Isolation cut to 5 days from Monday

[2X4B523P]

Just heard on the wireless that from Monday 17th the isolation time will be five days. Another step towards getting back to normal and will help with staff shortages.

How are employers going to ensure that people don't take the mick and just say that their LFT was positive and it wasn't, just to have a few more days off? I'm not sure they could insist on seeing them? And crafty people could just show one from a few days earlier...

That's what I'm trying to work out too @Howshouldibehave

I'm not convinced it will help the staffing issue to be honest because if more people release themselves from isolation on day 5 presumably we'll have more people out and about who could still be spreading and increasing cases.

So could we end up with:

• shorter isolation periods but a higher number of people isolating I.e. instead of 3 people isolating for 7 days we have 5 people isolating for 5 days because more community transmission so more people have it
• not actually shortening isolation period because no-one/very few people tests negative on day 5

This is just the first step back to normality. Next will be we stop testing, but I think the population will stop doing that themselves.

Many people will post negative after five days because it depends on where on th infection they tested.

Overwhelmingly now people are isolating for what is at worst a cold now, but the unvaccinated still have signficant risks it seems.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo, I told DH 2 days ago that we would go to 5 days isolation in order to save Boris' job. Sometimes I hate to be right, although I don't think it will be enough to rescue him...

UK Health Security Agency data shows that two-thirds of positive cases were no longer infectious by day five.

Great news!!

@CurlyhairedAssassin

How are employers going to ensure that people don't take the mick and just say that their LFT was positive and it wasn't, just to have a few more days off? I'm not sure they could insist on seeing them? And crafty people could just show one from a few days earlier...

They won't be able to, is the answer. But there isn't an option currently available to us that doesn't build in the opportunity for some people to swing the lead if they want.

The response to the virus should never cause more damage than the virus itself.

Yes.

Completely different to usa doing this though as it said for them it was masks everywhere (including home) if coming out after 5 days.
And kuds at school all wear masks in some states.
Whereas primary here dont

I read somewhere people are most infectious between day 3 and 6 so not sure what this will achieve.
If I was a teacher or worked in a hospital I would take my sweet time resting and recovering. The government have done little to nothing to protect these workers so they should take the opportunity to put themselves first.
I expect many will take the time rather than rushing back, assuming they will be paid.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

How are employers going to ensure that people don't take the mick and just say that their LFT was positive and it wasn't, just to have a few more days off? I'm not sure they could insist on seeing them? And crafty people could just show one from a few days earlier...

Why would anyone need to say their test was still positive when they could simply say that they still felt too unwell to work? Many people who have had Covid have needed longer than the ten days before they felt well enough to return anyway.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

How are employers going to ensure that people don't take the mick and just say that their LFT was positive and it wasn't, just to have a few more days off? I'm not sure they could insist on seeing them? And crafty people could just show one from a few days earlier...

Dont be such a bootlicker

I'm on day 10 and still a dark positive. The worry is people will be dishonest to get out and make things worse in the short term

@Lacedwithgrace

How many people will lie and say they tested negative to get out earlier? Ffs

If they are that type of person, why would they bother with a PCR in the first place, or isolation at all

I read somewhere people are most infectious between day 3 and 6 so not sure what this will achieve.

Not true with omicron.

There is growing evidence that suggests transmission of COVID-19 occurs one to two days before the onset of symptoms and during the two to three days afterward.

We (our household) just completed 10 full days isolation as still testing positive until then. I went out after that because I thought 10 days was the full isolation period. I didn't test after that but on another thread an NHS worker said they needed a negative test to return to work and it was considerably over 10 days.

I expect many will take the time rather than rushing back, assuming they will be paid.

We'll all have to pay for such behaviour in higher taxes....

Great news.

Also nothing to do with anything related to the subject in hand, but I do LOVE the fact you still refer to the "wireless" @2X4B523P - thank you, it made me smile!

My DD (13) tested positive on Sunday evening and was negative by Wednesday afternoon. She hasn't had one symptom. So it can turn negative quite quickly for some people.

How are employers going to ensure that people don't take the mick and just say that their LFT was positive and it wasn't, just to have a few more days off? I'm not sure they could insist on seeing them? And crafty people could just show one from a few days earlier...

This could work both ways though. Employers pressuring employees to come back after 5 days without checking they are testing negative, or only paying for 5 days sick.

A client of mine (admittedly not technically my employer) messaged me on day 7 and said I thought isolation was only 7 days now? Indicating I'm being a CF and taking more time than needed. My lfts were still positive on day 7, 8 and 9 so I completed 10 days.

@mrsnw

My DD (13) tested positive on Sunday evening and was negative by Wednesday afternoon. She hasn't had one symptom. So it can turn negative quite quickly for some people.

UK Health Security Agency data shows that two-thirds of positive cases were no longer infectious by day five.

So for the majority of people the reduction to 5 days will be helpful (assuming they want to get back to work/school!)

Not sure how it would be possible when my family and I had COVID in the end of December, we all still tested positive on lateral flow test up to and including day 10.

@Caddycat

I don't know anyone who was negative on day 6 and 7, let alone on day 4 and 5. Basically, people will say I had symptoms 48h ago to push back the start date of isolation and 3 days later they will be out and about passing covid on.

Both dd and ds tested negative by day 5. Father in law however was still a strong positive on Day 6 so it does vary.

My late dear old dad used to call it the wireless too !
It also made me smile.

Will this actually help in any way?

Lol re wireless. I sometimes call it a transistor radio too rather than just radio. Paul O’Grady and Ryland Clark Neal both refer to wireless on their respective radio 2 shows.