The craziness of Covid... 5 days out of isolation... now back in again.

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

My other half tested positive on 6th Nov after symptoms started on the 4th. He is my support bubble. So me and my children did the full 2 weeks isolation as per the rules. On the day of his positive test, I became symptomatic. Same symptoms as his minus the loss of taste and smell (fatigue, headache, sore throat, very slight cough). I tested negative. As I was convinced it was covid, I tested again 2 days later on 8th nov. Still negative. My symptoms resolved after 4 days, and I then felt fine. So I assumed that it was just a random virus given 2 neg tests and a quick recovery.

So I went back to work last thurs 19th after my isolation ended. Today (24th) we started doing twice weekly lateral flow tests in work. Duly picked my box up this evening. Tested at home. Fucking positive.

I can not fucking believe it. I really can't. Now my partner has to isolate for 2 weeks even though he literally just had it, and is still just recovering (he still gets a bit tired and his taste isn't fully back).

Why does he need to isolate again? It's madness! I wonder if I caught it beyond the 14 day isolation period perhaps. My contact elsewhere has been minimal. It would seem home is the most likely source of infection. But then to test positive now means I likely caught it after 14 days?

The first thing will be to get a pcr test to check the lateral flow test is correct. Don’t panic until then.

I know. But the test is pretty accurate. I'm fairly sure it will come back positive now.

For actual fucks sake. My poor children. This is a nightmare.

I dont know exactly how lateral flow tests work but it is certainly possible to test positive on the pcr tests just after you've had COVID as the test picks up on bits of dead virus that you're still shedding. I would assume that you did catch COVID from your dh and are still shedding.

Sympathy. My family were in self isolation for 5 weeks during the first lockdown as the virus passed from one to another.

I sympathise as my one son has spent 8 weeks in isolation since September due to cases at school and now 10 more days as he went back to school briefly and caught Covid!

I asked the local public health official if this would now mean he was exempt from future self isolations due to school, but he said no, because they don't know enough about immunity/reinfection.

It's shit. It really is.

Did you see him after 4th?

My son is at the end of his 4 weeks of isolation with a 4 day gap in the middle - I thought it would be awful - he’s a high energy child . Apart from the odd wobble he’s been stoic and worked hard in home school - we’ve made and eaten a lot of cup cakes ! Good luck OP - I hope too your children will cope better than you think

Get a pcr test. Regardless, I would not be asking OH to isolate if he’s had it and is better.

Already had the PCR first thing this morning.

Lost my sense of smell by lunch time. So I'm pretty certain I now have it - and that I didn't have it until now rather than testing positive for some time after an asymptomatic infection.

No other symptoms still. Just the loss of smell. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't gave the washing a sniff after I'd forgotten about it in the machine. Couldn't smell anything at all. I can still taste though.

My son has autism and adhd, so he really doesn't cope well. We are not coping with home learning. Cupcakes might be beyond his patience right now 🥴.

Just glad we got his birthday out the way on Monday.

oh dear sorry to hear. That is really rubbish.

That said I really don't think your OH will have to isolate as clearly he was the first person in your bubble to get it.

I think there are cases where people developed it beyond the 14 days - 14 days isolation is just a practical guideline for what will be beneficial to wider public health in preventing most contacts from passing it on.

Hope you are ok OP.

Ah, that's really tough all round OP, hope you're not too poorly with it.

You say you went back to work last Thursday though so surely more likely you caught it at work rather than home after 14 days?