Apologies - It’s an urgent LFT question - So confused.

[Rowan10]

Sorry for posting in AIBU but was hoping for a quick response.

I’m aware I should probably know the answer to this already but looking at the government guidelines has confused me even more ! We’ve been extremely lucky and this is the first time there’s been any contact (knowingly anyway) with anyone who might be positive throughout the whole pandemic.

My Dd was out celebrating exam results last night. I picked her up and we had big hugs when she got in. This morning she has had a message from a friend she was sitting next to all evening, that they’ve had a positive LFT this morning so have booked a PCR for later today.

Dd has done a LFT and it’s negative. She’s supposed to be going into work at 10am (works in a pub) and I’m supposed to be visiting my Mum in her care home (first time in 3 weeks) this morning. We have to do a LFT when we get there.

The guidelines look as though they are saying you don’t have to isolate until the friend has had a positive PCR but is this right??

I so want to see my vulnerable mum but obviously wouldn’t do anything that might be a risk to her and Dd isn’t sure what to do about going in to work.

Please don’t get too cross if I’m being thick, just want to do whatever is the right thing to do.

I think your DD needs to wait until her friend has her PCR result but you are OK to see your mum.

We closed school bubbles on LFTs. I think you need to isolate.

If the friend had a positive lft then the chances are the PCR will also be positive. I think you need to decide if it’s worth taking the risk of seeing an elderly person under these circumstances.
Your daughter is probably fine but you can’t really know that and it’s about calculating risk.

I'm not sure about your DD, I know that schools were sending classes home when staff tested positive on an LFT until they had had a PCR test, but I don't know if that applies to the public too.
With regards to you, you haven't had close contact with someone with symptoms or a positive test so you can carry on as normal.

Your dd should isolate until her friend gets the result. If it's positive she should be contacted by test and trace and will need to isolate for 10 days.

You weren't in close contact with the friend so you won't need to isolate at all unless you develop symptoms

You don't need to isolate as contact of a contact. Your daughter probably doesn't have to isolate legally until the PCR result but morally should probably contact her employer and ask them what they want her to do.

Your daughter should isolate 10 days from now. You don’t need to

You don't have to isolate until the friend gets a positive PCR.

But positive LFT aren't common so you should assume friend is positive.

If DD only saw friend she don't have developed the virus yet (if she's going to) so you'd be ok to see your mum today I'd think.

Most common day for symptoms to appear is day 5 so keep a close eye on DD then

Good luck

Your daughter technically will only have to isolate (not you) when her friend receives a positive PCR test result. However a positive LFT is a strong indicator that she is indeed positive! So morally it's up to you. I wouldn't let her visit anyone elderly/vulnerable.

I think it would be difficult from the virus to "jump" from your daughter's friend to your daughter to you in such a short period of time and for you to be infectious.

The virus takes some time to "brew".

But to answer your question:
Your daughter should contact her line manager who can then advise in line with their policy. I hope they would tell her to stay at home.

Your options are to:

1. To do nothing and attend. You have not had any contact with the positive person.
2. Attend but take a lateral flow test before you leave the house
3. Call the care home and ask for advice.

No. The isolation rules changed. The person with the LFT isolates pending a PCR. Everyone else goes about their business.

Legally you only have to isolate if contacted by track and trace.

The right thing to do is for your daughter not to go into work today as it is likely the PCT will be positive.
Your situation is difficult. You don’t need to isolate and the chances of you carrying covid are minuscule if you have showered and are wearing clean clothes but the consequence of covid in a care home are huge... many would just take no chances

Thank you so much for the replies. I really appreciate it. Obviously I want to do the right thing morally and legally.

Dd has contacted her manager and has been told not to go in and book a PCR test.

Reading through the guidelines again I think I would be ok to visit mum. But I’m not sure I am prepared to risk it even though it’s very unlikely I would be carrying the virus yet (if at all).

I went through the same situation last week. My friend’s dd tested positive and I was with my friend a few hours before the result.

I rang 119 for their advice and was told as long as my friend had a negative lft result I was okay to carry on with my plans but if she tested positive I should stay at home.
She obviously had to isolate whatever her result as she was a close contact.

In your case I think you are fine to visit your mum today as the virus has not had enough time to go through your dd and you yet for you to be contagious. Your dd needs to ring her work to see what they say.

You can ring 119 for advice as I found them really helpful.

Guidance is quite clear - your daughter does need to isolate until her friend gets her PCR result, but your daughter should not get a PCR test unless she starts with symptoms.

You are not a close contact of the positive case, so you do not need to isolate OR get a PCR test, unless you or your daughter get symptoms.

Your daughter should isolate but technically does not need to until the friend’s pcr comes back positive.
Her boss should not be letting her back to work for 10 days unless the friend is negative. If your dd does a test today it is very unlikely to be positive but in 3-5 days it could well be.

You just carry on as usual unless your dd becomes positive. Daily LFTs might be a good idea though.

Your daughters manager has given her incorrect information, yes, she has to isolate but she does not need to get a PCR unless she has symptoms.

@Rowan10

Thank you so much for the replies. I really appreciate it. Obviously I want to do the right thing morally and legally.

Dd has contacted her manager and has been told not to go in and book a PCR test.

This is wrong though isn’t it? Your DD shouldn’t book a PCR test now or unless she develops symptoms. It’s too soon after contact to be meaningful anyway.

Does the care home have a garden where you can meet your mum? I don’t think there is any chance of you being positive/ infectious so soon after a contact of a contact but I would still feel worried about it.

@PinkTonic no, you can now get a PCR test as a close contact, even without symptoms.

There is no point in your daughter having a pcr test as there hasn't been time for the virus to incubate, even if she picked it up lat night. And there's absolutely no way she could have given it to you because she can't pass it on if she hasn't incubated it.

You are no risk to your mum today. So go and see her. Obviously if your daughter does develop it and lives with you, you won't be able to see your mum then, so take advantage of the safe window today.

Definitely do not visit your mum, even if the risk is low. Covid in a care home is devastating. There have been 3 outbreaks in my mum's care home. She contracted it and nearly died, she is now living with diabetes and other long Covid symptoms and many of the residents unfortunately did die

It is really not worth the risk

@DingDongDenny

Definitely do not visit your mum, even if the risk is low. Covid in a care home is devastating. There have been 3 outbreaks in my mum's care home. She contracted it and nearly died, she is now living with diabetes and other long Covid symptoms and many of the residents unfortunately did die

It is really not worth the risk

It's not a low risk. It's no risk at all. There is no way that DD can have transmitted anything to her mum last night. It's scientifically impossible.

Today is a safe window for OP to see her mum in case DD does develop the virus over the next couple of days