Doctor told me to isolate even though I'm recovered

[justbananas42]

About 2.5 weeks ago I came down with a very mild case of Covid. It felt like an extremely mild cold and I also lost my sense of smell and taste. I completed my 10 days of isolation then went back out into the world.

Five days after I got symptoms DH caught Covid off me and is quite unwell. He's still in bed for much of the day, has an awful cough and did have a high temperature, although this is down to 37C now. His average oximeter reading is around 95.

I spoke to 111 this morning as I'm concerned that he's had it for about two weeks now and doesn't seem to be improving.

The doctor rang back and suggested getting some over the counter medicine from the pharmacy, and asked if we had anyone who could do that for us. I said I could go as I recently had Covid but have finished my 10 days of isolating and am fully recovered.

She said that I should be isolating and that I needed to get a friend or neighbour to collect it for us and put it through the letterbox. I queried this and she said something like if I can isolate then I really ought to, because I could pass it on.

This has left me confused as I thought I was perfectly safe to go out and about. I've done a lateral flow test this morning and it was negative.

Does anyone know?

Where do you live?
Are you double jabbed?

Your Dr is wrong. Worryingly so.

Thanks for the replies. I'm in England and am double jabbed.

I wish I had queried it further now, but I was really taken aback and was also dealing with a lively toddler whilst on the phone, so didn't want to chat any more than necessary.

The Dr is very wrong. Go out and get what you need to. It's alarming how many don't know what they are taking about.

Yes - in that case, Dr is wrong.

By the rules doctor is wrong.
And you have recently had it too.

People with positive family members carrying in as normal though is utter crap!

Rules or not!

@ShaneTheThird

The Dr is very wrong. Go out and get what you need to. It's alarming how many don't know what they are taking about.

Damn them for trying to stem the spread. Maybe a well meant mistake rather than ‘very wrong’ or ‘don’t know what they are talking about’.

People with positive family members carrying in as normal though is utter crap!

Damn them for trying to stem the spread.

@twinkletoesimnot @CarrieBlue But I thought if I'd had Covid and had completed my 10 days of isolation then there's no chance I can pass it on? Is that not correct?

It’s legal for you to go out and about but not really advisable unless necessary. The rules have only been relaxed to keep people going to work

It’s legal for you to go out and about but not really advisable unless necessary.

So I could still be infectious, even though I've completed my 10 days and had a negative LFT?

You’ve literally just had it and recovered. You’re allowed out and it is vanishingly unlikely that you would be infected again so soon, so you’re not going to be able to pass it on

You’ve literally just had it and recovered. You’re allowed out and it is vanishingly unlikely that you would be infected again so soon, so you’re not going to be able to pass it on

That's what I thought!

I'm pretty sure even if you weren't double jabbed you'd be allowed out. Once the first person in the household to get covid has completed their 10 days, they have never had to keep isolating if others in the household caught covid during the 10 days.

Even under the old rules you'd be allowed out. The GP is just a bit confused!

Hope your DH starts to feel better soon.

He caught it during your 10 day isolation period? Since the beginning, a family member getting symptoms during the initial isolation period didn’t re-start isolation for everyone. If you hadn’t had it, and weren’t double jabbed, you’d still be allowed out at this point and this has always been the case.

Your doctor is wrong you don’t need to isolate and you’ve recently had Covid you should have the antibodies. Op you shouldn’t be testing for 90 days too after testing positive.

Op you shouldn’t be testing for 90 days too after testing positive.

I know - I think I was just curious!

It seems odd that the doctor could get this wrong?! I’m now wondering if the other advice they gave me was wrong too

Yes you can go out. Day after my isolation ended I was back in work at a care home.

@justbananas42 - I wasn’t commenting on whether you were infectious or not, just the tone of a pp towards the doctor’s advice. Telling you to isolate would stop the spread of the virus so isn’t a dreadful default piece of advice to give a patient even if the GP is mistaken, there’s was no need for the ‘alarm’ or ‘very’ wrong.

Amazing how a doctor can be giving totally wrong advice.

You have had and recovered from covid.

You are double jabbed.

You do not have to isolate!

Telling you to isolate would stop the spread of the virus so isn’t a dreadful default piece of advice to give a patient

@CarrieBlue but I didn’t think someone in my situation would be spreading the virus?

@justbananas42 - well neither do I but a GP making a mistake doesn’t deserve the comments made by pp, there’s no harm done

But the GP is very wrong @CarrieBlue - the OP is literally at zero risk. She’s had it, recovered & is past 10 days. She’s not infectious anymore and she couldn’t possibly re- catch it from anyone at this point!

It’s concerning a GP does not know this & is telling people to isolate who have literally just recovered & cannot possibly be spreading it around!

I’ve bigger things to worry about and really don’t get the concern - as I said, no harm done.

You’ve just recovered. You can def go out.
Under the old rules it you’d done your 10 days and gone out and THEN your dh had got ill you’d need to self isolate again as crackers as that sounds.

But here your dh clearly caught it from you and well within the 10 days.

Doc is wrong. And in any event you can’t spread it or catch it if you’ve just had it.