Can I just clarify something...

[november90]

If I had symptoms and for a test which was negative does the rest of my house need to isolate for 14 days?

Also if my son had a cold (for example) but wasn't tested as he didn't have the 3 main symptoms and I caught the cold but displayed all symptoms and had a positive test... would my son need to isolate?

Sorry if these sound stupid questions!

If you got a negative test and they don't have any symptoms then they don't need to isolate.
If you were positive they would need to isolate for 14 days.

I had a negative test and still had to isolate, the rest of the family also had negative tests but no symptoms and they didn't have to isolate. At least that's how I interpreted the instructions.

I'm sure I heard something similar... but why isolate if the test is negative? I don't get it!

No (households don't need to isolate following a negative test) and yes (son could have just had a cold but go on to develop covid).

No of course you don’t have to isolate if you have a negative test.
But yes even if you were convinced it was your childs cold you had then you still need to get a test if you have the symptoms especially as we don’t know that much about how children display Covid

Amused to death your kids should not have tests unless they are symotomatic. Why did they get then?

You only isolate if you have symptoms and are awaiting a test, or you have a positive test result.

Anyone with a negative result does not need to isolate.

Thanks everyone!

@Torvean32 it was just an example.

If you have had a negative test you do not need to isolate, nor do members of your family unless you have been in contact with someone with covid in the last 14 days who has had a positive test.

But if subsequently to having the test you have developed symptoms (continuous cough, fever, loss of taste/smell) then you must isolate and retest - the negative only applies to that moment, it can take a week or more to have enough virus load for a test to be positive.

If you have symptoms and get a negative test then isolation can end. If you've had contact with a positive case and are isolating for 14 days with no symptoms then a negative test will not end isolation and you continue for 14 days

also in the 2nd scenario where you get a positive test after having cold symtoms then yes, everyone in your household would isolate for 14 days with the person with symptoms able to end isolation after 10 days as long as they feel well again