ts fair to say I am panicking as Ive just had a phone call from my friend to say she has tested positive this morning after starting to feel unwell yesterday (Friday). She came to my home on Thursday (negative test same morning) while I went to hospital for a pre op check. While she was here to look after my dog, she kindly changed my bed and put the washing on, emptied the dishwasher etc. We didn't spend a great deal of time together may be 15 minutes before I left for the hospital and 20 minutes when I got home and she made me a cup of tea.She was wearing a material mask. Can anyone advise me how long before symptoms would take to show and for how long I am at risk please. To get Covid now would really upset my applecart as I am having an Eye Operation next Tuesday 10 days away. I have been advised to isolate for a week beforehand and an ambulance will come and test me 3 days before I go in. I desperately need this Op to go ahead so Im praying I don't get Covid right now.
I originally posted this question in BP Forum by mistake, sorry!
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HappyDiamonds
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No point panicking - it is what it is and has already happened. Many Omicron cases seem to start within a few days of exposure but then patients may test negative for 3 or 4 days. I spent a few days with cousins in March when they were here skiing - I was with them the night before the husband's symptoms started, in a cafe and then a bar so no mask required. His wife got it, I didn't. They were still positive when they came here although that was a full week later so probably not shedding a lot by then.
It's wait and see I fear. FIngers crossed it will be fine ...
Omicron’s incubation period is about two to four days, which is generally shorter than the previous variants. Incubation periods are still just an average, and infected people may develop symptoms anytime within two to 14 days after exposure. An infected individual is most contagious one to two days before the onset of symptoms.
Thanks Piglette so I was with her at her most contagious! Hospital test will be 8 or 9 days after I was in contact with her so hopefully if Im going to get it I will know by then and won't unsuspectingly be taking it in to hospital with me. Im honestly not sure whether it is still an airborne spread infection or whether you can pick it up from things you touch. Either way I still wipe down all my groceries and that sort of thing. My friend said she was doing some gardening and had a sudden pain on the side of her head and thought it was from the sun & heat but later that evening she had a temperature and this morning sneezing so Im hoping she doesn't suffer too badly as she's in her mid 70s and was due her 4th jab on Monday. She now has to wait 3 weeks for a further jab. We also have a very large outbreak of chickenpox locally.
I think now there are only two people in my road who have not had Covid. Some have had it more than once particular those with kids. I suppose I might have had it but I was not aware. I was tested for anti bodies and I had a good response!
I think they have decided Covid is now airborne and through droplets which is a change from the beginning when we were disinfecting everything we touched! My sister was due her jab the day after she tested positive so had to wait for the jab.
Here, we are told to test 3 days after symptoms start or 5 days after exposure. A person is most contagious the 2-3 days prior to their symptoms and 5 days after positive test or start of symptoms.
In our experience, my son got covid. He tested positive 3 days after his symptoms started. He isolated but was told he could return to school masked after 5 days if he had no fever and his symptoms were improving. He isolated during that time. However, once he did go back to school, my daughter rode in the car with him. So even though they said he was safe to return, she was exposed at that time. She had symptoms 4 days after that exposure and tested positive the day she had symptoms.
One more case study… my dad traveled and got symptoms and had a positive test 5 days after arriving home from his trip, so we assume he got it in the airport on his way home.
So our experience falls pretty similar to the recommendation to start testing 5 days after exposure or if you have symptoms.
My husband and I never got it. We tested daily starting 5 days after exposure and for about 5 days after that.
With us, Roger managed the volunteers at The Oval on 31st May. He got symptoms 3 days later - coughing, sneezing, sore throat. Tested positive next morning. I got symptoms 3 days after his symptoms started. Tested pos next morning. People we were with the day before he got symptoms did not catch it.
Thank you. Im still keeping my fingers crossed. Just spoke to my friend she was outside cleaning her windows, a job I would avoid doing when I was well, certainly wouldn't consider it if I had coved 😂
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