Question about quarantine guidelines for those living with someone who tests positive.

I got exposed Friday, 1/1. Test positive on Wednesday (1/6). Very minor symptoms (allergy-like, no fever( that started on 1/6 and lasted for 2-3 days.

Roommate and I haven't really quarantined from each other and have been around each other since I was exposed on 1/1. He tested negative on Thursday, (1/7). He has never shown any symptoms.

My quarantine is scheduled to end Saturday (1/16), 10 days after symptoms began, fever free 3+ days, etc.

When is his quarantine scheduled to end, considering he has been "exposed" this whole time, but has tested negative and never shown any symptoms? Would he technically have to quarantine 10 days longer than me since that is the last date he was "exposed"? That doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Hope that timeline all made sense.

This may be old info, but in December your isolation would end in 10 days, roommate's quarantine would be for 14 days.

14 days since when? Technically his last exposure to me is going to be Saturday, when my quarantine is done. So would his quarantine have to last for 28 days? He has been quarantining since I have been on 1/3 when I found out I was exposed. That is nonsensical.

14 days from the most recent time that he was around you for more than 15 minutes total in a 24hr period without PPE.

The timeline that he is to be subject to is 48hrs prior to symptom onset or positive test (whichever was most recent) and through the whole 10 days of your quarantine.

If he were to test positive at any point, then his 10 day timeline would start from symptom onset or positive test, whichever was earliest

If your roommate has had no contact with you from x date, then his quarantine ends 14 days from that date. No contact means no contact, you were isolated from him completely. Talked through a door, etc.

If he has had contact with you periodically as y'all quarantined, then he has to start his days after you are considered no longer contagious, so after the 10 days of your contagious period.

Goodbull_19 said:

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88planoAg said:

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If your roommate has had no contact with you from x date, then his quarantine ends 14 days from that date. No contact means no contact, you were isolated from him completely. Talked through a door, etc.

If he has had contact with you periodically as y'all quarantined, then he has to start his days after you are considered no longer contagious, so after the 10 days of your contagious period.

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Wow to me that just feels so excessive/unrealistic. If he never shows symptoms and had a negative test from early on in quarantine, to me it would seem reasonable that he is not getting infected from me and could end quarantine when I do. But I guess that's why I am not in charge.

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Theory goes he could become positive at any point of your contagious period. The negative test is a 'look back' but is unable to confer negative status if contact continues, because you are still contagious. UNLESS all contact from the test forward ceased.

I agree it absolutely sucks. It RUINED our Christmas. My older son just got tested today, the day his brother ceased being contagious after his 10 days, which were totally asymptomatic. He isolated from the family on the day his brother tested positive. That was after me and dad were minimally symptomatic beginning Dec 23. Fingers crossed he is negative and we are done. If not, it is another 10 days.

I HATE covid math, but it is what it is.

You are still shedding a replicatable virus (i.e. contagious) for the 10 days after your positive test or symptom start so his negative test early on does not hold water. The virus can be latent for a period of days and he could also be asymptomatic so he could have converted after the test and not show any signs/symptoms

Aston94 said:

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CDC has changed its guidelines on quarantine time FYI.

It is 10 days from last exposure (so if you are still exposing him/her it would be 10 days after your 10 days is up.

OR it can be 7 days with a negative test, so your last day plus 7 with a negative test at the end.

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With the caveats that
-The test performed is a nasopharyngeal PCR swab done no earlier than 5 days after exposure (even though most of the data going into the guidelines has the test done 6 days after exposure)
-The individual remain closely monitor themselves and remain asymptomatic for the remainder of the 14 days
-If the above are true, the risk of transmission to another individual after ending quarantine earlier than 14 days varies from 1-10 %

Correct.