Sorry to bang on about COVID but can someone please help me with the Scottish rules?? So confused

[slugsandsnailsandchippednails]

So I felt a slight sore throat last Tuesday.
Sorer throat Wednesday but LFT was negative (only put up nose though as didn't know new thing about throat testing too)
Definite Cold-like symptoms Thursday and LFT Positive.

I could not get hold of a PCR test at all (don't drive) as it was right over the new year period and the site just kept saying none available. I've finally got one now but no result yet.

My household have been isolating as per the rules. And I informed the only other household I was in contact with since Christmas.

However, I just saw on another thread that close contacts of a positive should get a PCR?? Is that only in England, like to release other household members, or do we do that here too??

Also, the 10 days thing is confusing me. Is it 10 days from symptoms (I'll count as Weds) or from test, and is that counted as day Day 0 or 1??

I've honestly tried to find definitive answers online, but finding it hard.

If anyone can explain to me I'd be really grateful.

Sorry I should've said, we have been isolating as a household since Wednesday.

When dh tested positive on LFT the rest of the family got PCRs. His was positive and the rest of us were negative.

It's supposed to be 10 days from symptoms and that's what we're counting from here. Scottish info doesn't really specify if day 1 is day after symptoms or includes it so we're just counting from day after.

And I'm still testing negative on LFT. I'll be raging if I end up positive at the end of his 10 days and have to do another 10 days.

Contacts need a PCR in Scotland unless they have tested positive themselves in the last 90 days. If that's the case instead of PCR they take a lft immediately and in day 5. Everyone must isolate I think it will be taken from the day you got your positive as your symptoms weren't one of the 3 main covid ones

@dementedpixie

And I'm still testing negative on LFT. I'll be raging if I end up positive at the end of his 10 days and have to do another 10 days.

I've just tested positive in lateral flow. Dc had it before Christmas and I didn't get it then year somehow caught it essentially hibernating in my home. Another 10 days for all of us 🙃

If you are a close contact you should isolate till you get a pcr .. though in all honesty if one of you in a household tests positive there is litte point in you all getting a pcr as you are all in 10 days isolation no matter the result .. so whats the point ?.

@liveforsummer

Contacts need a PCR in Scotland unless they have tested positive themselves in the last 90 days. If that's the case instead of PCR they take a lft immediately and in day 5. Everyone must isolate I think it will be taken from the day you got your positive as your symptoms weren't one of the 3 main covid ones

Dh hasn't had any of the 3 main symptoms. Hes had Scratchy throat, runny nose, slight headache and now a dodgy tummy

Dd had had symptoms for 3 days, recovered having tested negative daily then tested positive on day 4 having practically recovered . As her original symptoms were sore throat, headache and fatigue, aching all known symptoms but not one of the main 3 so they made her do her isolation from the positive test. She never developed the main 3

Thanks @dementedpixie . I'm counting from the day after too. I do hope you remain clear and don't have to isolate again.

Thanks @liveforsummer. I feel silly, I wish I'd known that and we all could've done PCRs together. As it stands now though, there are no home kits available (still!!). I did find appointments at a testing centre, but DC are too young to walk the 5 mile round trip themselves and I'm a single parent. Don't know what to do. I did / do have a temperature (it was mildly high from Wednesday 38.0 - 38.5 ish and 38.9 on Thursday and now back to normal except sometimes during the day it does spike again. weird). I'm sorry you are having to isolate again, it's rubbish isn't it.

@frasersmummy Thanks. Maybe it's because if another household member is positive, everyone else has to isolate again for 10 days?? Or can the person who originally had it be free since they can't get it again for a while?? So confusing.

My symptoms were sore throat and temp, then that went and it was temp and chest congestion (a few stabby heart pains eek but think I'm ok), then runny / blocked nose and temp going down, and now just a bit congested and ear tube feels blocked and temp mostly gone. I only have a cough if I try talk for too long.

Thanks @liveforsummer. I feel silly, I wish I'd known that and we all could've done PCRs together. As it stands now though, there are no home kits available (still!!). I did find appointments at a testing centre, but DC are too young to walk the 5 mile round trip themselves and I'm a single parent. Don't know what to do. I did / do have a temperature (it was mildly high from Wednesday 38.0 - 38.5 ish and 38.9 on Thursday and now back to normal except sometimes during the day it does spike again. weird). I'm sorry you are having to isolate again, it's rubbish isn't it.

Tbh they have changed the rules slightly since I booked us all a PCR at once for our last household positive lft. There were lots of stern warnings this time about only booking PCRs if you qualify so technically dc don't until you get a positive result confirmation from PCR anyway. I didn't book DC's due to this although I've since learned they can't have it anyway due to having covid last month. Can you get a postal one? If not then it's not the end of the world I guess as isolating anyway. Only way you might need to know is if you then need to test them again in a month or so and don't know if they've had it recently. Hope that makes sense. Not the easiest rules to follow atm

If others test positive during your 10 day isolation only that person gets another 10 days. The rest of the people don't extend their isolation.

This graphic is quite old but sets it out

Sorry to derail slightly but what’s the new thing about throat testing you mentioned??

If you had a temperature on Wednesday I'd count from then and report that as your first day

I think they are saying that you can also swab the throat with the nose only tests as omicron often causes throat symptoms. It's a bit more awkward with the shorter swabs though

If others test positive during your 10 day isolation only that person gets another 10 days. The rest of the people don't extend their isolation.

But unfortunately do if the next person tests positive just after the original 10 days is up - as we've just discovered.

Thanks I missed that, was delighted to stop throat swabs tbh what a horrible thing if you have a strong gag reflex 🤢

@RJnomore1

Thanks I missed that, was delighted to stop throat swabs tbh what a horrible thing if you have a strong gag reflex 🤢

It's even worse when you have a sore covid throat 🙈

😞 you were soul I hadn’t thought of that.

@RJnomore1

Thanks I missed that, was delighted to stop throat swabs tbh what a horrible thing if you have a strong gag reflex 🤢

My dd had to do the PCR with nose only as she retched so much trying to do her throat. She got given a fresh swab for it 😆

My dc have small mouths and fat tongues. Can't even see their tonsils to get a swab near 😆

Yeah, dds tongue seems to swell and fill her whole mouth as soon as the swab appears

In our house Dd had a work PCR on Christmas Eve. It came back positive. Ds tested positive on the LFT but the rest of us negative.

Dd, ds and Dh tested positive.

On the 28th me and DD's boyfriend got another PCR and he tested positive. I felt a bit weird on Saturday night so got a PCR on Sunday that was negative.

We were told by test protect to isolate to certain dates.

Dd had no symptoms, ds was randomly unwell one night. The same day Dh developed a sniffle. Christmas Day DD's boyfriend started developing a cough and cold.

@liveforsummer Oh yes I'd forgotten about that. DS had covid last winter and I remember being told he shouldn't do a PCR for 90 days. There were no vaccines or LFTs then. Hope you are feeling ok. I can't get a postal test for them but I'll keep trying.

@dementedpixie Oh thanks for that, that explains it well. I hope your DH is feeling ok. I'm sorry about your DD struggling with the test too, it's horrible for them isn't it?? I actually prefer the throat one. My DCs prefer the nose one although it sometimes makes their noses bleed.

@Groovee Sorry your family have covid. It's rife just now isn't it.