Sorry for the stupid question

[flawsandceilings]

My child was told to go home from school for 2 weeks after minimal contact with a child with covid.

If I pay for a test privately and wait 5 days can they return sooner?
I've looked but guidance isn't clear on this.
It seems to say that is a household member feels unwell but subsequently tests negative they can go can go to school- is contact with a negative test different?

Yes, because they can be incubating the virus for up to 14 days before they become "positive".

Your talking about a person that feels unwell, who then tests and is negative so they can stop isolating.

Your child is a contact of somebody who was positive. They have to isolate for 14 days. They could develop Covid up to that time.

At present there is no option to shorten the 14 days following contact with a positive case. The person must isolate for 14 days from last contact with the infected person. If they become unwell and subsequently test positive they must then isolate for 10days from the day they became unwell.

There are some discussions about using testing to shorten the isolation period but at the moment these are not yet part of the process.

No. A negative test does not release you from contact isolation, as you could be incubating it

Thanks.
So frustrating.