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Covid

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Original poster

Very unlikely Isolation period will be cut down to 5 days for Omicron

75 replies

BambinaJAS · 10/01/2022 17:08

New Data from US & Taiwan point to peak infectiousness being reached around 3-6 days post infection (Omicron). See attached graph.

Not sure what UK Govt sources are going on about, as there seems to now be a concerted effort to get people out after Day 5.

What is going on in the England. Its like the lunatics have taken over and all reason and logic is being abandoned.

Very unlikely Isolation period will be cut down to 5 days for Omicron

OP posts:

thewhatsit · 10/01/2022 20:13

Isn’t the point that you rarely find out on day 1 though? A LFT test will only give a positive once you pass a certain viral load, higher than that a PCR could identify? And if you do get symptoms and take a PCR, again you’re generally a few days into it …? So day 5 is often really day 6,7,8 etc…?

user1487194234 · 10/01/2022 20:25

I think we are set on a course to move away from the majority of restrictions,and I support that

Oblomov22 · 10/01/2022 20:26

Sounds sensible.

murcimari · 10/01/2022 20:34

@BluebellsGreenbells

Good. Next we need to stop testing healthy, asymptomatic people. Especially children

You think people are actually testing g their children? Why do you think it’s so infectious in schools? That’s right - they aren’t being tested!

I know because I’ve asked a year 6 class today and only half have tested in their return to school. Says it all really.

Parents don’t want to isolate with their children. So they don’t test.

Wow, 50% of a Y6 class tested? I'd say that's an excellent result! I'm pretty sure not many in my DC's Y6 class tests, if any. I don't remember ever receiving a letter from our school since testing began which would encourage parents to do LFDs with their primary age children.

Ifonlyidknownthen · 10/01/2022 20:37

Pretty sure me and my family all just had omicron, given we are north west and it's the dominant strain. It's took 2 over weeks for 5 of us to start with it and end with it, as most of us were recovering the last of us was just starting with it. So I define do not think 5 days is enough.

Blubells · 10/01/2022 22:54

I know because I’ve asked a year 6 class today and only half have tested in their return to school. Says it all really.

Are primary school pupils expected to test themselves before school?

Frazzled2207 · 10/01/2022 22:56

@Bobholll

The US do 5 days now. We wouldn’t be the first.

Not quite the same. US is 5 days from test not from symptoms so in most cases will be 6-7 days.

Dghgcotcitc · 10/01/2022 22:58

Primary school children are not expected to test no their parents were but there was never a regular testing regirme in primary schools - therefore 50 percent is actually very high

Frazzled2207 · 10/01/2022 23:22

I was wrong above. Telegraph article says that the government was wrong to say the us period starts later. Appreciate this is not true.

DayKay · 11/01/2022 08:04

@user1487194234

I think we are set on a course to move away from the majority of restrictions,and I support that

I do too. We should be out of the omicron wave soon so it seems to be the right time.

RoseAndRose · 11/01/2022 08:10

Agreed. Isolation has to stop at some point

Why? There are a number of common diseases which require isolation - chicken pox, measles, TB, and more. Very normal precaution, and in place for ones which are less lethal than covid

Fizzbo · 11/01/2022 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Blubells · 11/01/2022 08:21

Agreed. Isolation has to stop at some point

Yes! The costs to society of isolation are increasingly larger than the benefits.

Blubells · 11/01/2022 08:31

I think the thread title should remove the 'un' in unlikely

RoseAndRose · 11/01/2022 08:54

Omicron is not a cold - when did you last see a 'cold' that was putting 2000 people a day into hospital!

And isolation is utterly normal for other diseases - ones which don't pose anywhere near as much risk to society as this one does.

Don't see why we should change that - there is both policy and scientific precedent for use of isolation for certain contagious diseases.

Delatron · 11/01/2022 08:57

You isolate when you have symptoms for other diseases. It’s not legally binding either.

We don’t isolate asymptomatic people.

RoseAndRose · 11/01/2022 09:04

You isolate when you have them, for the specified period.

Not really any difference

IcedPurple · 11/01/2022 09:40

@JanglyBeads

Unfortunately the fact that the science says no won't be the main factor our government takes into account....

"Science" doesn't talk. Certainly not with one anonymous voice.

Science has to be interpreted, and often different scientists interpret the same science very differently. Also, it has to be applied in the real world, and balanced with other priorities. All of our lives would be very different if 'science' was the only thing to think of.

VikingOnTheFridge · 11/01/2022 09:53

@RoseAndRose

You isolate when you have them, for the specified period.

Not really any difference

The isolation being legally binding is an absolutely vast difference.

Delatron · 11/01/2022 10:04

It’s very different!

RoseAndRose · 11/01/2022 10:12

Yes, isolation/quarantine for harmful diseases is enforceable with fines etc in many countries, and perhaps it will go that way here as well.

But it'll be by scale of harm, after all, chicken pox causes far lower numbers of damaging cases than covid. Measures round TB could probably do with a review. And would you really be happy with a child with measles still going in to school?

Blubells · 11/01/2022 10:13

Unfortunately the fact that the science says no won't be the main factor our government takes into account...

The science of what? The science that prevents every single death?

There are many other aspects to consider when enforcing isolation periods!

Blubells · 11/01/2022 10:19

But it'll be by scale of harm, after all, chicken pox causes far lower numbers of damaging cases than covid.

I'm not sure about that... If chicken pox were to affect as many people as Covid has, I think there'd be far worse outcomes! Not only is it very dangerous for pregnant women but it can cause shingles in older adults- possibly much more dangerous than Covid? I'm not a doctor though so not sure.

Delatron · 11/01/2022 10:33

I would also argue chicken pox is more dangerous to children.

I do think people forget that it’s the scale of infection that is the problem. If one disease infects as many people as Covid on a huge scale in a certain timescale then some people will have a bad outcome. That doesn’t change the fact that for most it is not serious or life threatening.

VikingOnTheFridge · 11/01/2022 12:18

@Blubells

Unfortunately the fact that the science says no won't be the main factor our government takes into account...

The science of what? The science that prevents every single death?

There are many other aspects to consider when enforcing isolation periods!

Yes, there is no 'the science'. People need to understand that. There are a great many things that need to be taken into consideration but we didn't do a great job at that earlier in the pandemic.

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