I'm sure this has been asked before - covid tests

[thisusernameismine]

So the test is apparently useless unless you have one of the 3 main symptoms. How do we know about asymptomatic cases then?!

I've had very close contact with a friend this week who's tested positive. I now have a sore throat and want to get tested as if I don't physically go to work I don't get paid.

Surely the test will work?

Problem is you have to isolate now whether or not you get a negative test, as you were a close contact. (assuming contact was less than 48 hours from her onset of symptoms)

Have you got a source?

That would make all the testing to travel abroad pointless, if it’s true.

It's not useless. It just doesn't get you off of self isolation if it's negative. That has to last for two weeks regardless.

It doesn't stop the test working! Just that PHE has decided only to test people or make them isolate with one of the three symptoms.

Loads of people have tested positive with no symptoms or just a runny nose or sore throat.

It's not useless if you don't have one of the three "main" symptoms, they are just the major ones which the NHS uses to try and target testing where it's most likely to be needed.

The point for you is that you have to isolate for 14 days as you could be incubating the virus. That could be the cause of your sore throat or you could develop covid on day 13.

Who says the test doesn't work for a symptomatic cases? It does! See article below.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/198833/whole-town-study-reveals-more-than-40/

You have to isolate either way. You could test negative today and then be positive tomorrow. 14 day isolation don't end with a negative test. That's only if you haven't had known contact with a positive case but have one of the three symptoms.

Getting a positive or negative test doesn't actually make any difference for you, you have to isolate either way. Tests work on those who have sufficient virus to be detectable; early stage someone might not have enough detectable virus. Leave it a day or two, the sore throat might just be a cold. If you start to get one of the 3 main symptoms then you can go for a test.

Last had contact with this person on Tuesday so if I got a test it wouldn't be until a week after seeing her.

Advice online is conflicting as it says unless you've been contacted by track and trace you just have to socially distance. She told me directly so I won't be hearing from them.

Husband and DC showing no signs. All temps are normal, it's just a slightly sore throat for me (really hoping that's all it is) but I looked after her newborn for an hour earlier this week, with baby in the sling the whole time and my friend saw all three of us here.

Why won't you be hearing from them, are you saying that your friend actively lied to Test and Trace?

Don't think she's spoke to them yet so no, not lying. I haven't got the app yet but then I've not been in contact with anyone but her (and my family) since that day.

My household family that is. Thankfully I cancelled a play date later in the week due to a late grocery delivery!

Ask her, has she given your details and make sure she does. Then you get the official confirmation to tell you that you need to isolate. You don't need to make this harder by fretting about not being contacted when she can just supply your details like she's supposed to!

Okay will do that but I think it would be silly to assume they wouldn't contact me given I literally had her newborn tied to me for an hour and saw her either side of that (didn't hug or anything but she was in my house).

As an aside, I'm sorry to sound so utterly thick on this but haven't had to face this particular issue before - I cannot believe if I test negative (thinking if I develop a symptom before the test) I still have to isolate for two weeks. This is a massive loss of income.

My DC had a high temp about 3 weeks ago and we did a covid test (had to pay privately £150 as had no NHS available 😡) which was negative and we could resume our lives.

I know a lot of people have it worse but will be so pissed off if I have it. I still wipe down the delivered shopping FFS.

Having contact with a positive case makes you much more likely to catch covid, sorry but you have to isolate to wait and see. Can either of you work from home?

I put together this list of support sites, check the financial links to see what support you can get (SSP etc): www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4030369-Links-to-support-sites-isolating-quarantine-financial-long-covid-etc.

No I can't work from home, I teach classes in person and if I'm not there I don't get paid. I've got cover for my classes tomorrow - not happy about it at all tbh.

Thank you @MRex

Given that you saw her on Tuesday, you're only isolating just over a week, but it's inconvenient for sure. Same as everyone else who is a contact of a positive case though.

Check the links to find out if you're due any money, rather than assuming you aren't.

Should I be distancing from my toddler?! How is that possible, she's all over me. So worried now.

I was babysitting while my friend went to an appointment. Does that mean that small business has to close for a couple of weeks? What about the nursery where her child goes?

No, you should not try to distance from a toddler, even if they catch it they are usually fine. You'd do her much more harm behaving oddly around her.

The nursery - no, only her child needs to isolate and they only close a bubble if the child tests positive. It's unlikely that any nursery workers were near enough to get for long enough to need to isolate, but just those staff members if so.

The small business - it depends how long she was there and what mitigations they have such as masks / screens. PHE will advise them.