What day were you LFT negative?

[Bizawit]

For those who kept testing- how long was it before your LFTs turned negative? I’m somewhere between day 5-7. I don’t particularly have any symptoms anymore (apart from fatigue, but tbf I am isolating with a 6 week old baby and a 2.5 year old) but I’m still getting blazing positives 😞. Feeling pretty low and anxious about it, as would have thought it would be at least fading by now..?

Keen to here others’ experiences…

@isitnewyearyet

Can someone explain why you can go out after 10 days isolation even if LFT shows positive? Why does it not mean you are positive all of a sudden? When can you start doing LFT again?

Because after 10 days you are vanishingly unlikely to be contagious, even if you have traces of the virus in your nasal passage.

@TenLittleDinos
Ah I see... so the positive could be that there are traces but it doesn't matter cos you are not contagious so it's irrelevant. This is what I didn't understand wow yeah you explained this well I see thanks so much.

From the “If you test positive section” on the NHS website:

“ If you test positive, your self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day you had the test, if you do not have symptoms) and the next 10 full days.

If you get symptoms while you're self-isolating, the 10 days restarts from the day after your symptoms started.”

So yes unfortunately if you test positive whilst asymptomatic and then develop symptoms you do have start the 10 days again from the day after your symptoms start.

Jesus Christ no you don’t

@Queenoftheashes

Jesus Christ no you don’t

Not sure what you mean?

@Queenoftheashes @impatientlywaiting2015
You are contagious when you test positive which is why the isolation begins then. You are MOST contagious a few days before symptoms begin. Which is by you isolate from when you test positive.

@Queenoftheashes
I did not have symptoms when I pcr tested but test and trace still wanted to know where I had been two days before as I was very contagious. My symptoms started about two days after the pcr (runny nose). I ended my isolation today and they have said I can end isolation on the app and not mentioned about if symptoms start.

@Queenoftheashes
So I agree with you.

I tested positive on LFT until day 12. I only isolated until day 10 as per the guidelines.

Has anyone had negatives on days 6, 7 and 8 but then had positives on 9 and 10?

[quote isitnewyearyet]**@Queenoftheashes* @impatientlywaiting2015*
You are contagious when you test positive which is why the isolation begins then. You are MOST contagious a few days before symptoms begin. Which is by you isolate from when you test positive.[/quote]
I think if you test positive but then go on to have symptoms the isolation restarts from the day your symptoms start. It’s a complete bummer but I think that’s what you are meant to do.

This is clear on the NHS Website But it’s not clear on the Gov.UK site.

See the attached screen shot, I’ve added the red.

I don’t understand why people are testing beyond day 10? (And posting sad faces about still being positive). You can go out then so what does it matter? Studies have shown no infectious live virus remains after 9 days. This is why the isolation period was 10 days. Why test after day 10?

I never tested positive on a LFT. Though I only did 1. When the PCR on the same day came back as positive I didn’t see the point. (And wanted to save LFTs) Did my 10 days then went out. This was before they changed the isolation period.

@Bizawit can you please post a link to that article? Thank you!

Although I only isolated for 10 days it has taken until day 16 to test negative on LFT

@LessTime that screenshot/advice has been discussed ages ago on this thread and refers to a situation where if you are already isolating you need to restart if you get symptoms during that period. If you have a positive test you can date it from there or where your symptoms started if you’ve got a test because you had symptoms. If you have a precautionary test due to close contact then your isolate from that day as in the absence of symptoms the test tells you when you were positive.

The screenshot that @LessTime has posted is from the “if you’ve tested positive” section on the section about isolation on the NHS site @Queenoftheashes. So it applies in the situation where you test positive whilst asymptomatic then later develop symptoms and is not talking about being a close contact here (that’s a separate section of the site).

@Delatron

I don’t understand why people are testing beyond day 10? (And posting sad faces about still being positive). You can go out then so what does it matter? Studies have shown no infectious live virus remains after 9 days. This is why the isolation period was 10 days. Why test after day 10?

I never tested positive on a LFT. Though I only did 1. When the PCR on the same day came back as positive I didn’t see the point. (And wanted to save LFTs) Did my 10 days then went out. This was before they changed the isolation period.

You are right. It doesn’t make any difference whether your lft shows you are positive of not. It’s a waste of tests 🤷🏻‍♀️

I will be day 10 tomorrow.
H wants me to test again today to see if he can move back into bed yet. Although if he hasn't manage to catch it off me yet then he's hardly likely to catch it now. But it's his prerogative.

[quote PITA5000]@Bizawit can you please post a link to that article? Thank you![/quote]
I posted it earlier in the thread. This is many days ago now but here it is. I’m sure there’s a more official government source with a little bit of googling:

metro.co.uk/2021/12/23/what-if-you-test-covid-positive-on-lateral-flow-test-after-isolating-15814077/amp/

@impatientlywaiting2015

The screenshot that *@LessTime has posted is from the “if you’ve tested positive” section on the section about isolation on the NHS site @Queenoftheashes*. So it applies in the situation where you test positive whilst asymptomatic then later develop symptoms and is not talking about being a close contact here (that’s a separate section of the site).

Right ok. So studies show you can be contagious for up to ten days after getting covid. You get a positive pcr. 8 days later you get a sore throat. You think that despite the fact that the virus will be gone in two days you think you should then isolate for another ten due to one badly written sentence from the nhs (which is clearly not the widely understood guidance). Fine if you want to do that but it isn’t correct.

@Queenoftheashes. I don’t think the info in the NHS is unclear or ‘badly written’ It’s crystal clear what it means.

The same information is in the GOV.UK website in the section “Guidance
Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, Updated 30 December 2021”. Scroll down to ‘If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have received a positive COVID-19 test result’ It contains the very clear paragraph
If you are isolating because of a positive test result but did not have any symptoms, and you develop COVID-19 symptoms within your isolation period, start a new isolation period from the day your symptoms start

So the NHS site and the Gov.Uk site both say exactly the same thing and both say it clearly. You might not like it and you may not agree with it but it’s crystal clear what you are meant to do.

BTW I haven’t said what I think of these rules.🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m just pointing out what’s written on the Gov.Uk site and the NHS site.

If you still think I’m wrong I’d be curious to know why.

@LessTime @Queenoftheashes
It defo did not say this the other day on gov website. Shame cos when I spoke to test and trace on day 0 I was clear we both had zero symptoms and they just told me end isolation on day 10 (or day 7 of negative LFT) I was writing it down and they were aware and specifically gave me the date to end my isolation. Did not mention about starting again if nose starts running.

@LessTime @Queenoftheashes
Also it is not clear about symptoms. It still says cough etc etc I just had a slight runny nose but no temp but is this even a symptom? I think the whole guidance is vague in lots of ways or we wouldn't be discussing it.

[quote isitnewyearyet]**@LessTime* @Queenoftheashes*
Also it is not clear about symptoms. It still says cough etc etc I just had a slight runny nose but no temp but is this even a symptom? I think the whole guidance is vague in lots of ways or we wouldn't be discussing it.[/quote]
Like I said I’m just pointing out what it says you are meant to do. Personally, I wouldn’t restart my isolation period because of a slightly runny nose if I felt well otherwise. 🤷🏻‍♀️

A slightly runny nose can be caused by differences between being outdoors or a heated room.

August/ September is the only time of year that due to hayfever/ heating/ cold weather, my nose does not routinely go runny.

If you've done your SI/ tested neg at the appropriate time, a runny nose is highly unlikely to be a new infection.