Still testing postive on antigen test - Am I still contagious

[Anonymous]

All the information available is so confusing!

I isolated for 5 days and have been wearing a mask since when around others or in the house. On day 8 now.

Have been feeling mostly normal since day 5 despite sounding like I am a little congested.

My sister is an NP and says at her hospital they feel like with omicron, you can still be contagious if you have a positive antigen test.

CDC says you may continue to test positive for a while.

Its making me wonder about everyone who is "magically negative" after 5 days and stops wearing a mask.

Just worried about exposing my kids who haven't had it yet (after day 10 when I take the mask off).
Should I be waiting for the antigen to be negative?
How long after day 1 did it take yours to become negative?

[Anonymous]

If you have symptoms and a positive test I would assume you can still transmit it to your kids, yes. The CDC guidance is trying to find a balance between people working and people infecting everyone, it's not based on whether you can possibly infect someone in your household.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never heard of anyone negative by day 5. Most don’t even test positive until day 4 or later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard of anyone negative by day 5. Most don’t even test positive until day 4 or later.

That is false about not testing positive until Day 4. The first day of symptoms OR positive test (whichever comes first) is considered Day 0. We have Covid in my house now. My husband tested positive on Day 1 about 24 hours after symptoms. He had two negative tests on Days 6 and 7. My son tested positive while asymptomatic but developed symptoms later that day. My son is now on Day 4 and tested negative. I tested positive on Day 0 about 14 hours after having symptoms. I’m on Day 4, my test is still positive but has faded from the past two days when I clearly had a high viral load. I expect a negative result in the next day or two.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are still contagious if you are testing positive on rapid antigen tests.

The testing positive for a while thing is PCR tests. Don’t bother testing with PCR for at least forty five days after an infection. Some say ninety.

But rapid antigens show you are still contagious and can also pick up legit reinfections in that forty five to ninety day period.

[Anonymous]

Super helpful thanks

Just makes me think of everybody I know now who had it and definitely stopped testing.
I will keep a mask around the kids until I get clear on antigen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Super helpful thanks

Just makes me think of everybody I know now who had it and definitely stopped testing.
I will keep a mask around the kids until I get clear on antigen

That's b/c (worthless) viral fragments can give you a positive test. It's imperfect, so our doc told us to not bother testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Super helpful thanks

Just makes me think of everybody I know now who had it and definitely stopped testing.
I will keep a mask around the kids until I get clear on antigen

That's b/c (worthless) viral fragments can give you a positive test. It's imperfect, so our doc told us to not bother testing.

Sigh. No
That’s for PCR tests, not rapid antigen tests

[Anonymous]

Just found this which makes more sense

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7108a3.htm

Seems like for better or for worse using antigens to determine being contagious could be helpful

[Anonymous]

I tested until I got a positive, my job told me not to test again once my symptoms went away and said I could come back to work so long as my symptoms mostly went away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you are still contagious if you are testing positive on rapid antigen tests.

The testing positive for a while thing is PCR tests. Don’t bother testing with PCR for at least forty five days after an infection. Some say ninety.

But rapid antigens show you are still contagious and can also pick up legit reinfections in that forty five to ninety day period.

My doctor told me the exact opposite of this. Said I could test positive in a rapid for weeks and it does not indicate that I am contagious.

[Anonymous]

Why are you testing? That is not part of the CDC protocol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you testing? That is not part of the CDC protocol.

Because the CDC protocol aims to get society functioning on a return-to-work level, and it doesn't aim to completely stop the spread from person to person.
So OP is testing because they don't want to infect others.
Obviously.
How can anyone object to that?

[Anonymous]

Yes duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard of anyone negative by day 5. Most don’t even test positive until day 4 or later.

Everyone I know who has gotten it in past 5-6 months have been positive for a week or longer. I was told by doctor after 10 days you’re in the clear, even if still testing positive.