Covid Concern with Guest House

[Melissa1244]

Question for others Hosts,

I have a guest coming in March for 3 months, she will be traveling from Senegal to South Texas. Senegal is at a very high risk level 4 with the pandemic. I am concerned as travel states to be tested 3 days prior to travel and can't board airline until you are "cleared" but then asked to quarantine for 14 days once she arrives in the US. My concern is the proximately of the airbnb vs my home. It is on the same property with separate entrances but we have shared areas as in the location to enter both come in the same gate, same porches and sitting areas. Anyone have experience or tips. I do all the protocols for cleaning as well as over the top cleaning anyway, but not knowing someone and their situation traveling in from another country has me a bit concerned for my own health and family. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

[Sarah977]

Honestly you are not in any more risk from this guest than you are from a guest coming from anywhere, including the US. To put things in perspective, Senegal has a infection rate of 955 per million population and 20 deaths per million- Texas has an infection rate of 44,754 per million and 776 deaths per million. You are almost 50 times more likely to be infected by a fellow Texan than a Senegalese.

Anyone can be carrying the virus.

That said, you are not likely to be at risk simply from using the same outside entry gate. You might want to wire a pump container of hand sanitizer on the gate and ask guests to use it before touching the gate (and you use it, too).

As far as the outside sitting area and porch, that is also fairly low risk- it's indoor transmission that is the far greater risk and if there are any shared spaces indoors, you should make them off-limits to guests. However, if possible, I would partition those outside spaces off, with enough space between them, and designate one for the guest and the other for you and your family, so you are not close, and not touching the same chairs or tables. I don't mean you have to put up a wall, but some barrier that indicates which is the guest area. If you and the guest are both using the outdoor areas at the same time, wear masks and keep distance.

[Sarah977]

Sorry, forgot to tag you. @Melissa1244

[Kath9]

@Melissa1244, @Sarah977  is absolutely correct - why would you be any more concerned about this guest than a guest from the US? An American guest is significantly more likely to be infected with Covid than a Senegalese guest. If you were here in Australia, it would be different because nearly all of our new cases are from incoming travellers (which at the moment is restricted to returning Australians). But given the choice, I'd rather accept a guest from anywhere in Africa than one from the US at the moment. If you're truly concerned about the health of you and your family (which is fair enough), I would not be accepting guests at all.

[Melissa1244]

Thank you all. Appreciate it. Good call on hand sanitizer at the gate that was a good suggestion as what I was looking for. Appreciate it. 

[Helen350]

@Melissa1244 I've just had a hospital doctor stay 5 nights, then she went back to her family for 2 nights, then another 2 nights in my homeshare. She's now moved to my LTR, sharing with one existing tenant. When she left mine, she gave me a hug and a (air) kiss on the cheek (She's not British!!) And she'd come straight from the hospital! - Must know something we don't about infection risk!

Here is an article by a surgeon, explaining why masks for the general public are pointless & do more harm than good: https://www.sott.net/article/438827-A-classic-fallacious-argument-If-masks-dont-work-then-why-do-sur...