Is my mum still contagious?

[holliem91]

I created a thread about this last week but I'm still so confused.

My mum tested positive for COVID-19 on the 17th October. She didn't have all of the typical symptoms of COVID she just had a fever and she lost her sense of taste and smell. It's now been exactly 10 days since her positive test, she says she feels absolutely fine and has done for a while but her sense of taste and smell has still gone. My dad who also tested positive on the same day and lost his sense of taste and smell has completely recovered, he can smell and taste everything fine!

I'm a single mum and I really need someone to look after my baby for a couple of hours today but I don't know if it's safe for her to have DD. There is absolutely no one else available. The typical advice is, if you're still showing symptoms then continue to isolate but I've also seen articles where research has said that your sense of taste and smell won't come back for a while after a positive test.

I can cancel what I needed to do if that's best, whilst it would be inconvenient, I'm more keen to keep me and my baby safe.

Just after some clarification from someone who perhaps knows more about this. Thank you in advance

bump!

I would say it is fine. Taste and smell can take a while to come back and cough can stay for a while too. As long as they haven't had a temp without last 48 hours

I think the trouble is nobody knows for sure. If it was me, I think I'd leave it a while longer but it is up to you. There is no exact science because all of this is new. Good luck!

10 days is not long enough I think, unless she can have a second test.

The official advice is after 10 days from positive test or first day of symptoms you can go back to work.

10 days if feeling fine. Guidance is that things like cough & smell/taste problems can linger long after no longer contagious, as long as person is well otherwise and not feeling ill you are fine after 10 days. I work in a school- if your mum was a student or a teacher she would be allowed back after 10 days providing she felt well.

Agree. It’s very unlikely they’d still be contagious 10 days after the start of symptoms. Typically, you are most infectious a couple days before & a couple days immediately after symptoms. The guidance at my DD’s nursery for example is that coughs & taste/smell may take longer to clear up, so you can resume activities after the 10 days as normal. A colleague still hasn’t got her taste back properly 3 months later! She’s been back at work the whole time, it’s just a weird post viral symptom.

10 days is what the NHS state - 10 days from onset of symptoms, or 10 days from positive test if symptoms not known.

You are free to go out and about after that and the risk of being contagious at that point is unlikely.

The only time you have to isolate longer is if you still have a temperature. If you don't then you're fine to go back to work, school, out and about, etc. The cough, lack of taste/smell, breathing etc can go on for much longer but you don't have to keep isolating for them. Some fo those symptoms can stay for weeks.

Summerhope1 Why do you think 10 days isn't long enough when that is the medical advice from the NHS, Government, etc?

if you're still showing symptoms then continue to isolate

A raised temperature is an issue but not the rest.

@Summerhope1

10 days is not long enough I think, unless she can have a second test.

What makes you think this. Do you know something that all the doctors etc who are studying this don't.?

The official guidance is 10 days which it has been.

My friend who had a positive test was still testing positive well beyond 14 days.
Like a PP says its all so new with this virus and no two cases seem to be the same and their are wide differences of opinion from the experts.

@Sweetchillijam
I read somewhere that You can still test positive weeks later but it is dead virus

NHS guidance is that you only have to isolate for longer than the ten days past your positive test if you:

Still have a temperature
Have a runny nose/sneezing
Have sickness, nausea or diarrhea

Having a cough or loss of taste or smell do not mean you're still infectious. These symptoms can last for a few months after the infection.

Thanks all for your advice! I postponed my appointment until next week just to be sure. I've heard it is one of those things that do seem to linger on. My mum certainly doesn't think she's contagious anymore and has felt absolutely fine for about a week now so it's just me worrying.

She works in a school actually but it's half term right now so I suppose if it wasn't half term she would be back at work anyway.

You've all certainly cleared this up for me, thank you very much.

@Sweetchillijam yes, this was my worry. I'm sure there was a situation where two British Citizens went on holiday to Italy and they weren't allowed to come home until their tests came back negative. They were stuck out there for a while I think. Don't quote me on that exact story though as someone told me about it, I didn't read this story myself as I try to keep away from the news etc unless it's announcement as it all worries me too much.

Judging by what people are saying though, I'll go with the majority. I didn't think she would be contagious, just wanted to clarify to be on the safe side. I'm sure it's a symptom my mums going to have for a while by the sounds of it, especially considering my dad has no symptoms at all now.

My friend who had a positive test was still testing positive well beyond 14 days.

Testing positive isn't the same as being contagious with it.

Yes I know but her work and her DS’s work
didn’t want them to go back in until they had evidence of testing negative for covid which still hasn’t happened.

Fortunately they both have decent employers and are receiving sick pay.

Having had a covid test in hospital last week the nurse told me that you can stay positive for 6 weeks but obviously not be contagious!

Sweetchillijam Hopefully the employer was also paying for private tests too for them, and not wasting the free NHS ones.