Only symptom, not openly.

Got tested today (Saturday) because I noticed diminished sense of smell and taste on Thursday. I also had some mild nasal congestion that felt like allergies. Took Sudafed Thursday and Friday, and that relieved my congestion. Also worked from home Thursday and Friday out of an abundance of caution.

I have had no fever, aches, fatigue, or other symptoms. Just the irritated/runny/congested nose and loss of smell and taste.

Based on this, what is the recommendation on when I can stop isolating? 10 days or 14 days, and is it counted from the day I lost smell or the day of my positive test?

Any guidance for my teenaged son who lives with me and has exhibited zero symptoms (obviously, he's going to be out of school for 14 days)? Not sure if I should get him tested or not.

I think they continue to recommend 14 days but have some criteria for shortening the quarantine in a "depends on local guidelines" kind of thing.

Doctor who talked to me about the test result said 10 days from first symptom (which she said would be loss of taste/smell, which happened on Thursday), or I could count 10 days from positive test result.

I verified that what the doctor said about 10 days from symptom onset is what the CDC website currently says, but I wanted some confirmation.

Also, I think my son is for sure out of school for 14 days. He has shown no symptoms, but I don't know when his "in the clear" date would be.

You might want to call your kid's school to verify. My kid's school (not in TX) has recently sent the following:
1 - Individuals will now be asked to quarantine for 10 days after their last exposure to COVID-19.
2 - If an individual was exposed and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19, they may be tested at day 7 of quarantine. If the test is negative, the individual can end quarantine after day 7 instead of after day 10.
3 - If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 you must quarantine for 10 days from the last exposure. You do not have the ability to test out at 7 days for household exposures.

If your school has the same guidance, your son could go back to school after the 10 days after he last had contact with you.

Rev03 said:

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You might want to call your kid's school to verify. My kid's school (not in TX) has recently sent the following:
1 - Individuals will now be asked to quarantine for 10 days after their last exposure to COVID-19.
2 - If an individual was exposed and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19, they may be tested at day 7 of quarantine. If the test is negative, the individual can end quarantine after day 7 instead of after day 10.
3 - If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 you must quarantine for 10 days from the last exposure. You do not have the ability to test out at 7 days for household exposures.

If your school has the same guidance, your son could go back to school after the 10 days after he last had contact with you.

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He lives with me full-time. And because my only symptom is loss of smell/taste, I don't know when I've "recovered" or am no longer contagious.

So, I'm assuming worst case is he has to quarantine for another 10 days after my 10 days is up. Which basically means he's out of school for the rest of the year.

We will be calling the school first thing on Monday, I just am wondering when he can stop his quarantine, regardless of what the school says.

TXTransplant said:

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Rev03 said:

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You might want to call your kid's school to verify. My kid's school (not in TX) has recently sent the following:
1 - Individuals will now be asked to quarantine for 10 days after their last exposure to COVID-19.
2 - If an individual was exposed and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19, they may be tested at day 7 of quarantine. If the test is negative, the individual can end quarantine after day 7 instead of after day 10.
3 - If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 you must quarantine for 10 days from the last exposure. You do not have the ability to test out at 7 days for household exposures.

If your school has the same guidance, your son could go back to school after the 10 days after he last had contact with you.

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He lives with me full-time. And because my only symptom is loss of smell/taste, I don't know when I've "recovered" or am no longer contagious.

So, I'm assuming worst case is he has to quarantine for another 10 days after my 10 days is up. Which basically means he's out of school for the rest of the year.

We will be calling the school first thing on Monday, I just am wondering when he can stop his quarantine, regardless of what the school says.

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Depends of you isolate from him

AggieFlyboy said:

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TXTransplant said:

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Rev03 said:

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You might want to call your kid's school to verify. My kid's school (not in TX) has recently sent the following:
1 - Individuals will now be asked to quarantine for 10 days after their last exposure to COVID-19.
2 - If an individual was exposed and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19, they may be tested at day 7 of quarantine. If the test is negative, the individual can end quarantine after day 7 instead of after day 10.
3 - If someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 you must quarantine for 10 days from the last exposure. You do not have the ability to test out at 7 days for household exposures.

If your school has the same guidance, your son could go back to school after the 10 days after he last had contact with you.

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He lives with me full-time. And because my only symptom is loss of smell/taste, I don't know when I've "recovered" or am no longer contagious.

So, I'm assuming worst case is he has to quarantine for another 10 days after my 10 days is up. Which basically means he's out of school for the rest of the year.

We will be calling the school first thing on Monday, I just am wondering when he can stop his quarantine, regardless of what the school says.

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Depends of you isolate from him

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That's just not practical. And, honestly, since he's not likely to go back to school this year, it wouldn't be a horrible thing if he got it and recovered. Then we don't have to worry about him getting it again.

And I'm not sure the school would believe us if we said we isolated, since we live in the same house. So it's sort of pointless.

I'm thinking about having him tested around the 15th or 16th.

Get him tested now. If positive, his clock starts now instead of another 10 days after you are done. You are most infectious starting a few days before you exhibit symptoms and extending about 5-7 more days. You can use that information to determine if you are already past the peak of your highly contagious period and optimize the date when he gets tested. Hope this helps.

Yes, that does help. I thought about getting him tested today, but I didn't want to do it too early, if I'm still contagious.

I lost taste on Thursday, but on Tuesday and Wednesday, my throat was annoying me. It didn't hurt, but it felt like I had a lump in my throat. By Wednesday evening, I had started to feel some stuffiness in my head.

So, if I count 5-7 days from last Tuesday, that puts me at a reduced contagiousness by about Sun-Tues.

But he might not test positive for a few days, so if I wait for that window to pass, that puts his test at the end of this week.

I had already tentatively planned on getting him tested sometime around the 14-15th because he is supposed to be with his dad starting on the 19th and PCR results still take up to three business days.

I don't think the 10 day window helps us for school. I just don't see him going back this year. But, I wouldn't let him go to his dad's without confirming that he is negative.

Edit: I remembered that the school nurse lives around the corner. I texted her and she called and put my mind to rest about school.

The earliest he could go back would 7 days after his last "close contact" with me but that requires a negative PCR test result. I would have to drive him to the test, so that's out.

Option 2 is he stays out until the 16th, assuming no "close contact" with me and he has no symptoms. The last day of school is the 18th, so I'm not sure going back on the 16th will make a whole lot of difference.

Option 3 is he doesn't go back until after the holidays.

I tested positive today. Kids and wife all shut down from going to school. Only this week and 4 days next week before break, so basically out until Jan 6th. Since it is household, they would have been 2 weeks no matter what and I think another 10 days after.

Confirmed. Boerne ISD requiring a 24 day quarantine for those exposed to someone in household.

A1_Ag_95 said:

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Confirmed. Boerne ISD requiring a 24 day quarantine for those exposed to someone in household.

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24 days?!? Our district will let you go back after 7, if you isolate and have a negative test. But there isn't anyone else who can take my son to get a test. So, he's out for the last two weeks of the semester. If he exhibits any symptoms, he'll switch to a 10 day quarantine.

Just to briefly reiterate what others have said:

You're considered infectious for up to 10 days following symptom onset, or 10 days from positive test if asymptomatic.

The incubation period from exposure till development of disease is 2-14 days, with a median of about 5 days. 98% will develop symptoms disease by day 11 post exposure.

It is generally not recommended to test until 7 days following known exposure, as there is a high likelihood of a false negative.

Combining that all together, if you can't effectively isolate from your son, the official CDC recommendation is 24 days of total quarantine. Unless your son develops symptoms, at which point it would be good for him to get tested and then his 10 day clock starts as soon as his symptoms started if he had a positive test.

Local policies vary.

Yea, the 24 days makes sense, if he doesn't develop symptoms or have a negative test.

Our nurse gave us three options, similar to what another poster outlined. 7 days of isolation for him and a negative test, or isolation for 14 days. They take our word for it regarding "isolation", and based on my timeline, if he doesn't develop symptoms by the 16, he's probably good.

But, honestly, it's easier for him to just sit out the rest of the year.

I was actually surprised that our school has any isolation/negative test alternatives. The nurse indicated the guidelines were changed recently to try to get kids back to school sooner. I think before that, it was longer.

Wife is a teacher for the district. She was told 24 days. We will see what both kids receive, but reading the guide, it is clear on 10 plus 14.