I was told today by a NP that you can likely test positive for up to 3 months after having COVID.

Is this true? If yes, then please help me figure out how to navigate my current situation:

Wife tests positive a little over 1 week ago.
Me, wife, 1 kid in preK, and 2 kids in daycare are all in isolation for 14 days from positive test.
Me, wife, and preK are all allowed to return to work/school after our 14 days.

However, our childcare provider (licensed in-home daycare) is requesting negative COVID test results for the younger 2 kids before they can return to daycare.

I realize this is their business and they are within their rights to make this request. But I think there is a high likelihood that COVID has made its way through our family throughout the past month or so. If my assumption is correct, my younger 2 kids might not be able to test negative for several more weeks.

The NP I spoke with said they don't do re-testing for Covid. Once you test positive and you are 10-14 days with no symptoms, you carry on like normal. No point in testing for negative.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Snide comments?

TIA

Nevermind. Wrong board.

Can't you go get a test at a testing center? Of course, I would hate to put little kids through that when they do not have to be tested in reality. Maybe you could get a note from the NP to allow them back in daycare. Or, and I understand that this is a personal thing totally as I have one in daycare as well, but possibly look at other daycares. Obviously there is cost, the comfort the child has there and their friends etc, but with one practically on every corner around here, I would consider it if it got to that.

Personal opinion so those who want to can check out of this post if you want: This is why the system doesn't work. Reality is, there needs to be a standard that all businesses and schools go with or it creates gridlock. Some places literally just need a doctors note or your word, others need an act of congress to bring a child back. The only good thing about this is the stricter daycares and private businesses won't last long with those policies as the consumer will gladly find another venue to do their business that is convenient for them. Seems like suicide from a business stand point to demand a negative test after quarantine given all we actually do know now and that the caregivers and especially the children are beyond safe at that point. It's dumb if they wont take the doctor's note as the "negative" test.

KidDoc said:

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The CDC has written standards for return to work/school. Your day care is not following them. Either print out the CDC guidelines that talk about persistent positives or find a new day care.

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Infection_Ag11 said:

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Quote:

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However, our childcare provider (licensed in-home daycare) is requesting negative COVID test results for the younger 2 kids before they can return to daycare.

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At this point, this is an unreasonable request. Nearly everyone has moved to symptom based management with regards to isolation. If you are 10 days out from symptom onset, and have been afebrile >24 hours with at least improving symptoms, you are no longer considered capable of transmitting the virus. For immunocompromised individuals we push this back to 20 days. This is due to the fact that nobody has been able to culture replication competent virus from any immunocompetent patient more than 9 days out from symptom onset, and I believe the longest time for immunocompromised people was 18 days.

Repeat testing in patients whose symptoms are improving is actually NOT recommended within 3 months of the initial test.

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I believe the 3 month interval is set by the current data- any hint if that will be extended?

I have had patients that were COVID + 6-8 weeks ago and the COVID clinic is telling them they will not retest them because they are now immune. I agree that seems to be the case at this time for ~90 days just not sure if there is any reliable data that goes beyond the 90 days.

KidDoc said:

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The CDC has written standards for return to work/school. Your day care is not following them. Either print out the CDC guidelines that talk about persistent positives or find a new day care.

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Normally I would agree with you 100%. But the wife and I both have fairly demanding jobs and I don't think it would be very easy to get into a new daycare right now. We both have some flexibility with work-from-home, but maybe only 2 days per week at most.

Just Go get them tested.

coolerguy12 said:

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The tests are so inaccurate you could probably go get 3 and at least 1 will be negative...

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This really depends on what kind of tests we are talking about. Not all tests are inaccurate.

If I had kids there, honestly wouldn't want them spending the days with kids who were positive. This is about more then just your family at this point in my opinion.

I do but it's either your problem or you could be making it every single other families and personally I think that's wrong.

tsuag10 said:

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I was told today by a NP that you can likely test positive for up to 3 months after having COVID.

Is this true? If yes, then please help me figure out how to navigate my current situation:

Wife tests positive a little over 1 week ago.
Me, wife, 1 kid in preK, and 2 kids in daycare are all in isolation for 14 days from positive test.
Me, wife, and preK are all allowed to return to work/school after our 14 days.

However, our childcare provider (licensed in-home daycare) is requesting negative COVID test results for the younger 2 kids before they can return to daycare.

I realize this is their business and they are within their rights to make this request. But I think there is a high likelihood that COVID has made its way through our family throughout the past month or so. If my assumption is correct, my younger 2 kids might not be able to test negative for several more weeks.

The NP I spoke with said they don't do re-testing for Covid. Once you test positive and you are 10-14 days with no symptoms, you carry on like normal. No point in testing for negative.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Snide comments?

TIA

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Time to educate tOr find anotherhe daycare?

Is it possible to find a more rational daycare provider in your area?

I'm going to echo what everyone said. Jefferson Co Public Health called me 7 days after my positive test to ask me about my symptoms and how I felt.

They said all I needed was 48 hours after my fever and major symptoms subsided and I was good to go back into public. They said don't bother testing because virus fragments could trigger a false positive for 3 months, even though I'm not contagious.

tsuag10 said:

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I was told today by a NP that you can likely test positive for up to 3 months after having COVID.

Is this true? If yes, then please help me figure out how to navigate my current situation:

Wife tests positive a little over 1 week ago.
Me, wife, 1 kid in preK, and 2 kids in daycare are all in isolation for 14 days from positive test.
Me, wife, and preK are all allowed to return to work/school after our 14 days.

However, our childcare provider (licensed in-home daycare) is requesting negative COVID test results for the younger 2 kids before they can return to daycare.

I realize this is their business and they are within their rights to make this request. But I think there is a high likelihood that COVID has made its way through our family throughout the past month or so. If my assumption is correct, my younger 2 kids might not be able to test negative for several more weeks.

The NP I spoke with said they don't do re-testing for Covid. Once you test positive and you are 10-14 days with no symptoms, you carry on like normal. No point in testing for negative.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Snide comments?

TIA

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If your NP said "likely test positive", then you need to research the data. I think the docs here will tell you that you can test positive but it is not "likely" if you are thinking "likely" means greater than even 50%. I have not read anything that has asserted you will likely test positive for up to 3 months. My 84 yr old mother recently tested positive three times and was moved to a nursing home with other Covid patients. She got out for two weeks, got sick with a blood infection Saturday, was admitted to a hospital to deal with that and has now tested negative for CV twice while in the hospital.

Also here is an article where out of 117 CV patients that required extended hospitalization were retested after within 1-2 weeks after they were discharged and only 12 of them tested positive. Of those that re-tested positive there was also a higher level of comorbidities than in the 105 that tested negative. Realize that all 117 were ill enough to be hospitalized and only 10% were positive when re-tested and that group had a higher instance of other issues.

So you really should not put much confidence into a NP saying "you can likely test positive for up to 3 months after having COVID." when the data says you likely will test negative after having COVID. Go get the kids tested and move on with life.

Sorry forgot to post the medical article Retesting after COVID

UPDATE: Kids tested negative on rapid test nasal swab at our local urgent care clinic.

Not sure how everyone in the home hasn't gotten it since Mom had it and we have 3 kids under 5. It was almost impossible to keep her isolated when she had symptoms. She wore a mask as much as possible and tried not to hold the kids too much until she was about 10 days past symptoms.

I'm just glad it's working out better than I thought.

tsuag10 said:

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UPDATE: Kids tested negative on rapid test nasal swab at our local urgent care clinic.

Not sure how everyone in the home hasn't gotten it since Mom had it and we have 3 kids under 5. It was almost impossible to keep her isolated when she had symptoms. She wore a mask as much as possible and tried not to hold the kids too much until she was about 10 days past symptoms.

I'm just glad it's working out better than I thought.

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Your NP gave you poor medical advice regarding the likelihood of your kids continuing to test positive.

Gizzards said:

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tsuag10 said:

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UPDATE: Kids tested negative on rapid test nasal swab at our local urgent care clinic.

Not sure how everyone in the home hasn't gotten it since Mom had it and we have 3 kids under 5. It was almost impossible to keep her isolated when she had symptoms. She wore a mask as much as possible and tried not to hold the kids too much until she was about 10 days past symptoms.

I'm just glad it's working out better than I thought.

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Your NP gave you poor medical advice regarding the likelihood of your kids continuing to test positive.

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She just said it was likely that the virus has made its way through the family. I wouldn't really classify it as medical advice. I think it's a logical assumption considering we haven't been able to isolate much.