I’m the person who disinfects Lysol cans. So, when my husband tested positive for Covid, to say it shocked me was an understatement. Questions of where he went wrong consumed me. Did he forget to wash his hands one time last week? Was he wearing his mask at work? It didn’t matter; he was positive. My day job requires you to quarantine if someone in your house contracts the virus. All of the preparations and precautions I took outside of my house didn’t prepare me to be stuck inside.

The first thing I did was send my husband to the basement. It’s his man cave, so he didn’t put up a fight. He did request that I allow him to sleep in our bedroom for adequate sleep. Since he wasn’t feeling well, I sacrificed sleeping on the couch. The problem is we only have one bathroom, which we both must use. I researched the best way to keep distance and navigate shared spaces when one person contracts the virus in your house. The websites list good information and items to have on hand. I had one item—my trusty disinfectant spray and wipes.

After my husband got comfy in the basement, I headed to the store. I bought gloves, disposable masks, paper plates, paper cups, plastic forks/spoons, and a few groceries. They say to limit touching any items that someone with covid has used. My solution was to give him paper and plastic everything and a garbage bag to dispose of items in the basement. It was one less trip he had to make upstairs.

Since he wanted to sleep in our bedroom, I grabbed a basket of any clothes I would need for quarantine and moved them into my office/spare room. I didn’t want to go into our shared bedroom for any reason. I put his clothes and bath towels in the basement and separated my hygiene products into another room. This all may sound extreme, but he was coughing and sneezing. The chances of virus particles getting on these items were high, especially in the bathroom where my toothbrush sits.

Anytime my husband would come upstairs, he would wear a mask and gloves. Yes, I still disinfected after he went back downstairs. His dinner and drinks were left on the basement steps, and he grabbed them once I shut the door. Luckily, I could do laundry as it’s in another part of the basement. However, I still wore a mask because we shared the same air. I didn’t touch his dirty clothes unless I was wearing gloves.

Being isolated from your husband is difficult, but we tried to make the best of it. We texted and FaceTimed when possible. My primary goal was to take care of him and keep busy. Reading books and playing online games was my saving grace. Sims 4 is a great online game to get lost in when you have a lot of time on your hands. Also, having crafts on hand to help the time pass is smart. This is all contingent on how well you feel.

Day four is when I woke up with a fever. Although I tested negative the day before, I knew I had contracted the virus. I hadn’t had a fever since I was a child. A new test confirmed my suspicions. Articles say to still keep apart from other people in your home, even if you’re both positive, mainly if one is sneezing and coughing. My husband was no longer dealing with those two symptoms. We agreed to let my fever go away, and he could come back upstairs. After twenty-four hours, I was fever-free. We kept our distance, and I still cleaned twice a day. It helped to be on the same floor of the house as him, even if we couldn’t cuddle.

I spent a substantial amount of money during quarantine. We ordered way too much online food, and I shopped on Amazon. No one felt good enough to cook, and shopping keeps me busy. Online food ordering adds up. Remember in paragraph one where I said I wasn’t prepared? Well, of course, I didn’t think about getting crockpot items or easy microwave meals that day at the grocery.

You and your family may handle quarantine life differently. There is no one right way. With cases on the rise, it’s a great time to come up with your game plan. I had time to prepare for the few days before I received my positive test, but I can’t imagine if I didn’t have those days. Being sick, stressed, and having anxiety is not an ideal combination. I hope some of these tips and tricks will help if you ever find yourself in a similar situation!