Cases of the Omicron variant are rising rapidly in the UK.
There are currently strict rules in place for anyone who comes into contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have tested positive for the highly transmissible new variant.
At the moment, people must self-isolate if they are told they have come into contact with a positive case, but there are plans to replace isolation with daily testing.
As of yesterday, there were a total of 817 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the UK, but the true number is likely to be much higher.
Scientists believe the new variant is able to spread much faster than any other seen before in the UK, meaning it is likely to overtake Delta as the dominant variant in the coming weeks.
Here are all the rules around self-isolation for close contacts of Omicron cases that you need to know about.
Do I have to self-isolate if I come into contact with an Omicron case?
Yes. Anyone who is identified by contact tracers as being a close contact of a suspected or confirmed Omicron case must self-isolate.
This rule applies in all areas of the UK and to people of all ages.
How long do you have to isolate for?
The isolation period for contacts of an Omicron case is 10 full days.
Your self-isolation period includes the day you were last in contact with the person who tested positive and the next 10 full days after that.
You may have to self-isolate for longer if you then test positive for Covid-19 while you are already isolating.
What if you are vaccinated?
Usually, fully vaccinated people are exempt from having to self-isolate if they are a contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, but have tested negative themselves.
However, this exemption does not apply to cases of the Omicron variant.
If you have been in contact with some with a confirmed or suspected case of the Omicron variant, you must self-isolate regardless of your vaccination status.
What is the difference between a suspected case and a confirmed case?
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) uses genome sequencing to determine which variant of coronavirus a person has tested positive for.
If a case is suspected to be of the Omicron variant, genome sequencing will be used to confirm it.
However, the process can take a few days, so the UKHSA uses a marker known as ‘S gene target failure’ to identify which cases are suspected to be of the Omicron variant.
The strain has a number of mutations which mean that the 'S gene' does not show up in PCR results.
This is referred to as 'S gene dropout' or 'S gene target failure' and it can be used as marker, pending the results of the genome sequencing.
It can take up to 14 days for lab analysis to confirm a positive case of Omicron.
You have to self-isolate if you are a contact of an Omicron case - if it is suspected due to the 'S gene dropout' of your PCR test, or if it has been confirmed by genome sequencing.
How will you know if you have the Omicron variant?
You will be told by NHS contact tracers if it is suspected that you have tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus following your PCR test.
Rapid or lateral flow tests cannot tell you which variant you have been infected with.
You can read more about how people are tested for Omicron here.
What about daily testing?
The government announced that it plans to change the isolation rules for contacts on an Omicron case.
As the prime minister announced his 'Plan B' Covid measures on Wednesday night, he also said that the government intends to allow contacts of confirmed Omicron cases to do daily Covid tests instead of self-isolating.
However, no date has been given for this change.
That means that, for now, people who come into contact with a confirmed or suspected case of Omicron must self-isolate in line with the new rules.
Can you get fined for not self-isolating?
Yes. Anyone who is caught not self-isolating when asked to by NHS contact tracers could be handed a hefty fine.
Failure to abide by the rules will lead to fines that start at £1,000 and rise to £10,000 for repeat offenders.
