negative test - No need to Isolate?

CharlotteO1402

Hi All

Hoping someone can help me here - And i have posted on the correct board?
My son (13) went to visit his dad on Saturday, whilst he was there his dad was told he had been in contact with someone that had tested positive the day before (that is his dad had been in contact and not my son)
His dad had a test on Saturday - which came back negative on Sunday. 
His dad has said he doesn't have to self isolate anymore as he had a negative test (this test was less than 24 hours after he had been in contact with the person that had tested positive!) 
My fear is that the result would be negative as the virus hadn't set in yet? And so my son cannot see him until the 14 days have passed? Am I right in thinking this? 
Any views and opinions would be greatly received 

TIA

Alter_ego

Views and opinions don't count. His Dad has to self isolate if he was contacted by T&T

CharlotteO1402

Alter_ego said:

Views and opinions don't count. His Dad has to self isolate if he was contacted by T&T

Thanks for your answer. This is what I thought, that he must Isolate for the 14 days. 

GDB2222

CharlotteO1402 said:

Alter_ego said:

Views and opinions don't count. His Dad has to self isolate if he was contacted by T&T

Thanks for your answer. This is what I thought, that he must Isolate for the 14 days. 

Has Dad actually been contacted by the Test and Trace people and told to isolate himself? 

sheramber

You  should self isolate if you are a contact but you should only take a test of you have symptoms.

GrumpyDil

My son had a test a few weeks ago. This is the text he received after his negative test.

NHS COVID-19 Notification: Dear xxxx xxxxxx

Birth date - dd mmm yyyy

Test date: 30 October 2020

Your coronavirus test result is negative. You did not have the virus when the test was done.

You only need to self-isolate if:

- you get symptoms of coronavirus (you'll need a new test)

- you're going into hospital (self-isolate until the date you go in)

- someone you live with tests positive

- you've been traced as a contact of someone who tested positive.

So it comes down to whether test and trace have told him to isolate. 

CharlotteO1402

The person who he been in contact with told them he had tested postive - But as the bottom on the message it states 
"you've been traced as a contact of someone who tested positive" Thats clear to me that he needs to isolate for 14 days! 

epm-84

GrumpyDil said:

Your coronavirus test result is negative. You did not have the virus when the test was done.

You only need to self-isolate if..

The optimum time to get a test is just after you start showing symptoms as if it's done earlier or later it's less reliable. Consequently, if you get a bad cough get tested and it's negative then it's extremely likely the cough you have is an ordinary cold and not COVID related, so you do not need to continue to self-isolate after the negative result has come through.  Getting a test when you have no symptoms, the day after being in contact with someone and it coming back negative is not proof you have not caught the virus, which is why it isn't recommended that you get tested in such circumstances.

GDB2222

CharlotteO1402 said:

The person who he been in contact with told them he had tested postive - But as the bottom on the message it states 
"you've been traced as a contact of someone who tested positive" Thats clear to me that he needs to isolate for 14 days! 

Test and trace don’t tell you whom you have been in contact with. So, this is the guy who has tested positive doing some warning on his own part. Presumably, the message that he sent included his own warning from the testing service.  Dad therefore has no legal obligation to self isolate.

Of course, there’s the question of whether he is infected and will start spreading the virus soon, and I agree that the test on Sunday was probably too soon to rule that out. 

At the age of 13, your son is at more risk from crossing the road than from the virus, but he needs to be socially responsible and not spread the virus to others who are more vulnerable. Have you discussed this with him? What does he want to do?  Surely, at that age, it is more or less his decision to make?  Of course, that should take into account specific circumstances such as someone in the family being particularly at risk.

I am also concerned that, if you influence your son too strongly on this, it could be misconstrued as you getting at his dad, rather than being socially responsible about spreading the virus.