Do people get tests when asked to self isolate (if they don't have symptoms themselves).

[Nonagoninfinity]

I'm hoping someone wise can help answer a question I've been asked to look into.

In a scenario where you have been identified as a contact by track and trace and told to self isolate - is there an option to get a test (even if you don't have symptoms) and if the result is negative then you can come out of isolation.

My understanding is that you can't and everything I've read says that you should only get a test if you have symptoms.

Am I reading it right do you think?

Ps this is only a hypothetical question; no one I know has currently been contacted. I'm not looking for loopholes (far from it). I just want to make sure I give the right advice if I'm asked the question. Thank you

is there an option to get a test (even if you don't have symptoms) and if the result is negative then you can come out of isolation.

No.

Thanks - that's what I thought!

Wow. It’s different in Ireland. If you’ve been identified as a close contact t if a confirmed case you will be offered a test.

No. And there is no point in offering tests because they don't pick up cases still in the incubation period as almost all contacts should still be at the point of test and trace getting in touch.

No, you still need to isolate for the 14 days as the test doesn’t really tell you anything, just that it’s not coming up positive at that point. In places where there is an outbreak they may test people without symptoms to get a better idea of the spread, but generally speaking you only test with symptoms.!

The test just tells you that you are negative at that point but you could still be incubating it for up to 14 days after contact so it could be a false negative

Thanks all. That makes complete sense and was how I had interpreted it.I feel better now knowing I wasn't completely missing something

As I understand it (and I have had an experience of this happening with a close contact of my son's), Test and Trace do ask close contacts to get tested now - but not so that they can come out of isolation, more so that they can control its spread (as if a close contact tests positive, their close contacts can be tested and asked to isolate, increasing the ability to stop it spreading further).