However, the government is promoting the “Living with Covid” project and the provision of free PCR and lateral flow tests for the general population will expire on 1 April. Isolation guidance after a positive test will remain in place, but people will now have to pay out of pocket to check if they have the virus. Here’s how long it takes to be positive after exposure and how long the virus can last, it explains.
How long after exposure does it take to become positive?
Norton Healthcare says it can sometimes take up to a week after exposure to Covid-19 before it gets a positive test result. If the test is positive, most people will do it between two and seven days after exposure. If you know you have been exposed to the virus, you should try to limit contact with others and get tested regularly. University of Edinburgh public health professor Linda Bauld told the Independent that the Omicron variant can be obtained faster than previous executives. “What happens is that people carry more of the virus to their upper airways and it reproduces fairly quickly, so even if exposed to a small amount of virus, we can catch it very quickly,” he said. “If people have access to a test as they already have it at home and have been informed that they have come in contact with a positive case, it certainly makes sense within the first 24 hours to use one of these tests and keep doing it. for several days “.
When are you most contagious?
For previous variants of Covid-19, such as Alpha and Delta, the World Health Organization (WHO) said symptoms could begin to develop anywhere between two days and two weeks after infection. However, the incubation period of Omicron and its offspring is believed to be much shorter – between three and five days. Harvard University says: “People are thought to be more contagious early in the course of their disease. With Omicron, most transmission appears to occur within one to two days before the onset of symptoms and two to three days after. “People without symptoms can also transmit the coronavirus to others.” Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Aruandi told NBC: “As we’ve seen these new variants develop – Delta, now Omicron – what we’re seeing is that everything is accelerating. “It takes less time for someone to be exposed to Covid to develop a possible infection. It takes less time for symptoms to appear, it takes less time for someone to be infectious and, for many people, it takes less time to recover. “Many of them are because many more people are vaccinated.” Health Minister Sajid Javid said in December: “A recent analysis by the UK Health Insurance Agency (UKHSA) shows that the window between infection and infectivity may be smaller for the Omicron variant than the Delta variant.” The data show that the majority of people are no longer contagious seven days after the onset of symptoms or the first positive test, especially when vaccinated, and the vast majority are no longer contagious after 10 days. It is worth noting that many people have reported different symptoms with Omicron than those most commonly associated with Covid-19: cough, fever, shortness of breath and loss or change in taste and smell. Among these symptoms are:
Fatigue Pains and aches in the body Headache Scratched neck Catarrh
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should have a lateral flow test and we advise you to isolate if it is positive.
How long does Covid last?
Most people with Covid-19 will feel better within a few days, with symptoms usually not lasting for more than a few weeks. People who have been triple vaccinated are less likely to have severe symptoms and may also recover faster. However, some people will experience what is known as Long Covid. The NHS says the chances of having long-term symptoms do not seem to be related to how sick you are when you first catch the virus. Symptoms of Long Covid include:
Excessive fatigue (fatigue) Breathing difficulty Chest pain or tightness Problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”) Difficulty sleeping (insomnia) Feeling of heartbeat Dizziness Pins and needles Joint pain Depression and anxiety Tinnitus, earaches Feeling sick, diarrhea, stomach aches, loss of appetite Fever, cough, headache, sore throat, changes in sense of smell or taste Rash
Contact your doctor if you continue to have symptoms for several weeks after the first Covid-19 test is positive.
More about Covid-19
How long can you be positive about Covid?
Most people will stop being positive within 10 days of the onset of symptoms or the first positive test. However, it is possible to continue the positive test for weeks or even months after the virus appears. The good news is that even if you continue to be positive after a long time, it is very unlikely that you are truly contagious. The Gavi Vaccine Alliance explains: “The time it takes to test negative after infection with Covid-19 depends on the severity of the case, but also on the test itself. “PCR tests that trace parts of viral genetic material (RNA in the case of Covid-19) in our body and enhance it so that we can detect it are extremely sensitive and can even detect the presence of a few viral fragments. “This is because viral RNA fragments can remain in our body long after the infection is over and the virus has been removed from our system.”
How long do I have to be isolated?
The legal requirement to be isolated after a positive test has been abolished in England, as part of the Living with Covid project. However, people are still advised to stay home and avoid contact with others. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to apply isolation rules. Individuals can leave the isolation on the sixth day after the positive test, if the test is negative on the fifth and sixth day. If they do not, they can leave the isolation after the test is negative for two consecutive days or after 10 whole days, even if they are still positive. The only exception is that you still feel unwell, so you should continue to isolate yourself. If you just have a cough, you are free to leave the isolation.
