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Does the antigen test (at-home rapid test) equate to the period when a person is still contagious (i.e. - positive tests should indicate continued isolation)? I ask because on the CDC site, it indicates that if the fever has resolved and it has been 5+ days since onset of symptoms, you are allowed to reintegrate into public spaces (wearing a mask, of course). However, while I fit the criteria (no fever, improving but not resolved symptoms, 5+ days since onset), I did still show a strong positive on the Roche at-home test kit. My work tells me I should come back based on CDC guidelines, but I am concerned that this contributes to the prolonged pandemic - people re-immersing themselves in public prior to the time that they are finished shedding virus. What is the correct thing to do?
This is a great question for which my answer may seem to swerve from what the CDC’s guidelines describe. The at-home rapid antigen tests are good tests to determine if a person is still shedding infectious viruses. The CDC guideline appears to indicate that a person may discontinue home isolation after 5 days. But, I think that the CDC guidance assumes that you do not have access to rapid antigen tests and the ability to repeat the test at Day 6 (or 5 days after onset of infection, which is counted as Day 1).
Here is where I veer from what the CDC appears to state, I believe that with access to rapid antigen tests, then a person should be testing on Day 6 and if positive then should remain in home isolation—you test positive on a rapid antigen test means that you can still spread infectious viruses around. This is where you currently are with a positive test 5+days after onset of infection. Depending on your access to additional rapid antigen test kits, you can test again each day (or every couple days) and remain in isolation until you test negative. If you do not have more test kits available, then you should remain in isolation for another 5 days (or in other words stay in isolation for 10 days total). In some work environments we are requiring that people test negative twice on two separate days to ensure that we do not bring the virus into work here at our hospital and campus. Hope this helps.
