Do I self isolate? How long ago was it "safe" that I was with this person?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Me and a friend had dinner together on Friday. We shared a taxi home (friend in from seat, out first, me in the rear, home second). Aside from the taxi we were 2m apart the whole time.

Friend has had a positive result today. They were not exhibiting any symptoms at all on Friday. Their dh was poorly but not with any Covid symptoms. Their dh tested positive on Tuesday (having subsequently developed symptoms). Friend tested yesterday with no symptoms (why!?) As she obviously lives with a positive case.

So.

How far back do contacts go? Do I need to self isolate?

You only have to self isolate if you’re contacted by track and trace. They work out previous contacts. I think it’s who she was with in the 48 hours preceding the positive result so sounds like you’re in the clear.

I think it’s 48hours before symptoms.

Ah ok 48 hours before is good to know.

When did her DH show symptoms?

As she doesn't have symptoms I think T&T will take it from 48 hours before her test. So although you probably won't be told to isolate, you probably have been exposed so I would still behave as if you were infectious.

I'm not saying stay at home, but definitely observe social distancing, wear a mask, and if you have any symptoms (headache, sore throat, stomach upsets as well as the main symptoms) then get tested.

It’s always more complicated when someone doesn’t have symptoms, but the official rule is that they look back in the 48 hours prior to the test and trace those contacts. If she had had symptoms, it would have been the 48 hours prior to her symptoms starting.

Obviously it’s impossible to know at what stage of her infection she tested - so as I say it’s always more difficult in these cases.

My friend is also having a similar issue. He was contact today by someone he had coffee with last Wednesday to say that he's tested positive. However the other person was tested abroad and didn't have symptoms. So T&T doesn't apply.

No its 14 days from exposure..so if you are exposed on Friday your 14 days started on Friday. Yes you should isolate. Don't necessarily wait for a phonecall.

They go back 48 hours before symptoms started or in the absence of symptoms its 48 hours before swab test. If people are swanning around after their swab has been taken (as some do ) all contacts and locations are taken up until the person isolates.

If you were within 48 hours of symptoms you should isolate, more than 48 and you don't. Hope your friend gets well soon

She has no symptoms. She tested because her dh was +ve which I know isn't the right way to do things.

I've not been in contact with him. I was in contact with her Fri. She tested Tues. No symptoms.

So you are not considered a contact OP, and have no need to self isolate.

I missed that she had no symptoms (skim reading, I'm such a tool) technically you don't need to.

Strictly by the rules (since they're a bit arbitrary) you don't have to isolate.

However - there is a good chance you have been exposed, so bear that in mind during your interactions.

Thankfully I'm WFH but I do have small dc at school so school runs are happening - 2m distance at the gate is happening.

Why should she not have got a test? Anyone I know who is a close contact of a positive case has got a test. If you don't find out, then you cannot advise your contacts that they need to isolate.

Can you not just get a test, or am I missing something? This is all so confusing.

@Slightlybrwnbanana

Why should she not have got a test? Anyone I know who is a close contact of a positive case has got a test. If you don't find out, then you cannot advise your contacts that they need to isolate.

Since the government haven't provided enough testing capacity, they are telling close contacts to only get tested if they have symptoms.

So although you probably won't be told to isolate, you probably have been exposed so I would still behave as if you were infectious.
I'm not saying stay at home, but definitely observe social distancing, wear a mask
Mippi how can you say act as if infectious in one sentence, and then say go out and about in the next!

@penpotted

Can you not just get a test, or am I missing something? This is all so confusing.

You can only get a test if you have symptoms, and getting a negative test doesn't mean you don't have to self-isolate anyway.

Ah, maybe it's different in Scotland then. I think there isn't as much of a shortage.

Name change as could be outing. I was told in a discussion with NHS staff and microbiologists studying covid cases that they are most commonly seeing that within 24-48 hours of contact you will begin to be contagious and then start showing symptoms 5 days from then.

@Slightlybrwnbanana

*So although you probably won't be told to isolate, you probably have been exposed so I would still behave as if you were infectious. I'm not saying stay at home, but definitely observe social distancing, wear a mask* Mippi how can you say act as if infectious in one sentence, and then say go out and about in the next!

If you haven't been instructed to self-isolate then you aren't going to be allowed time off work and all that kind of thing - so people aren't going to have much choice but to continue as normal.

She was lucky to actually get a test!!!

No she shouldn't have got a test, under the rules she should have self isolated.

The incubation period is up to 14 days.

1. She could have caught it but not been far enough along to test positive yet
2. She could easily catch it over the next week plus of him being infected so waste of a test
3. Tests are in short supply and given her DH was ill, as a family member she should isolate for 14 days from first onset of his symptoms anyway so unless she suddenly became ill and needed a diagnosis, what help would it give?

It's truly not confusing if you bother to read the actual guidance and not just guesstimate.

@TheAnchor that's what the published research says - openly available information.