If symptoms started with just cold symptoms when do you isolate from?

[Lindy2]

DD has a cold (well hopefully a cold).

It started on Tuesday with a runny nose and sneezing. We've done several lateral flow tests and they've been negative. There was no need for a PCR as she didn't have a cough, temperature or loss of smell/taste. DH has also had a cold (confirmed by PCRs as he's tested several times a week due to his job).

Today she's developed a cough so we've just done a PCR.

We also d a lateral flow and it's still negative.

She had her vaccine 5 weeks ago so I'm really hoping it is just a cold but so many of her friends are off with Covid right now I am a bit worried.

If it is bad news and it is Covid when would the isolation start from? Tuesday is when symptoms started (although not any of the main 3), today is when she started coughing.

I can't find anything that gives any guidance. It all just assumes classic Covid from day 1 which isn't the case for many, especially if vaccinated.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been vaccinated when isolation starts. If tests comes back positive I doubt test and trace would say that isolation should start from symptom of cold last Tuesday as that’s over 6 days ago. There’s also the chance that she had covid last week and she may not show positive now.

Thank Mindymomo.

I don't think it's Covid but that is my worry, that as it started with just cold symptoms, she's actually potentially had Covid for 6 days but not isolated because she didn't meet the criteria to need to do so.

By the time the test results come back the 10 days will be nearly over.

Probably from when the cough starts because of the large gap between cold symptoms and cough. I totally get the annoyance though. My dc always gets a cough at the very end of a cold, usually days In.

It's a difficult one because covid can absolutely feel like a cold but so many colds are going around too.

Dp has covid. He doesn't even have any of the main three symptoms apart from the slightest of tickles in his throat causes a very occasional cough! So I guess he does but it's far from continuous. Other than this he felt rough yesterday with headache and shivery (but no actual temperature), just feeling off and sniffy and for him it's exactly like a cold!! Just bunged up more anything.

Hopefully her test will be negative op. There's a good chance it will be. Both my dc have had non covid coughs - confirmed by pcr. But they will probably actually catch covid off Dp now!