Covid has been in our house through the holidays. Husband and I both minimally symptomatic and are through our 10 days.

Had both boys tested as their quarantine period ended. College aged son is last one to continue to test negative; 17 year old (tested the same day) is positive (asymptomatic) and considered contagious until Jan 13. Trying to help college son avoid another 14 day quarantine beginning on Jan 13. He is isolating in his room, but isolation didn't help his brother.

I'd like him to get a rapid test on the 13th - if that is negative he is good?

I also thought he could get an antibody test at any point - if he has antibodies (as far as he knows he has never been covid positive) can he get out of covid jail?

If he can stay truly isolated, then it's 14 days from date of last contact with a positive individual. Rapid antigen would not be able to exclude infection reliably.

There are some scenarios where a negative test at 7 days and zero symptoms through 14 days, can mean chance of infecting others is somewhere between 1-10 percent. But assumes a PCR test.


Antibodies would only be useful if it was IgG. IgG antibodies take a few weeks to develop, whereas IgM can be present within a few days of symptom development and during active infection. It depends on the sensitivity of the test as well. Some are pretty bad.

Thanks for replying.

Looks like a negative test after isolating from his brother from the 5th through the 13th is the way to go.