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?

The doctor is wrong but morally you should be staying at home if a family is positive, you can still spread it and this is why it will never end.

No harm done

Well no, because the OP knew enough to question the advice. It could have been fairly harmful if OP had taken the advice to isolate for a further 10 days for no reason.

@CharlotteRose90

The doctor is wrong but morally you should be staying at home if a family is positive, you can still spread it and this is why it will never end.

The op has just come out of isolation after testing positive you don’t isolate again .

Negative lateral flows mean nothing. Recently realised that when DD did 7 lateral flows over 5 days, yet tested positive on a PCR.

However if you need to pop out for essential medicine and you are past ten days isoation, then do go. Just wear a mask and keep your distance to be on the safe side.

DD is currently positive in our house. DH did a supermarket shop this morning when it was quiet (negative PCR yesterday) but we are otherwise staying inside to be on the safe side

@CharlotteRose90

The doctor is wrong but morally you should be staying at home if a family is positive, you can still spread it and this is why it will never end.

Do you have poor reading comprehension skills or did you just not bother reading the OP? It clearly states that the OP had covid, the OH caught it from OP during the OP's isolation period. The OP is fully recovered. What exactly is morally wrong about that. The rules have been the same in this circumstance for the duration of the pandemic so why are you questioning the OP's morals?

Jesus, what is wrong with people. She’s just had it. She can’t transmit it. She’s one of the safest people in the country.

This is why we’ve got people asking if they should isolate their primary school aged kids in their rooms away from the rest of the family, and why governments have been able to remove civil liberties. People are scientifically illiterate and hysterical.

@CharlotteRose90

The doctor is wrong but morally you should be staying at home if a family is positive, you can still spread it and this is why it will never end.

How, exactly, if you’ve just recovered from it?

Is it to do with touching stuff?

If your DH is ill and still actively has the virus could it be on your clothes etc?

That said you are prefectly within all the rules to be out and about.

Oh aye, thousands of infections have been linked to virus particles from someone else in the household getting on someone’s clothes and then being shed onto surfaces where innocent members of the public pick them up in such quantities that they then get infected. That’s a huge vector of infections right there.

@Piggywaspushed

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.

A GP shouldn't be confused like this. This isn't a difficult judgment call they called wrongly. It's a gigantic error... I wonder if there was a communication mix up and she thought you still had Covid?

@hellywelly3

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

No, the risk after 2.5 weeks is pretty much zero. She's probably one of the safest people in the country from a Covid perspective right now.

Virus shedding peaks the day before and day after symptoms arise, tailing off thereafter, but various studies haven't detected any live virus being shed in anyone more than nine days after symptoms arose... which is consistent with the ten day period.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/covid-19-most-contagious-first-5-days-illness-study-finds

A household member has Covid from today and my hospital wont let me come to work tonight even though I actually had it 4 weeks ago. Even though they let me work then on the basis of a negative PCR/ daily LFTs when I had two teens with Covid in the house. In fact as I now cant get a negative PCR, they want me to isolate for 10 days .

They are just making the rules up now Is there any evidence you can get covid immediately after just having it? Not say a couple months later but immediately afterwards?!

I’ve just had it & forgot my mask to go to the docs recently. I was extremely apologetic but my GP just chuckled & said I was one of the safest people in my village right now! 🤷🏼‍♀️

I am concerned that if she was wrong on the isolation issue, then the other advice she gave us could have been wrong too. It doesn’t really inspire faith. We will ring DH’s GP surgery this morning to try and speak to another doctor.