When would you be comfortable seeing family after positive test?

[daisyrain13]

DH's parents are isolating as well as SIL as she has tested positive and she lives in their annex.

We were all meant to attend a family members birthday at the weekend but in-laws and SIL didn't come because we all did a LFT the morning of the party and hers came back positive. She only has a headache so didn't suspect she had it and probably wouldn't have known if it wasn't for the test to go to the party.

We have two DD's, 4yo & 3mo. We're fairly close to my in-laws but due to trips away etc we haven't seen them in close to a month.
My DH FaceTimed them yesterday so they could see DD's. During the chat he arranged for us to go see them on Saturday. Their isolation period finishes on Friday. My in laws haven't had a positive test but my SIL was also there on the chat so they aren't trying to isolate from her even though they could easily because she lives in the annex. They were sat in the garden.

DH came home from work this evening saying we probably shouldn't go on Saturday because even though they haven't tested positive they are very likely to catch it from SIL. I was a bit surprised at the time that he had arranged a visit for so soon to be honest!

My DD breaks up from school on Friday and I'd hate the have to spend the start of her holidays isolating with the baby too!

How long would you leave it before you'd be comfortable seeing family after a positive test?

When you test negative?

It can take ages to test negative due to shedding virus particles though can't you? Does anyone have special knowledge or a link on how long it takes to test negative? I'd love to know more about that...

I mean dead non infectious shedding. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

I would follow the NHS advice - see here: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/test-results/positive-test-result/

The self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day you had the test, if you do not have symptoms) and the next 10 full days.

I think it can take up to 90 days to get a negative PCR back which is why the govt recommends NOT getting one after a positive test.

Isolation rules are for ten days from either onset of symptoms or if asymptomatic, the date of the test. I would therefore assume that whichever applies would be ok. Unless the 'patient' still has symptoms.

Oh you beat me to it lannistunut

After the 10 days, and at least 3 days after end of symptoms.

"End of symptoms" not including cough or loss of smell, btw. I guess I mean more like 3 days clear of pain relief/temperature control.

I'd be treating the SIL as a non household contact in this situation which means I wouldn't want to see the PIL until 10 days after her isolation ends if they're still seeing her everyday. The idea behind households just isolating together is that if you're all living, sleeping and shitting under the same roof then you're likely to be exposed early on so should catch it early on if you're going to. This sounds more like her popping around to visit than actually living as a household so each exposure would be resetting the clock (just like if a coworker finally decided to get tested on day seven of their illness, anyone who'd been at work with them would have to isolate from the last day they saw her rather than the first day of symptoms).

Personally I'd wait longer than the 10 days. The incubation period can be longer, the UK government only set it as 10 days in an attempt to get people to comply if they are close contacts. Initially it was 14 days for household contacts.

I’d prob go after the 10 days and stick to the garden

We decided to wait until past 14 days to see more vulnerable relatives as that was the old advice and is still followed by other countries. I got DC (the only one of us to have covid) to do a lateral flow on day 11 just out of curiosity and it was negative. Her covid was initially picked up by a strongly positive lateral flow although she was symptomless so it was quick to drop off. A PCR is more sensitive though and I've heard of people waiting weeks to test negative.

Presuming SIL followed up with a PCR test just to be sure? It's perfectly acceptable for close contacts of a confirmed case to get an NHS PCR test now so if PIL's haven't already done so then they could take a PCR test towards the end of SIL's 10 day isolation when they have had maximum exposure time and if that comes back negative I would go ahead and see them (outdoors) maybe 12 days after SIL tested positive.

Thanks everyone.
Apparently SIL feels quite a bit worse (🙁) today so we will definitely be delaying our visit!
PIL have done 2 LFT since Saturday, not sure which days. Both negative. Just going to tell them we can't see them until SIL feels like herself and their tests are still negative.

@TheTeenageYears

Presuming SIL followed up with a PCR test just to be sure? It's perfectly acceptable for close contacts of a confirmed case to get an NHS PCR test now so if PIL's haven't already done so then they could take a PCR test towards the end of SIL's 10 day isolation when they have had maximum exposure time and if that comes back negative I would go ahead and see them (outdoors) maybe 12 days after SIL tested positive.

Yes, positive PCR the same day as LFT! That's a good idea! I will suggest the do a PCR the day SIL isolation ends

We currently have Covid in our house. DD got it and we thought we were in the clear when we all went to bed fit and well on the last day of isolation. DS then had a temperature in the night and tested positive the next day. I then tested positive 4 days later.

I would give it a few days past the initial 10 days if some in the household haven’t yet developed it.

I’m positive now and I wouldn’t arrange to see anyone straight after. I will probably just start going for walks after 10 days if I’m feeling better, currently feeling crap. I was due to attend an outdoor party on day 11 but I’ve cancelled as don’t want people feeling uncomfortable