you can see how serious self-isolation is meant to be- you can’t even visit your horse if it’s on private land elsewhere, and need to phone your vet to advise on welfare.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronav...th-animals#horses-livestock-and-other-animals

The thing is that self-isolation really does mean stay inside. The ‘you can care for your animals’ exception was around lockdown, for people who did not have symptoms.

Is there no one you could pay to do the horses for 10 days? Or could the DIYs help for a discounted rate for those days?

The advice is really to meet basic needs only in this situation - so water, hay and shelter, and maybe just turn out for 10 days?

 

[southerncomfort]

I'm really sorry but I agree with the others. If you have Covid you should not go out at all. With the best will in the world, however much you follow hygiene rules, you are still putting your liveries at risk, as well as anyone using the public footpath.

Your liveries should also be self isolating now and informing anyone they have been in contact with.

 

[dominobrown]

I can just remind people it's not my fault... I haven't done this on purpose!
The guidance isn't that clear... I am isolating. I am not going anywhere except caring for my animals.

 

[Welsh Dragon]

Dam..
Just thought we have a public footpath that runs right through the yard.... what happens there?

Ring the council immediately, the footpath needs to be closed ASAP. When they called you with the test results did they give you and phone numbers to call for advice? I agree that the guidance is not clear enough.

Don't feel bad, obviously this isn't your fault. But being extra careful for 10 days is better than it spreading. It's not your fault. ?

 

[Melody Grey]

I would separate all feed areas/ tools etc so there’s no risk of contamination- get someone else to do this preferably?

could you ‘ban’ your liveries from the yard between certain hours am and pm to allow you to do your jobs?

ETA- I hope you remain feeling ok, speedy recovery!

 

[Gloi]

You really need to set your emergency plans into action have someone to do your horses and stay indoors in your house. Sorry to be a downer but you cannot guarantee you will not get worse and not be fit to do anything.

 

[canteron]

Just a thought, although you feel fine now, you could feel rotten in a few days, who knows. Do you have a field you can just turn your horses into and just get someone to check hay and water? I would have a contingency plan!

 

[dominobrown]

I can see this thread becoming away to accuse and abuse me online, not pleasant.
I will follow the recommend isolation rules, stay at home and divide the yard into my area and livery area. Luckily there is another car park etc so our paths need never cross.
As I can see this becoming an abusive witch hunt against me I am going to thank you all for the advice and stay off here as you can imagine I have enough to stress about!

 

[scrat]

What would happen to your the animals you care for if you were really unwell? You are fortunate on this occasion to feel ok and able to continue but what if you couldnt? Perhaps now is the time to make a plan. Hope all goes well.

 

[Dexter]

I can just remind people it's not my fault... I haven't done this on purpose!
The guidance isn't that clear... I am isolating. I am not going anywhere except caring for my animals.

I know its not your fault, but you are not isolating. You are out in an area where members of the public come, while you have a disease that has the potential to kill people. You might not be sick, but that doesn't mean your liveries wont be. I am absolutely stunned that you arent taking this more seriously.

 

[ihatework]

Dramatic much!!! No one has been abusive.
Only suggested it would be sensible to have a back up plan for horse cover. If it wasn’t Covid it could be a broken back or an appendix removal blah blah blah.

Anyway I hope you get better soon and you and liveries are ok

 

[ycbm]

DB if you were in hospital with Covid-19 instead of getting a positive test, who would be doing the horses now? Whoever that person is should be doing it while you isolate.

I hope your symptoms stay mild. Keep well.
.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I can just remind people it's not my fault... I haven't done this on purpose!
The guidance isn't that clear... I am isolating. I am not going anywhere except caring for my animals.

Of course it’s not your fault, and no one would think that, but it is your responsibility and how you choose to handle this may have a direct impact on other people’s lives- and deaths.

Horses aren’t likely to die if they are turned out and a DIYer checks on them once a day. If you have one or two that require medical attention (or can’t be turned out due to laminitis etc) then you need to make arrangements for them but it really shouldn’t be you doing the care.

You do need to consider what happens if you get significantly worse. If you have no one else to care for the animals, and you go into hospital, what happens?

 

[TheBigPony]

Nobody is blaming you for anything. I'm sure we all wish you a speedy recovery. However you need to act responsibly and your current plan risks infecting your liveries and spreading the disease further. You are meant to isolate but this isn't what you are doing. You need to get someone to do your horses and stay inside or close the yard to the liveries and do all their horses as well as your own. You will never sanitise everything fully and you are putting other people and their families, colleagues at risk.

 

[shamrock2021]

Get someone to do the yard for you. You need to isolate don’t go to the yard. Don’t go out anywhere it will spred like wildfire other wise .

 

[twiggy2]

I don't see a witch hunt op, of course it is in no way your fault you have contracted it.
I agree you should stay indoors and the horses should be done by someone else- we all know that's not easy.
However if you don't take isolation seriously and do spread it to others then it is your fault.
Take care and keep well

 

[SpotsandBays]

Could you ask one of your DIYs to help with the liveries, for abit of a discount off of their monthly (or weekly - however you do it) bill? Or maybe a couple of them to help as you’ve got a few horses yourself too. That way they will be being looked after by a trusted person, you are staying away, and they’re getting a little something in return for helping out during a tough time?