Rules seem odd

[ThinkAboutItTomorrow]

Our nanny is taking a test today and the more I've looked at the rules the more I struggle with them.

1. If the test is negative she has to stay isolated. But she's taking the test because of symptoms. Surely if you've got symptoms and it is Covid the viral load will be enough to be picked up in the test? So a negative test means you have other flu. What's the likelihood you have flu and are asymptomatic for Covid / incubating Covid?

1. If she tests positive we self isolate but don't test unless we have symptoms. So that's lots of people (the whole class) who won't be notified. We've been to Lapland UK this weekend (first 'thing' we've done in months!). I feel bad that we could have been asymptomatic and passed it to other people who won't have a clue and then go off and see older relatives over Christmas.

I know they have to manage test volume and prioritise. They also need to balance sending everyone into isolation with the world still turning but the gaps seem silly.

“If the test is negative she has to stay isolated. “

Where did you see that? I’m fairly sure it’s not true, although if she has eg a temperature she should be staying away from people anyway.

That’s not right - if she has symptoms, gets tested and it’s negative then she does not still have to isolate.

It is correct that if she was positive you isolate but don’t yet unless you develop symptoms. Tests are less likely to pick up pre or asymptomatic cases and in any event you would still have to isolate. Can you imagine the chaos if close contacts had to inform close contacts... where would it end?? So I think it’s absolutely right that people are only notified if you have a positive test.

Thank you for clarifying. So if she tests negative and feels better in 2-3 days she can come back to work? That's good news.

I think if you are notified a close contact is positive you should have to test. As well as isolate in case it's a false negative. But at least if you pick up a positive test you can stop a domino effect.

@ThinkAboutItTomorrow
Testing close contacts at the start of an isolation period doesn't work as it is unlikely that the virus would be picked up at that stage even if they had been infected. People are typically most likely to pass the virus on in the 24 hours before developing symptoms and it will then take several days before the virus is detectable (or contagious) in those that it has been passed to.

Thanks, that makes sense. It also sounds sensible enough to work to stop the virus without so many other restrictions. Good to know we haven't been out and about spreading this weekend.

I guess that means there's a lot of asymptomatic transfer going on from people totally oblivious. And also lots not following the rules.

I think the issue is that the tests need a certain amount of virus particles to produce a positive result. So someone can be positive but not yet have enough viral particles to be detected as positive.
Thus why if you read some of the threads on the Coronavirus board you will see mention of having a negative test and then some days later being tested again and being positive.