10 days - Is it really enough time?

[hollie29x]

My partner started with a runny nose on Monday, LFT & PCR positive on Thursday (no tests done before this as symptoms really were minor & none of which were typical Covid symptoms)

His symptoms have now gone and he feels fine but still isolating in the bedroom away from us.

We plan for him to continue isolating until Thursday. Thankfully myself (34weeks pregnant) and my children are negative for now but I am so anxious he will come out on Thursday and infect us all meaning we will be unwell Christmas Day .. am I overthinking it?

Would a negative LFT indicate that his no longer contagious or not necessarily?

It's a decent indicator yes but not foolproof.

However, lft shows positive still…..would you suggest to wait for clear lft before Christmas Day with elderly g parents?

Yes I'd err on the side of caution if mixing with CEV relatives.

DH and I both tested positive on PCRs but not once did we test positive on the many lateral flow tests we did.

I read that it is currently under consideration that the 10 days be reduced to 7 as it is not necessary for it to be so long..

I wish there was a finger prick test that & it had a very high accuracy rate. The LFT seems to be so useless for personal testing. A decent aid in picking up some asymptomatic cases when dealing with large numbers though.

I hope that never happens @NovemberNovemberDarkNights, I will never test if I had to do that!

@Gingerbreadhoose

Not on a PCR, but testing positive on an LFT is an indicator of high viral load, so yes it does tend to indicate that.

Isn't the issue that these tests can pick up dead as well as live virus, and the body continues to have dead virus circulating for a while after that person is no longer infectious.

The LFT seems to be so useless for personal testing.

LFTs aren't useless at all... They're not perfect but neither are PCRs. There have been many reported instances of LFTs consistently testing positive but a PCR negative.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58899612

Isn't the issue that these tests can pick up dead as well as live virus, and the body continues to have dead virus circulating for a while after that person is no longer infectious.

Yes, but only a PCR will do that. An LFT won't.

DH and I both tested positive on PCRs but not once did we test positive on the many lateral flow tests we did.

Then you had a low viral load and it is likely you weren't particularly contagious (though obviously you'd have isolated anyway as best to err on side of caution).

People are continually misunderstanding what an lft is designed to do. It is designed to pick up people who are highly infectious, so the people who are likely to pass the virus on to others. If your lft is negative, you might still have the virus but are unlikely to be infectious enough to be spreading it to other people. All tests have a margin of error, nothing, not even a pcr is full proof.

@3teens2cats so if you were in my position, partner started with runny nose/sore throat on Monday 13th December, positive LFT and PCR on Thursday 16th December, Friday 17th December completely symptom free .... today if he did an LFT and negative, would you say that shows his viral load is low enough to be able to start moving around the house? I'd ask that he still wore a mask until 10 days are up but kids are desperate to have him out the bedroom and I feel like his missing out on all the Christmas prep (more like his missing out on having to help! 😉 lol) so would be nice to have him downstairs x

Yes I absolutely would because you know when the symptoms started so unless he still has a temp or streaming nose he should be past the infectious stage. LFTs can be positive past 10 days which makes it confusing.

The mask is pointless OP. Unless it's an FFP2 or an FFP3 mask AND the rest of you are wearing one, including the children, it wouldn't do anything to protect you if he's still contagious.

Thank you all for your replies, feeling a lot more positive about him being able to have Christmas with us all together 🥰

Take advice from NHS 111 if you are not sure OP - that's what they are there for.

Totally depends. DD1 totally asymptomatic and neg LFT by day 7 ish. Insane to keep her at home for 10 days. DD2 had symptoms but had neg LFT by day 6 and was fine for an entire week she home schooling. Insane. DD3 and DH more on the edge, ok at 1 days and neg LFT for dh but still, not perfectly well.

I very much doubt any of them were infectious at day 10 though to be fair.

So DD has had negative LFT and actually had bedroom door open this afternoon 😱
And now DS has now found out he has been a close contact of a positive case. Bloody great!! Pcr booked for tomorrow for me, DS and DH. I’m wondering if the staff at the testing site might invite us to their Christmas party….hahahaha!!!

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I hope that never happens *@NovemberNovemberDarkNights*, I will never test if I had to do that!

No, I know you don't like the N things x

I'm diabetic so had to get over that quickly!!

I'd do them if they were more accurate!

But it should be either or for those that don't like to do blood testing.

My OH would be thrilled with 10 days alone not sure what the big deal is.

Do the 10 days OP. No more.

Well, the initial isolation / incubation period was thought to be 14 days. I believe it was reduced for economic reasons. However, would you.really.ask your DH to send Christmas holed up in the spare room? I wouldn't, but then we will continue to love Inthe whole.hoise together of one of the family tests positive anyway. We're all exposed daily, which perhaps influences my attitude.

Excuse the typos

If I wasn't heavily pregnant I wouldn't care, we all had it last October and didn't isolate from one another, 3 out of 4 of us got it in the end but was ok.

This time I'm just worried about the effects to myself and baby hence why I've asked him to stay in bedroom.

His been around and about the house today, mask on but not really sure that will do much 🤔🥴

I’d be extra careful if I was heavily pregnant too, op. Lots of reports how dangerous it is to get it then.