People with mild Covid are likely to be infectious for five days, new study suggests.
, has for the first time unveiled how long infectiousness lasts for after natural COVID-19 infection in the community.
Samples from 57 people - median age 41 years, 89% White - were used but not all were included in some analyses because some participants had not shared information about their symptoms, some people had not shed culturable virus, and some people having shed infectious virus before or beyond the sampling period. Consequently, duration of infectiousness was measured in 42 people. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the unvaccinated and vaccinated groups.
The authors commented: "Though 24 out of 38 people tested positive on a PCR test before they developed symptoms of COVID-19 this does not indicate infectiousness and most people only became infectious after they developed symptoms." Lateral flow devices have "poor sensitivity" for detecting culturable virus during the growth phase of infection, so "do not reliably detect the start of infectiousness", said the authors. However, their high sensitivity during the decline phase "supports the role for LFDs in de-isolation but not for early diagnosis, unless used daily", they highlighted.
Dr Seran Hakki, from the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, and co-author, said: "There is no longer a legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19, but most people still want to isolate until they are not infectious. Despite this, there is lack of clarity around how to come out of self-isolation safely. Our study is the first to assess how long infectiousness lasts for, using real life evidence from naturally acquired infection.
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