Most adults continue to shed COVID virus 10-14 days after onset of illness, though everyone is told to take off their masks and return to work by ten days. (Ten days was the 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 duration, leaving nearly half of people still shedding virus.) Culture positivity was strongly correlated with positive home antigen test results.
Isn't it 5 days now, but mask until 10? And they say you don't even have to confirm with a negative test anymore. Insane.
My MIL was not allowed here until she tested negative.
My kid tested positive for 13 days. I never trusted the # of days rule, and why I kept masking through about 90% of the pandemic so far.
@ExecutiveFunction404
My job required me to return after 5 days but to continue to mask until 10. How that is supposed to work with people who don't have private offices, who have to eat and drink, and whose noses are still running like faucets, isn't explained.
They've re-instituted universal masking for staff now. But I don't consider a "social mask" adequate if I'm still shedding virus. I'm wearing an N95 anytime I'm not in my office with my door closed until I test negative.
@ExecutiveFunction404
Asking you to remove a mask you're already wearing to put on a less effective one is insane. (Unless you had one of those vented N95s, that let your own air out and only filter air coming in -- in which case they should accept you putting their mask over your own to block the vent.)
My thought precisely. Instead, I pulled out an N95 still in the cellophane, opened it, and put it on. I even offered to leave a handful there.
It wasn't the valved mask either. As soon as they started selling to the public, I bought a case of the 3m aura's. They're comfy, considering, and fit my small face quite well.
@AlphaCentauri
Oh yuck...I didn't even think about the congestion. I don't remember if my kid was all gooey lol. But yea, that's gotta be uncomfortable. Thankfully it seems to be less virulent now, though this new strain seems to be kicking things back up.
I'm glad they require masks now! I wear N95s & my kid's pediatrician tried to get me to take my mask off to put on a surgical mask. I get the reasoning (to not bring in the virus), but I can see mouths through the side of the masks 🙃