What to do? No proof of results!

[CazM2012]

I’m hoping somebody else here may have had this happen, we are part of the ONS surgery where you have COVID testing done once per month (after the initial month of weekly tests) we had ours done Saturday, received a call yesterday from ONS to say DS result was positive, they knew his name and DOB and when we had the testing done. Was told to expect contact from test and trace within 24 hours, nothing yet and DH work need proof or he has to return this afternoon? We are attempting to contact ONS but not getting very far.

NHS Test & Trace don't provide proof. The household needs to self isolate for 10 days from the date the positive test was taken, so as test was Saturday, SI will end on 2 February at 23:59. If anyone else becomes symptomatic their 10 days restarts from that point. Your DH just needs to inform his employer that he is SI due to a household case.

We have no proof of a positive result yet (the letter will be received in 5-10 working days as is procedure through ONS) which we would have if we had gone through normal testing procedures, test and trace will send an email or text as well as phone calls, his work require this or he will be unpaid and possibly disciplined upon return. We can not have our only source of income not come in, the ONS can’t help, the company who provide the testing can not help and test and trace have not been in touch yet, they’re busy, he will have to return to work tomorrow if we don’t get more than a hurried phone call to say one of the results is positive, we haven’t got the rest yet.

I can see your dilemma. In this situation, he needs to take this up with his employer who have a duty of care to their employees and anyone he comes into contact with as a result of his work. Your DH should not be penalised by doing the right thing. Another option is your local Council's public health team, who are also involved in tracing.

Thank you, I didn’t realise the local council could maybe help us. We have called so many people today and everyone is pretty stumped. I’m guessing these survey tests don’t throw up a lot of positive results. None of us have symptoms either, it’s very strange but really does explain how it can spread so far when you have no idea you have it

And this is another reason people don't/can't follow isolation rules and we continue to go round in circles! I hope you manage to get it sorted ASAP 🤞

Could this help OP?

contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk/links/isolation-note

Looking at that @EvelynSalt no because we havnt been contacted by test and trace yet, only the company who conduct the testing, thank you I’m going to make a note just incase. Thankfully he has spoken to a higher member of staff and they have accepted he will not go in and put his colleagues and their families at risk, we will give them evidence once we actually have it. Hope it does not come back to bite us once he returns still waiting for test and trace contact, have an awful headache but think it’s stress atm

Can't you just book a symptomatic test?

Could he be isolating due to someone symptomatic in the household? Nothing they can do about that!

You can contact NHS Test and Trace yourselves on 119

Got in contact with test and trace eventually, on about the 5th go through the options of 119, and test and trace are busy so tough they’ll contact us at some point. Got to love our world beating system
If no contact by tomorrow my DH will be invited into work for lateral flow testing and if negative will be returning to his workplace.

What kind of test did your DH have to get his positive result?

If it was a lateral flow then this needs to be confirmed by a PCR swab test because the lateral flow tests are unreliable.

Order a PCR test now from government website and you must continue to isolate in the meantime while awaiting the results.

Potentially the lateral flow at work tomorrow could be negative but they are unreliable!

www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

I would book a test for your DS. Do some research and see which ones local to you are turning round the quickest. Some are within 24 hours. You should be able to get one for tomorrow.

It is DS who has the positive (as far as we are aware we have had no contact about anybody else in the house test result but considering DS has not been near anybody but our family and my single mother, somebody else must have it most likely DH) with a PCR test.
No contact from test and trace, we were told today is within the 48 hours but considering it’s now 8.45pm I don’t think we will. An email has come in from the company who do our testing so thankfully we now have enough proof to ensure DH doesn’t have to go in for testing (they use lateral flow tests which I know are unreliable so we didn’t want the risk of him attending work).
We did think to book a test but kept being told we would definitely be contacted today (Monday Tuesday and Wednesday)

Apologies now reread and see that it is your DS with the positive via lateral flow.

Agree with PP re book a PCR for DS immediately as results can be back around 24 - 48 hours later, however until DS has a confirmed positive then looks like DH work are saying DH doesn’t have any official need to isolate?

Maybe why your DH’s work are suggesting lateral flow for DH as a possible solution but can also see how this is potentially risky under the circumstances you mention.

Have you missed any messages telling your DS to get a PCR?

May be why they are expecting Test and Trace to contact you?

Have you checked email spam folders etc?

Sorry for lots of questions, hope you get sorted.

Only other option is as PP suggested already.

@slidingdrawers

NHS Test & Trace don't provide proof. The household needs to self isolate for 10 days from the date the positive test was taken, so as test was Saturday, SI will end on 2 February at 23:59. If anyone else becomes symptomatic their 10 days restarts from that point. Your DH just needs to inform his employer that he is SI due to a household case.

OK so this is the correct advice and it is not possible to get out of isolation with any kind of negative test.

What kind of Employer does your DH work for?

Isolation is a legal requirement and your DH will be fined not the Employer if DH attends work in these circumstances whether your DH is positive or not.

Is your DH in a Union at all?