Whitty has confused me…

[Graciemacey]

Just saw Whitty tell us in the press conference that positive cases need to keep isolating till they get a negative LFT. I thought that after 10 days, we were allowed to stop isolating if well. I’m on day 8, still getting a really strong positive line despite my symptoms having cleared up (bar a bit of fatigue).
Can anyone clarify… can you really still be infectious 10 days on if you’re symptom free? If you’ve still got a positive LFT on day 10, do you need to keep isolating?

I understand it as day 10 you are free to leave unless u have certain symptoms still (t and t said nausea and temp).

He did clarify it further later on that you are unlikely to be infectious after 10 days isolation.

this is the policy my workplace have adopted, (NHS)but I dont think its right tbh
I was really worried I would not get a negative lft by day 10 and have to keep isolating (well, not going into work)but thankfully I got a negative on days 7 and 8 so all good.

@greenweepingwillow You mean you need to keep isolating until you get a negative at your work?

If you have a temperature or feel unwell you should keep isolating

Morally you’d not stop,isolating if positive right? That’s not what you’re suggesting?

I thought it was od he didn’t immediately add that after 10 full days you can stop isolating (ie you are free on day 11), even if your lat flows are still positive. See the official guidance here

“You can stop self-isolating after the 10 days if either:

you do not have any symptoms
you just have a cough or

changes to your sense of smell or taste – these can last for weeks after the infection has gone

When to keep self-isolating after 10 days

If you have a high temperature after the 10 days, or are feeling unwell, keep self-isolating and seek medical advice.”

My understanding is that you can have residual dead virus in your body for weeks after testing positive (that can give a positive test) but you’re not infectious after day 10. Which is why you’re free to go. But now I’m not 100 percent sure and it’s why I’m asking. The NHS track and trace message I had said 10 days, no mention of a LF test. Or as I understand it, day 8 if you test negative on days 6 and 7.

Yes, that’s definitely correct. Have a look at this link I posted.

If you are positive on lateral flows on day 6 or 7, you can still get out before day 10 if you get two consecutive negatives, 24hrs apart - so if you are negative on lateral flows on day 8 and 9 you can get out on day 9, or negative on day 9 & 10 you can get out on day 10, when usually it’s day 11 when you’re free

Guidance here:

“ You can stop self-isolating after 7 days if you do a rapid lateral flow test on days 6 and 7 of your self-isolation period and:

both tests are negative
you did both tests at least 24 hours apart
you do not have a high temperature

If you do a rapid lateral flow test on day 6 and test positive, wait 24 hours before you do the next test.

If you stop self-isolating on or after day 7, it's important that you take steps to reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 to others. This means you should:

work from home if you can
wear a face covering in shops, on public transport and when it's hard to stay away from other people – particularly indoors, in crowded places or where there is not much fresh air
limit contact with people at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19
follow advice on how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19”

But are you still infectious if its say, day 11 and you're still testing positive ? Cos that's the situation with my dd??
The 10 days are up, can she stop isolating despite still testing positive?
She doesn't have a temp, but does have a bunged up nose, can't taste etc...

@Moff2k

But are you still infectious if its say, day 11 and you're still testing positive ? Cos that's the situation with my dd?? The 10 days are up, can she stop isolating despite still testing positive? She doesn't have a temp, but does have a bunged up nose, can't taste etc...

Good question. I've wondered this too. Also, what is the likelihood of still being infectious from day 7 despite negative lfts?!

[quote Graciemacey]@greenweepingwillow You mean you need to keep isolating until you get a negative at your work?[/quote]
yes, according to the latest trust policy. You need 2 negative lateral flow tests on 2 consecutive days (from day 6 onwards ) and then can return to work day after. So even if you reach day 10, you can not return to work on day 11 if you havent had 2 negative lateral flow tests.......(although this seems to be just our trust doing this as far as Ive heard)
I wonder if this is going to worsen staffing crisis though, but I dont know how common it is to still be testing positive past 10, probably not very common.
Thankfully I got my 2 negative lfts on days 7 and 8

(although obvioulsy you could end general isoaltion after 10, I just couldnt have gone back into work without the 2 negative lfts)

Some people will still be infectious after 10 days. Which is why the original isolation period was 14 days - they brought it down to 10 as they thought more people would comply with offsetting the risk of a small proportion of people still being infectious.

This might correspond with those people who are still testing positive on LFTs (not PCRs) - scientists believe that LFTs pick up the 'infectious' element of Covid, a specific protein I think. I think Chris Whitty might have said today that LFTs are a good indicator of infectiousness? Whereas PCRs pick up the dead virus.

@Justwingingit2005

I understand it as day 10 you are free to leave unless u have certain symptoms still (t and t said nausea and temp).

Day 11 you are free to leave, and the first day of symptoms is day 1.

@greenweepingwillow

this is the policy my workplace have adopted, (NHS)but I dont think its right tbh I was really worried I would not get a negative lft by day 10 and have to keep isolating (well, not going into work)but thankfully I got a negative on days 7 and 8 so all good.

This isn't just your trust, it's government guidance for health and social care settings:

'The likelihood of a positive LFD test in the absence of symptoms after 10 days is very low. If the staff member’s LFD test result is positive on the 10th day, they should continue to take daily LFD tests, and should not return to work until a single negative LFD test result is received.'

see here

Got a friend who apparently tested negative on day 6 and took the initiative to walk out of isolation on day 7 then did the lft later and it was strong positive. Day 10 now and she's still testing strong positive. She met up with me before this and I'm annoyed tbh.

I still feel unwell now on day 17 but absolutely no way would my work allow more than the allotted ten days! You already get castigated for daring to test positive. I’m persona non grata, as are the ten or so others who’ve had it recently. 🙄

The first day of symptoms, or positive test whichever is first, is day 0 not day 1. This confused me so much, I wonder how many others don't realise this? I only found out when I tested positive.

@WreckTangled
ah, thanks for that link. I had looked for that before but couldnt find it (blaming post covid confused brain!)
That makes sense. So it sounds like it is quite unlikely to still be testing positive after 10 days, but if you are then you just need a single negative lft to "release" you back to work.....(slightly diffeent to email I got from my manager, but that may just be an interpretation issue!)
So that is a definite policy change from the "dont test for 90 days " message then.
and yes, I'm still doing daily lfts...although think I can stop today (day 11) and go back to twice weekly, which is just as well cause its driving me mad trying to get hold of enough!

I only realised today when our trust emailed out a handy flow chart I think that guidance was only updated a few days ago. I'm day 6 and still very positive, my manager has agreed I don't need to test to release early and we will just wait until Monday when I'll be day 12...

Need to check as skimmed while working but I think I read some recent English guidance (unless it has changed yesterday or today) that said that staff should continue to isolate if they have positive LFTs after 10 days as 1 in 6? staff can still be infectious after 10 days?