Updated: 2 November

England is now in lockdown until 2 December. You can find a list of the full restrictions on the government’s website, but here are some key rules people in flatshares will want to know:

- You should only leave your home for: work and volunteering; essential activities (picking up food or medicine, depositing or collecting money); fulfilling legal obligations (like those related to buying or renting a home); education and childcare; medical reasons, harm and compassionate visits; attending a place of worship for individual prayer and funerals; meeting others in your support bubble or to provide care; exercise.

- You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble.

- You can meet one other person outdoors. but stay two metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.

What is social distancing?

Social distancing means non-essential contact with other people. To achieve this, people need to work from home wherever possible, avoid all unnecessary travel and avoid public gatherings.

What is self-isolation?

If one person in a household starts to display flu-like symptoms – defined as a fever of above 37.8 C or a persistent cough – everyone living there must self-isolate by staying at home for 14 days.

If one person in a household has recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, they will also need to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they don’t show symptoms.

But if you share your home with flamates, the big question is…

Can I self-isolate in a flatshare?

Thanks to the renting crisis, self-isolating in a flatshare or houseshare is going to be a reality for a lot of people around the UK, particularly in London. Is it really possible to self-isolate under these common but less-than-ideal circumstances?

It is do-able, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park. We’ve rounded up what to do if you need to self-isolate, tips on looking after your mental health, and advice for getting on with flatmates during this tense time. 

How to self-isolate in a houseshare 

According to the government’s guidelines, you should stay in a well-ventilated room with an open window, separate from other people in your home and with the door closed.

Using the bathroom 

The government advises you to use a separate bathroom from the rest of the household. As most people usually battle it out over the one bathroom, just make sure you clean it properly after each use. I hate to break this to you, but it also suggests drawing up a rota (I know, I know) so that the person in self-isolation uses the bathroom last. And ensure the isolated person uses separate towels from other household members, for drying themselves after bathing, showering and washing hands.

Using the kitchen

Avoid using the kitchen while your flatmates are in there. If that’s not possible then wear a facemask if you have one (surely, that will soon scare them away?). The guidelines also say to take your meals back to your bedroom to eat and, which you can use as an excuse for a Netflix series marathon in bed. If you have a dishwasher, use it to clean and dry your used crockery and cutlery. If not, wash them by hand using detergent and warm water and dry them thoroughly, using a separate tea towel.

Looking after your mental health

It’s really easy to cocoon yourself in the doom and gloom of sensationalist headlines and rising figures. But as a Stylist colleague pointed out during a comforting WhatsApp chat last week: “It ain’t a picnic, but you need to prioritise your mental health!”

This piece on how to stay calm about coronavirus provides some important pointers to remember: breathe, write down your worries, distract yourself, get outside for five minutes (if you have a balcony or garden) and try to laugh and smile.

And to help combat the loneliness, talk to your friends, family and flatmates about what’s happening over the phone, on WhatsApp or through the safe barrier of your bedroom door. They really will not mind you chatting to them a bit longer than usual – everyone is in need of comforting right now.

Also, try use this period to do things you usually don’t have time to do: read that 1000-page book you’ve been meaning to start, rewatch that really crappy, problematic 90s TV series (hello, Ally McBeal!), write a damn novel, Marie Kondo your room, practice the perfect headstand – you do you. Conversely: don’t feel pressured to do anything big and bold with this time. Just do whatever makes you feel good. 

If you are worried about your mental health, you can find information on the Mind website.

How to get on best with flatmates during the coronavirus panic

Things could be a little tense in houseshares right now, even if you get on well with your flatmates. Cate Murden, founder of wellbeing and performance company PUSH, shared some helpful tips with Stylist on how to get on and work from home alongside each other.

“Now, more than ever, we need to be clear on how we’re thinking and feeling as well as setting our own and understanding each other’s boundaries,” she says. “During challenging times, boundaries help ensure that assumptions aren’t made when tempers are already shortened – which could easily lead to frayed edges and blow ups. Setting boundaries will ensure that relationships can be mutually respectful, appropriate, and caring.”

So, how do you do exactly this with a flatmate? Murden advises three key things to remember when communicating throughout this period:

1. Acknowledge what you’re feeling and listen (properly) to the other person too.

2. Decide together how you want to handle the situation. Once you’ve got clarity on this agreed behaviour, action it.

3.  Stay firm in your conviction – so your flatmates have consistency in your relationship. However, these boundaries aren’t walls – you can move them if you need to. Just be clear with people about that too.

She adds: “We’re all finding our way through this unchartered territory in the best way that we can, and it’s our friendships that will see us through it most. If we approach everything from a place of love and compassion it will be an entirely different experience than one fuelled by fear and separation. And, it is this that I believe will see us through.”

What if I have mild coronavirus symptoms?

The NHS website gives helpful precautionary measures for self-isolating:

• Try to keep at least two metres (three steps) from other people in your home, particularly older people or those with long-term health conditions.
• Ask friends and family and delivery services to deliver things like food shopping and medicines – but avoid contact with them.
• Sleep alone if possible.
• Regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Try to stay away from older people and those with long-term health conditions.
• Drink plenty of water and take everyday painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, to help with any symptoms.
• Do not have visitors (ask people to leave deliveries outside).
• Do not leave the house, for example to go for a walk, to school or public places.

This isn’t how anyone wants to be living, but it is important that we do things properly, and hopefully things will get better soon.

If you’re not sure whether you should be self-isolating, check your symptoms and call 111 if you’re really concerned. But it’s advised that you don’t turn up at your GP if you’re displaying symptoms.

And don’t worry, we’re here to keep you entertained and informed for as long as it takes.

Find more information on coronavirus on the NHS website here.

Images: Getty