Covid isolation: Can you leave isolation after 7 or 10 days if you test positive on a lateral flow?
THOUSANDS of Brits are still testing positive with Covid each day.
Omicron has spread fast around the country, with it overtaking Delta as the dominant strain.
New rules now say anyone who tests positive on a lateral flow must log their results and isolate, and if they don't have symptoms they don't need to have a PCR.
If they do have symptoms they still must take a PCR follow-up, regardless of the LTF result.
New rules mean people in England can leave isolation after five full days, if they test negative on day five and six.
In order to leave isolation you need to have two negative tests 24 hours apart - so you may need to stay in for longer.
Brits are being urged to get their Covid booster jabs which protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
But what do you do if your self-isolation period reaches 10 days, and you’re still producing positive results?
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The Government does not give clear cut rules for if you are still testing positive following the ten-day isolation period - but it seems to be that you need to stay in until you aren't testing positive.
It says “if both your LFD test results are negative, it is likely that you were not infectious at the time the tests were taken” - but does not clarify if you are infectious if tests are positive.
Although the virus is spreading at a rapid rate, a string of hugely positive studies show Omicron IS milder than other strains, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.
SYMPTOM CHECK
The UK Health Security Agency, formerly known as Public Health England, has confirmed people can leave isolation after 10 days regardless of their lateral flow test, but only if they show no symptoms.
Speaking to The Sun, Dr Nathan, an A&E doctor in London, who posts about lateral flow results on his Instagram (@expedition_doctor), said whether or not you leave self-isolation also depends on how well you feel.
He said: “However, if you are feeling unwell or have a high temperature still, you should continue to self isolate and seek medical advice.
”The only symptoms that the Government allows you to leave self-isolation with are a cough or change in smell or taste."
Dr Nathan said: “These two symptoms may persist for some weeks even though you are no longer infectious.
“You do not need a negative PCR or LFT in addition to the above criteria to stop isolating.”
Covid tests look for particles of the virus in the body but do not necessarily say you are infectious.
Dr Nathan said, although this may not apply if new variants crop up: “PCR tests can stay positive up to 90 days after having Covid, and you should not take one unless you develop symptoms again, you have a positive LFT, or you need one for travel.
"Any positive PCR regardless of the 90 days guidance means you should complete 10 days self-isolation.
“LFTs are less likely to stay positive after the infectious period is over, and they can continue to be used as recommended.”
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the US national public health agency, gives a reassuring message.
It says: “Available data suggest that patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset.
“Patients who have recovered from Covid-19 can continue to have detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory specimens for up to three months after illness onset in concentrations considerably lower than during illness.
“However, replication-competent virus has not been reliably recovered and infectiousness is unlikely.”
It added that most patients with more severe or critical illness or those who are severely immunocompromised can be infectious for up to 20 days - but likely no more.
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The statements mean that, for the large majority, leaving self-isolation with positive lateral flow tests is safe.
But there will be a very small number of people who could still be infectious, so it’s up to you if you decide to be a little more cautious while those test results are positive.