I don't properly understand contact tracing/isolating

[LynetteScavo]

We've had an email from school (actually I've had at least one a day every day since last Thursday) regarding a positive case in school - today's is regarding a child in DDs bubble. Apparently no one needs to self isolate because the positive test/symptoms started on Monday and school started on Friday. I'm assuming the school are following procedure correctly, but surely if DD was close to the child at the end of last week, and the child tested positive on Monday (and results back today hence the email) DD needs to be really careful now?

Depends when symptoms started. They look at contact in the 48 hours beforehand. If symptoms started on Monday then 48 hours before that would be some time on Saturday.

So people with symptoms will only have been contagious for 48 hours before their symptoms started.

Thank you, I'm being a bit dim today.

Test and Trace look for contacts in the 48 hours before symptoms started, but that's a system designed to catch most contacts, not a foolproof system. If your DD was in a classroom with someone who then developed symptoms less than 72 hours later, I would certainly avoid your DD having contact with anyone elderly or otherwise vulnerable as far as possible for 14 days from the date of her contact with the positive case.

Its 10 days now, not 14 (if she was an actual contact)

We'd already decided not to see grandparents on Christmas Day, but now I'm 100% sure we've made the right decision.

Its 10 days now, not 14 (if she was an actual contact)

Again this policy is designed to catch most contacts and increase compliance with the rules by reducing the isolation period. But I understand that approximately 2% of people who go on to develop Covid symptoms after contact with a positive case do so after Day 10. On a personal level, applying a 14 day period is still safer if you are able to do that. If I knew I had been in contact with a positive case, there is absolutely no way I would visit my elderly parents on Day 11 (short of an out and out emergency).

@LilyPond2

Its 10 days now, not 14 (if she was an actual contact)

Again this policy is designed to catch most contacts and increase compliance with the rules by reducing the isolation period. But I understand that approximately 2% of people who go on to develop Covid symptoms after contact with a positive case do so after Day 10. On a personal level, applying a 14 day period is still safer if you are able to do that. If I knew I had been in contact with a positive case, there is absolutely no way I would visit my elderly parents on Day 11 (short of an out and out emergency).

The other thing to mention is that not all positive cases have symptoms and you can’t get out of isolation with a negative test.

Completely rubbish situation for Children especially at Christmas

Hope you are all OK