Hope it’s ok to pick the collective brains of people on this group - I’m flummoxed about track & trace advice on self isolation as a household.
Situation is this: household of 5 - parents & three kids. Husband & I had positive COVID tests on 7th & 8th Jan respectively. Whole household settled down to isolate for 10 days. Husband & I had regular calls from T&T. 17 yr old developed COVID symptoms on 14th January and tested positive on 15th, before end of our 10 day isolation period.
T&T called me this morning (because my son is 17) and took down all details of everyone living in house, despite having already done this with both husband & I separately after our own positive tests. Apparently they don’t keep household records showing positive tests from same family/address. I was advised that we now all have to start isolating again - counting from the day son had symptoms or positive test. However, according to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/guidance-for-households-with-grandparents-parents-and-children-living-together-where-someone-is-at-increased-risk-or-has-symptoms-of-coronavirus-cov#ending-isolation “Should someone develop COVID-19 symptoms late in the 10-day household isolation period, the isolation period for the household does not need to be extended. Only the person with new COVID-19 symptoms has to stay at home for at least a further 10 days and should arrange to have a testt_ to see if they have COVID-19.”
I then asked the adviser to clarify. They ended the call & went to their supervisor. 20 minutes later they left an answer on my phone saying the following: “if another member of your household has a positive test BEFORE the end of your 10 day period of self-isolation following your positive test, you don’t need to continue isolating beyond the end of your original 10 day period, only they do. If they receive a positive test/have symptoms AFTER the end of your 10 days isolating following your positive test/symptoms, then all of you need to shield for 10 days from the day of their positive test.”
Following this so far?
I then called NHS 119 and spoke to an adviser. They spoke to a supervisor and told me to ignore the information on the NHS COVID website (above) and just do what T&T have told me to do, otherwise I could get fined. As I was talking to an adviser my husband got a text from T&T telling him he’s obliged to self isolate for another 10 days. Then an identical text appeared on my phone.
So - what’s the right thing to do?
Follow advice from T&T? Or the government website? The advice in a text (isolate for another 10 days) or the advice left on my voicemail (I can go out now as it’s 10+ days beyond my own positive test/symptoms, my son tested + during my 10 day isolation period and only he needs to isolate).
If you’re still with me - thanks.
And maybe while they’re here someone could explain why a system which has cost us £35 million quid has such massive problems with its algorithms that 9 months into the pandemic it doesn’t have a system for properly tracking & recording COVID infections within households, and why advisers are still confused and giving advice to households which contradicts advice given on government websites?
Thanks!