Recovered from Covid

[Jenasaurus]

If you have tested positive for COVID do you have another test to say you are negative before mixing again,returning to work etc. I am asking this because I remember Dave from the cruise, he tested positive for weeks rather than just 14 days so he wasnt allowed to leave hospital until he had a negative test.

From what I beleive is happening here is you get tested, if positive you isolate for 14 days and then if not feeling unwell you go back to work, allowed out to shop at supermarkets etc. is this correct? and could we be missing something by doing this?

I think you are confusing the quarantine time (14 days) with the recovery time.

Once you have covid you need to test negative twice to be considered recovered... that is in AUstralia, but I think the protocol is similar everywhere. On average it's taking patients 17-21 days to recover once they have tested postive... obviously some are quicker (with mild cases) and some are very ill and test positive for much longer.

However, those who have been exposed to the virus/positive person, need to quarantine for 14days to ensure they don't get sick, basically during that 14d they could test positive at any time.

Friend here in Oz was positive (but mild), got her clearance after being sick just over a week, but then nearly had a mental breakdown when told her kids quarantine period of 2 weeks started the day she was cleared... so even though they had been at home with her, they could have caught it just before she recovered, then incubated it for 2 weeks. Let alone if they got sick, then their isolation would continue until they were better.

I think people get too focused on the 2 weeks (it's just flu, take 2 weeks off work etc). If you're known to be exposed, isolate for 2 weeks, get symptoms on day 12, then further 3 weeks recovery. Then 2 more weeks isolation for any household members who might have been exposed, rinse and repeat for every household member that gets sick = months out of action and isolated.

Most people won't be tested at all though, will they? The majority will have mild to moderate symptoms, or be asymptomatic. Those people will not get tested (unless they are frontline workers?). So theoretically you could still have the active virus after your 14 day household isolation ends.

Thank you for that jenny70 I was getting it confused with quarantine.

A colleague of mine has complained to me , that one of her co workers tested positive for the virus, (NHS Office role), and has been told as she is asymptomatic she can return to work. The colleague of mine is very upset by it as she works closely with her and feels at risk.

It seems there are a lot of grey areas with this and not all places are following the same guidelines. I am fortunate to be allowed to work from home but my colleague isnt and when she told me about her co worker being asked to return as asymptomatic despite testing positive, I can see why she would have concerns.

It is worrying if there is no "clearance" testing, in Australia we are definitely doing this to make sure people haven't gotten over initial symptoms, but still have active virus in their system (well, nose and mouth, as that's where the swab tests).

I don't believe you get retested. I am frontline NHS and my 2 colleagues who were positive were not retested. One however needed more time off to recover.