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Close contacts have to do between three and five antigen tests, depending on their vaccination status. Alamy Stock Photo

Here's what to do if you're a close contact of someone who has Covid-19

The HSE has added more detail to its guidelines depending on a person’s vaccination status.

WITH CHRISTMAS JUST days away people across the country are anxiously hoping to avoid bringing Covid-19 home to their families, here’s what to do if you are named as a close contact of someone who has tested positive. 

First things first, if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 – the most common symptoms are fever, dry cough and fatigue – you need to self-isolate and get a PCR test.

The HSE is instructing people to do this even if they are vaccinated or if they have recovered from the coronavirus disease.

Close contacts are broken up into two groups: Non-household close contacts and household close contacts.

You are a non-household close contact if you spent more than 15 minutes, over the course of a day, with someone who has tested positive for Covid.

When someone tests positive, their close contacts include people they were in close contact with in the 48-hour period before they developed symptoms or in the 24-hour period before their test, if they do not have symptoms.

You are a household close contact if you live in the same home as a person who has tested positive, use a kitchen or bathroom in shared accommodation with a person who has tested positive or if you are a sexual partner of someone who has tested positive.

The HSE has added more detail to its guidelines for close contacts depending on a person’s vaccination status.

People who have had their first round of vaccinations but have not received a booster and those who got their booster jab less than seven days before receiving a close contact text from the HSE are being instructed to do five antigen tests with 2 days between each test.

If any of the antigens are positive, or if the person starts to develop symptoms, they need to self-isolate (stay in their room) and get a PCR test.

The HSE is telling people in this group to restrict their movements (stay at home) for 10 days from when they get the close contact text message.

People who got their booster shot more than seven days before the close contact text need to do three antigen tests with two days between each test.

They need to restrict their movements for five days and if any of the antigens are positive, or if the person starts to develop symptoms, they need to self-isolate and get a PCR test.

People who got their first round of Covid jabs and tested positive on a PCR test in the past six months also need to follow these steps; three antigens with two days between tests, restrict movements for five days.

Those who have not received their first round of vaccines (two doses of either Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca or one dose of the Janssen jab) have to do five antigen tests with two days between each test.

They also need to restrict their movements for 10 days from when they get the close contact text message.

People who live with someone who is restricting their movements do not need to restrict their movements as long as they do not have any symptoms.

If you live with someone who has tested positive you need to restrict your movements and book a PCR test, as outlined above.

Those that live with someone who is waiting for PCR results should restrict their movements if they are not vaccinated or if they have not recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months.

People who are vaccinated or recovered do not need to restrict their movements in this scenario.

People who live with someone who cannot self-isolate, such as a child, an older person or someone with a disability, are being advised to restrict their movements and take extra care to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

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37 Comments
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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:40 PM

    Here’s what I’m going to do. Enjoy Christmas with the famiy and forget about all the negative stuff in the world for one day.

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    Mute Brian Guilfoyle
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:43 PM

    @Roy Dowling: Surely you’d be happy if you had something negative? If it were positive, you’d be Kevin McCallistered up on your own for Christmas

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    Mute Benny Dowling
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:56 PM

    @Roy Dowling: I was thinking exactly the same until I had symptoms yesterday and 2 positive antigen tests. Pcr test tomorrow. Christmas in isolation for myself

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:59 PM

    @Benny Dowling: Sorry to hear that Benny. Hopefully you only get very mild symptoms and you’ll ok. Happy Christmas.

    59
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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:06 PM

    @Benny Dowling: same. One of the kids just tested positive. We’ll be fine and batten down the hatches but now my parents will be eating alone. It’ll be the first time in over 50 years. Very sad.

    94
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    Mute Mick Dunne
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:50 PM

    A very confusing article

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    Mute Fozz
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:27 PM

    @Mick Dunne: Not at all.
    If your are a CC, find the one section that covers your situation and ignore all the rest as irrelevant for you.
    Simples.

    83
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:38 PM

    @Fozz: ah there’s no reason to call him a complete (un*

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    Mute Homes
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:41 PM

    @Mick Dunne: thought the exact same thing. Way to overcomplicate something which needs to be easy to grasp

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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:16 PM

    @Mick Dunne: it’s actually less confusing than the hse site that was updated last night. It made my brain bleed trying to figure it out. They seem to have dropped the non vaccinated and had covid in last 6 months part.

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    Mute Linda Whelan
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 7:46 PM

    @Mick Dunne: Totally confusing

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    Mute Bad Bunny
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:40 PM

    Yawn. Any excuse for a covid article.

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    Mute Mick Dunne
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:48 PM

    @Bad Bunny: exactly

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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:17 PM

    @Mick Dunne: and you add multiple comments to every single one, ya twït

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:37 PM

    @Pseud O’Nym: and you respond ya tit.

    23
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    Mute Rob Gale
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:55 PM

    Unless you’re in school in which case don’t tell anyone and go about ur business as you normally would.

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    Mute ChadChaderson
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:53 PM

    “Send the author a tip” here’s a tip enough with the 20 Covid articles a day.

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    Mute Mick Dunne
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:47 PM

    Yawn yawn yawn

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Dec 23rd 2021, 5:08 PM

    @Mick Dunne: Only the boring are bored.

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    Mute Kevin Farrell
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:55 PM

    There is considerable evidence from omicron outbreaks in London and South Africa that the main symptoms of Covid19 when infected with the omicron variant are NOT those described on the HSE website. Instead, the symptoms are more like a common cold:

    https://youtu.be/y1nqQOn6Rbc

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    Mute cathalsurfs
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:56 PM

    @Kevin Farrell: I have reported your comment to the Pfizer Stasi and NPHET. One in the same.

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    Mute Dr Alison O' Connor
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:52 PM

    Agh lads a flowchart would be much easier to follow!

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    Mute martin
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:55 PM

    Super Teachers are considered a close contact , if children in their class tests positive, what a load of BOLL…OX , dept full of crap, caused multiple families now to have covid for Christmas, should have closed the schools last Friday.

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    Mute Peter Baker
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:30 PM

    @martin: Yeah but the pubs close at 8 so your safe now.

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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:12 PM

    @martin: I kept my kids off thus week for thus very reason. Kid tested positive last night anyway.

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    Mute Sarah Jane Patten
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:49 PM

    My head hurts reading that!!

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:38 PM

    And if your a close contact of a school kid with Covid your ok, nothing to see here.

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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:09 PM

    @Da Dell: if you are a household close contact of a school kid you have to restrict your movements. If you are a school kid and a non household close contact of another school kid you don’t need to restrict your movements but you do need to 5 antigen tests.

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    Mute Cosmic
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:21 PM

    What if you have not had any vaccines but have recovered after a positive test in the last six months?

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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 5:10 PM

    @Cosmic: yesterday it said you didn’t need to restrict your movements unless you had symptoms. But that seems to be removed now. It’s so confusing

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Dec 23rd 2021, 7:32 AM

    @Cosmic: If one have had no vaccines by choice, then that person bears greater blame for the rise in covid cases. Public health is not a choice, it is a responsibility we all share in a decent society, to protect and care for our fellow citizens. Just as we rely on police to protect us, and a welfare system we can call on in times of hardship, so too we have a duty and responsibility to that society to take all appropriate measures when in a pandemic.

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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Dec 23rd 2021, 9:23 AM

    @Paul Whitehead: he asked a simple question. There are lots of reason why someone hasn’t had a vaccine. Everyone has a choice and that choice should be based on a risk assessment. I’m not sure finger pointing and jumping to conclusions helps convince people to take a vaccine.

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:26 PM

    Take 5 antigen tests over 10 days! Better of just getting lab tested! The close contacting system does not apply for staff in retail anyway by the looks of it.

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    Mute Ken Bramley
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 9:03 PM

    Is there any way to find out, if tested positive, what variant you got ?

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    Mute theaulddubliner
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    Dec 23rd 2021, 12:13 AM

    @Ken Bramley: I don’t believe so. The full sequencing of a sample takes 3/4 days so they only do a certain amount and extrapolate from that.

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    Mute Dan
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 3:52 PM

    Wave my hands in the air!!!…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZjAantupsA

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    Mute cathalsurfs
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 4:56 PM

    The Journal. Quality.

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    Mute Aoife Leighton
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    Dec 22nd 2021, 10:05 PM

    jasus! I don’t have a bloody clue what to do after reading that. totally bewildering

    10
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