Around 1-in-4 Omicron patients return a positive RAT after 7 days in iso

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-10-19 02:00

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US scientists say, of 248 students with Omicron who isolated for seven days, 67 (27%) tested positive using a RAT test once the seven days of iso ended. Those most likely to return a positive RAT after seven days were students who had symptomatic illness, and those who had Omicron variant BA.2. The results suggest five-day isolation, as recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), or indeed no isolation at all, as is currently recommended in Australia, may not be sufficient to prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the scientists say. They suggest people with COVID-19 wait until they return a negative RAT test before mingling with others.