At what point do you think isolating for 10 days will be scrapped?

[hopingforabrighterfuture2021]

Obviously not at the moment. But do you think it’s likely that at some point, the government will stop the legal requirement to self isolate if you have confirmed Covid? Along with that, I guess that would also mean the phasing out of testing if symptomatic?

Personally I don’t think it will happen in 2021, but eventually I’m sure it will?

I can’t see it happening for a good while yet and that’s only if Delta doesn’t get replaced with something worse.

If you test positive would you feel comfortable going about your daily life possibly infecting others? I certainly wouldn’t but those under financial pressure or under employment pressure would be put in a difficult position and many would most likely choose to not stay at home.

Having said that if we were able to have more accurate testing then perhaps the time frame could be shortened for those who recover quickly.

Would assume it would stay forever to be honest!

I suspect testing will stop first actually - at some point the government won't be able to afford to keep testing everyone (other than those in hospital with symptoms) - there isn't an endless pot of money for them. Once testing goes (or isn't free) then people will move to just staying at home when they feel ill I would imagine...

I suspect many people will have already taken this into their own hands and simply don't test. It's an extremely difficult situation for those people who would face financial difficulties if they have to isolate.

I think eventfully it will become like flu where you don't have to test or isolate but not for a good while yet. I tested positive yesterday and am symptomatic and have to isolate for ten days or at least until I'm better. It's really stressful as I'm in a min wage job and get minimal sick pay and am not entitled to benefits plus I have a very unusual and unfortunate home situation going on at the moment that means I'm up to my eyeballs in debt and am struggling and it's not going to get better for the foreseeable. I wouldnt want to give anyone covid but if it wasn't a legal requirement and I no longer had symptoms I wouldn't test again and would have to work. It's so easy for people who don't have these concerns to berate people.

Maybe they'll reduce it to 7 days first. Apparently the vast majority of infections are symptomatic/detected within the first 7 days and very few after that...

I agree with whoever said that testing will go first because what would be the point of (expensive) testing if you're not going to have to change your behaviour anyway?

@littlepeas

I suspect many people will have already taken this into their own hands and simply don't test. It's an extremely difficult situation for those people who would face financial difficulties if they have to isolate.

This is correct.

@littlepeas

I suspect many people will have already taken this into their own hands and simply don't test. It's an extremely difficult situation for those people who would face financial difficulties if they have to isolate.

Indeed, the stricter the isolation rules, the fewer people will test.

I imagine they'll reduce to 7 days when they judge that the extra 3 days doesn't achieve much at all, and that it's impact is counterproductive. I would imagine that if we get through autumn and winter, and cases drop and become less severe as we have more population immunity, that it will be dropped entirely by the Spring.

@Dghgcotcitc

Would assume it would stay forever to be honest!

Nothing is forever!

I would not be surprised if we got to a point where your vaccination status will determine how long your isolation period is.

This from a New York Times article:

“Dr. Jha noted that after an outbreak among vaccinated and unvaccinated workers at the Singapore airport, tracking studies suggested that most of the spread by vaccinated people happened when they had symptoms.”

Here is the link to the full article:

www.nytimes.com/article/breakthrough-infections-covid-19-coronavirus.html

I have read elsewhere that while vaccinated infected people have the same viral load at the onset of illness, they reduce it much quicker than unvaccinated. For that reason I can easily see how we get to a place where you need to isolate for some period if you test positive and are vaccinated but 10 days will soon be seen as ludicrously OTT.

Fingers crossed 🤞 anyway.

If you test positive would you feel comfortable going about your daily life possibly infecting others?
I don’t know. It’s a funny one isn’t it?
The last time I had the flu (v early 2020) I was basically floored for about 5 days (and then suddenly 100% fine again) and didn’t feel able to do anything for my DC so had to get in a babysitter to help make meals / do the basics. I guess that was me exposing her, but we never thought like that then did we?
Very recently, my youngest had noravirus. Naturally, she was pretty isolated from everyone but our immediate family because you can’t take someone who is throwing up every 10 minutes anywhere .. but some family came round to help out once the worst few days were over.

Eventually I guess, once boosters are administered and once most people have been infected at least once, we will have to start thinking of Covid the same as other illnesses. I don’t know what the answer is.. do we basically isolate for most things going forward, or nothing?

I think later part of 2022 btw earliest.

Asymptomatic testing will need to go first, probably in the spring earliest I guess.

@Mommybunny

I would not be surprised if we got to a point where your vaccination status will determine how long your isolation period is.

This from a New York Times article:

“Dr. Jha noted that after an outbreak among vaccinated and unvaccinated workers at the Singapore airport, tracking studies suggested that most of the spread by vaccinated people happened when they had symptoms.”

Here is the link to the full article:

www.nytimes.com/article/breakthrough-infections-covid-19-coronavirus.html

I have read elsewhere that while vaccinated infected people have the same viral load at the onset of illness, they reduce it much quicker than unvaccinated. For that reason I can easily see how we get to a place where you need to isolate for some period if you test positive and are vaccinated but 10 days will soon be seen as ludicrously OTT.

Fingers crossed 🤞 anyway.

But who administers this?

Actually, very like the current system of not needing to isolate for close contacts if you’re double vaxxed. Can you not (in 99% of cases where no one is actually checked?) just say oh yeah I’m double vaxxed to your friends / family / employer and go about your business?
It would be interesting to know what % of unvaccinated people are actually isolating now the whole isolation thing has been so diminished.

Testing will stop sooner than many on here would like, and thank goodness for that! I imagine testing will become limited only to those who are hospitalised with recognisable symptoms, so the appropriate treatment and care can be given. Hope this will be by Spring next year. Eventually that will phase out too when considered no longer helpful.

@Scottishgirl85

Testing will stop sooner than many on here would like, and thank goodness for that! I imagine testing will become limited only to those who are hospitalised with recognisable symptoms, so the appropriate treatment and care can be given. Hope this will be by Spring next year. Eventually that will phase out too when considered no longer helpful.

I'm amazed at the number of people that think we'll be forever testing

I think asymptomatic testing is going to start being discouraged fairly soon.

Interesting question. We’ve all just had Covid, DH and I were pretty unwell but 4yo DS was asymptomatic. He wasn’t at school as it was the summer holidays but it did cross my mind that it seemed very harsh that he was only tested as a contact and could have missed two weeks of school when he wasn’t ill. If we hadn’t had tested him he would have gone as normal if it was term time.

I agree with PPs that it's likely to be reduced from 10 days to 7 rather than being scrapped entirely. That may happen next spring but probably not before then.

@GotLittup

I suspect testing will stop first actually - at some point the government won't be able to afford to keep testing everyone (other than those in hospital with symptoms) - there isn't an endless pot of money for them. Once testing goes (or isn't free) then people will move to just staying at home when they feel ill I would imagine...

I agree with this, and tbh people staying at home when ill would do a reasonable amount anyway, not just for reducing spread of covid but other viruses too.

Agree with PP people will stop testing, they'll stay home a few days until feeling better and carry on. Unless you're completely financially stable then there's literally no incentive to keep testing and isolating and losing money.

@littlepeas

I suspect many people will have already taken this into their own hands and simply don't test. It's an extremely difficult situation for those people who would face financial difficulties if they have to isolate.

This. Many people are either not testing for various reasons or using LFTs and staying under the radar. Then there are financial pressures, isolation fatigue having done a number of stints already, pressure from employers who are short staffed and less understanding about time off. Also many citing they don't need a test as current criteria for testing which doesn't encompass the common symptoms of the Delta variant. In a way it might suit the government if it keeps official case figures low.

Would assume it would stay forever to be honest!

This assumes that we’ll be mass testing forever, and that’s just not possible. Mass testing will end at some point (who knows when though!) and then nobody will even know if they have it or not.

Denmark will stop all COVID measures on Friday inc testing, as they allow their emergency phase to end (not extend) as have a number of other countries. Hopefully we won't be far behind. They are at 71% vacation if it's of any interest.

Agree there can obviously only be isolation if there is testing... It's whether that stays or not.

We do isolate for other diseases, eg chicken pox, though I guess the difference with that is it's quite obvious that's what it is (if not to us, then to HCPs!).