Do you still need to isolate after 11 days positive?

[toin]

A family member is now 11 days positive, the line is fainter and a bit of a cough and sniffles remain.

They have been isolating because they live in accommodation (shared communal areas) with some vulnerable people. Also I'm worried how being isolated for so long is affecting their mental health.

Do they have to continue isolation until 2 clear test?

There’s not been rules about isolation for at least a year!

nobody has to isolate anymore, almost nobody is even testing anymore

that’s not to say that it’s not a good idea to keep away from vulnerable people if positive. But there are no “rules”.

No.
If they have no temperature they don’t need to isolate, 5 days is the max regardless of what their test says.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/covid-19-symptoms-and-what-to-do/

No because I wouldn’t even know if I was positive as I wouldn’t test ! …done with covid , treat is a regular cold/cough

Same here.

No. There is absolutely no need to even test anymore.
Current guidance is saying that one is most contagious up to 5 days, so if you choose to isolate that would be your isolation time. After that, even if still testing positive, you are unlikely to be contagious.

And it’s all guidance anyway, although we follow the 5 days when positive as we have a very vulnerable family member (on heart transplant list), so we are careful but not ridiculous.

No, you can test positive for a while. Viral load will be minimal though, they can end isolation.

They should keep away from indoors spaces used by vulnerable people.

They should also warn anyone they want to meet that they are still testing positive, and only go ahead if the other person is happy once they know

But if they wear a mask to pass through communal areas, they can then go out and do pretty much as they please in the open air.

There is no current requirement to isolate, but there is guidance saying that those who know themselves to be positive should be keeping away from all vulnerable people, and working from home whenever possible

Only for 10 days

It took me 12 days to be totally negative, I was still a faint positive on day 11.

This.

Well tbf Dd and I just tested positive and we had to test as we had cold symptoms and a dentist appointment

Because they ring the day before and ask if you have cold symptoms - we did and they said we needed to do a covid test to attend. So we did and were positive so we couldn't go. I'm not going to lie to people.

And yes I'd normally go to the dentist with a cold tbh. Not flu or sickness or anything but a cold? Yes.

Why is covid being referred to as a cold? Is it to minimise or do you truly believe it? There are numerous studies showing the impacts of covid, no matter what the initial symptoms were.

I’m on day 13 of covid and still positive. I’m still wearing masks in public places. I’ve been quite poorly and don’t want to pass it on.

Who's told them they need to isolate? When you say shared accommodation are they in a care home or something?

How lovely that some people are still being considerate to others when ill. Thank you for being so considerate- I say that genuinely. Having lost family to covid and both me and my child being immune compromised, we need people like you. I do sympathise that many cannot afford to be considerate anymore, but for those who are able to, it’s such a lovely thing to do. I have family members who visit me knowing full well their kids have coughs/colds and high temperatures, and they know damn well I’ve been hospitalised many times over a “simple” cold. I just don’t understand why they don’t care about me - fair enough you have to do your shopping if you have no help, but to deliberately plan to come and see me??
Anyway- hope everyone has recovered soon OP.

Maybe I’m old school, I don’t know but I couldn’t walk around without a mask in a supermarket, or similar busy place knowing that I had covid. I still believe masks offer some protection, and if it saves one vulnerable person from catching it then it’s worth it.

I realise I am lucky as I work from home, but I had a positive test for 17 days, and isolated for all of it. I know not everyone can, but you should if possible.

Goodness me, this rule changed a long time ago.

Why?

even in the early days of the pandemic the max isolation was 14 days and then reduced to 10. Just because you are positive doesn’t mean you will be able to pass it on, after all that time. And just because you were happy to stay stuck in the house for 2.5 weeks, it certainly doesn’t mean anyone else “should”.