Do I need to isolate? Genuinely unsure!

[BloodyDetails]

I'll try and keep it simple!

I lve in a shared house - tenants have private bed/living rooms, with a large shared kitchen and shared bathrooms. Another tenant came home on Monday late morning after a week away, and left on Tuesday after lunchtime for another 3 weeks away.

During their time here I had the following contact with them:

• Monday daytime - passed them in shared areas like hallway (which is a large room, approx 3 x 5m with very high ceiling due to stairs going up from room) and kitchen (also a very large room, approx 6 x 6m with 3m high ceiling) a handful of times. Did not stop to talk beyond basic "hello".

• Monday evening - house meeting which was in the garden as per our covid safe policy and lasted approx 1 hour. Everyone sat at least 2m apart on garden chairs.

• Tuesday - they came in kitchen to do some washing up whilst I was cooking lunch. Sink is on opposite wall to cooker so we were about 5m apart. They then made a hot drink (about 1.5m from me) which took less than 5 minutes and left room. Spoke briefly outside house as they were packing vehicle to leave (10 minutes max about a household maintenance issue, I would say 2m apart for most if not all of that time).

Housemate started to feel unwell on Wednesday evening and had a PCR on Friday that came back positive last night. Housemate has deliberately not informed T&T of their movements (don't ask, they are a bit of a conspiracy theorist and tbh I'm surprised they got a test at all), so I won't be getting a call from T&T. The decision is mine to make and I want to make the right one.

I am only single vaxed, second pfizer not due until 2nd Sept. I've done LFT as soon as I heard about their positive test last night, which was negative, but I have a PCR arriving today as well. Obviously if I get symptoms or a positive test then I'm isolating, but do I count as a close contact?

(I dislike this housemate and deliberately avoid them as much as possible, if it was one of the people I enjoy seeing I would be isolating without question, as we would have sat and had a catch up over a cuppa about their time away etc etc!)

Yes you need to isolate. You are a household contact. Shared bathroom and kitchen areas. Sorry I know you don’t want to hear that but it’s the right thing to do particularly as you’re not fully vaccinated. If it’s Delta variant it’s so contagious that a fleeting contact is all it takes.

Unfortunately, you must isolate. The actual contact with this person doesn't count, it is the fact that it is a shared household.

Oh ok, I didn't realise shared bathroom and kitchen areas meant automatic isolation! Excellent, I shall look forward to a few extra lie ins

Ah sorry, looks like you're stuck with housemate you don't like for a few days :(

You have to isolate as you are not double vaccinated., otherwise you would not have to.

I just wasn't sure if it was different because although the person does live here, they were only actually here for just over 24 hours (they had been away for 10 days prior to coming home on Monday) and haven't been here since over 24 hours before they developed symptoms - they're not here now, and they are completing their isolation at the location they travelled to on Tuesday. If they were still actually here sharing bathrooms with the rest of us whilst covid positive it would have been obvious to me!

I'm more than happy to isolate, it'll be a welcome chance to rest, but without being contacted by T&T it's going to be fun getting my workplace to understand 🙄

@OiPanda

Ah sorry, looks like you're stuck with housemate you don't like for a few days :(

Housemate isn't here, I explained this in my OP. Housemate left on Tuesday at about 2.30pm and hasn't been back!

You live in the same household so yes as your not double vaccinated .

I suppose what I'm getting at is, does "living in the same household" count if they aren't here and haven't been since before developing symptoms!

IF you were double vaccinated you would not need to isolate as you are not then unfortunatley yes you should

It’s 2 days from contact , If you last saw her Tuesday then she started feeling unwell Wednesday then still yes you’d need to isolate. But count from Wednesday the day she started with symptoms, so isolate id say till next Sunday .

Legally you don't have to isolate as you weren't contacted by T&T. Your employer may not want you to stay off either as you have no contact from T&T so you may not get sick pay.

Doesn’t matter if she’s not there now you’ve been in contact . I do agree it’s a low risk but your not double vaccinated so you need to isolate.

@dementedpixie

Legally you don't have to isolate as you weren't contacted by T&T. Your employer may not want you to stay off either as you have no contact from T&T so you may not get sick pay.

Agree with this - you don't have to isolate at all if T&T don't contact you (and the pinging app thing doesn't count as a legally binding contact type). If you think it may be sensible/good practice to isolate anyway then that's up to you, but might be difficult convincing your employer they need to pay you (depending on your work situation/policies)

Ah - just seen they won't be contacting T&T so you won't be told by them to isolate. I think it's up to you in the circs then, but no legal obligation.

@Imnothereforthedrama

It’s 2 days from contact , If you last saw her Tuesday then she started feeling unwell Wednesday then still yes you’d need to isolate. But count from Wednesday the day she started with symptoms, so isolate id say till next Sunday .

But surely I don't need to isolate from the day they got symptoms if I haven't seen them since the day before because they went away and haven't been back Surely it must be 10 days from the date of last contact, because the "living in a household" bit is irrelevant seeing as they aren't actually here?

It’s 10 days from symptoms you start isolating that’s when she would isolate from so it’d be the same for you as potentially it can take 10 days to start symptoms. Like others have said you’ve not been contacted by test and trace so I’d use your judgment.

@Imnothereforthedrama

It’s 10 days from symptoms you start isolating that’s when she would isolate from so it’d be the same for you as potentially it can take 10 days to start symptoms. Like others have said you’ve not been contacted by test and trace so I’d use your judgment.

No its not. Its 10 days from contact where contact can be up to 2 days before symptoms started. OP would isolate from the contact date not a date after that

I wouldn’t, personally.
I’d test every morning and I’d be sensible in terms of where i went for the next 10 days, but I wouldn’t isolate for that.

From .gov:

Your isolation period includes the date of your last contact with the person who had a positive test result for COVID-19 and the next 10 full days.

For those saying legally I don't have to - that's my dilemma. I want to do the right thing but not at any cost (ie a week's wages, if I can't convince my workplace I need to be isolating!).

You can download an isolation note off the nhs website, fill it in yourself and provide it to your workplace x

@BloodyDetails

For those saying legally I don't have to - that's my dilemma. I want to do the right thing but not at any cost (ie a week's wages, if I can't convince my workplace I need to be isolating!).

You tell work you’ve been in contact with someone if they won’t pay you and making it difficult then it’s not really a dilemma because they are giving you are not option are they . Morally you should isolate but if you’ve a unsympathetic employer not a great deal you can do unfortunately.

Don't worry t and t and national will be in touch soon

@Christmasfairy2020

Don't worry t and t and national will be in touch soon

I'm sorry, I don't understand? The person has not given any details of their contacts to T&T, they chose not to engage with T&T beyond getting a test result. No idea who "national" are?