Isolation time cut. Good or bad? *MNHQ editing to say 'only England so far!'*

[AD80]

We've just had covid.

Dp and Ds have had it and both out of isolation. Dp finished isolating last week and still had a line on the test for days afterwards - doing it out curiosity. He had barely any symptoms either.

My last day of isolation today and Dd on Friday.

I'm negative on lft today.

But Dd still has a strong positive despite that she's had no symptoms whatsoever!

Is this really going to work?!

Whilst it's welcome in many instances like people going back to work sooner etc.

But they say you can test positive for weeks after so it's not going to work this way for many people!

For instance. I've been quite ill, still don't feel 100 percent and now my lft's are negative on day 10 despite being more affected than everyone else in the house.

Dd has had no symptoms and still positive on day 9 after testing positive

Dp had barely any symptoms but had a line for days after covid.

We haven't lft tested ds. we just isolated him.

I'm very mixed. Whilst I think it's a good thing, I think it has drawbacks. Dd has had no symptoms yet still has a line on day 8/9 I still have mild symptoms on day 9/10 and no line! So I guess how contagious you does not depend now now Ill you are! 🤷‍♀️

Will they police it? People may just go out after a week without doing an lft?

It just seems contradictory when we are told not to test for 90 days!

I was just very surprised at it. With the risk of omicron.

A good and necessary step. I think it should be asymptomatic plus 48 hours and a negative test.

The 10 days is from studies on people hospitalised with Covid (and so ill). Something like 90% tested negative on day 8, so they just added a couple of extra days for luck.

We have so many cases that a 10 day period will really strain essential services.

I’m on day 6 of isolation after testing positive. I’ve just done an LFT and it was negative. If tomorrow’s is as well I’m free! I’ve had very mild symptoms and have felt worse from being cooped up inside than from the virus. We don’t have any get-togethers planned until after Christmas (if we don’t get locked down…) so I won’t be going to crowded places or meeting vulnerable people anyway. I’m just desperate to go for a run!

We all will just need to apply common sense.
I'm not convinced that someone on day 7 with the two negative lateral flows, turning up at granny's house for crowded unventilated Xmas dinner is a good idea.

Having the freedom to go for run as per pp, that's different.

@ALittleOldLadyTookInHerGoat

We all will just need to apply common sense. I'm not convinced that someone on day 7 with the two negative lateral flows, turning up at granny's house for crowded unventilated Xmas dinner is a good idea.

Having the freedom to go for run as per pp, that's different.

I can't imagine feeling up to going for a run myself. I'm on day 4 or perhaps 3 not sure.

@ALittleOldLadyTookInHerGoat

We all will just need to apply common sense. I'm not convinced that someone on day 7 with the two negative lateral flows, turning up at granny's house for crowded unventilated Xmas dinner is a good idea.

Having the freedom to go for run as per pp, that's different.

Totally agree!

'Only in England' says it all really

To keep the workforce working... spreading it whilst they work, or catching it from others

They are trying to balance what's to come

But yesterday we had 6 staff off.... today it's 9. With another one sat waiting for an lft

If you get hold of lft testers before Christmas Day then it should be ok of course!

Necessary move probably.

Just another way of letting it tear through the country towards herd immunity, the 7 days is just for show that they’re trying to contain the spread.

I was laughed at on another thread suggesting this ! Now it's here .

They’re letting an extra 280,000 mix at Xmas who are still contagious, why bother at all?

I think this is a good idea and I suspect eventually it’ll be no more asymptomatic testing, no more asymptomatic people isolating and eventually no testing at all

It relies on honesty of course but LFTs do anyway because you can just scan the QR code and record a negative test any time you want. It wouldn’t be policed.

This feels like a relaxing of the rules so I'd be amazed if we do go into lockdown after Christmas now.

They are only trying to slow it because noone can stop it. 7 days let's people back to work but deals with a big proportion of potential cases.

@DumplingsAndStew

If they are confident in not being contagious after 7 days, why bother with the LFTs at all?

This isn't about public health, like others have said, its about the Tory manifesto of people being at work.

This 100%

It's really not clear how many people will actually be testing negative at day 6 and 7. Anecdotally, lots of people seem to carry on testing positive on lft right through to day 9 or 10. And what if you're still positive on day 10? Should you carry on isolating until negative? I don't see why not.

I am worried this will lead to more vulnerable people being infected over Xmas. In our wider family there will be someone in this position. Should they be visiting vulnerable family over Xmas?
I would argue not, but it won't be my call.

It's not very good for people who were previously shielding. I had been shopping in person (in a FFP2 mask) and fairly relaxed about it; but this increases the risk of spreading infection to vulnerable people, doesn't it.

I will give the shops a complete miss for the next couple of months if I can.

I was talking to a friend who is saying the same herecomesthesun.
It's a worrying time.

A good thing

@ColdHandsColdFeetWarmHeart

It's a good thing. It means that they're acknowledging omicron is just a bad cold and the 10 day isolation for it is a massive overreaction.

this is on the assumption that we know for sure that from now on everybody's coming down with omicron and there won't be a single case of delta?! The govt's actions couldn't be more confusing.

You can still have some symptoms (cough especially) after the 10 days. The gov guidance has always said this. The point is the cough droplets at that point are not carrying virus. If a test shows no virus at day 6/7 then that’s fine. People will hopefully take their own precautions in any event (re Grannies and unventilated crowded spaces).

Also a bit concerning re what will be happening in schools and the potential for transmission there.

Does anyone have any link to a scientific article justifying this?

I mean I can see it is handy for businesses if both staff and customers don't have to isolate for so long, but how does the science work?

In addition, if these newly recovered people aren't supposed to be in contact with the clinically vulnerable, then how does that work in the NHS?

I'm delighted as I'm out of isolation a day early. No symptoms since Saturday. LFTs negative since sunday. I'm a threat to no one.

It's my second time with covid in 4 months. When I had delta I was still ill after 12 days and LFT still pos on day 10.

So I think omicron is a different beast symptom and virus shedding wise.