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?

We spent the day indoors over the Christmas period with someone who then tested positive the next day. Neither myself, my family, nor any member of his family have caught it (& his wife sleeps in the same bed as him). Makes me wonder just how contagious this “terribly contagious” virus is! He himself was a bit under the weather with it.
We isolated, as expected, but were tested negative. You should isolate but try not to worry.

@MarieInternette

We spent the day indoors over the Christmas period with someone who then tested positive the next day. Neither myself, my family, nor any member of his family have caught it (& his wife sleeps in the same bed as him). Makes me wonder just how contagious this “terribly contagious” virus is! He himself was a bit under the weather with it. We isolated, as expected, but were tested negative. You should isolate but try not to worry.

You can have it and be asymptomatic.

Hard to say whether you will get it or not. I know people who have tested positive with the only place they have been being the supermarket and another person who have tested positive and not passed it on to the other two people they live with. It highly depends on the viral load of the person you come into contact with and your own immune system.

exactly. If even the newest variant was able to spread as easily as some people seem to be convinced it can then how would we have got to ten months with the vast vast majority of people not catching it?

We know it spreads more easily in cold temperatures.
We know the new variant is more transmissable.
But, mostly, just more people have it now. In my local area it's thought to be 1 in 30. Some areas are higher than that. The chances of you catching Covid from someone who doesn't have it are 0. Regardless of whether you are inside or outside or 2 metres apart or wearing a mask or whatever.

For most of last year you could be in a pretty large group and chances are no one would have Covid. So you were never going to catch it. That just isn't the case any more. The chances of the person you're going for a walk with having Covid are now significant. If you go for a walk with a different person every day, they are even higher.

And even if the risk was pretty low (and even with the old variant in summer the risk of outdoor transmission was thought to be around 5-10%) - on the basis that we currently have a public health crisis, why would you take that risk?

It is believed to spread more easily outside or there is actual evidence that it does?

Why are people allowed to go on walks with people outside their household if it's so easy to catch it outside? I went for a walk today and passed lots of people who had stopped to chat to other people they had met on their walk. I also saw people walking with one other person at a distance of a metre or maybe more. Why doesn't the government tell everyone to wear a mask outside if the risk of catching outside is so high?

I think things are so confusing now like everyone here saying get a test when a negative result would be meaningless.

1. I didn’t an hour outside with a friend in the summer, she started with symptoms the next day, tested positive I was negative though nobody on here can predict, we all have different experiences
2. you went for a walk without distancing, I trust you both wore masks? Dud she have symptoms/ know she would be having a test? She seems very careless
3. I assume you are now isolating?
4. don’t waste the resources of a test if you have no symptoms
5. good luck

@LizzieSiddal

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

Yes you are

There is no scientific reason for 2m specifically. You may now filter this in your brain as fact, but it’s really not

There is potential yes. Track and trace regard a close contact as 15 minutes less than 2m without a mask or a face to face conversation of less than the 2 metres.

Isolate (assuming you will also be contacted to do so anyway) and keep an eye out for symptoms. Some plus sides is that you were outside and natural ventilation which reduces the risk compared to if you were inside.

No point booking a test. It might be negative but you then become positive within 10 days. Surely she’ll have to name you as a close contact.

I hope you didn't catch it. Let us know if you did as it's useful to know as up til now it felt more likely to catch it indoors.

@carcarbinks

Why are people allowed to go on walks with people outside their household if it's so easy to catch it outside? I went for a walk today and passed lots of people who had stopped to chat to other people they had met on their walk. I also saw people walking with one other person at a distance of a metre or maybe more. Why doesn't the government tell everyone to wear a mask outside if the risk of catching outside is so high?

I think things are so confusing now like everyone here saying get a test when a negative result would be meaningless.

Anything that you do that involves mixing with other people involves risk. Didn't a government minister (sorry can't remember who) say that the law was meant to be the limit of what you could do, not something to aspire to? I think people are forgetting that.

It's perfectly legal for me to go to the supermarket 5 times a day, but it would be much more sensible for me to go once a week, or use click and collect or get shopping delivered. Same deal with walking outside. If you really need to go for a walk with someone because your mental health is appalling and you need to talk to someone, then go for it. If you just fancy seeing someone else because you're sick of lockdown, like everyone else, then maybe you should reconsider. Or keep it to once a week (for example). We're only meant to be leaving home for essential reasons. Socialising with a friend is not essential, however legal it might be if you do it on the course of a walk.

Also staying 2 m away whilst out walking is hard if you’re using paths.

Has OP posted since initial post and I’ve missed it? I do hope they’re ok.

@Ch3rish nobody's missed the police giving out totally unnecessary fines, there was a massive uproar about it yesterday, but the fines have been withdrawn (quite rightly)

TitsOot4Xmas

I’m not asymptomatic. I’ve been tested as negative.

Track and trace regard a close contact as 15 minutes less than 2m without a mask or a face to face conversation of less than the 2 metres.

Yes they do, Indoors.

RedskyAtnight

You're right. I've only been shopping once a week and no support bubble even though I'm entitled to one but I have met up with someone outside for a walk. Now I'm feeling anxious about that! I've been going on what someone said originally about it being very unlikely that you would catch it outdoors. I just wish the government would give clearer messaging. I know in Spain you have to wear a mask outside and I think it would be better if we did that here if it is easy to catch outside.

[quote yearinyearout]@Ch3rish nobody's missed the police giving out totally unnecessary fines, there was a massive uproar about it yesterday, but the fines have been withdrawn (quite rightly)[/quote]
The poster who said they weren't giving out fines obvioulsy hadn't heard about it or they wouldn't have posted that. I don't assume that everyone knows everything that happens in the world, of course people will have missed it.

Do you have a link to the fine being withdrawn, I can't see that being reported anywhere.

@yearinyearout

Track and trace regard a close contact as 15 minutes less than 2m without a mask or a face to face conversation of less than the 2 metres.

Yes they do, Indoors.

And outdoors

Close contact means:
-having face-to-face contact with someone less than 1 metre away (this will include times where you have worn a face covering or a face mask)
-spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of

Hope you don't get it OP. I would be interested to know the result if you test as Iwalk every day either by myself or with a family member but ofrn see people I know and have a quick chat

I spent a day outside with my sister back in the late summer. She had a cold, no covid symptoms. Within 3 days she did develop Covid symptoms and tested positive. I didn't catch it and neither did any of the other family members we were with. The new strain is meant to be easier to catch but I wouldn't be overly anxious.

Op, it would be really interesting to hear if you test positive, obvs really hope you're doing ok.

I think walking with a friend outside is fine but if you have got it would def make me more cautious.

Low risk. But take a test to find out.

And outdoors

Yes the app uses Bluetooth. How would it know whether or not you were indoors or outdoors?