COVID super spreading family we know **Our friend has passed away**

[Dan Murphy]

We have very good, lifelong friends. In turn, all of their large extended family are friends. We are like family to and with them all. The older adults, like us in our 70's, and then the downstream kids and grandkids. They have continued to do family gatherings for birthdays and holidays during the pandemic.

So far, the COVID count in the family is......

Husband and wife (our friends, in their 70's)
His sister (80'ish)
Sister's 2 adult daughters (50's-60's). Sister's adult son (50's)
Husband and wife's 2 daughter's (40-50) and 1 son (45)
The 2 daughters' kids and husbands (husbands-40-50 and then their 6 kids and 1 boyfriend)

I think that is 18 people in one extended family. Apparently, all have been cautious, following the rules, other than the family get togethers.

Be safe, stay within your own 'bubbles'.

All have done relatively well. The boyfriend (late 20's) was hospitalized, on oxygen, cardiac ward. He is home now, recuperating.

The latest batch probably came from Thanksgiving and recent birthday.

ETA--1 additional nephew added

ETA--The husband at the beginning of the list, age 77, passed away yesterday (please stay in your own household 'bubbles')

 

[Southernmiss]

We have very good, lifelong friends. In turn, all of their large extended family are friends. We are like family to and with them all. The older adults, like us in our 70's, and then the downstream kids and grandkids. They have continued to do family gatherings for birthdays and holidays during the pandemic.

So far....

Husband and wife (our friends in their 70's)
His sister (80'ish)
Sister's 2 adult daughters (50's-60's)
Husband and wife's 2 daughter's (40-50) and 1 son (45)
The 2 daughters' kids and husbands (husbands-40-50 and then their 6 kids and 1 boyfriend)

I think that is 17 people in one extended family. Apparently, all have been cautious, following the rules, other than the family get togethers.

Be safe, stay within your own 'bubbles'.

All have done relatively well. The boyfriend (late 20's) was hospitalized, on oxygen, cardiac ward. He is home now, recuperating.

The latest batch probably came from Thanksgiving and recent birthday.

So are you saying they've gotten Covid?

 

[Dan Murphy]

So are you saying they've gotten Covid?

Yes. I guess I should add that.

 

[Southernmiss]

Yes. I guess I should add that.

Goodness. Someone has to be getting it from somewhere outside the family to spread it.

Hope they all recover well and don't spread it farther.

 

[Travel60]

That extended group probably includes some who are working, some attending school or church, some being in contact with others outside the group, some going out shopping, eating out. Not a "bubble" or at best a very leaky one.

 

[Mango7100]

I don’t think people realize that a true bubble has to be very strict. Even if they all are being cautious, if one person is going to work, gym, church, shopping, eating out, etc and Gets it, that’s all it takes to spread like wildfire within a family.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I don’t think people realize that a true bubble has to be very strict. Even if they all are being cautious, if one person is going to work, gym, church, shopping, eating out, etc and Gets it, that’s all it takes to spread like wildfire within a family.

This exactly. I saw this graphic months ago and found it enormously helpful in convincing my mom to be more narrow in who she sees.

 

[Imzadi]

NY has now coined the phrase, "Living room spread," for these gatherings indoors at people's houses & apartments where people are now giving and getting COVID. According to the state-wide contact tracing, about 74% of the COVID spread in NYS is due to "Living room spread."

People stopped going to bars & restaurants as the restrictions became so tight. So now, people just invite a "small" gathering of a few to several people over to their house instead. It's family & friends, and sometimes also friends of friends. So everyone thinks they can trust each other to not have COVID because they are family & friends.

So, they let their guards down. They take off their masks to eat & drink, IF they were wearing one at all. They sit or stand closer together to watch TV, chat, munch, drink, etc. The ventilation is actually worse than in restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, shopping malls, etc., which had to get certain types of MERV or HEPA air filters and keep fresh air circulating throughout. One or more people have COVID in this smaller, enclosed environment and Bam! Many are infected.

 

[lisaviolet]

There is a definite tendency to think that our loved ones form a superpower against Covid transmission.

It rules too many people's minds.

--------

And on another note, it is interesting to see that the boyfriend was the one hospitalized. Hope he continues to do well.

 

[luvsvacation]

From the sounds of it out of 17 or so people positive including several in high risk groups there was only 1 hospitalization and he’s home recovering now. This is what is causing people to not be concerned. The past month or so it’s been running crazy through people around here with the same results, that the vast majority are just fine. That’s why we’re continuing to get together and not take it so seriously. My mom who’s in her late 60s with several health issues got it from her roommate who’s in her 80s a few weeks ago. The roommate was fine. My mom felt pretty crappy for about a week but is fine now. I know it’s real, I know there’s a very small amount of people whose bodies have horrible reactions to it, but I also know that the vast majority of people will be just fine. I’m not going to stop seeing friends and family on the off chance that we’ll be in the extremely small minority. If this virus had like a 50% death rate then yes I’d be barricaded in my house ordering essential items and food online and not having any contact with anyone outside of my house whatsoever. With a death rate of less than 1% I’m living my life, I’m getting together with friends, I’m having family celebrations.

 

[Christine]

I may have posted about this about 2 weeks ago. One of my coworkers' entire household got it from one of their adult sons breaking the "bubble" and going to a birthday party held in someone's home. No one at the party was visibly ill, but they all started falling a few days later. By the time he figured it out, he quickly moved out to a hotel but it was too late. The entire family was infected and symptomatic. All are recovered now. My coworker and her husband are both over 60 with comorbities but they fared well enough. It was like they all had horrific colds.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I'm glad your friends are all ok, but it's not surprising they all got sick with the way they are getting together.

In my family/husband's family....we are 6 households. None of us has done more than socialize outside when we see each other. We do not go into each others homes other than to quickly use the bathroom...with a mask on. And none of us has gotten Covid.

I also question the part where they are very cautious other than the family get-togethers. But I guess there is the thinking that you're "safe" with close friends and family.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's not really superspreader per se. That term is typically used when it's one event (be it a day or over a specified time period like that 12 year old girl with her family at a house for a few weeks IIRC) that led to a large, especially in proportion to the people there, amount of cases and may include secondary cases.

What the OP is talking about is just exposure over time. I think we need to be careful what and how we describe things.

It's not clear the timeline but saying "the latest batch" I would assume that some of those people were positive at a different point in time at a different get together some other time during the pandemic.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This exactly. I saw this graphic months ago and found it enormously helpful in convincing my mom to be more narrow in who she sees. View attachment 543579

Yeah I tried explaining that with my husband's family...no dice. None of my family wanted to do Thanksgiving or Christmas for that very reason..it was "we don't want a bunch of people" by that they meant 10-15 people and "so and so is also around so and so who is also around so and so".

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm glad your friends are all ok, but it's not surprising they all got sick with the way they are getting together.

In my family/husband's family....we are 6 households. None of us has done more than socialize outside when we see each other. We do not go into each others homes other than to quickly use the bathroom...with a mask on. And none of us has gotten Covid.

I also question the part where they are very cautious other than the family get-togethers. But I guess there is the thinking that you're "safe" with close friends and family.

Even with masks you still could become positive and pass it to each other and thus to someone else at one of those get togethers (people largely aren't wearing masks at their home with their spouses, significant others, and children).

The "And none of us has gotten COVID" (that you know of I should add) that can lead one to think you're good which can lead to what has happened with many of us where we don't see the unknown happening so we let our guards down or we continue thinking so long as we do this we won't get it. It can still happen, y'all are taking what precautions you can but just because no one (that you know of) hasn't yet doesn't mean it won't in the future. But I sincerely hope none of you do get it

 

[hertamaniac]

NY has now coined the phrase, "Living room spread," for these gatherings indoors at people's houses & apartments where people are now giving and getting COVID. According to the state-wide contact tracing, about 70% of the COVID spread in NYS is do to "Living room spread."

People stopped going to bars & restaurants as the restrictions became so tight. So now, people just invite a "small" gathering of a few to several people over to their house instead. It's family & friends, and sometimes also friends of friends. So everyone thinks they can trust each other to not have COVID because they are family & friends.

So, they let their guards down. They take off their masks to eat & drink, IF they were wearing one at all. They sit or stand closer together to watch TV, chat, munch, drink, etc. The ventilation is actually worse than in restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, shopping malls, etc., which had to get certain types of MERV or HEPA filters and keep fresh air circulating throughout. One or more people have COVID in this smaller, enclosed environment and Bam! Many are infected.

I saw that slide from the Governor. What shocked me was the % traced to gyms; I expected it to be much higher.

There is a negative side to that slide as well in that folks could be more lackadaisical outside of their own living room(s).

 

[hsmamato2]

NY has now coined the phrase, "Living room spread," for these gatherings indoors at people's houses & apartments where people are now giving and getting COVID. According to the state-wide contact tracing, about 70% of the COVID spread in NYS is do to "Living room spread."

People stopped going to bars & restaurants as the restrictions became so tight. So now, people just invite a "small" gathering of a few to several people over to their house instead. It's family & friends, and sometimes also friends of friends. So everyone thinks they can trust each other to not have COVID because they are family & friends.

So, they let their guards down. They take off their masks to eat & drink, IF they were wearing one at all. They sit or stand closer together to watch TV, chat, munch, drink, etc. The ventilation is actually worse than in restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, shopping malls, etc., which had to get certain types of MERV or HEPA filters and keep fresh air circulating throughout. One or more people have COVID in this smaller, enclosed environment and Bam! Many are infected.

this is so sad and true. I have (too many) friends who say to each other "I trust you- give me a hug".....this has nothing to do with trust or love, the virus doesn't care. It's about safety. I love a lot of people whom I won't physically hug right now. OP's family wasn't in a bubble at all sadly- they just "trusted" each other but that graphic above is the reality (with the venn diagram) I hope they all don't get the nasty version...

 

[LilyWDW]

I have 1 person who is allowed in my apartment (aside from required/needed maintenance and checks from management). I don't even let my extended family visit and I have not been over there since the weather got cold. When it was warm we could sit outside, with lots of distance between us. Now, we would be stuck inside. No thank you.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Even with masks you still could become positive and pass it to each other and thus to someone else at one of those get togethers (people largely aren't wearing masks at their home with their spouses, significant others, and children).

The "And none of us has gotten COVID" (that you know of I should add) that can lead one to think you're good which can lead to what has happened with many of us where we don't see the unknown happening so we let our guards down or we continue thinking so long as we do this we won't get it. It can still happen, y'all are taking what precautions you can but just because no one (that you know of) hasn't yet doesn't mean it won't in the future. But I sincerely hope none of you do get it

My point wasn't that we couldn't get it. Rather that we're less likely to get it given our behavior. We have a branch in my family (an Aunt, cousins, cousin kids...etc)....who are behaving like the family in the original post. They're up to 7 positive covid cases now I think...all symptomatic to differing degrees. We've been saying all along that they were going to get it with the way they're co-mingling households indoors without masks...and that's exactly what has happened.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My point wasn't that we couldn't get it. Rather that we're less likely to get it given our behavior. We have a branch in my family (an Aunt, cousins, cousin kids...etc)....who are behaving like the family in the original post. They're up to 7 positive covid cases now I think...all symptomatic to differing degrees. We've been saying all along that they were going to get it with the way they're co-mingling households indoors without masks...and that's exactly what has happened.

The bolded is what I'm speaking to. Psychologically it becomes a fallacy. Especially when you compare it to other people and say "well they got it because they weren't as cautious as us we haven't gotten it yet because we're more cautious than them". You see others get it and assume it's because they engaged in riskier behavior than you and you see your circle not get it and assume it's because you've engaged in less riskier behavior but these are not absolutes merely repeated observations where you expect the same continued response.

My experience is that of the opposite. I've known some very cautious people get it (more cautious than you describe) and very non-cautious (is that the way you'd say that IDK lol) people not get it. I could say then that the very non-cautious people are less likely to get it given their behavior (they haven't yet to their knowledge) and the non-cautious people are more likely to get it given their behavior but that's not how I view it.

Keep doing what you're doing for sure