Husband's colleague tested positive for Covid

[Hocuspocusandfairies]

Please can people advise me. My husband works in a college and a colleague of his has tested positive for Covid today. My husband worked with him last Monday, in the same room but not too close to each other. Should he be self isolating?

He's spoken with his manager who has said all the people that need to self isolate have been informed so he does not need to. Do I need to tell my children's school? Sorry for all of the questions but I'm worried. Having anxiety doesn't help either.

This happened to my bf and was told unless he is within 2meters for longer than 15minutes or is showing symptoms then he shouldn't need to isolate. Just needs to watch out for symptoms. I believe the gov website confirms this too.

I think it's rubbish personally, my bf was 3meters away all day and shared kitchen facilities and door handles but that doesn't count

Not if he was with him 7 days ago. As far as I know it’s the 48 hours previous.

It's past 48 hours that counts so if his result was today, his test was yesterday (Sunday) so first symptoms maybe Friday meaning the cut off point was Wednesday.

My husband also worked with colleagues who tested positive but he's NHS and had to carry on working as he had no symptoms. He didn't get it.

Only if he saw them in the 48 hours prior to them starting with symptoms does he need to isolate.

For what it's worth I spent all evening with someone who tested positive on Saturday on Tuesday, they started with symptoms on friday so I dont need to isolate but am lucky that I can work from home so will be isolating as I'm not sure the virus knows whether its 10.30pm or midnight..

On Jeremy vine this morning on channel 5 dr Sarah Jarvis said that you need to isolate for two weeks regardless

Situation was....

Person A had friend (B) over for a coffee a week ago, friend (b) then tested positive the day after of meeting

Person A needed to isolate for a week more only, as it had already been a week since last in contact, person A disputed and said they took a test as soon as she knew the person was positive, took a test but that was negative, but the dr said it doesn't matter as you can still brew it up to days 12/13 before showing positive

She said this is the reason why there more outbreaks as people aren't following the rules for isolation

(although they are pretty confusing)

Have a look on catch up on channel five

Thanks everyone, sorry for delay getting back you you all. I spoke with school and they said unless my husband had to self isolate which he doesn't then they can continue going to school. I'm not happy with it to be honest.

Depends on if he's a close contact.

And it's 48 hours before start of symptoms, or date of test if no known symptoms.

Close contact is 15 minutes at closer than 2m.

Even if your dh has to isolate your children would still be able to go to school. They would only have to isolate if your dh had symptoms or tested positive.

And there's no guarantee he would get it even if closer, so don't worry too much. I tested positive last week and as yet dh and 18y dd have remained symptom free despite living with me all that time and being in close contact before and since.

None of my colleagues or pupils at school have had to isolate as none are classed as close contacts based on PHE's assessment.

Cake for breakfast

That's only applicable if the husband is a confirmed close contact.

48 hours is the rule. A friend's son got ill Sunday night into Monday. Got tested and was positive. Phe said because it had been 48 hours between him being in school on Friday and symptoms starting nobody in his school needed to isolate.

Depends when symptoms started. It’s the 48hours before that where you can be contagious.

Yes, if you were with someone the day before they tested positive, that’s the 48 hours, so you should isolate, the channel 5 example. But that’s not the case here.

Thanks for the reassurance. As he was in contact with his colleague about 8 days ago I'm feeling much more confident.