UKH

Is there any proof of someone catching covid again within a few days of a negative test post infection?

My father-in-law is very vulnerable, and hopefully getting out of hospital soon. My Brother-in-law was due to bring his granny and great aunt to my mum's house for new year day. My mum just tested positive for covid yesterday (which we will have given to her at Christmas as we were already at hers when we tested positive!). So obviously her house is a no-go. I suggested he bring them to our house instead, but now he is concerned incase we get reinfected by my mum. This seems to me to be nearly impossible. It will be the same variant which we had, as we gave it to her, and less than a week after we cleared our infections. 

I know there have been very rare cases within a few weeks, but surely not in a few days when we both have strong immune systems?

Has anyone got any links to good sources to put his mind at ease?

Personally I'd err on the side of caution, if you had it over Christmas it's quite likely that you are still potentially contagious.

Ten days is still viewed by experts as the optimum quarantine period regardless of a negative test (tests aren't especially accurate, especially with the more recent variants), although some patients can remain positive for even longer.

If it was me any my family I'd just cancel plans and rearrange for when everyone is at least outwardly healthy.

Oh we are outwardly healthy. At its peak, it was a very mild cough. Now there's nothing. I am 100% sure we are not contagious 

I meant to the best of your knowledge germ free - obviously as happened at Christmas with your mum, not much can be done if you are unaware that you're coming down with something. 

Interestingly, the CDC guidelines state that if you have had symptoms, you can end isolation at day 5 if you are fever -free. This seems oddly specific, I have never had a fever! What strange guidance. 

It does seem to think that 2 negative tests means that you don't need to wait 10 days. 

When my cough was at its worst, I was still testing negative so going to work (with vulnerable old people). There's no way I could have called in sick with such mild symptoms. I did wear a mask with the most vulnerable people, but most who could tell me so, told me to take it off as they can't hear me properly. They also mostly had the same cough, I have a suspicion that they pretty much all had it and gave it to me! 

I felt worst after I had done a night shift, but then you usually do feel rubbish after a night shift so I didn't think much of it. So that was Wednesday night, the 20th. So going on symptoms, that would have been the peak of my infection, but positive test was 24th 🤷

I think the CDC guidelines have more to do with getting the country back to work than in reducing the spread of COVID.

There are many respiratory viruses going around that cause cough etc and are not Covid. More prevalent than Covid - RSV, normal rhinovirus, other coronavirus infections and flu A/B. 
likely you had one of these.  Some are quite nasty too !!! 
Rest up if poorly! 

Al
 

This feels like the good old 'is it OK if I use this [insert old peice of second hand climbing gear] I was given my my dad' question.

It's in all probability absolutely fine, but who would want to have the guilt of accidently killing your relative on their conscience?

The thing is, no one in the family is worried that we are still contagious from our infections, they were all happy to come at that point. It's just my Brother-in-law who thinks the risk is that we could get reinfected by my mum. And that is what I don't think is even remotely possible this soon after it's cleared. 

He is in a weird panic mode and not thinking rationally. He suggested that instead, granny and great aunt could take a train up north somewhere! Well at the moment, a train is far far higher risk than we are!

The plan had been to come out to us for a few days after new year, and I had asked him if he was comfortable with the risk of us all going out for a pub meal when they were with us. He was fine with that too. Also, a much higher risk scenario than our house. 

I'm not sure what is going on with his thinking here. It feels very irrational. 

Great aunt is now going to come to us alone, as she is over from Australia and doesn't get over often. She wants to travel and see the place and her family. Brother-in-law isn't concerned about the risk of her coming to us and then back to their house 🤷

Sounds like completely rational thinking to me. Sorry but I wouldn't be visiting you either.

Yes and no. Choose a spacious pub that's not too crowded and unlike at home there will be air circulation to dilute the viral load, also a couple of hours mixing in a pub is very different to a few days in someone's home.

Errrr.... No!

IMVHO  it's your refusal to accept that it's possible that you could still be infectious and that the risk to him is more than just a mild cough that's irrational.

Yes ok that is a bit odd, but even so it's another stage of separation from a known positive contract. Also if she isn't immunosuppressed she is at a lower risk of catching it in the first place.

My Brother-in-law isn't immunosuppressed either, he's young and healthy and recently vaccinated. No one else in the family is concerned about our risk to him. 

The plan was always for him to bring Granny and Great Aunt to us to give my Mother-in-law a break. She is exhausted and getting them out of the house for a few days was going to allow her a bit more rest. The covid risk is negligible, but the benefit to Mother-in-law would be huge.

Anyway, getting a break from great aunt will help, even if she would have appreciated a break from granny too. Granny will only come with someone from her household though as she is more confident in them helping her with stairs etc.