When do you become less contagious?

[justbananas42]

I started feeling under the weather on Wednesday with cold-like symptoms, and lost my sense of smell and taste on Friday. At that point I did a LFT which was positive.

As I started coming down with it on Wednesday, I assume I must have caught it at some point last weekend, as I read that symptoms usually take 4-5 days to appear.

I also read that you’re most contagious from the point you catch Covid (so last Saturday roughly for me) to day 5 of symptoms.

Does anyone know if that is correct? I have a DH and young DC and it would make me feel better to know that at least I’m less likely to give it to them now…

I presume you have not done a PCR test yet? Test and trace go through all this with you. Good luck, hope you have a mild case.

No, I’m waiting on that at the moment.

In the meantime, does anyone know the answer? I’m really scared of giving it to DH and DC…

Yes that sounds about right OP. This graph may help.

Thanks @ParmigianoReggiano - if I’ve read that graph correctly, it looks like you’re still a bit infectious 10 days after developing symptoms. Is that right?!

Yes - but much less infectious than you were. Also varies by individual so you personally may not be.

@ParmigianoReggiano does that mean I should avoid contact with family and friends and going to public places for longer than 10 days then?

The guidance is 10 days (with day zero as the first day of symptoms) because the risk is much lower by then. It's a pragmatic solution because most people aren't able or willing to isolate longer than that. You can isolate for longer if you really want to, but there's no requirement to do so.

I also read that you’re most contagious from the point you catch Covid (so last Saturday roughly for me) to day 5 of symptoms.

Having done some more googling I think this is wrong - according to gov.uk you’re actually contagious 48 hours before symptoms appear, so for me that would have been from Monday.

The two days thing tallies with @ParmigianoReggiano’s graph as well.

I’m just wondering if it’ll be safer to hug my DC from Tuesday, as that’ll be five days since my symptoms began so I should be less contagious.

This is so shit