14 days off school!

[angieloumc]

My 16 yo DD has only just had her first full week back into sixth form. Had a call yesterday (Saturday) letting me know that a student who she had come into contact with had been confirmed as having Covid, she has to stay off for 14 days and be tested if she gets symptoms.
As teenagers do she went on social media and now knows who the other student who has the virus, he's on the periphery of her friendship group but she may have been fairly near him at some point. The DC wear masks in between lessons (corridors, public areas) but do not have to wear them in the common room though my DD does. There are approximately 20 students now staying off. Quite unhappy about it but obviously see that she does have to stay off and will be working her hard!
My questions are two fold, sorry if I'm being a bit dense. First of all; do I need to self isolate? DD has no symptoms so far.
Secondly; if all goes well and she goes back to school on Oct 5th, then say, another student who she has been in contact with tests positive, will she have to isolate again?
Many thanks for any help.

You don't need to isolate unless she has symptoms.
Yes, I'm afraid if she's in contact with someone who tests positive on the 6th October once returned, then yes, isolating again
So much disruption ahead.

Shitfuckoh many thanks for your reply. Good to know I don't need to isolate. Yes it is very disruptive, I'm hoping it will only be the once but I'm sure it won't be.

To answer your questions, no you don't need to isolate and yes she would have to isolate again.
It's rubbish but it is what it is. We need to book tests tomorrow, I know DS only has a cold, the same one 4 people in his class have tested negative for but he's coughing so we'll all have to stay home until the negative result comes through, presuming we can book a test.

Also it's worth knowing that if he has no symptoms in 5 days he probably doesn't have covid.

Your second point it the main problem with schools opening under the current government guidance because yes, if it's deemed she's a close contact to that other person, she'll have to isolate again.

blibblibs thank you. Like you say, it is what it is, nothing that can be done.
My DS 22 was due to start his MA away at uni but his date has been pushed back so he is going to work with her to help her definitely keep up. Fortunately he did all three same A levels.
I hope your DS feels better soon.

Yes it is problematic. DD does keep her mask on as much as possible but even so we both understand why she has to be off.
Just minutes ago we found out that a student in Y10 has also been confirmed with it so there will be more isolating too.
Fortunately there are two sites for her grammar school; Y7, 8 and 9 in one, the remainder on the site she's at, so fingers crossed it might not pass to the younger ones, it hasn't as yet.,

Assuming you're not in a local lockdown area in Scotland (obviously not as 6th form/grammar school) you're ok. I'm not aware of any special rules for lockdown areas in England though.

No not in Scotland but we're in a local lockdown area in West Yorkshire. Our postcode came out of it a couple of weeks ago but all our city's postcodes are going back into it. This is despite, for example, my postcode only has 4 cases in the past week whereas another postcode on the other side of the city has more than six times that.

@notevenat20

Also it's worth knowing that if he has no symptoms in 5 days he probably doesn't have covid.

this is entirely why I think 14 days isolation is pointless, seeing how long it's taking to get tested and results back its probably been around 5 days since the person who tested positive last had contact with others , assuming they isolated as soon as symptoms started of course. But schools and colleges then insist on sending home lots of children for another 14 days when it's already been several days since they last had contact with the positive person and meanwhile carried on their normal business. Its too disruptive and meaningless by that point.

Ah that's lovely she can study with her brother. Should keep her well motivated. Crossing fingers for her return.

@Concerned7777

It's 14 days because the incubation period for Covid-19 is a range. Five days is simply an average with, statistically, a significant number of people not showing signs until after five days, some well after.

It also helps to 'catch' those who are asymptomatic and would transmit the virus with a higher frequency if they returned after five days rather than fourteen.

It's also why we can't employ a 'test and back' system because you can test negative and still actually be incubating the virus. That's before we even look at the problem of false negatives.

OP, I feel your concerns. My 14 year old was sent home due to a positive case in one options class.

We are in a lockdown area, there are several cases now in achool and at his twin's secondary school and I fear that just as school starts for him again that he will be sent back.

It's disruptive and disadvantages children, especially in high risk areas

@angieloumc

No not in Scotland but we're in a local lockdown area in West Yorkshire. Our postcode came out of it a couple of weeks ago but all our city's postcodes are going back into it. This is despite, for example, my postcode only has 4 cases in the past week whereas another postcode on the other side of the city has more than six times that.

Is having data for your own postcode something you get in a local lockdown area? I know my post code covers my whole street but 4 cases would be a lot even for that number of residents.

[quote Iamnotthe1]@Concerned7777

It's 14 days because the incubation period for Covid-19 is a range. Five days is simply an average with, statistically, a significant number of people not showing signs until after five days, some well after.

It also helps to 'catch' those who are asymptomatic and would transmit the virus with a higher frequency if they returned after five days rather than fourteen.

It's also why we can't employ a 'test and back' system because you can test negative and still actually be incubating the virus. That's before we even look at the problem of false negatives.[/quote]
Shouldn't the 14 days be from last contact with the positive person and not 14 days from test result? Theres a gap of quite a few days between the 2. Real life example child starts with a temperature on Sunday night , couldn't get a test appointment was sent out a postal test got a negative result on the Friday. Had that result been positive his class/bubble would have been sent home to isolate for 14 days despite not having contact with said child since the previous friday and all carrying on as normal the prev 7 days between contact and result, the process doesn't work

Sorry lifesalongsong I meant postcode area eg EH1 as opposed to EH1 2AA (that's a made up one) or yes, it would have been a large number.
Hopefully she will keep motivated, I think her brother will force it haha. Some of her friends are talking about her much Netflix they'll be watching, and I'm saying, not you missy 🙂
On a more serious note, yes it is very disruptive, it's the contact hours I worry about though.