Question about length of contagiousness please

[BuffaloCauliflower]

My mum is currently in hospital with Covid, her first symptoms were last Monday (not a cough or temp) and she tested positive on Friday. So technically was required to isolate until yesterday. She went into hospital yesterday and was still testing positive.

Is it the case that even if you’re still testing positive you’re not longer contagious after the 10 days that’s set as the isolation period, or are you contagious as long as you’re testing positive? I feel like it can’t be the latter because then surely the guidance would be isolate until you get a negative test?

Can anyone advise? Thanks.

You stop being contagious after 7-10 days. T&t told me they don't reccomend retesting as it can some people 3 months to shed the virus so they will still test positive even though they are no longer contagious x

Hope your mum is ok .

10 days following the day of start of symptoms or positive test if no symptoms. If you still have temp after 10 days you can still be contagious and need to continue to isolate.

Unfortunately no-one actually knows and it can vary massively between people.

You can test positive after you’ve stopped being contagious - but there would be no way of knowing when you stopped being contagious.

Hope your mum gets better soon