Quarantine Life

Do those antigen tests still pick up anything a week or two after you start feeling sick?
Let's look at a hypothetical scenario here.
A family member has official clearance saying they're recovered, even though their PCR came back negative. Meanwhile, his daughter tested positive on a PCR. That doctor's note is good for a year.
Now, the kid just turned positive on a home test. If I go with my diet—well, let's say if I go to the pharmacy to take that same kind of home test (since they only count if you do it there officially) and I test positive too, am I stuck in a 10-day quarantine?
Or is it smarter to head over there so that if I also test positive on a home kit, I can grab one of those "official" doctor confirmations that actually holds some weight?

They could just scrap it. I suppose the only people rushing to get tested are those of us who haven't taken the shot—we're just desperate for some kind of official validation, I guess.
If I had been vaccinated and started feeling under the weather, I’d probably just stay home for a few days like I do with any other common cold and call it a day. I wouldn't bother testing, most likely.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

coastalmarlin64 said:Do those antigen tests still pick up anything a week or two after you start feeling sick?
Let's look at a hypothetical scenario here.
A family member has official clearance saying they're recovered, even though their PCR came back negative. Meanwhile, his daughter tested positive on a PCR. That doctor's note is good for a year.
Now, the kid just turned positive on a home test. If I go with my diet—well, let's say if I go to the pharmacy to take that same kind of home test (since they only count if you do it there officially) and I test positive too, am I stuck in a 10-day quarantine?
Or is it smarter to head over there so that if I also test positive on a home kit, I can grab one of those "official" doctor confirmations that actually holds some weight?

Well, the protocol is definitely different depending on whether you're considered an exposed contact or someone who's actually infected. If he's reinfected, that recovery period is going to get extended. Under current US guidelines, he might not even need to isolate if he isn't actively infected and it hasn't been more than four months since his last bout.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

mellowskipper said:They could just scrap it. I suppose the only people rushing to get tested are those of us who haven't taken the shot—we're just desperate for some kind of official validation, I guess.
If I had been vaccinated and started feeling under the weather, I’d probably just stay home for a few days like I do with any other common cold and call it a day. I wouldn't bother testing, most likely.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

Do you really think your doctor would write you a note for a few days off if they aren't even sure it's COVID?
(The kind where you have to stay home for 7 or 10 days)

mellowskipper said:They could just scrap it. I suppose the only people rushing to get tested are those of us who haven't taken the shot—we're just desperate for some kind of official validation, I guess.
If I had been vaccinated and started feeling under the weather, I’d probably just stay home for a few days like I do with any other common cold and call it a day. I wouldn't bother testing, most likely.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

It's exactly what Rachel Jones8 is saying—these days, you rarely find a doctor willing to give you a few days off just to "recover." And even if they did, why bother asking for sick leave in the first place?
By the way, if you were vaccinated a few months ago, why not just take the test anyway? That way, you'd get a fresh certification that stays valid much longer than the one you're holding right now.

At the end of the day, though, it all seems to boil down to these certificates and the daily tally of infection numbers—nothing else really matters.

Rachel Jones8 said:Do you really think your doctor would write you a note for a few days off if they aren't even sure it's COVID?
(The kind where you have to stay home for 7 or 10 days)

In any other era, probably not. I mean, let's be honest—I'd basically just be sitting around at the taxpayers' expense.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

Grace Richardson24 said:It's exactly what Rachel Jones8 is saying—these days, you rarely find a doctor willing to give you a few days off just to "recover." And even if they did, why bother asking for sick leave in the first place?
By the way, if you were vaccinated a few months ago, why not just take the test anyway? That way, you'd get a fresh certification that stays valid much longer than the one you're holding right now.

At the end of the day, though, it all seems to boil down to these certificates and the daily tally of infection numbers—nothing else really matters.

I suppose I might, though we're basically just living from one certificate to the next. It feels pretty pointless at this stage...

Sent from my smartphone using Reddit

mellowskipper said:In any other era, probably not. I mean, let's be honest—I'd basically just be sitting around at the taxpayers' expense.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

Are you infected? Asking because you mentioned being unvaccinated. If you are, did they tell you if it was Delta or Omicron? How are you feeling?

Carol Jackson2 said:Are you infected? Asking because you mentioned being unvaccinated. If you are, did they tell you if it was Delta or Omicron? How are you feeling?

It's probably Omicron—it seems to be spreading incredibly fast lately. I'm doing alright, I guess... though dealing with mold in the house is a whole different headache, and I honestly don't know how we're going to handle it ourselves. We might just end up painting the house or something just to stay busy while we wait things out...

Sent from my iPhone 15 using Reddit

mellowskipper said:It's probably Omicron—it seems to be spreading incredibly fast lately. I'm doing alright, I guess... though dealing with mold in the house is a whole different headache, and I honestly don't know how we're going to handle it ourselves. We might just end up painting the house or something just to stay busy while we wait things out...

Sent from my iPhone 15 using Reddit

Thanks. A friend of mine has been stuck in isolation for six days now—definitely Omicron. I assume the PCR tests actually specify the variant? 🤔

Let me know how you're feeling. 🙂

I feel like I’ve wasted three whole months of my life stuck in these lockdowns… honestly, it’s hitting me so hard—especially being cooped up with the kids all day. At this rate, I can already see myself needing prescription anxiety meds just to get through the week…

I seriously don't get how nobody in Washington is considering the sheer damage this is doing to people. You'd think they'd try to ease things up or at least shorten the restrictions—unless, of course, their actual goal is to drive us all completely insane!

Brandon Allen59

Carol Jackson2 said:Thanks. A friend of mine has been stuck in isolation for six days now—definitely Omicron. I assume the PCR tests actually specify the variant? 🤔

Let me know how you're feeling. 🙂

It doesn't say on the PCR results—that's mostly just my own deduction, I guess—but this thing is spreading incredibly fast. A huge chunk of us caught it last week, regardless of whether we were vaccinated or not, and three people have already dealt with reinfections. For the most part, the symptoms seem relatively mild for everyone... one person didn't even show any symptoms at all, really.

Sent from my iPhone 15 using Reddit

mellowskipper said:Brandon Allen59

It doesn't say on the PCR results—that's mostly just my own deduction, I guess—but this thing is spreading incredibly fast. A huge chunk of us caught it last week, regardless of whether we were vaccinated or not, and three people have already dealt with reinfections. For the most part, the symptoms seem relatively mild for everyone... one person didn't even show any symptoms at all, really.

Sent from my iPhone 15 using Reddit

Thanks 🙂

Did some digging online. Only top-tier labs carry that kind of equipment.

Feel better soon 🙂

Brandon Allen59 said:I feel like I’ve wasted three whole months of my life stuck in these lockdowns… honestly, it’s hitting me so hard—especially being cooped up with the kids all day. At this rate, I can already see myself needing prescription anxiety meds just to get through the week…

I seriously don't get how nobody in Washington is considering the sheer damage this is doing to people. You'd think they'd try to ease things up or at least shorten the restrictions—unless, of course, their actual goal is to drive us all completely insane!

I actually think there's a silver lining to how hard it is being home with your own kids. Sure, balancing work and school is a nightmare, but I'm trying to find the upside. We actually "bonded" during these isolations. It’s honestly sad how little time we actually spend with them during school and extracurriculars normally..
How are those months "lost"? You’re never getting that time back with your kids...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A51 using Reddit

Gary Moore4 said:I actually think there's a silver lining to how hard it is being home with your own kids. Sure, balancing work and school is a nightmare, but I'm trying to find the upside. We actually "bonded" during these isolations. It’s honestly sad how little time we actually spend with them during school and extracurriculars normally..
How are those months "lost"? You’re never getting that time back with your kids...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A51 using Reddit

Maybe it’s fine for your kids, but look, my 8-year-old has been crying since yesterday because he doesn't just want his parents—he wants to hang out with his actual friends, go to the park, play soccer, and just live being a kid. Being trapped within four walls for two and a half months straight isn't living; it’s pure madness. It's an artificial environment stripped of those priceless, real-world experiences. A computer screen is not a life... These are massive chunks of real life being thrown away. This isn't living for them, and in terms of their development, it's a huge blow.

Alex Roberts4 said:Maybe it’s fine for your kids, but look, my 8-year-old has been crying since yesterday because he doesn't just want his parents—he wants to hang out with his actual friends, go to the park, play soccer, and just live being a kid. Being trapped within four walls for two and a half months straight isn't living; it’s pure madness. It's an artificial environment stripped of those priceless, real-world experiences. A computer screen is not a life... These are massive chunks of real life being thrown away. This isn't living for them, and in terms of their development, it's a huge blow.

Mine are exactly the same! My youngest especially can't stand being cooped up—she's a total ball of energy!
Look, I love my kids to death and I make sure we get plenty of quality time together, but I really don't enjoy them climbing all over me just because they're bored out of their minds—and let's be honest, we're all bored...

Gary Moore4 said:I actually think there's a silver lining to how hard it is being home with your own kids. Sure, balancing work and school is a nightmare, but I'm trying to find the upside. We actually "bonded" during these isolations. It’s honestly sad how little time we actually spend with them during school and extracurriculars normally..
How are those months "lost"? You’re never getting that time back with your kids...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A51 using Reddit

Look, I love my kids to death, but this constant togetherness just isn't natural for me... I already spent a ton of quality time with them before all this started, so having them underfoot 24/7 feels like way too much...

Brandon Allen59 said:Mine are exactly the same! My youngest especially can't stand being cooped up—she's a total ball of energy!
Look, I love my kids to death and I make sure we get plenty of quality time together, but I really don't enjoy them climbing all over me just because they're bored out of their minds—and let's be honest, we're all bored...

Yeah... honestly, the authorities need to take another look at this and stop making such weird, irrational rules. Everything is out in the open, people are complaining about every little thing, and there's barely any actual structure to it. It feels like the main goal is just keeping kids locked away. You know how it goes—if they were doing this to dogs, every single animal rights group in the country would be out there protesting "animal cruelty" in a heartbeat.

Brandon Allen59 said:Look, I love my kids to death, but this constant togetherness just isn't natural for me... I already spent a ton of quality time with them before all this started, so having them underfoot 24/7 feels like way too much...

It isn't "unnatural" to spend more time with family "when you absolutely have to.".
Spending several consecutive days together—full days, mind you—is excessive in this context.
🙏

This might sound grim, but imagine what people would give just to have a few more days with children facing terminal illnesses—or even worse.

I honestly can't wrap my head around this mindset. It's not that I don't understand; I just refuse to.

And please, don't come for me—I'm a parent too. Every single minute I get with my child is quite literally a gift. Because frankly, I never know how many minutes, hours, or days... well, it doesn't matter, I just know how much time we have left together.

Edit: I just read this post, and it's devastating—it feels like the world is falling apart when someone thinks spending time with their own child is "too much."

Moira’s loving being out and about too—training sessions, hanging with friends... we’re constantly on the move and always rushing somewhere. She’ll find her way back to everything eventually. I’m not trying to make a big deal out of it because, hey, at the end of the day, we live under the same roof. If that’s our biggest struggle, we're doing alright.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A51