Can she return to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please do not send her back until rapid test is negative. Rapid tests only show positive with very high viral load, which means very likely still contagious.

https://dearpandemic.org/10-day-positive-contagious/

This is not true.

She can go back on Day 6. I'm still testing positive after three weeks. There is no reason to keep kids home after they've passed the quarantine period.

I’m sorry to derail, but are you testing positive on at-home rapid tests after three weeks? I’m on Day 9, still positive, and anxious to be negative.

Yes -- for weeks.

[Anonymous]

The CDC guideline of 5 days was not set because people weren’t contagious after that. It was set because companies pressured them into lowering it to 5 days. Now they say wear a mask because they know people are often contagious.

My son’s preschool allows them to return after 5 days if they are negative. I think that makes more sense.

The pcr might be positive for months but a home test shoukd be negative to go out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please do not send her back until rapid test is negative. Rapid tests only show positive with very high viral load, which means very likely still contagious.

https://dearpandemic.org/10-day-positive-contagious/

This is not the CDC Guidance. I would not do this. I know people that have rapid tested positive 3 weeks later.

I wonder if they’re still contagious. My DC is still positive after two weeks and we’re wearing masks at home. Not sure when to take off.

[Anonymous]

Kids in middle school and high school cannot miss 3 weeks of school because they keep testing positive. You couldn’t possibly make up all the work. Thanks to a non instructional day, my kid only missed 5 days of school. It’s taking the better part of two weeks to get caught up — and there was a lighter workload while she was out because testing was going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CDC guideline of 5 days was not set because people weren’t contagious after that. It was set because companies pressured them into lowering it to 5 days. Now they say wear a mask because they know people are often contagious.

My son’s preschool allows them to return after 5 days if they are negative. I think that makes more sense.

The pcr might be positive for months but a home test shoukd be negative to go out.

For us both PCR and home tests have been positive for weeks. Kids have to go back to school, especially in high school. There isn’t an online/school from home option. I’m still working from home because work won’t let me back until I’m negative. My teens are back in school.

[Anonymous]

I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Nope. Here's the actual guidelines:

Beginning March 1, MCPS will be moving from a 10-day isolation and quarantine period for students to a 5-day isolation. if certain health conditions are met.

Isolation – Students who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days.
If on day 5 the student has no, or improving, symptoms and has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication, the student may return to in-person instruction on Day 6.
Day 1 for positive students is the day after on-set of symptoms or day after the date tested if asymptomatic.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus/quarantine.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Yes according to cdc but everyone just totally ignored that part. No according to mcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Yes according to cdc but everyone just totally ignored that part. No according to mcps.

You're wrong. The CDC says to isolate for 5 days and then to wear a mask til day 10. If I'm wrong and you're right, show me the language to prove it.

[Anonymous]

Our DC's doctor said that they are ok to go back if they don't have symptoms after five days. But if school has indoor lunch, you should take them out for lunch during that week.

And if the student isn't able to wear the mask properly and consistently, then they should remain at home until day 10.

The doctor also said that you should NOT test for covid after recovery because of false positives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got a stuffy nose and cough Saturday. We tested her Sunday and she was positive. She has stayed home all week and is now asymptomatic. According to CDC guidelines, she may now return to school as she has completed five days of quarantine. I even called the school nurse to ask, who said she can return. However, she is still testing positive even though she’s asymptomatic. I can’t find anything on CDC or MCPS that addresses this. Can she return to school on day six, asymptomatic yet positive? The nurse didn’t ask if she was testing positive or negative.

Yes. The guidelines are clear. All you need to do is quarantine for five days and then if asymptomatic they can return. No test required and testing results if you did do it don’t matter. The school nurse told you this already.

If you want to keep your child home it’s fine. But it’s not required.

This. I would send her back. It’s completely fine.

[Anonymous]

Glad to know I'm not the only one confused.

I would have liked to see an "A negative test after isolation is not required to return to school after isolation guidelines have been met"

Day 6 for DC is tomorrow.
I'd like to test DC just to know.
But you're also taking a risk by testing- if it's positive, then you stay home another 5 days- which is not great of a high schooler about to take finals-- after all the week's worth of work piled up last week after all the AP exams.

So the message I'm getting here is- don't test! It's not required. It's not even encouraged!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Yes according to cdc but everyone just totally ignored that part. No according to mcps.

You're wrong. The CDC says to isolate for 5 days and then to wear a mask til day 10. If I'm wrong and you're right, show me the language to prove it.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html
About 2/3rds of the way down:

If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test1 towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Follow additional recommendations for masking and avoiding travel as described above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Yes according to cdc but everyone just totally ignored that part. No according to mcps.

You're wrong. The CDC says to isolate for 5 days and then to wear a mask til day 10. If I'm wrong and you're right, show me the language to prove it.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html
About 2/3rds of the way down:

If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test1 towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Follow additional recommendations for masking and avoiding travel as described above.

"If" and "want" are hardly mandates. 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that if the test was positive on Day 5, you had to do the full 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, you can go back but must wear a tight fitting mask.

Yes according to cdc but everyone just totally ignored that part. No according to mcps.

You're wrong. The CDC says to isolate for 5 days and then to wear a mask til day 10. If I'm wrong and you're right, show me the language to prove it.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html
About 2/3rds of the way down:

If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test1 towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Follow additional recommendations for masking and avoiding travel as described above.

You didn't mention the portion of the CDC guidelines just before the part you quoted.
It clearly states "You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation​)." Pretty much same as MCPS guidelines.