Just two in 100 more people ‘would be infectious if Covid isolation ended on day five’
JUST two in 100 more people would still be infectious if their Covid isolation ended on day five, a government analysis shows.
UK Health Security Agency modelling looked at people’s risk of still being able to spread the disease after two negative lateral flow tests.
It found that eight per cent would be infectious on day five, compared to 6.2 per cent on day seven.
Despite being a 29 per cent increase it would equal a risk rise of only two more per 100 people, or 20 per 1,000.
The agency said it was safe to shorten the window to seven days because it gives a “similar level of protection” to the full 10 days, as long as people test negative twice.
The small gap between days seven and five suggests the window could be shortened again.
Ministers are under pressure to slash the rule to five days in line with the US.
Crippling staff shortages at hospitals, schools and railways have left them reeling from the Omicron wave.
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Boris Johnson’s spokesman said: “If it is possible to go further then we will do so.”
A UKHSA spokesperson said the rule is under review.
The agency added: “We believe that allowing people to leave self-isolation after two negative lateral flow tests on days six and seven is the optimal approach at present.
“This supports people who are unlikely to be infectious to go back to work and resume other activities, but continues to protect the wider population from infection.”
The agency published another paper yesterday which showed 31.4 per cent of people are still infectious five days after getting symptoms or testing positive.
This compared to 15.8 per cent after seven days or just 5.1 per cent after 10 days.
But two negative tests slashed the risk of being released while infectious by more than half.
UKHSA scientist Meaghan Kall said: “Most transmission occurs during early infection.”
