My guest needs to self-isolate. Do I as well? Your COVID-19 questions answered - Action News
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My guest needs to self-isolate. Do I as well? Your COVID-19 questions answered

Stores and services are reopening across the country, but all travellers arriving in Canada or between some provinces are still required to self-isolate for 14-days. If you have a visitor coming to stay, do you have to isolate with them. We're answering that and other audience questions about COVID-19.

From hosting guests to catching COVID-19 and influenza, here's what you're asking us today

Most provinces are still advising against non-essential travel. However, if you are hosting visitors who are expected to self-isolate, experts say you should as well. (Forijthrills/Juan Neira)

We're breaking down what you need to know about the pandemic. Send us your questions via email at COVID@cbc.ca and we'll answer as many as we can. We'll publish a selection of answers every weekday on our website, and we're also putting some of your questions to the experts on the air during The National and on CBC News Network. So far we've received more than 46,000 emails from all corners of the country.

My guest needs to self-isolate. Do I need to isolate, too?

Things may be reopening across the country, but all travellers arriving in Canada or travellers between certain provinces are still required to self-isolate for 14-days when they arrive.

If you have a traveller coming to stay with you, and they're required to isolate, do you have to isolate with them? That's what Mike P. and many other readers want to know.

First, it's important to understand that Canada's mandatory isolation rules are designed to protect people from travellers who have symptoms or are at risk of developing symptoms and the potential that they could infect others.

So, in most cases, you really shouldn't be having people over if they're expected to isolate.

"If a family is hosting visitors, then the visitors by definition are not isolating," said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

But if there is no other choice, "you must all isolate, and you must accept the risk of cohabiting with that person during the isolation period," he said.

Dr. Lisa Barrett, a professor at Dalhousie University's medical school in Halifax and an infectious disease researcher, saidhosts should behave as if their guests are positive.

"The whole point is that they could still be positive, but we don't know it yet."

That means you should act as if you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and also follow the isolation guidelines.

WATCH | Regional bubble touted as a way to boost tourism and help economy:

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Low coronavirus numbers in Atlantic Canada have led to talk of an 'Atlantic bubble,' where people would be able to travel between the four provinces without having to self-isolate.

These include not going to work or other public placesand staying insideunless absolutely necessary, such as to seek medical care. You should also keep a distance of at least two metres from each other, avoid sharing household items and spaces, and useseparate bathrooms, if possible.

That said, the total isolation of a guest might be possiblein homes where hosts could provide themwith their own living quarters, with "separate bathroom or rooms," Furnesssaid. "Then we could consider the visitor to be isolating on their own."

If multiple people in the same house get sick, do they need to isolate from each other?

This is what Cathie T. wrote to us asking.

As per Health Canada's guidelines, people are expected to isolate if they have tested positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of the virusor have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

If more than one person in the same household is "equivalently ill," Furnesssaid, isolating from each other isn't necessary, but he advised against being in the same room or "sharing air."

"This is because less sick people could conceivably get worse by continuing to inhale more virus from people who are more sick," he said. While this hasn't been studied, he said, it is his "conservative advice."

Of course, those who have tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate from other members of the household who are not experiencing symptoms.

There could also be instances where multiple people in one household are experiencing respiratory symptomsbut are not confirmed to have COVID-19.

If this is the case, Barrett said,they should isolate from one another.

"You may not have the same thing," Barrett said, in which case isolating will help mitigate the spread if one person has COVID-19 and the other does not.

Can you get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time?

It's warm and sunny now, but flu season is around the corner, and Canadians, like Melanie C., are wondering if it's possible to catch both viruses at the same time.

The experts we spoke to saidyes. Technically, a person can catch COVID-19 and influenza at the same time.

Dr. Zain Chagla, an associate professor on infectious diseases at McMaster University's medical faculty in Hamilton,saidthat it's "not common," but data from the beginning of the pandemic suggested some patients had more than one respiratory virus.

"There was some question of even worse outcomes in those patients that had both infections," he said, "which is logical."

Experts are worried the coming flu season will make the pandemic worse.

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist and associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, saidchanges in temperature and humidity, as well asthe way people interact in colder weather, could "make COVID flare come fall and winter."

"If influenza which commonly fills hospitals up in January-February each year and COVID both affected communities at the same time, it could be very difficult."

Some medical experts are worried about the upcoming flu season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and say an influenza shot is more important than ever. (David Goldman/The Associated Press)

That said, public health measures taken to reduce COVID-19 transmission were also effective in reducing influenza in places that still had the influenza viruses circulating, Saxingersaid.

The same measures like practising physical distancing, keeping your hands clean and staying home when sick will help protect you from both viruses.

Chagla also recommends getting your flu shot.

"This is probably one of the most important years to get the influenza vaccine," he said.

Health Canada has said it is already preparing for potential simultaneous outbreaks.

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