If you compare with my photo above, I would say you look close to the "Wed" day, which suggests about 3 to 5 more days before turning negative, probably 4 days rather than 5. You will be infectious right to the end but it drops significantly after the first few days, so you are already much less infectious now than at the front. In that respect LFTs can be a bit misleading since the narrow line at the start was probably the point you are the most risky to other people, whereas even with today's thick line you would be less infectious than then. Plus if you are feeling yuck you probably aren't going out and about much anyway. Clever virus this, it has worked out that its survival isn't helped by you lying up in bed all day seeing no-one, so it gets out to others earlier than that. Keep taking the tests, but hopefully the line will soon start to get thinner, maybe only a little tomorrow. And keep resting and taking liquids and staying mentally positive.

I notice they are 3 different types of LFD, you may want to stick to one type since there are some slight differences in sensitivity.

Thanks for the quick answer! I'd love to continue testing, but I only have 2 tests left - is there anywhere we can get the tests or buy them even?

Also, I know liquids and rest are very important. You mentioned in your post to avoid putting strain on your breathing and lungs - if I was to say go for light runs, would this extend my infectious period? I enjoy getting out for walks and would love to start running again, but I do want to recover asap at the same time.

• younger people less likely to have serious symptoms from the milder variants which are now dominant.
• only 175 people on ventilation with covid in the whole of the UK.
• only about 5,700 people in hospital in the UK with covid.
• high levels of antibodies to covid in the population, over 99% in the latest ONS figures https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulat...hts/antibodies

frankly it would seem more daft if they were acting as if covid was still the same threat it was in 2020 and 2021. of course people can choose to wear face coverings if they wish - i have no intention of stopping them, but i won't be joining them and clearly the majority of the population seems to have the same view. those people choosing not to wear them are not being selfish or wreckless, and unfortunately some people still can't bring their views out of pandemic mode.

The Independent is reporting:

Has anyone seen the study?

Boots sell them in their bigger stores. Or you can order online. About £2 a go.

You can't register the result with the NHS though.

AN update on where we are with data. Cases continue to rise and are currently around 10,000 per day. That is 38.8% up week on week. The rate of increase is significantly lower than in the previous omicron waves. Deaths are continuing to fall and are down 16.4% week on week at below 40 per day.

Hospital admissions and numbers in hospital are both up, admissions by 30% and patients in hospital by 20% week on week. Patients in ventilation beds are 150 today, up from a low of 111 on the 4th June.

The government will change to weekly reporting after the end of the month, which will be on Wednesdays. I assume the ONS will continue its surveying and data release on Fridays.

Thanks for that, i'll have a look at Boots.

I've got some hunches in this area in terms of Long Covid, but not the data to back those hunches. Walking, enjoying fresh air and the outdoors, is certainly good and often boosts people's morale, so no problem with that at all. Perhaps the running could wait a little longer? It isn't to do with infection, that's not connected and you're probably past the worst, and I doubt running makes much difference to recovery times. But we do know that rest is beneficial to recovery times, plus you're probably getting tired in the evenings anyway.

That sounds like you went from BA.1 to BA.5 and cut out all the middle men. Most reports are that second infections are less problematic than first infections. I thought it was a shorter window in your case, but 6 months between infections is not that common, but equally there are plenty of people in the same position now.

There was a modest price war going on with some supermarkets, at one point Morrisons was the cheapest but I've not checked recently.

Ah fair enough - yes I'm definitely a lot more tired towards the evening and usually I'm alot more active than I have been this past week! I guess I can take it a little easier for another few days.

Still feeling a bit fatigued from it having overdone it when I had it recently (biggest hike I did was 1.5 miles ... Much, much less than I'd normally do but body with COVID made it feel otherwise) I'd second just get the rest.

Assuming that, say anywhere between 1-10% in the UK would still mask indoors (ONS May-June survey says 48%, let's make it 1-10% to be more accurate, lol), you would expect to see at least one random mask somewhere (students, faculty or relatives), so I believe the event may had some hidden expectations/peer pressure, or led people to take risks they normally wouldn't have

We have not heard these wonderful news over here, we are still being scare-mongered by the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7121e1.htm

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f407160110.jpg

Son has just come back from Portugal with covid! Healthy 30 yr old.

First infection end December 21, booster vaccine mid March. He’s a bit run down, but admits that could be from partying and an early flight. He first thought it was holiday effects until I suggested he tested.