Covid+ in daughters class, she has to isolate but no one else in the household or bubble does

[SuperlativeScrubs]

I am an NHS key worker and so is their Dad. We just had a text saying there is a positive in her class and she has to stay home and isolate until next Monday.

Meanwhile I can still go to work, as can her Dad, and her brother can still go to his separate school. She is the only one not allowed out of the house and the rest of us only have to if she shows symptoms.

Can anyone help me make sense of it? WWYD?

What do you want to know? It is correct that she is the only one that needs to isolate.

You don’t really need to make sense of it, they are the rules 🤷🏻‍♀️. Only close contacts isolate, not contacts of contacts. Otherwise where would it end?
DD1 has had to isolate twice due to cases in her class. The rest of us didn’t have to isolate and she didn’t develop symptoms.

Yes that’s correct. And that is what I would do.

WWID? I’d keep the child at home who has to isolate.

She’s a contact, so has to isolate. You are a contact of a contact, and therefore do not. That’s basically it. Shouldn’t be that hard to understand.

Yes, that's correct, I would have to decide between me and my husband who to take time off, same as if a child was sick (unless she can be home alone, depending on age and maturity of your daughter)

This has been the rule all along, so it’s no wonder we are in our third lockdown really. Do whatever works best for your family.

That has always been the rules

Only the contact isolates.

If you had close contact with a friend or someone at work who was positive, you would have to isolate but the rest of your family wouldn't.

I'm self-isolating as a close contact after a school colleague tested positive, rest of my family are carrying on as normal- well as normal as they can in current circs. That's been the guidance for a very long time.

These have been the rules since school started in September!

We've had this too. As DS is a toddler, it meant we isolated too but partly because I wasn't working and DH can WFH. Obviously if your DD shows symptoms, you have to isolate

Those are the rules but obviously understandable you are uneasy. If it were me I'd have the less 'close contact' worker of you and DH take her for a test tomorrow, as one of you has to take the week off to look after her anyway. You don't have to do this (obviously would have to lie and make up a symptom for her) but that is what I would do.

What's the point in testing her? The whole reason for isolating is due to the incubation period so a negative test means nothing

No point testing, that’s the point of the isolation period. She could test negative tomorrow and then positive the next day.

Umm... obviously daughter should continue to isolate anyway. The issue is the parents having to go into work for the NHS, and even if their employer has to stick to the official line, with 3 days since contact (Friday at the latest) there is a reasonable chance covid would be detected if present. Then the parents don't have to go into work as close contacts, and potentially avoid spread.

That's as clear as I could make it!

We're nearly a year in op. How do you not know this?

The Govt is also making noises about widening asymptomatic testing.

OP I assume that your regular asymptomatic testing doesn't fall on a useful day for this situation?

@dementedpixie

What's the point in testing her? The whole reason for isolating is due to the incubation period so a negative test means nothing

If she were in secondary school, she'd be offered a lateral flow test and be able to go about her business. Clearly stupid and dangerous, but that's the new regime.

Yes true Mrs Hamlet, do we know if that is actually happening for KW kids in school or has that awful plan been abandoned with the school closures?

I'm secondary so we have very few kids in at the moment... but yes, that's the plan. I despair.

@MrsHamlet

I'm secondary so we have very few kids in at the moment... but yes, that's the plan. I despair.

Mrs Hamlet, hope! www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/regulator-refuses-to-approve-mass-covid-testing-schools-in-england

I'm on Scotland so mass testing in schools has never been mentioned