Would you ignore the instruction to isolate if...

[SLAW70s]

...you had Covid yourself two weeks ago and possibly started the local outbreak ?

My dd tested positive about two weeks ago but is only just back at college.

She has now been named as a close contact by someone in her friendship group and is being told to isolate by the college.

Ironically, dd was the first of a few to test positive in her bubble so was their person zero iYSWIM.

In these circumstances, would you Just ignore the instruction to isolate at home, or contact Public Health England for advice? I appreciate that she can’t go back to college until this is cleared up but I wonder what the legal position is with track and trace in these circumstances. (So far it’s only the college that have told her to isolate.)

those rules don't apply here afaik.
afaik everyone has to assume that immunity from past illness is impossible.
sorry

Purple, I really don’t mean to sound rude but have you read my OP fully? :)

And to the poster who referenced CDC- thanks, that bit about having Covid within three months would make perfect sense. Wonder if it applies in the UK...

And to the poster who referenced CDC- thanks, that bit about having Covid within three months would make perfect sense. Wonder if it applies in the UK...

I don't think it does, but it does make sense!

It’s not totally clear.

As I understand it-your dd has Covid and isolated. She went back after two weeks. During those few days she met a friend who has just tested positive.

In those circumstances, your daughter needs to isolate as a contact for two weeks.

@PurpleDaisies

Presumably this is related to a recent contact though, not back when your daughter was positive.

Exactly.

Sorry purple, perhaps it wasn’t clear. It’s a college friend from the classroom (they sit together) hence the college being the ones to advise dd. The same college bubble. Dd had it first. It’s now spread within the bubble.

When did the friend test positive? This still isn’t clear.

PurpleDaisies
*Presumably this is related to a recent contact though, not back when your daughter was positive.

Exactly.*

But the timeline indicates it’s all part of the same line of transmission IYSWIM . You say ‘back when she tested positive’ but she’s only been out of isolation a few days.

Your “it’s still the same line of transmission” assumes your daughter is immune from her positive Covid two weeks ago.

She has gone back to college and had new close contact with a person who has since tested positive. Where they got it from is irrelevant.

I’m very surprised the college hasn’t sent the whole bubble home given what you’ve said has happened with it spreading.

This bit might apply to your case although it does look like she'd need to isolate again:

If someone else in your household becomes unwell (i imagine close contact would count in the household definition but you'd need to double check)

If anyone in your household develops COVID-19 symptoms after their isolation period has ended, they shouldarrange to have a testand everyone in the household should follow the steps in this guidance again, even if they have had a positive COVID-19 test in the past

Your daughter needs to isolate.

End of.

Stop looking for a way around it.

From www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#after-the-isolation-period-has-ended

I would contact PHE. There are a few gaps in the information I've noticed. All those university students who tested positive within 14 days of leaving their family household to move to their uni household for example. All the information talked about what their household had to do but there was no mention of a previous household if they had changed households in the previous 14 days. That must have been the case for a fair number of students.

Yes purple, I’m assuming that She’s immune to reinfection within 2-3 weeks of being ill. And the cdc takes the same view.

I don’t know the other girl’s Exact time line but I do know that it’s only 26 days since dd was in college (whilst Unknowingly incubating the illness). Dd saw the girl whilst incubating Covid so if this girl took a long time to incubate then tested fairly late in her own illness then it’s technically possible that dd gave it to this very girl herself. Does that make sense??

I think the college may well be closing the whole bubble soon but initially it’s just been those seated close by.

No she definitely doesn't have to isolate but those track and trace messages are a disaster. We have had this here. First one family member got it and we all isolated then we all got it in turn with about 10 days between each infection at which point everyone including the recovered original infector got those isolation messages again. Queried the messages with 111 and track and trace and no, the early people who were infected didn't have to isolate again. If the original person had isolated every time someone else got sick he'd have been in isolation for about 8 weeks and not finished yet as more contacts continue to infect each other, each one generating a new isolation message. T&t also said that that message isn't the legally binding thing, which is why they phone to confirm.

*ScarMatty

Your daughter needs to isolate.

End of.

Stop looking for a way around it.*

Omg Marty, are your critical thinking skills always this lacking? I’m interested in debating the ambiguities of a situation that is far from clear, as Janet and Teenage Years are also helping to highlight in their useful posts.

Very interesting demented pixie- that link seems to contradict what Janet was told by PHE.

I would say bollocks to it.

No need to isolate. Maybe just avoid anything where she might get caught.

eg. Ticketed, bookable events.

The .gov link?
If a family member infects another within the 14 day isolation then the rest of the members of the family don't need to restart isolation. If the 14 days has finished and then there is a new infection then isolation does restart
I'll find the info graphic to show this:

This all depends on symptoms starting within the first 14 days of the original infection.

Actually, I revise my previous comment.

Legal position is so unclear, there’s no way any sort of prosecution or fine is ever going to be viable.

Scrap the self isolation!

She does not need to isolate

Legally the gov website stated that you isolate only if you have symptoms or are contacted by track and trace

That’s it

Yes you can say morally etc etc but legally they are the only two scenarios as stated on their website

So until track and trace contact her she’s fine

I think you know the answer.

Your DD is very unlikely to any longer be a risk to others because she just had a recent confirmed case and has now passed the infectious period. Even if it’s very short term, she will almost certainly have immunity.
The rules however, as a blunt instrument don’t account for this.
You would be breaking the rules though, so really depends if you care.

Does the letter from college count as ‘contracted by track & trace’ though?

Usually those letters are written by Public Health England?

"To those who are saying she should isolate..surely that also means that within a family bubble if 4 people in a family get in succession the person one needs to keep isolating until person 4 is better as they’re all close contacts of each other even if person one gave it to them in the first place!!"

Not if all those that get it have been self isolating since the first person had symptoms.

My DD has already had it, so no I wouldn't isolate her again if a contact gets it in the next couple of months.