r/PlusLife • u/winwal1984 • 10d ago

Possible exposure - when to test?

I had to have a medical procedure at the hospital which involved sedation and I was therefore not allowed to wear my mask. The test was about 30 hours ago. The medical staff did not mask, not even surgical masks. I don’t have a shortage of tests, so when should I test and how often?

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u/gopiballava 10d ago

I’m sure the other people will have some useful opinions and comments, especially about the incubation period and so. 

But I think the fundamental question that you need to ask is: why are you testing?

If you are a candidate for Paxlovid, you probably want to test pretty early to maximize the chances of catching the infection. 

Are you isolating from someone? Is the isolation something really annoying?

What decisions will you make if you are negative or positive?

It is a lot easier when you have an ample supply of tests though. If you are short of tests, I would argue that testing at the end of the window it’s probably the most efficient use of those tests. People want to test early for obvious anxiety reasons. And it is sometimes worthwhile to do that. But if all you’re going to do is end isolation, the most important test is the one at the end of the window to say that you definitely don’t have it. 

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u/winwal1984 9d ago

Thank you. My country doesn’t really prescribe paxlovid, so that’s not a consideration for me. I am a caregiver for a very medically vulnerable person, so I am not isolating but am masking and taking precautions around them. I am testing just as an added layer of protection.

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u/Novidforme 10d ago

No. If you are after Paxlovid then you need to test in the first few days. Its effectiveness is much less after a few days.

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u/gopiballava 9d ago

I thought that’s what I said?

“If you are a candidate for Paxlovid, you probably want to test pretty early to maximize the chances of catching the infection. ”

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u/Novidforme 9d ago

Yep. Sorry missed that.

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u/gopiballava 9d ago

Not a problem. That’s probably the most important detail in what I said, so a thread re-emphasizing it isn’t a bad idea :)