Totally confused now (Sorry, it’s a Covid one)

[DoesSheDoesntShe]

DS met up with his friend yesterday. They spent the entire day together in town. Ate out together and went shopping.

Today DS’s friend took a Covid test for work and tested positive. No symptoms.
The friend’s colleague also tested positive today. DS does not know the colleague.

DS has tested negative as have I.

DS’s friend is isolating
DS’s friend’s family is isolating.

We have different information from different people:

1. DS should isolate for 10 days (online info)
2. DS does not have to isolate if he tests negative as he is not a family member - but, he can if he wants to (the test centre DS’s friend went to - he asked what his friends should do)
3. As number 2 (NHS worker)

So, what does DS do? Isolate or not?

AIBU to think WTH? Conflicting advice or what?

If you work for the NHS or KNOW the actual rules please please reply!

I thought DS needed to isolate for 10 days and now don’t know what to think.

@DoesSheDoesntShe

Sadly yes. (Assuming you mean this Mon?) Especially as that is when symptoms might have developed - and DS would be most contagious.

Very very annoying though.

I need to cancel the decorator painting the hall, landing, stairs next Monday don’t I?

I’m afraid so. We’ve had to cancel plans to have friends over, we didn’t want to risk the garden either. Like Jumping DS has had no symptoms and a negative PCR, but we felt it just wasn’t worth it.

[quote MrsFrisbyMouse]@DoesSheDoesntShe

Sadly yes. (Assuming you mean this Mon?) Especially as that is when symptoms might have developed - and DS would be most contagious.

Very very annoying though.[/quote]
It really is.
I’m starting to get used to everything going tits up! The work is more than a decorator tbh but won’t go into details. Basically the start of 2 weeks work... It’s so frustrating!

Reading Covid work regulations on gov.U.K. atm hoping to find that it’s all ok... (it isn’t O know!) 😩

@DrunkenKoala

Only take a pcr test if you have symptoms.

No guidance changed on Tuesday. Anyone who has had contact with a positive case can now have a PCR test.

Oh yes so it has! And they've updated the website. Thanks for letting me know.

I’ve just looked at the guidelines for tradespeople in homes where people are isolating.

For anyone who is interested...
Only emergency repairs can take place in this instance.
So, If your boiler stopped working and you were left without basic facilities (e.g hot water) they could come and fix or replace it.
All isolating members of the family should stay in a separate room from the tradesperson.
(Plus loads of other requirements).

Painting, building, decorating are not emergency work so need to be postponed.

My job has been put back until the following week... 😭

Your DS definitely needs to self-isolate. He had prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive.

Even if he tests negative on a PCR test in the next few days that could just be because he is incubating the virus (you can incubate for several days before you have any symptoms and without a positive test result).

If close contact’s test is negative isolation period can stop.

Ok, in some areas they have been trialling Test to Release. That’s where a close contact can take a LF each day and if it’s negative they can release from isolation for that day. They do this each day. There is also Test to Release with PCR for international travel after 5 days of return.

That might be why the person you spoke to got confused. (Obviously it doesn’t apply to your DS as presumably he is neither part of a pilot nor travelled from another country. Perhaps the person you spoke to misinterpreted something and thought DS had).

Ok, in some areas they have been trialling Test to Release. That’s where a close contact can take a LF each day and if it’s negative they can release from isolation for that day.

That might explain it. Maybe it’s an area trial rather than an individual one here?
Who knows. There are probably many different trials taking place all over the country!

Just to add.
DS’s friend’s PCR test came back positive and he told them who he had seen/been in close contact with.

DS has had NO notification from T&T.

It doesn’t work does it!

Has the friend given your ds's details to T&T? Probably a delay between getting the result and contacting everyone

@dementedpixie

Has the friend given your ds's details to T&T? Probably a delay between getting the result and contacting everyone

Yes. Immediately after receiving the result yesterday.

Still nothing our end.

So we are now 4 days after contact.

Typically it's a 48 hour delay as it takes a while for positive information to get to track and trace, case get set up then interview. Usually the next day they then start going through the contacts so probably get a call today.

Hope your DS avoids it. It could be worth him setting up another PCR test. He will also have to go off the date given by TT which will be from his friends positive test.

He will also have to go off the date given by TT which will be from his friends positive test.

Not the day they had contact?

Hopefully it’ll happen today or tomorrow! Some areas have invested in bigger contact tracing teams, others rely more on the national/ regional.

@DoesSheDoesntShe

He will also have to go off the date given by TT which will be from his friends positive test.

Not the day they had contact?

It should be from day of contact as thats the last time they saw each other and he was exposed to potential covid

Sometimes you just get a text from test and trace.

@DoesSheDoesntShe

He will also have to go off the date given by TT which will be from his friends positive test.

Not the day they had contact?

Hope they have updated it but with my DS and nursery bubble bursting it was from the date of the positive test result of contact not date of exposure.

When we got covid it was date of symptoms onset or positive test result in March this year. But the Scottish system is different from the English system in terms of track and trace (Scotland it's NHS run England its private company run)

In Scotland it's Test and Protect
It would be stupid to do it from the positive test date if they were in contact before that date

Still nothing. DS has checked and his friend gave the correct details.

Starting to think he shouldn’t have bothered!

69hrs have gone by since last contact.
Imagine if he hadn’t known.
The system relies on word of mouth and people ‘doing the right thing’ independently.

Flurry of positive cases at our school... advised all Year Group to get PCR tested, Public Health have advised no isolation necessary if no symptoms while waiting for results.

@Carpedimum

Flurry of positive cases at our school... advised all Year Group to get PCR tested, Public Health have advised no isolation necessary if no symptoms while waiting for results.

Wow. Can’t see how test and trace will cope with that!

Update.
Test and trace did not contact DS.
His friend is quite ill now and said he definitely passed on DS’s details.
So. test and trace doesn’t work.

@DoesSheDoesntShe

Update. Test and trace did not contact DS. His friend is quite ill now and said he definitely passed on DS’s details. So. test and trace doesn’t work.

Hope his friend is OK it's definitely not a nice illness if you are unlucky enough to get it badly. Can recommend his friend getting a oximeter to keep an eye on oxygen levels mine dipped massively and I never felt it (I'm 35 so older but not in the at risk age group).

Might be worth your DS getting a second test done given number of days since exposure.