COVID exposure post ITU

[Tsuology]

Not sure whether anyone else has any definitive information on this.

After 7 weeks in ITU, mainly ventilated post sepsis and liver failure, my 54 year old husband finally made it back to the respiratory ward this week. He’s able to speak, although it’s mostly unintelligible, is very confused and can’t walk, eat. He has been diagnosed with central pontine myelinolysis but the degree of impact this will have going forward Is unclear

Yesterday, a patient admitted into the 6 bedded bay that he is in, was diagnosed with COVID. As a result all the other patients have been rested and I am not allowed to visit. This I fully understand. Last night however, the nurses said that he will be isolated from visiting for 14 days. I’m fairly confident that isn’t correct and will be changed on Monday as it makes no sense but does anyone else have experience of this? The thought of leaving him with no familiar face for 2 weeks when he’s so confused is devastating and I think will affect his recovery. The staff have said he can FaceTime or zoom but he’s too confused to do it on his own and the staff are too busy. After amazing care in ITU I now feel like they have given up on him.

Any views or helpful advice most welcome.

[AyrshireK]

I've no experience of this but the 14 day isolation period is probably correct - anyone who is identified by track and trace as being in close contact with someone with covid 19 is told to self-isolate for 14 days as it can take upto 14 days for symptoms to appear so they obviously can't allow you in whilst hubby is potentially at risk of either having covid 19 or passing it on because you then will bring it out into the community.

nhs.uk/conditions/coronavir...

Sadly at this time there are many, many people who are not allowed to visit their loved ones in hospital - we've had people go through transplant and more during this whole period who have had to do so without family support.

Visitors have generally not been allowed into hospitals at all. I know when we've gone for outpatients appointments they have had tables set up at the front door with hospital volunteers taking all those things you'd want to hand into your loved one, bags get labelled up and taken up to the wards but no visitors have been allowed in.

Obviously it's horrendous and difficult times for all & I would hate it if I couldn't be there for my hubby as he has mild HE and gets very mixed up with med speak etc. But, it is what it is, the legislation and restrictions are there to prevent further spread of this nasty thing.

Maybe he needs additional quiet time to recover from his spell in ITU, the rest may well do him good as it is strenuous to have visitors. This not having visitors may not hinder his recovery at all. You should still be able to contact the ward to see how he is doing and maybe some of the nurses will be able to help him with contact.

Hopefully whilst in the hospital he'll get the necessary therapies to help with rehabilitation from his neurological issue.

Thoughts with you at this difficult time, maybe the hospital PALS team (Patient Advice and Liaison Team) will help you with any particular issues - you should be able to find the details for the hospital involved on their website.

Katie