Toddler PCR testing - makes no sense

[picklesandchips]

Monday 1 Nov: DH and I start to feel unwell with Covid symptoms. PCR tests ordered immediately for both of us and our 1-year-old son.

Wednesday 3 Nov: results are back - DH and I are positive, toddler is negative.

Friday 12th Nov (11 days since symptoms started): DH and I are released from isolation. Toddler is still showing no Covid symptoms but could have it asymptomatically - we just don't know.

DH, myself and toddler go about our normal business, even though (as mentioned above) we can't be certain if toddler has Covid or not.

Am I missing something here?

That isn't just toddler rules, that's everyone double jabbed, and exposed to covid. Test him again if you like. Or do an LFT.

I'm not sure what you're confused about. Your toddler tested negative and hasn't shown symptoms therefore there's no need for him to continue to isolate. If you were the one who had tested negative and weren't showing symptoms, the rules would be the same. In fact, you wouldn't have had to isolate at all in the circumstances (I'm assuming your toddler has isolated at home by default).

What would make sense to you? Isolating your toddler for another ten days just in case? You can if you want.

I would do another PCR for the toddler before they go back to normal life. I would have done this on day 8 or 9.

Your toddler tested negative and hasn't shown symptoms therefore there's no need for him to continue to isolate.

@mynameiscalypso I'm confused because technically we're able to take our DC out and about once we've finished isolating, but what if he does have it asymptomatically and gives it to other people?

Surely a system like @TheNarwhalBalloon suggested would be safer, where anyone in a Covid-positive household who has a negative PCR has to do another PCR before going out again?

This has been the system for 18 months now. The household isolates, and anyone who didn’t test positive or show symptoms ends their isolation at 10 days.

Obviously now it’s even more relaxed in that double jabbed and under 18s don’t need to isolate at all for a case in the household.

I'm just surprised at how relaxed it is I suppose. It's fairly likely that if one person in the household gets it then everyone will, so I'm surprised that anyone who doesn't test positive early on or show symptoms is considered good to go. Especially as 1/3 cases are apparently asymptomatic. Hey ho.

In your situation I would have done another PCR test on DC half way through your isolation, but of course even then it could have come back negative, so where does it end. If DC were in nursery, they would probably ask for a recent PCR test to be done before they could return, so maybe if you get one done now, at least you will know DC is negative before mixing with others and will be safer to do so.

If you are worried give him a LFT before you go out. That should pick up an asymptomatic carrier

If we do another PCR test now and DC does have it, that will mean another 10 days indoors for him, which would not be ideal! But obviously better than going out and spreading it unknowingly.

Would everyone else do a PCR on the toddler now in my situation? Or would you just leave it?

Even before household contacts got PCRs it was like this. if they didn’t display symptoms within the ten days they could end isolation

A friend kept her SEN school age child at home with her for 10 days when she was positive and he'd tested PCR negative at the same time (as he has no concept of social distancing). On day 11 sent him back to school, after school he spiked a temp and tested positive on LFT. So yes, it could well be, and probably you should do another PCR, or at least some LFTs. When two of us had it and two more in the household were going to school we did LFT every day (all neg).

So my other point is three out of our household never tested positive nor showed symptoms when two of us were negative. My friend's daughter also never tested positive despite everyone else in the house being positive.