Quarantine and negative test

[IamAporcupine]

I travelled to Spain to see family, Came back over a week ago. Been indoors since. A few days ago I developed a really bad cough (no fever etc) so got tested yesterday. Came back negative.

Im curious to know what people think I should do re. the quarantine and why.

NBU - free to roam
BU - should stay in

Should still isolate as the incubation period is up to 14 days

Im curious to know what people think I should do re. the quarantine and why.

The current UK rules say you are required continue to quarantine, dementedpixie has provided one reason why.

The news has been quite clear on this.

Even if you take a test every day and it's negative you still have to quarantine for the full 14 days.

Quarantine like you've been told to do!

Sorry to ask a daft question, if you’ve not travelled out with the uk, develop symptoms but test negative then you can return to work provided youve not had a temp in the past 48 hours?

Still isolate up until day 14. It can take 14 days for symptoms to start after after exposure! 😀

Presumably it was a home test as you've not been out. Could be a false negative ? Has anyone you were with in Spain developed the same symptoms?

Quarantine, as PS have said that 14 days is the possible incubation. You may have a cough which isn’t COVID now (or May have had a false negative) but that doesn’t mean you won’t show different symptoms and be positive tomorrow.

As PPs have said*

self isolate for the remainder of the fourteen days
don't understand why you weren't given instructions on this on returning to the UK

You need to compete the 14 days from your holiday. However I'd assume they since your test was negative you don't need to start another period of self isolation due to your cough.

AFAIK, the only time when you can stop isolating following a negative test (before the 14 days) is if you were ONLY isolating due to symptoms while you waited for a test.

If you are isolating due to foreign travel/track and trace contact/infected family member then you have to see out the 14 days regardless.

It’s 14 days for a reason - negative test or not. You’re not the exception to the rule 🤷🏻‍♀️

@LizzieMacQueen

Presumably it was a home test as you've not been out. Could be a false negative ? Has anyone you were with in Spain developed the same symptoms?

Not a home test, a NHS test, and no, no one in Spain has the same symptoms, I must have caught this while traveling back

@dementedpixie

Should still isolate as the incubation period is up to 14 days

I know this, but that's not the point really - the real question is whether you test negative/positive during the incubation period

@StatisticallyChallenged

AFAIK, the only time when you can stop isolating following a negative test (before the 14 days) is if you were ONLY isolating due to symptoms while you waited for a test.

If you are isolating due to foreign travel/track and trace contact/infected family member then you have to see out the 14 days regardless.

Thanks that's very helpful to know.

I just find it odd that the isolation rules for foreign travel are the same as the ones for those who have been in contact with someone infected.

There’s a high chance you would test negative in the incubation period because there wouldn’t be enough of the viral load in your body.

All of your points are moot though. Returning travellers from Spain must isolate for 14 days. End of.

Why do you find it strange that the isolation rules are the same? The country you’ve been to has been deemed high risk, therefore you’re being treated as having come into contact with someone who is infected.

As others say, you need to isolate for the full 14 days.

@Laaalaaaa

It’s 14 days for a reason - negative test or not. You’re not the exception to the rule 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't want to be the exception, but don't get me started with THE RULES.

While out in Spain I've been more careful than most of the UK population; wore face masks ALL the time etc etc. The chances of me getting infected were very very low.

But even if this was not the case, I flew back on a plane that I shared with people who were coming back from countries that are exempt from quarantine, but I could have infected anyway...

Leaving the country to travel to Spain is not being more responsible than the rest of the UK. Deluded fool.

Quarantine. It's not complicated! I'm
really shocked by the number of people who seem to think rules don't apply to them or they can interpret them as they see fit.

@MaveyWavey

Why do you find it strange that the isolation rules are the same? The country you’ve been to has been deemed high risk, therefore you’re being treated as having come into contact with someone who is infected.

As others say, you need to isolate for the full 14 days.

I understand that is treated as high risk - but assuming you have a higher probability of being in contact with someone affected is simply not the same as truly being in contact with someone affected, that's all

I'm a contact tracer, you still have to isolate for the full 14 days, in the incubation peroid you will test negative, hence it being 14 days.

The quarantine is to prove you haven't come into contact with someone. It’s pretty straightforward.

@HeyBlaby

I'm a contact tracer, you still have to isolate for the full 14 days, in the incubation peroid you will test negative, hence it being 14 days.

Thanks HeyBlaby, I was told today that for only 4 days of the incubation period you might test negative? No idea where that came from!