Am I Still Contagious?

[QS90]

I felt ill two Sundays ago (14th), tested negative on the Monday, and positive on the Tuesday. Had a proper cough Monday though, so am counting that as "Day 0" (maybe a dodgy lateral flow?), which would make today Day 9, and Friday Day 11. I've read a lot of places (including government and NHS) that you're "unlikely" to be contagious after Day 5, and that it's "almost impossible" to pass it on after Day 10 (so Friday). However, I'm still testing positive, and although fever has been gone the best part of a week and I feel well for the most part, my cough appears to be getting worse. Am I "safe" to go out on Friday??

That is, assuming I'm still testing positive, which I feel is a stromg possibility as line not much feinter today that when I first fell ill.

Day 11 Saturday is safer

Sorry I wasn't clear - Friday is Day 11. Would you go out then, even if you were testing positive and had a cough?? It seems wrong somehow, but believe it is the current advice, if I'm understanding it properly.

The rules are there are no rules.

I'm also curious as to whether you can still test positive if you are no longer contagious. I tested positive on Wednesday two weeks back - having had symptoms start on the Tuesday (16th). I tested again on day 6 - and repeated every few days after that . Day 18 and I'm still testing positive- but surely I'm no longer contagious?

I've been out a couple of times this week, but still tired so wouldn't be doing a lot (WFH) but I just wondered? I had decided I wasn't going to test again after 14 days but would like to get a negative before I visit my mum (test before I visit as care home )

My son was told not to test for three months after he had it as he might still show as positive.

Very very unlikely to be still infectious after 10 full days even if LTF still picks up remnants so you should be fine. Even at the height of Covid 10 days was considered enough

That's what I thought @Pepperama .

It's difficult then if I want to test before seeing my mum . I could
Keep my mask on but that's not the best as she has dementia .

@shinynewapple22 hopefully you’ll find you start testing negative by then - quite often it is exactly 10 days when it turns. It’s only PCRs that stay positive for a month or two. But even if not you’re definitely ok on day 11 since onset - when we still used the apps it’d show recovered status from that day