To ask how long you are infectious with corona virus

[Somethingsosimple]

Sorry to start a new thread on corona. Sat here at an after school club and a mother has just walked in. Several people have remarked that they hadn’t seen her for a while. She said she had been in Italy and had been unwell so had self isolated for a 2 weeks. She didn’t consult her gp. Said 111 was too busy! Said she had fly like symptoms. Is there any possibility that she is infectious? She seems ok and is not coughing. I’m slightly stressed.

I don't know that anyone has the definitive answer to that yet. Usually with viruses, you are at your most infectious before you get ill when it is incubating and when you first get symptoms. That is because the virus is multiplying. therefore the higher the concentration of the virus in your body, the more you shed. As your immune system fights off the infection, your symptoms get better and the amount of the virus in your body decreases therefore you shed the virus less ie you are less infectious. If she has recovered totally and has no symptoms, she is unlikely to have the virus in her system still and be infectious, particularly if she has been better for a few days.

Advice is to self isolate for 2 weeks (see Government and WHO websites). She has done so. Having a bit of a cough is not the same as having covid19

We've moved this over to our Coronavirus topic!

goingoverground thank you for your post that was really easy for my dense brain to process and understand!!

So many coughs at the minute, it’s just that time of year. I was at the soft play this morning and the amount of sneezes and coughs was horrendous. I felt hyper aware of everyone making a noise!

They think you can be infectious for about 5 days before symptoms appear, and based on other viruses two weeks should be plenty of time to cover from exposure to symptoms.

@Chocolatedaim I just want to add the caveat that it is unlikely but not impossible. The 48 hour rule with D&V is because viruses like norovirus can still be shed in your stool for several days after you have no symptoms. In the absence of any official advice, I was offering an explanation to put the OP's mind at rest that it is very low risk that she is still infectious if the woman is healthy and symptomless now and has been fully recovered for at least several days. The woman is being very irresponsible in not seeking medical advice though.