When should I test after a close coronavirus exposure.
October 4, 2022 12:03 PM Subscribe
What should my testing schedule be after being exposed to coronavirus?
I sat next to someone on Monday for two hours, and she tested positive for coronavirus later that day. I was wearing a mask and she wasn’t. I’m fully vaxxed, including the new bivalent booster. Assuming I don’t develop any symptoms, what days should I test? (e.g. When is the earliest I should test? How frequently should I test? What day’s test makes it likely I didn’t catch Covid from her?)
I sat next to someone on Monday for two hours, and she tested positive for coronavirus later that day. I was wearing a mask and she wasn’t. I’m fully vaxxed, including the new bivalent booster. Assuming I don’t develop any symptoms, what days should I test? (e.g. When is the earliest I should test? How frequently should I test? What day’s test makes it likely I didn’t catch Covid from her?)
In a similar situation, I was advised by the local hospital system to wait until 5 days post exposure for a PCR to “clear” me if I wasn’t symptomatic.
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
If/when you have symptoms, test daily. If you continue to have no symptoms for days on end, then five days is what they say now.
Beyond that, at this point it's kinda up to you on timing and frequency. Most people who are going to get symptoms seem to get it on day 2, from what I've heard from everyone else. I'm not sure what day's test means you're in the clear from covid any more, though :( Maaaaybe day 5?
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:10 PM on October 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Beyond that, at this point it's kinda up to you on timing and frequency. Most people who are going to get symptoms seem to get it on day 2, from what I've heard from everyone else. I'm not sure what day's test means you're in the clear from covid any more, though :( Maaaaybe day 5?
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:10 PM on October 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am an epidemiologist, but I am not your epidemiologist and your risk profile and preferences may be different than mine.
I would personally test using a rapid at the following points:
- any day where I had symptoms
- five days after the encounter (so Saturday - Monday is day 0)
- somewhere between day 7 and day 10 for a "totally clear" verdict
Rapid tests are not great at detecting infection for asymptomatic folks, and repeating it over and over means you're increasing your chances of a false positive. I would not recommend testing daily unless you are required to, like, get dental surgery or work unmasked each day.
I would consider limiting or modifying some of my normal behaviors. At least through Saturday (and at most through next Tuesday), I would wear a decent (KN95+) mask in indoor settings and drop things like eating in indoor restaurants if that is relevant to you. If I were going to see someone who was medically fragile, I might go for a PCR around days 5-7 - but I probably wouldn't unless I had symptoms and still negative rapid tests. (Any positive is a positive, but a negative rapid with symptoms and exposure could be a positive.)
posted by quadrilaterals at 1:12 PM on October 4, 2022 [13 favorites]
I would personally test using a rapid at the following points:
- any day where I had symptoms
- five days after the encounter (so Saturday - Monday is day 0)
- somewhere between day 7 and day 10 for a "totally clear" verdict
Rapid tests are not great at detecting infection for asymptomatic folks, and repeating it over and over means you're increasing your chances of a false positive. I would not recommend testing daily unless you are required to, like, get dental surgery or work unmasked each day.
I would consider limiting or modifying some of my normal behaviors. At least through Saturday (and at most through next Tuesday), I would wear a decent (KN95+) mask in indoor settings and drop things like eating in indoor restaurants if that is relevant to you. If I were going to see someone who was medically fragile, I might go for a PCR around days 5-7 - but I probably wouldn't unless I had symptoms and still negative rapid tests. (Any positive is a positive, but a negative rapid with symptoms and exposure could be a positive.)
posted by quadrilaterals at 1:12 PM on October 4, 2022 [13 favorites]
I sat next to a friend on last Wednesday at a fundraising event. I wore my mask except when I was taking a bite. He tested positive on Friday.
Took a home test that day.
Got a PCR test on Saturday.
Took another home test on Monday.
All negative, whew. And no symptoms so...
Still going to take another home test today.
But, still planning to go to my indoor soccer game tonight. Still going to wear my mask while I play. I'm a keeper so it's not a tremendous burden to wear a mask. But at this point, haven't we all had multiple exposures? My WANotify app gives me an exposure message every couple of months. So we test. And hope the home tests are accurate, and then get the PCR a few days later. It's about all we can do at this point.
Good luck, hope you are negative.
posted by Windopaene at 2:14 PM on October 4, 2022
Took a home test that day.
Got a PCR test on Saturday.
Took another home test on Monday.
All negative, whew. And no symptoms so...
Still going to take another home test today.
But, still planning to go to my indoor soccer game tonight. Still going to wear my mask while I play. I'm a keeper so it's not a tremendous burden to wear a mask. But at this point, haven't we all had multiple exposures? My WANotify app gives me an exposure message every couple of months. So we test. And hope the home tests are accurate, and then get the PCR a few days later. It's about all we can do at this point.
Good luck, hope you are negative.
posted by Windopaene at 2:14 PM on October 4, 2022
What I do after exposure is isolate for five or six days and then get a rapid NAAT test from Walgreens (more accurate than home tests, sooner/ more actionable results than PCRs).
posted by metasarah at 3:19 PM on October 4, 2022
posted by metasarah at 3:19 PM on October 4, 2022
Yep, recommendation is 5 days. I've known a lot of people who had symptoms 2-3 days after exposure and tested negative, but tested positive around the 5 day mark.
posted by capricorn at 5:32 PM on October 4, 2022
posted by capricorn at 5:32 PM on October 4, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Dashy at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2022