WBZ-TV’s Dr. Mallika Marshall reports.
>>> HOW LONG IS SOMEONE WITH COVID CONTAGIOUS AND WHEN CAN HE OR SHE SAFELY COME OUT OF ISOLATION. DR. MALIKA MARSHALL IS HERE WITH US NOW. I KNOW LOCAL RESEARCHERS ARE TRYING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. >> AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. BUT EXPERTS BELIEVE YOUR MOST CONTAGIOUS TWO DAYS BEFORE YOUR SYMPTOMS BEGIN, AND DURING THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF YOUR ILLNESS. BUT RESEARCHERS AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL WANTS TO SEE IF RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING WILL DETERMINE WHEN IT IS OKAY TO RETURN TO PUBLIC LIFE. SO THEY TOOK 40 INDIVIDUALS WITH COVID-19 AND HAD THEM PERFORM TESTS SIX DAYS AFTER THE ON SET OF SYMPTOMS OR AFTER THE INITIAL POSITIVE TEST WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. THE SWABS WERE SENT FOR VIRAL CULTURE CONSIDERED A MORE ACCURATE MEASURE OF CONTAGION. THEY FOUND THAT 75% STILL HAVE POSITIVE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS ON DAY SIX. HOWEVER ONLY HALF OF THEM HAD POSITIVE VIRAL CULTURES. ALSO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO TESTED NEGATIVE BY RAPITY ANTIGEN HAD NEGATIVE VIRAL CULTURES BUT THE RESEARCHERS SAY THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE HAS LINGERING SYMPTOMS, IF THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE RAPID ANTIGEN TEST ON DAY SIX, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO END ISOLATION. IF SOMEONE IS STILL TESTING POSITIVE ON DAY SIX, THEY MAY END ISOLATION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT THE CDC STILL RECOMMENDS THAT WHEN PEOPLE DO COME OUT OF ISOLATION, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK FOR ANOTHER FIVE
