Home and self-isolating for the holidays as N.B. stands firm on COVID-19 rules

McGill University student Sam Roach packed up his rental car in Montreal on Monday and braced for the long drive home to Saint John, where a hotel roomwas waiting for him.

Roach and his family decided that would be the only way to manage his 14 days of isolation, as is required for travellers coming into the province who are not essential workers.

"It's a little bleak, but it's necessary," said the fourth-year computer science student. "I'm not upset about it."

Roach had been hoping the rules might change.

Wednesday, the U.S. based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it had shortened the recommended length of quarantine after exposure from 14 days to 10 or seven days with a negative test result.

However, Health Canada did not follow suit and New Brunswick's top doctor has refused to bend.

False negatives less likely by day 10

Dr. Jennifer Russell said that while it is possible to catch the majority of COVID-19 infections within 10 days of exposure,"we do find there are people who come back positive on Day 10 and later."

She also explained that testing too soon can lead to false negatives.

The optimal time for testing, Russell said, is between Day 8 and Day 10.

"That seems to be the sweet spot in terms of catching a very large number of people in terms of testing positive."

CBC News asked Dr. Scott Halperin, director of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology, to elaborate on what the data show about false negatives.

He explained in an email that the peak time for infected individuals to start developing symptoms is five to six days after exposure.

"While tests can be positive two to three days post exposure, the likelihood of a false negative is pretty high at two days and starts to fall as you get towards four or five days," wrote Halperin, who is also a professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology at Dalhousie University.

"Some people won't develop symptoms for up to 10 to 12 days after exposure, so the risk of false negatives goes out quite far."

"If N.B. Public Health likes eight to 10 days, they are balancing making sure there are not false negatives and waiting to make sure that the long incubation-period cases are detected."

Separate bedroom, separate bathroom

At a recent news conference, Russell reminded non-essential travellers that self-isolation means 14 days without having contact with family members, something she acknowledged would be more difficult within smaller homes.

"Ideally, those who are self-isolating would be in an environment with access to a separate bathroom," she said.

"However, I understand that staying in a hotel for 14 days is not possible for everyone, or you may not have access to a home with more than one toilet."

Ideally, those who are self-isolating would be in an environment with access to a separate bathroom.- Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health

In those cases," she said, "it is even more important to follow health guidance. Each time the bathroom is used, clean high-touch surfaces like taps, light switches, door handles and practice good hand hygiene."

For Roach, that advice helped with the decision. He saidhe didn't want to be stuck in a basement with no access to a bathroom, so a hotel room it is.

He said all his courses and exams are online anyway, so it won't be any problem to continue with his school work.

"I'm bringing a lot of books," he said. "I also have a job as a programmer. It's work I can do remotely and exams will keep me busy."

Roach said some of his friends who are coming home and staying with their families are making it necessary for their family members to follow the rules, which include not leaving the property.

"They're moving in with their parents briefly and their parents are also going into isolation," he said.