Can a negative test stop self isolation?

[notevenat20]

DD’s class was recently sent home for 14 days and told to self isolate (infected teacher). I can see this happening regularly for DC. If we got them tested and it was negative, would they then be free to leave the house? I feel I should know this so apologies if everyone else knows it already.

No. Because the infection could develop the following day. The test only confirms if you have it that day.

No, because negative today doesn't mean negative tomorrow.

I thought you were only meant to get a test if you have symptoms?

Ah ok. So the risk is that you would give a negative test for 13 days and on the 14 test positive?

No. Even if you have a negative test you are required to self isolate for the remainder of the 14 days

Firstly, you self-isolate for 14 days to allow time for your own symptoms to develop if they are going to.

Secondly, a person who is self-isolating only ges tested if they are showing symptoms.

Exposure to positive person = self-isolate for 14 days.
No symptoms = no test.
No exceptions.

I did see on the news last night that they may reduce the time to 7 days of isolating, a little light at the end of the tunnel for parents with kids in school!

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander

I thought you were only meant to get a test if you have symptoms?

That’s with the NHS. The OP’s child can get a private test.

What they all said.

I now know several people who have developed CV symptoms and subsequently tested positive on day 12/13/14 of self-isolating post contact with a positive case.

The OP’s child can get a private test.

Yes that was what I was thinking about.

I did see on the news last night that they may reduce the time to 7 days of isolating, a little light at the end of the tunnel for parents with kids in school!

I would fully support that.

Bit there's no point in a private test. You (the child) has to do the 14 days (at the moment).

@PhylisPrice

I did see on the news last night that they may reduce the time to 7 days of isolating, a little light at the end of the tunnel for parents with kids in school!

Yeas, but I hope they tell the virus to reduce the number of days it's allowed to be infectious for!

It's an incubation period, it is what it is, not what's convenient

It's an incubation period, it is what it is, not what's convenient

Purely scientifically (ignoring the question of whether more people would comply with a shorter period) there is a percentage of people who will ever show symptoms who will show symptoms after x days. This increases up to about 97.5% I think at 12 days. So the question is what percentage are we comfortable with. There is no god provided cutoff time.

I think it would help compliance if the self isolation period was reduced, France have reduced it to 7 days, approx 96% will have developed symptoms by then.

@notevenat20

I did see on the news last night that they may reduce the time to 7 days of isolating, a little light at the end of the tunnel for parents with kids in school!

I would fully support that.

I'm sure you would, but you don't seem to understand the concept of incubation period, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Most people show symptoms on days 4-7, but they can still show symptoms in days 8-14 (and beyond, but it's far less common)

Getting a test only shows that day, not whether you are infectious after that or not.

Cutting it to 7 days might seem ideal if you just any your kid at school. Far less so if you care about cutting down the transmission and passing it on to more vulnerable people and that's not just the very elderly.

I tested negative on day 3, tested positive on day 6.

If you are isolating because you yourself have symptoms, you (and your household) can end isolation on receipt of a negative test provided no-one else in the house also has symptoms.

However, if you are isolating because of contact with a positive case (which is your situation) you must isolate for 14 days regardless of the outcome of the test.

No, she still needs to isolate for 14 days.

@vjg13

I think it would help compliance if the self isolation period was reduced, France have reduced it to 7 days, approx 96% will have developed symptoms by then.

Yes & look at the state they're in..

France hits record 52,010 daily Covid cases

Hardly an advert for dropping the length of isolation is it?

What @ginberry4 said!!

@notevenat20

It's an incubation period, it is what it is, not what's convenient

Purely scientifically (ignoring the question of whether more people would comply with a shorter period) there is a percentage of people who will ever show symptoms who will show symptoms after x days. This increases up to about 97.5% I think at 12 days. So the question is what percentage are we comfortable with. There is no god provided cutoff time.

I hadn't noted your user name, now I have, I realise that we're wasting our time.

I think France’s high case rates is more to do with the lack of limits on sizes of groups socialising. Aren’t they allowing weddings for 100 people? Plus people weren’t complying at all with the 14 days isolation.

There’s a massive issue with compliance. It’s true that 96% of people will develop symptoms within 7 days. Average is 4.5 days. By forcing people to do another 7 days (and probably not comply with the whole thing) you’re only catching another 4%. We need to take a balanced view of this. Current compliance is 20% or something ridiculous. This will go down the more times people are asked to do week stints.

I support the reduction.

I’m sure you would, but you don't seem to understand the concept of incubation period, so

It’s probably not wise to assume that everyone who disagrees with you is an idiot.

As I explained above, the chances of showing symptoms by day x (if you are ever going to show symptoms and have in fact been infected) increase until around day 12 when it’s about 97.5%. I haven’t got the figures for when you test positive in front of me but in general it is similar it’s most likely at around day 5.

So we have to choose what cutoff to set for self isolation. Longer is safer but also reduces the number of people who comply. In France they tried 14 days but quickly realised that only 20% of people were complying. They then reduced it to 7 which seems to be working.

@Delatron

I completely agree.