Quarantine Life

That’s precisely why we have medical professionals for a reason, not just random people on a forum. Honestly, you should just give your primary care physician a call and they’ll tell you exactly what steps you need to take next

:

Amanda Allen4 said:"Repetition is the mother of learning."

For some people, even that doesn't help...🙄

Alex Roberts4 said:Oh, please... coming from you...

I will—mostly because you've posted four times in a row using the exact same quote, which makes it quite exhausting to read.
I have to scroll for ages just to find a meaningful post through all your entries.

Learn how an online forum works.

Adam Moore12 said:It’s been eight days since I first started feeling symptomatic, and my home test just came back positive again. What am I supposed to do if it’s still showing up on the 10th day? -_-

And why are you testing yourself while in isolation? Is there some specific reason for that?
Well, maybe there was once, but I didn't bother doing an at-home rapid test after my PCR—actually, once those ten days were up, I just went in to get it done normally. Plus, I work at a hospital.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

I took a test today because my doctor mentioned I might only need to isolate for 7 days instead of 10. Since I got my Johnson & Johnson shot about two and a half months ago, I’m right on that borderline where the guidelines suggest a 7-day isolation for those vaccinated less than two months ago with J&J. She told me that if I want to be safe, I could test again after 7 days, and if it comes back negative, I can head out of isolation. So, I went ahead and tested. Now she just called me back to say I need to test again tomorrow. Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, I’d rather just get back to work tomorrow wearing an N95 or whatever they call them. I work at a school, so I basically move around like a ninja with my mask on and stay super protected anyway, but I’d still feel terrible being around people if it turns out I'm positive. I’m clearly not making the smartest moves here, so I figured I’d check what everyone is saying on 🙂.

Adam Moore12 said:I took a test today because my doctor mentioned I might only need to isolate for 7 days instead of 10. Since I got my Johnson & Johnson shot about two and a half months ago, I’m right on that borderline where the guidelines suggest a 7-day isolation for those vaccinated less than two months ago with J&J. She told me that if I want to be safe, I could test again after 7 days, and if it comes back negative, I can head out of isolation. So, I went ahead and tested. Now she just called me back to say I need to test again tomorrow. Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, I’d rather just get back to work tomorrow wearing an N95 or whatever they call them. I work at a school, so I basically move around like a ninja with my mask on and stay super protected anyway, but I’d still feel terrible being around people if it turns out I'm positive. I’m clearly not making the smartest moves here, so I figured I’d check what everyone is saying on 🙂.

It seems like you were given some pretty vague instructions from the doctor right from the jump—who, by the way, isn't even getting back to you now. I don't really have much advice to offer; in a situation like this, you probably really ought to wait to consult with her directly.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

So I’m sitting here reading through these latest isolation guidelines that just dropped tonight... Apparently, they’re shortening the window down to five days now.

Does anyone actually make sense of this document???
Seriously, could they have made this any more confusing?? It should be at least seven pages long, because right now this is way too brief... 🙄

I just need to know—since I'm testing negative but I've been around someone sick in my own house (and there's no way for me to socially distance from them), how long am I actually supposed to stay in self-isolation?!?!?!?
If anyone has a clue, I’d really appreciate it!

I basically laid it all out last night right here:

Look, if you aren't able to effectively quarantine, then the CDC guidelines dictate that the clock starts ticking from the very last day that infected person was out in the world.

nimbleranger17 said:I basically laid it all out last night right here:

Look, if you aren't able to effectively quarantine, then the CDC guidelines dictate that the clock starts ticking from the very last day that infected person was out in the world.

Thanks, but some new rules just dropped today, dated January 31st.
Tonight.

I really need to apologize... I've been avoiding these COVID threads, the isolation stuff, the endless rules, because honestly, I am just totally over it... but now the situation is right at my front door... 🙄
So, basically, I have zero symptoms, can I head into work?
But according to these CDC guidelines, if I'm a household contact, I have to isolate for seven days... and then there’s this "Point 3" mentioned, which lists specific criteria the sick person has to meet... except I can't even find where that point is located in the text?! Wait, okay, I see it now, but I still don't get any of it!

These instructions are enough to drive you insane... pure schizophrenia!!!!

Just wanted to add a bit more context to what that profit-seeker linked you:
The blue text indicates the updates.

Changes from the previous version are highlighted in blue.
Summary of changes:
- Quarantine has been shortened to seven days for all close contacts—not just those who were vaccinated
and have already recovered from COVID-19. The exceptions regarding quarantine exemptions remain the same as the previous version.
- Asymptomatic infected individuals can now end isolation after at least five days if they
test negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the fifth day. This also applies to patients with mild or
moderate symptoms after at least five days, provided they
test negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the fifth day, have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, and show significantly improved
symptoms (no RAT required here; isolation lasts ten days for those not vaccinated and without prior
COVID-19 recovery, while for those vaccinated and previously recovered, it lasts seven days without testing).
- To end isolation without testing, the patient must be afebrile for at least 24 hours (previously it was at least
three days!).

So, basically—you can cut your self-isolation down to 5 days if you take an extra RAT and haven't had a fever for the last 24 hours.

If you fall into any of these categories, you can skip the whole self-isolation nonsense altogether:

1. You’ve already fought off COVID-19 (with a confirmed PCR or rapid test) within the last four months.
2. You recovered from COVID-19 and then grabbed a single vaccine dose, provided that shot wasn't more than four months ago.
3. You recovered from COVID-19 and have completed your primary vaccination series.**
4. You’ve received your booster shot.
5. You’ve finished your primary series**, as long as it’s been at least 14 days since your last dose, but hasn't exceeded a four-month window (though if you used the Johnson & Johnson shot, that window shrinks to just two months).

Now, look, if you recovered more than four months ago, or if your last shot was over four months back, you’re still on the hook for isolation—you'll need to stay home plus an additional seven days after the infected person's isolation period ends. And if you don't meet even those criteria? Well, then you're looking at a full ten days of isolation following the end of the infected individual's quarantine.

Grace Richardson24 said:Just wanted to add a bit more context to what that profit-seeker linked you:
The blue text indicates the updates.

Changes from the previous version are highlighted in blue.
Summary of changes:
- Quarantine has been shortened to seven days for all close contacts—not just those who were vaccinated
and have already recovered from COVID-19. The exceptions regarding quarantine exemptions remain the same as the previous version.
- Asymptomatic infected individuals can now end isolation after at least five days if they
test negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the fifth day. This also applies to patients with mild or
moderate symptoms after at least five days, provided they
test negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the fifth day, have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, and show significantly improved
symptoms (no RAT required here; isolation lasts ten days for those not vaccinated and without prior
COVID-19 recovery, while for those vaccinated and previously recovered, it lasts seven days without testing).
- To end isolation without testing, the patient must be afebrile for at least 24 hours (previously it was at least
three days!).

So, basically—you can cut your self-isolation down to 5 days if you take an extra RAT and haven't had a fever for the last 24 hours.

No, you can't shorten it just by testing; that rule applies to people who actually caught the virus. Isolation is what the sick have to do, whereas quarantine is specifically for those who were just exposed.

- Quarantine has been shortened to seven days for all close contacts, not just for individuals who were vaccinated
and have already recovered from COVID-19. The existing exemptions from quarantine remain unchanged from the previous guidelines.

I assumed they were asking about contact tracing info.
Obviously, if you've tested positive, you can't just head out after five days.

Edit:
Or rather—to be precise:
The CDC allows for ending isolation for asymptomatic carriers after at least five days provided that
they havetested negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) by the fifth day, as well as for those with mild or
moderate symptoms after five days—as long as they also hit that negative mark on a rapid
antigen test (RAT) and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours

Sorry if I'm sounding a bit lost here, everything feels like such a whirlwind of confusion right now...

I totally get what you're saying, but I was just reading this part
"If the patient and their household contacts can't be isolated from one another—like when parents are caring for a sick child, for example—then those household members have to quarantine for seven days once the patient meets all the requirements to end their isolation under the guidelines in section 3."

Grace Richardson24 said:I assumed they were asking about contact tracing info.
Obviously, if you've tested positive, you can't just head out after five days.

Edit:
Or rather—to be precise:
The CDC allows for ending isolation for asymptomatic carriers after at least five days provided that
they havetested negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT) by the fifth day, as well as for those with mild or
moderate symptoms after five days—as long as they also hit that negative mark on a rapid
antigen test (RAT) and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours

But they specifically asked about contacts, too. Testing doesn't magically shorten the isolation period for anyone who isn't actually infected; it’s not some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card for those around you. As it's written, it won't work that way.

mellowseal1 said:Sorry if I'm sounding a bit lost here, everything feels like such a whirlwind of confusion right now...

I totally get what you're saying, but I was just reading this part
"If the patient and their household contacts can't be isolated from one another—like when parents are caring for a sick child, for example—then those household members have to quarantine for seven days once the patient meets all the requirements to end their isolation under the guidelines in section 3."

Essentially, what this means for you is that you'll need to stay in self-isolation for an additional seven days, counting from the very moment the infected person is cleared to step out of their own isolation.

Quick question about being a household contact—that’s my role here. I’ve had three shots and I'm testing negative with zero symptoms. At least, so far...
I'm honestly struggling to navigate this paperwork, though. There are seven freaking pages!

I’ve already laid this out for you once before. Honestly, if someone has already gone through three rounds of vaccinations, there’s absolutely no reason they should be forced into isolation.

nimbleranger17 said:But they specifically asked about contacts, too. Testing doesn't magically shorten the isolation period for anyone who isn't actually infected; it’s not some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card for those around you. As it's written, it won't work that way.

My mistake—I just realized that and went ahead and edited my post above. 👍

nimbleranger17 said:Essentially, what this means for you is that you'll need to stay in self-isolation for an additional seven days, counting from the very moment the infected person is cleared to step out of their own isolation.

So, theoretically... could I catch it on the very last day while they're still stuck at home?

nimbleranger17 said:I’ve already laid this out for you once before. Honestly, if someone has already gone through three rounds of vaccinations, there’s absolutely no reason they should be forced into isolation.

So, wait... that applies regardless of whether I'm considered a close contact or just some random guy who ran into them?