Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued for people who test positive for covid-19 using a lateral flow test within 90 days of receiving a previous positive test; and whether that guidance has been updated in the context of scientific research that suggests that a person can contract the delta variant and then be reinfected with the omicron variant within 90 days.

Updated guidance was issued on 24 February 2022, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts

Those with any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Positive lateral flow device tests within 90 days of a previous infection can be indicative of a possible reinfection, including with the Omicron variant. Those who have previously received a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result, are advised not to take another PCR test within 90 days of this result, unless they develop new symptoms of COVID-19. It is possible for PCR tests to remain positive for some time after the period of active COVID-19 infection.