Surely these household isolation guidelines don't make sense?

[Notplannedforthis]

Looking at this informational graphic, sent to me by Test and Trace.

I'm thinking it only works if the different people in the household have actually managed to isolate from each other within the household?

Our situation is this: DD1 tests positive in a household of 5 individuals who cannot isolate from each other within the household due to caring responsibilities. We need to isolate until the end of day 11. 7 days into isolation, I test positive therefore my isolation period restarts. Unfortunately, as the person doing the caring, I'm the person that can't be isolated. According to that image and Test and Trace, providing the other DCs don't get symptoms they are out of isolation at the same time as DD1, even though they're in close contact with me. Is that correct? It doesn't seem right to me.

I'm asking as friends of the DCs have offered to take them out after their isolation period to give me a break and they're desperate to go. I'm OK with DD1 going as she's had it and therefore should no longer be infectious, but surely if I have it and remain in close contact with the other DCs, no matter what Test and Trace say, the other DCs are at risk of spreading it?

It's always been the rules tbh

I think it makes total sense, providing the different members of the household are isolating from each other, which obviously isn't possible in many family homes.

I don't want to deny my DCs some much needed time out of the house as they were only out of isolation due to school bubbles closing for one day before they had to isolate again. However, I don't want to be the cause of other families having to go through isolation, or worse.

Yes, that's correct. We're currently on day 18 due to this, will finally get out on day 22 when all of us will have had it 🙈 We also couldn't really isolate due to small house.
What I don't get is that person 1 remains contagious until day 10. So person 2 could catch it from them on day 10 (and be asymptomatic, so not test), so really, they should have to isolate for 20 days realistically?? Not that I'm complaining 😂 Just that it makes no sense to have the same isolation time for a kid who sat next to a positive case in class briefly, as for actually living with someone who has a whole 10 days trapped in the same house to share their COVID germs with you 🤷‍♀️

At least I'm not the only one that finds it confusing.

So sorry about your 22 days. I hope that none of you were too unwell with it.

2 of the DCs (the non infected ones) are currently on day 18 of isolation, with the exception of one day in the middle. DD1's isolation clock stops next Monday, mine the following Sunday. Our family holiday was meant to be next week, another reason why friends have offered to take the currently not-positive DCs out. I'm just not sure about is as they're still all over me and I'm still infectious, but Test and Trace said it was fine.

As long as there's not symptoms from them, I suppose it must be 🤷‍♀️ Plenty of time to catch it yet though, so don't count your chickens!!
Thank you, DH did end up in hospital for nearly a week, but out now and recovering and the rest of us have mostly just had cold symptoms 🙂

There has to be a cut off somewhere otherwise everyone would isolate forever 😂

Also it's possible to be a close contact for an extended time with a positive case and not catch the virus from them. I think that's why the covid deniers feel like they have a case and tbh it is very odd when that happens!

Oh no, that must have been an anxious time. Thankfully, we've been OK so far, although I'm really tired.

I think the justification is that if someone was going to catch it they'd catch it off the first person but actually they've just tried to keep the length of time a family needs to isolate to a bare minimum so that there's a chance people will follow it. You're right that is a risk, aside from non uniform levels of contact between family members, some people just shed more virus than others.

I'm surprised Georgio and Seyi don't have to isolate after the 2nd case in the example but there we go.

It's also surprising that a negative PCR gets you out of extending your isolation when you've got symptoms and there's covid in the house.

So, the big question. If you were in my position, would you allow the non-infected DCs to be taken out next week once DD1's isolation period is up even though they're in close contact with me? Assuming they haven't developed symptoms or tested positive in the meantime.m

I'm actually feeling quite unwell today and my brain is in a bit of a fog as to what's best.

Yes I would allow them out once they've done their 10 days.