testing questions

[bobbyr]

a 70 yr old attendant for my 91 yr old mother went to the ER last Sunday night (June 14) for chest pain and while there, tested positive for COVID19

My wife and mother interacted with her that day (my wife went over paperwork with her without masks on). I interacted with her Saturday the 13th).

Mother and I got tested Tuesday the 16th and were negative. Wife not yet tested. None of us have symptoms (day 9 now since we were around her). Attendant started having symptoms two days ago (fever, diarrhea, throwing up). Friend said days 7-10 are on average, when symptoms show.

I am not sure the testing provided much value, since we didn't have symptoms. We all have been quarantined for 9 days now, should we consider ourselves safe after 14 days? My mother is quarantined naturally since she is in her house and we are her main visitors. We are all wearing masks when in contact.

My wife wants to wait until she has symptoms to get tested...which I am guessing is a good idea, but we aren't really staying too separate from each other in our small house.

So much confusion for us, just thought I would toss this out there for feedback.

 

[DrRoy]

From everything I have heard, you are safe after 14 days.

 

[Dtail]

From everything I have heard, you are safe after 14 days.

+1

 

[donheff]

You could be infected and asymptomatic after 14 days. Testing testing to confirm she isn't infected would allow your wife and you to be confident not wearing masks around each other.

 

[bobbyr]

...testing to confirm she isn't infected would allow your wife and you to be confident not wearing masks around each other.

thank you, that is my thought too, she is going to get tested this morning.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I did the Johns Hopkins contact tracing course, and it is correct that the longest possible incubation time should be 14 days after exposure. The good news is that the most common incubation time is 2-5 days, so you're probably OK, although you should still quarantine until the 14 days are up, and stay quarantined from your wife as much as possible.

 

[Aerides]

From everything I have heard, you are safe after 14 days.

If you don't have covid from the initial interraction, and you test negative, after 14 days you're safe. It's not going to materialize later than that.

But as noted either of you could be asymptomatic. To be truly safe, another negative test at the end of that would be better. Testing just 2-3 days after the exposure may have been too early.

It's a good idea for you to get retested now, and then if still negative, go by the original 14.

 

[OldShooter]

If I had a question like this, I would call my doctor.

 

[bobbyr]

If you don't have covid from the initial interraction, and you test negative, after 14 days you're safe. It's not going to materialize later than that.

But as noted either of you could be asymptomatic. To be truly safe, another negative test at the end of that would be better. Testing just 2-3 days after the exposure may have been too early.

It's a good idea for you to get retested now, and then if still negative, go by the original 14.

we just tested my wife (results by eod), if she is negative I am going to feel as though our 14 days ending this weekend will be adequate. If she is positive, I'd probably need to get retested sooner than later and we would need to isolate from each other.

 

[audreyh1]

Your test may have been a few days too early to detect an infection.