Tested positive 8 days after symptoms started

[CantStartaFireWithoutaSpark]

Hi there,
Last Saturday, 7 days ago DH tested positive. He had mild symptoms, which progressed to a head cold and all the usual omicron symptoms. Only today (Saturday) has his first negative showed up.
8 days ago, on the Friday, I started having symptoms, nausea, headaches, head cold, during the week a mild cough developed and a runny nose. I tested negative every single day.
DS had a temperature last Friday night, head cold developed by Sunday, runny nose etc, which he still has. He has tested negative every single day for 7 days.
Today both DD and I have tested positive. 8 days after initial symptoms.
We’ve been isolating all week, under the assumption we had it, but, now the test has just come up positive for both of us, do we need to start our isolation again?
I’m devastated, I start a new job this Week, I thought I was out of the worst of it.
New job is WFH, but DS needs to go to nursery

@Siameasy

First day of symptoms day zero. People can test positive up to 90 days after in any case. I’ve had it already but when I inevitably get it again (DD has it) I will be counting the smallest symptom as day zero and will not be registering my results as they will not leave you alone. You will get phone calls at 7am etc.

I think this has changed recently. Three of us had covid at Xmas and I only got a text and email on first day and not a single phone call- I think there are just to many cases for them to hassle like they once did

Am now on 10th full day of self isolating as positive LFTs. Yes isolation rules end in March but that's because more people will be vaccinated by then and boosted.

You have no way of knowing if your initial symptoms were just a cold that you coincidentally got just before you got covid.

If you take a PCR test more than a certain number of days after your symptoms start, T&T basically ignore your symptoms start date and go with the test date because it’s unreliable to link symptoms 8 days ago with a positive test now.

@Wnkingawalrus

You have no way of knowing if your initial symptoms were just a cold that you coincidentally got just before you got covid.

If you take a PCR test more than a certain number of days after your symptoms start, T&T basically ignore your symptoms start date and go with the test date because it’s unreliable to link symptoms 8 days ago with a positive test now.

Yes but the government also want you to use common sense and best judgement and it's pretty likely the symptoms were Covid related.

Yes you can. When you book a PCR it asks when the symptoms started. When you get a result you can leave isolation from the date the symptoms started or when you got a positive result, whichever is soonest

@Vbree

If that test is positive then, yes, you backdate to when your symptoms started.
However, the OPs tests were negative, which pretty much cancels out those days, as by all measures the OP did not have covid at that time. Symptoms of covid are only symptoms of covid if the person actually has covid at the time.

@kittensinthekitchen

Yes you can. When you book a PCR it asks when the symptoms started. When you get a result you can leave isolation from the date the symptoms started or when you got a positive result, whichever is soonest

@Vbree

If that test is positive then, yes, you backdate to when your symptoms started.
However, the OPs tests were negative, which pretty much cancels out those days, as by all measures the OP did not have covid at that time. Symptoms of covid are only symptoms of covid if the person actually has covid at the time.

@kittensinthekitchen, you're mistaken. OP has taken LTF tests, these can take a few days to start showing as positive (mine took 6 days from onset of symptoms).

OP you've morally done the right thing, but if you want to be extra vigilant, I'd do 2 lateral flows 24 hours apart, before ending isolation (if they're negative!) Hope you're all ok, it's just gone through our family, and waiting for the positives has been the most frustrating part!

@CantStartaFireWithoutaSpark

Shoulda woulda coulda! Not very helpful.

So, does my isolation start from the day my symptoms showed? Or from the day i got a positive LFT?
We are feeling better.

When I got a positive last Sunday T and T asked me if I had any if a list of symptoms.

I had sore throat and fatigue.

I was asked what date that started on and that was my day 0. It was 48 hours before I was positive.

I was daily testing anyway as a close contact (school!). And I found out over 24 hours before the positive another 4 of the close contacts had tested positive on LFT so I isolated knowing I had it!

I obviously couldn't do a PCR because I didn't have any of the 3 main symptoms.

But I also still managed to get a negative on day 5 and 6

I started feeling unwell two days after all my kids tested positive for covid. But none of us had the official symptoms. I got a negative PCR myself on their day 4 and continued to test negative on lft every day until the kids were on their day 8. Then I got my first positive LFT. Now I'm on my day 11 since the positive test (20 days since the kids tested positive and 18 days since I started feeling ill).

By rights you would go from the first day of your symptoms, but I suspect you won't get a negative lft result until at least 5 days from now, so you should probably go from today to be safe. Wouldn't be very good way to start a new job by infecting your new colleagues!

@dementedpixie ah ok.

My son and I have symptoms and positive LFT’s so we didn’t bother with PCR. We’ve logged the results and done T&T though.

We haven't had a single call from T&T, fortunately, just texts and emails. Seems they are might only be calling those who don't fill in the online forms.

You can order PCR tests without symptoms as contacts of a positive case. After DS(15) surprise positive LFT last Sunday after he came down with stomach ache DH and I had negative LFTs for 3-4 days during which time we started with symptoms and positive PCRs. DD remained negative on LFT every day so we delayed her PCR by a few days.