Walk with friend for 25 mins now tested positive

[R1234567]

Hi all,

Just after some advice, I went for a walk with my friend for about 25 mins, prob at 1m distance who tested positive the next day. What do you think the chances are of infection?

Lots of people are testing regularly because of their jobs, or being in the vaccine trials, or whatever. They don't have to isolate before the results come back.

Why did your friend feel the need for a test?
When did they have it?
Why were they meeting you if they’d had a test and were awaiting results?

Actually, Matt Hancock said this morning that everyone in England will be able to access a test regardless of symptoms (I think from tomorrow).

Isn't this just going to lead to a lot of
people testing instead of isolating?!

Ime it's pot luck if you get it after exposure.. My ds tested positive this week. His mate who travelled with him to army camp (allowed) tested negative.. Shared a bucket of kfc and a 6 hour journey... Ds in solitary.. His mate retested still negative.. Bizarre. Ds fuming!!
Get a test. You don't need to self isolate unless you have symptoms..

@eeyore228

And we wonder why the police are fining people on walks?

They aren't. Stop spreading lies.

You can exercise with 1 person.

If you were outdoors I'd even factor in which way the wind was blowing. There was a simulation done that showed the most dangerous position to be relative to someone else is slightly to one side behind them. If you were walking parallel and the wind was in your favour you might get lucky.

With no reference to any face covering for both of you (therefore assuming none worn as a precautionary measure) I am logically guessing either you were initially asymptomatic and already infected and also contagious and therefore passed this on to your friend. Alternatively your friend caught it elsewhere and you maybe infected by your friend but not known until you either develop symptoms and then tested to confirm either way. Best case scenario - you are lucky and not be infected but still need to isolate for minimum ten days just to be safe.

Evidently this is likely the type of action that can and has lead to asymptomatic super mutating spread. The virus is spread between people in close contact. That is least likely outdoors with good ventilation but if there is prolonged and close physical contact then there are possibilities for the virus to do what it naturally does and jump from one human vector to another. The virus only impacts those with most potential exposure. It needs one super spreader to start the pandemic of onwards mutating transmission.

Is your friend symptomatic? If not your chances might be better although the new variant might not be as forgiving.

@covetingthepreciousthings

Actually, Matt Hancock said this morning that everyone in England will be able to access a test regardless of symptoms (I think from tomorrow).

Isn't this just going to lead to a lot of
people testing instead of isolating?!

Gosh I hope not! I'd still expect OP to isolate. I realise that wasn't clear.

If you take chances like this, you have to be prepared to self isolate.

They aren't
Stop spreading lies

You can exercise with 1 person

Did you miss this @JinglingHellsBells, the police might be wrong but they have issued at least 2 fines

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-55547302

I am in a trial testing scheme.
Our household got tested weekly, now monthly.
Back in October (so not new variant) I tested positive.
Right after going to an outdoor sculpture exhibition and having lunch with two friends. Both were understandably anxious and got tested-both negative.
Fingers crossed for you OP

It would be sensible to isolate.

But for a comparison, I had covid and being in the east of england was likely the new variant. Shared a bed with my husband the whole time and he never got sick.

How was she able to get a test and the results the next day and not have symptoms?

It depends where they live. In our London borough we've had lateral flow tests with results in 30 minutes available for any resident who doesn't have symptoms on a walk-in basis since December. Symptomatic people are supposed to use the regular test centres for the PCR test, but we have 3 lateral flow test centres specifically for people without symptoms.

Why are people advising OP to get a test? You do realise that a negative test at this stage means nothing, don’t you?

dementedpixie
Not supposed to book a test in the absence of symptoms. Could be too soon anyway as OP didn't say when contact was

Yes you can book a test if you’re asymptomatic. My London borough is promoting lateral-flow tests for precisely this

For the people asking about speed of turn around, my husband had results back same day this week from a walk through test centre. Also this week drive through took 20 hours.

(all PCR not LFT)

@heLacksnotluster

Book a test. Don’t wait for symptoms.

In all seriousness, why on earth would you book at test when you have no symptoms as it means attending at a place where you potentially come into contact with the infection? And whilst yes, I know they are hand sanitising and disinfecting to within an inch of their lives, why risk it if you don't need to?

First time I went to our local walk through place, I had no clue what was going on, probably got too close to the people in front of me at one point and was very aware that it was going to take some very, very diligent cleaner to have cleaned the table, mirror and table to the standard required when the reality was they were rushing to get the booths ready for the next person. If you add that to the fact that some of the people who attend are going to be positive, it suddenly becomes quite a scary prospect.

Your friend was really irresponsible to meet you when she was waiting for the results of a covid test.

Am I the only one who wants to know why you were walking only 1m apart when the rules say 2m?

Can I assume those above posters in certain London boroughs with rapid asymptomatic lateral flow Covid tests are those in the epicentre of the pandemic? Could you possibly advise as to which boroughs? London is super spreading fast with the recent Kent super contagious variants but now pretty much all massively Covid impacted as the local NHS hospitals were overwhelmed front the recent Christmas mixing etc.

It seems pretty random. My son has had it and lived normally with partner including sharing a bed and she never got it. I assume he must have had the old variant as the new one is supposed to spread more easily.

@covetingthepreciousthings

Actually, Matt Hancock said this morning that everyone in England will be able to access a test regardless of symptoms (I think from tomorrow).

Isn't this just going to lead to a lot of
people testing instead of isolating?!

My borough (London) is offering walk-in tests for people who are very specifically symptom-free - it's to tackle the asymptomatic spread.

Why are people unaware that there is lots of testing available in lots of areas? Symptomatic or not. And many people are tested regularly?

And there’s no point booking a test right now, it has 10 days to incubate. Tack and trace should contact you. You should isolate.

Just to offer some reassurance, in October I went for an hours walk with someone who tested positive for Covid 2 days later. We’d sat (outside) on a bench next to each other and she even held my baby . She’d also brought me a coffee and passed it to me. Unless both me and baby were asymptomatic we didn’t get it! We couldn’t access asymptotic testing at the time. Don’t panic like I was, just live and learn, I’ve been much more cautious about who I see and how since. Fingers crossed you’ll be ok!