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Covid

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Flip

Original poster

Ending self isolation early

13 replies

kittensinthekitchen · 29/01/2022 10:25

I was going to add this as a reply to the 'my DH wants to take positive DD to a football match' thread, but it's just closed due to being full.

Someone questioned if the tests on day 4 and 5 have to be 24 hours apart.

Isolation after testing positive is still ten days. You can end this isolation period early if specific criteria are met.

There's no day 4 and 5 testing. You can start testing on day 5, and once you have two negative results on consecutive days, you can end isolation early.

The earliest you can leave isolation is day 6.

Screenshot from NHS website, and also information on this page from UKGov

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#SymptomsPositiveTest

OP posts:

puppetear · 29/01/2022 10:31

Having just been through this calculation (due to other half having been positive), the rather ambiguous thing is the it starts from when symptoms were first noticed.

So if you tested positive, but in hindsight were feeling a bit off for a few days before, then it's possible you can test negative and release on day 6 in only a few more days.

Feenie · 29/01/2022 10:32

The day your symptoms start is day 0. Day after that is day 1, etc.

Original poster

kittensinthekitchen · 29/01/2022 10:34

But those symptoms may not have been due to a covid infection. You may have just been feeling a bit off, or had another bug of some sort.

This is why testing is so important. In your example, you'd assume you were actually positive a few days earlier and leave isolation on say, day 4, assuming it to be day 6 or 7. But you might not have had covid then, and really be on day 4 of your covid infection and still infectious.

OP posts:

Siameasy · 29/01/2022 19:41

That’s not what the rules say. Eg if I had symptoms on Monday but tested negative until Thursday, Monday is day zero, not Thursday. Otherwise people could end up isolating for more than ten days.

Loads of people I know have taken several days to show a positive despite symptoms.

Arcadia · 29/01/2022 20:01

Does isolation end on day ten (I.e. you're free that day) or the day after day ten, assuming no early release?
Can't find answer to this anywhere!

Fallagain · 29/01/2022 20:02

Isolation ends at 23.59 on day 10.

frizzyandfrazzled · 29/01/2022 20:06

The whole thing is a bit arbitrary but they have to call it somewhere. It's often difficult to tell when symptoms start and all infections will differ in strength. As time goes on you become less infectious. I am looking forward to some common sense being applied - 5 days at home maybe with 5 of mask wearing and/or mainly outdoor activities. Kids back at school after 5 days at most. People are at their most contagious before they get a negative, so that's not worry about them so much 7/8/9/10 days in, hence why this illness will always find new hosts.

frizzyandfrazzled · 29/01/2022 20:07

Before they get a positive that was supposed to say!

ElinorOliphant · 29/01/2022 20:51

I’ve not given the days much thought until this week when I’ve caught it myself.

I had symptoms on tues,positive on weds and then my friend told me that Tues was day ZERO. I’ve never even heard anyone mention day zero before.

Saks6 · 29/01/2022 21:03

@ElinorOliphant

I’ve not given the days much thought until this week when I’ve caught it myself.

I had symptoms on tues,positive on weds and then my friend told me that Tues was day ZERO. I’ve never even heard anyone mention day zero before.

I’ve never heard of day zero either.

Son had symptoms on Friday and tested positive on Saturday. School have advised day zero is Saturday as that’s the day we did the test. I don’t think that’s right as symptoms started Friday.

altmember · 29/01/2022 21:20

Yes Friday is his day zero.

It's scary how many people don't understand the self isolation rules properly. I wonder how many people class the day they came down with it as their day 1, and then end their isolation on the morning of day 9 (because they think that's day 10, and also that you can leave isolation on day 10 rather than after it).

Also wonder how many people are doing similar with early release - counting day 0 as though it's day 1, then just leaving isolation on day 4 without bothering to test.

Wowwellokthen · 29/01/2022 23:13

Ok here's my conundrum...

I do twice weekly LFT for work....one done as normal on last Sunday evening...negative....had a bit of a headache on Tuesday evening so tested again...negative...Wednesday morning tested again negative...by Wednesday evening I have a sore throat...another negative lft....go for a PCR (as advised by work) on Thursday morning...positive....I have done daily lateral flows...Thursday, Friday and today...all negative.

So....do I leave isolation on day 6 (Tuesday) despite never testing positive on lfts? I feel awful at the moment so I won't go back to work anyway if I don't feel better.

What do you think?

Siameasy · 29/01/2022 23:46

@Wowwellokthen

Ok here's my conundrum...

So....do I leave isolation on day 6 (Tuesday) despite never testing positive on lfts? I feel awful at the moment so I won't go back to work anyway if I don't feel better.

What do you think?

Technically your day zero is Tuesday. But if you wanted more time off work you could count forward from the positive test instead. If you want to leave isolation on day 6 you can, however.

Flip