Can she return to school?

[Anonymous]

OP, we faced this same issue when my older DS had COVID a few weeks ago. We have him a rapid antigen test on Day 5, it was positive, and we kept him home an additional day. I asked a few friends what their thoughts were (people who work at FDA and/or on COVID in the lab) and they all said to send him back. So we did the next day, with a KN95.

I get that people can still be contagious at that point. In our case, DS had been symptomatic for all of three hours, so was bouncing off the walls and completely fine for a week before he returned to school. From a COVID prevention perspective, it’s not perfect, but from a real world, kids need to attend school perspective, it’s good enough.

[Anonymous]

My DC did the recommended quarantine period and was asymptomatic for over a week BUT he tested positive for many weeks after. He was allowed to return- some people will continue to test positive for a long time, if you want to go against CDC guidance and keep her home until rapid test converts, you may have a long road.

[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.

The reality is that people are most contagious before showing symptoms and for just a couple of days after symptoms. This is how pathogens work, including SARS-CoV-2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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. 🙄

That’s in response to testing. This literally says “you should” continue to isolate until day 10 if your day 5 test is positive. The PP literally asked what cdc guidance is IF you test on day 5 and IF that test is positive. Their guidance does not encourage anyone to test. But if you DO, they don’t say ignore it and go about your life. They say continue to isolate. I know most people won’t. I know mcps doesn’t require it. But the guidance is the guidance whether you like it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yeah. You can. We know. But pp asked about the scenario of what does the cdc say if you do test and it is positive. This is what they say. Twist it however you want. Nowhere do they say if you test positive on day 5 you should ignore it and you’re not contagious. Because you ARE contagious. That’s why they insist on keeping the mask on for goodness sake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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. 🙄

That’s in response to testing. This literally says “you should” continue to isolate until day 10 if your day 5 test is positive. The PP literally asked what cdc guidance is IF you test on day 5 and IF that test is positive. Their guidance does not encourage anyone to test. But if you DO, they don’t say ignore it and go about your life. They say continue to isolate. I know most people won’t. I know mcps doesn’t require it. But the guidance is the guidance whether you like it or not.

I see where you're going with this, and in that case I agree. If you test on day 5 and come up positive, the CDC does say to isolate for 5 more days. Obviously it's up to each individual whether they want to test on day 5 or not. I guess most won't, especially with people reporting they're testing positive for weeks after onset of symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She can go back on the sixth day which is Friday.

But have her wear a mask through day 10