You’ve got covid-19. When can you exit isolation? If you do resume activities outside your home, can you be sure you’re no longer contagious? It’s complicated. Be forewarned:
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are nuanced but a little confusing. Those guidelines are under review and may change.
Several infectious-disease experts said they believe patients with covid should have a negative antigen test — which gives results within minutes — before exiting isolation. The CDC currently leaves that as an option and does not explicitly recommend it.
The important thing to consider, experts say, is that every person and every case of covid is unique. There is no hard-and-fast rule for how sick a person will get or how long a person remains infectious. The guidelines offer a general framework, but patients should take into account their different circumstances, priorities and resources to assess risk.
How long should I isolate if I have covid?
The coronavirus has the tricky feature of being transmissible even before the infected person has symptoms. In general, the peak period of virus shedding starts about a day or two before symptoms appear and continues two or three days after. Even though a person is less likely to transmit the virus later in the course of illness, it’s still possible. Research shows that people continue to shed virus that can be cultured in a laboratory — a good test of the potential to pass along the virus — for about eight days on average after testing positive. Experts say it is very unlikely to pass along the virus after 10 days even if a person still is testing positive.
The CDC calls for patients to isolate for at least five days. On Day 6, you can end isolation as long as your symptoms have improved and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine. The CDC has a calculator on its isolation and quarantine webpage to help people figure this out.
A potentially confusing point: Day 1 of your isolation, according to the CDC, is the day after you start feeling symptoms or test positive. (So, if you have a sore throat on Monday afternoon, that is Day 0 and Tuesday is Day 1.)
Even if you test negative, wear a well-fitting mask through Day 10 if you must be around others at home or in public. Don’t travel. If you decide to take a rapid at-home test several days into your infection, the best approach is to use it toward the end of the five-day period, the CDC says. If it is positive after the five-day isolation period, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days, according to the agency guidelines.
Wait. Shouldn’t I test negative on a rapid test before leaving isolation?
The CDC guidance on this is confusing. It does not explicitly recommend that you have a negative test to end isolation.
But many experts think rapid at-home tests, also known as antigen tests, should be used to exit isolation. That’s what happened with President Biden, who tested negative twice before leaving isolation. (Biden, who was taking the antiviral Paxlovid, experienced a “rebound” infection, testing positive Saturday, and went back into isolation.)
Also, experts point out that rapid tests are more readily available than last December, when the CDC released this guidance. [Biden’s covid case highlights confusing CDC guidance on ending isolation] Given that a substantial portion of people do have a rapid positive test after five days, I think an updated recommendation should include people having a negative rapid test before coming out of isolation for covid,” Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said in an email. He was the Biden administration’s senior adviser on testing from December until April.
A negative antigen test is fairly reassuring that you are not able to transmit infection to other people anymore,” said Amy Barczak, an infectious-diseases expert at Massachusetts General Hospital who has researched how long patients with covid can shed virus. In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, she and colleagues found that, on average, people infected with the omicron variant of the virus can shed virus that can be grown in a lab for eight days. [‘Rebound’ coronavirus cases: What to know after Biden tests positive again] Should I repeat the rapid test if it is negative? Barczak says that for healthy people, if you test negative on a rapid antigen test on or after Day 5, “you are unlikely to be contagious to other people.”
For people with special concerns about passing along the virus, an extra test is not a bad idea. In symptomatic people, clinicians sometimes recommend a second rapid test to be sure. Biden, for example, tested negative last Tuesday evening, and again Wednesday morning, before leaving isolation.
Michael Mina, a former Harvard University infectious-disease epidemiologist and immunologist who is an expert on rapid tests, said two tests 24 hours apart might provide extra security, like a double lock on your door. If people have access to tests, then “two tests in a row is just better form, better protection, than one negative test.
When should you take a PCR test vs. a rapid at-home test?
A PCR test, a type of molecular test, looks for the virus’s genetic material. The tests can detect even the tiniest amounts of virus, before you have enough in your body to spread it to other people. They are more useful early on as a confirmatory test to see if you are sick with covid but are not useful to determine whether you are infectious to others, said Albert Ko, an epidemiologist and infectious-diseases physician at Yale University. If you develop covid-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you get tested immediately. A negative PCR test in a symptomatic person means it’s highly unlikely you have covid. If you had close contact with someone with covid and then tested negative with a rapid test, you might want to get further assurance that you aren’t infected. In that case, you can take a PCR test, Ko said. Most PCR tests must be analyzed by a lab, and results can take a few days.
A PCR test after you’ve been sick is not really practical, because “for the average healthy person, the PCR test is going to stay positive for longer than they’re actually infectious,” Barczak said.
Rapid antigen tests are more practical than PCR tests for determining quickly whether you are capable of transmitting the virus. If you’re symptomatic, an antigen test will be more reliable, because your body is putting out a lot more virus to detect. But even without symptoms, people can test positive on a rapid antigen test and be a risk to others. Most at-home tests provide results in 10 to 20 minutes using samples collected with a nasal swab.
Because rapid tests provide results quickly and are essentially contagiousness tests, people should use them — even if they feel fine and have no symptoms — right before they plan to attend indoor events or large gatherings, especially if they expect to be around people more vulnerable to covid, including those with weak immune systems or others at higher risk of getting infected.
MLTC Newsletter 30 Aug 2022
/in Badge, Club News /by RobClub Captain’s Report
Three of our teams played semi finals of Sydney Badge on Saturday and unfortunately we had three losses. Two teams had washouts so will play their semis next Saturday.
Results Semi Finals
Mens Division 1 Washout at Zone Tennis at Wheatleigh St Naremburn. Our Team plays again next Saturday and if a washout again Zone Tennis go to the final as 1st placed Team.
Mens Division 4 Lost 5-3 away at Heffron Park. A close loss to the top team with Dan/Vincent winning 3 sets and Jarryd/Justin playing well with no sets. This Team had a great season and pushed the top team in the semis. Well done.
Mens Division 7 Washout at Cammeray. The match will be replayed next Saturday and our Team is lower placed so hopefully no rain is around.
Mens Division 9 Lost 5-2 to Marrickville at Manly. A disappointing loss as Manly was the higher placed team.Hugo/Denis 2 sets and leading 4-2 in the last set when Marrickville stopped as the match was decided.Chris/Richard went close losing 6-4 6-5 in 2 sets. Still a good year for this Team.
Mens Division 10 Lost 8-0 to Killara at Killara. Killara were much too strong for this Division and will win the final easily. Daniel/Ben Brett/Lachlan tried hard and can be proud of their results this year.
Ladies Division 5 Washout at Beecroft. The Ladies have done well to secure 2nd position on the ladder and will play a Final next Saturday at Collaroy. There are no semis in this Division as only 6 Teams. Good luck to our Ladies.
September is fees time so ensure if you have changed your email lately that our secretary has your new one.
Club Championships will begin after the School Holidays in October so practise your singles as well as doubles play.
SOCIAL TENNIS WILL BE ON ALL COURTS FROM 11.30AM EACH SATURDAY NOW.
Denis Crowley Club Captain
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
Which court do you want to play on this weekend?
/in Goss, News /by Rob17 Spectacular Tennis Courts Around the World
One doesn’t have to be Roger Federer to appreciate some of the world’s best tennis courts. With exquisite design and picturesque surroundings, you can perfect your strokes on some of the world’s most unique courts, located in places ranging from the Miami skyline to high over New York City.
Designing tennis courts—or any sport facility, for that matter—has both a structured simplicity and an artistic challenge. In many ways, courts are all the same: They measure 78 feet long and 36 feet wide, they’re ideally oriented from the north to the south, and all are marked with the same baselines, service boxes, and cut by the same three-foot net. But with so many predetermined elements, designing something unique presents a difficult but satisfying opportunity when carried out correctly.
With the U.S. Open gearing up to take center court, AD looks at some of the most breathtaking spots to go game-set-match around the world.
La Quinta Resort (Palm Springs)
The Center Court at La Quinta Resort in California offers unique views of towering palms and rugged rock formations. With excellent weather and breathtaking surroundings, it’s no surprise that professionals like Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic have practiced here.
Click here for rest
Hadley Keller, Megan Johnson, and Katherine McLaughlin
Empire, War, Tennis and Me | Book
/in Goss, News /by RobBadge Season Wrap-up | TNSW
/in Badge, Club News /by RobThank-you all for your participation this year, I look forward to working with you all again throughout the 2023 season.
Kind Regards,
Chloe Hule
TNSW
MLTC Newsletter 16 Aug 2022
/in Badge, Club News /by RobClub Captain’s Report
Round 13 of Sydney Badge saw all Manly’s high flying teams score valuable points.
With one round remaining 6 teams still have finals chances.
Round 13 Results
Mens 1 Won 6-2 away v Zone Tennis
Cam/Ben 4 sets Bosko/Oliver 2 sets.
A forfeit of 3 sets helped to defeat the top team. 4th position and almost certain to play in finals.
Mens 2 Lost 6-2 at home v Zone Tennis
Craig/Howard 1 set Geoff/Fernando 1 set. In 7th position
Mens 3 Won 5-3 v Strathfield at home.
Dan/Vincent continued their good form winning 4 sets.Jarryd/Sam 1 set.
Now in 3rd position and safely in finals.
Mens 4 Won 4-4 on games v Strathfield away.
Larry/Rob 2 sets Matthew/Bede 2 sets.
In 3rd position and safely in finals.
Mens 5 Washout v Marrickville away.
Still in 1st position by ½ point.
Mens 6 Won 8-0 v Royal Sydney away
Christo/Daniel 4 sets Lachlan/Brett 4 sets
In 4th position
Ladies 1 Lost 8-0 v Tennis World at home
In 6th position
Ladies 2 Lost 6-2 away at Kooroora
Virginia/Carolina 2 sets
Last weeks appeal was upheld to give 10 valuable points to this team.
Still in 7th position.
Ladies 3 Won 8-0 at home v Sydney Uni
Catherine/Pam 4 sets Melinda/Kate 4 sets
In 2nd position with 2 rounds remaining in this division.
Thursday Ladies Lost 5-3 away to Roseville
Sue/Suellen 2 sets Sally/Lindy 1 set
In 5th position
The Final Round of Badge will be played at home this Saturday so come along to cheer our Teams along
Ladies 1 and Mens 2 and 3 play at 250pm whilst Our Ladies 3 v Collaroy at noon.
SOCIAL TENNIS WILL BE ON 4 COURTS FROM 1130AM TO 230PM
Denis Crowley Club Captain.
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
MLTC Newsletter – 9 August 2022
/in Badge, Club Captain, Club News /by RobClub Captain’s Report
With only 2 weeks of Badge remaining we still have 6 teams with good chances of making the finals.
As Tiebreakers are very important in finals, especially, I have forwarded to all Captains, Rob Muir’s philosophy of how to win tiebreakers. They will share with their teams.
Rob has done a great job with our two juniors this year. Matthew and Bede are only 13 years old and both have performed excellently this year.
Round 12 results.
Mens 1 Won 6-2 at home v Bisous Estate. Cam/Ben won 4 sets Sean/Oliver 2 sets The team is back 4th now.
Mens 2 Lost 6-2 away at North West Sydney. Wilko/Netto 2 sets. Hoping to finish the season with 2 wins but unlikely to make the finals.
Mens 3 Lost 8-0 away. Despite the big loss this team is still 4th and looks to be safely in the semis
Mens 4 Won 4-4 v Cammeray at home on games. Gavin/Larry 1 set Bede/Matthew 3 sets. The boys paired up together for the first time and won 3 sets against the top team. Safely in the semis the team is hoping for a top 2 finish.
Mens 5 Won 5-3 at home v Chatswood. Hugo/Tom 3 sets Denis/Graham 2 sets. Chatswood were the leading team.
With this win we are now in 1st position. A home semi final is assured.
Mens 6 Lost 5-3 at home v Mosman. James/Peter 1 set Daniel/Gabriel 2 sets. Still in 4th position.
Ladies1 Lost 8-0 away to Roseville. Still in 6th position but unlikely to make the semis.
Ladies 2 Lost 8-0 at home v Kooroora Gold. A protest has been lodged as Kooroora played two reserves with higher ratings than the players they replaced. Now in 8th position.
Ladies 3 Lost 5-3 away to Chatswood. Melinda/Erryn 1 set Barbara/Kate 2 sets. Still in 2nd position but 3 rounds remaining in this grade.
Thursday Ladies
Lost 8-0 at home v Royal Sydney
SOCIAL TENNIS NEXT SATURDAY WILL BE ON FOUR COURTS FROM 11.30AM TO 2.30PM
Teams are reminded to clean up the table and kitchen area after your home Badge Matches please.
Good luck to all teams this week and win your tiebreakers with conservative tennis!
Denis Crowley Club Captain
Working Bee – We will be holding a working bee in early September on a Sunday morning. More details closer to the day.
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
Badge Tie Breaker Strategy | ATP
/in Ask the Pro, Club Captain, Club News /by RobThis week’s question comes from our club captain: Denis. “With finals approaching do you have a philosophy for tiebreakers?”
Ah… tie breakers. Regrettably most people hate playing tiebreakers! Why?
For some reason, as the pressure mounts towards the end of the set, many feel they have to overplay. Even though it was their current play that got them to the tie breaker!
Now is NOT the time for those trick shots, topspin lobs or the screaming sideline winner that just misses! CONSERVATISM is the name of the game. So what’s our preferred strategy?
First a little background. At our Badge level whether Grade 1 or Grade 10, most points are LOST. Read that again, yep most players beat themselves. Therefore, your basic strategy is to ‘give’ your opponent a chance to miss. You’ll find that, as the pressure builds after 3 or more shots, your opponent will try to finish the point and probably make an error.
So the basic strategy is strong and steady wins tie breakers. Get your first serve in, get your return of serve in play and hit your shots to ‘big targets’ typically down the centre of the court and midcourt to stay in the point. You’re trying to get your opponents to hit the ball to your partner at the net, who has a much greater chance of winning the point for your team.
And to improve that ‘first serve in’ percentage, take a little more time to prepare to serve (i.e. don’t rush) since this is the only time you have control of the point. Nothing happens until YOU serve — use the time to calm down with a little slow breathing. And perhaps, a little more spin to help your control if that’s within your capabilities, otherwise just aim for the middle of the service box. You want a 80% success rate.
When you’re receiving, err on the side of a higher net clearance and aim for the centre of the court to get into the point. A lob return can be a great return in a tie breaker. Even so, lob high — give ’em a chance to miss.
Recognize, there is no need to overplay and do more, rather just try to do more of what you’re been doing a little better. Trust yourself, your game, and do your best. Just keep playing. You might surprise yourself. I guarantee you’ll surprise your opposition!
And lastly, the most important point is always the next one. It’s never over until you shake hands.
Go Manly Lawn!
Rob
MLTC Newsletter – 2 August 2022
/in Club News /by RobRound 11 of Sydney Badge produced a variety of results for our teams with big wins, big losses and two tied results.
With three rounds remaining three of our Mens Teams are safely in the semi-finals and the other three all still have a chance so good luck to all our Teams for the last three rounds.
Round 11 Results
Ladies 1 Lost 7-1 away to Western Suburbs. Janelle/Julia 1 set
Ladies 2 Won 6-2 at home v Chatswood, Virginia/Sarah 4 sets Carolina/Kirsten 2 sets. Virginia has been playing very well this season. Proving she is not only an efficient secretary but very accomplished at tennis and lawn bowls. Good to see Carolina back on the court after her enforced break.
Ladies 3 Lost 4-3 away to Roseville. Kate/Lindy 1 set Barbara/Sue 2 sets. The Ladies are still in second position and hope to remain there as there is only a final in this grade.
Mens 1 Lost 8-0 away to The Hills. A long drive there and a longer drive home!
Mens 2 Tie 4 sets all games even. Milton/Fernando 2 sets Wilko/Netto 2 sets. This team still has a chance to make the semis with good results in the last three rounds.
Mens 3 Won 6-2 at home v Neutral Bay. Dan/Justin 3 sets Jarryd/Vincent 3 sets. Another good win to safely be in 3rd position
Mens 4 Tie 4sets all games even v Kooroora at home. Shishir/Matthew 3 sets Larry/Bede 1 set. Next match v Cammeray at home will decide if this team can become the new leaders. They look safely into the semis.
Mens 5 Won 7-1 at home v Killara. Chris/Graham kept up their winning partnership 4 sets. Richard/Tom 3 sets. This Team is safely in the semis and trying for top position next week v Chatswood.
Mens 6 Won 4-4 on games v Neutral Bay away. Lachlan/James 2 sets Christo/Nick 2 sets. A close win to take 4th position and a win next week v Mosman will put them further ahead of 5th position.
SOCIAL TENNIS WILL BE ON TWO COURTS ONLY FROM 1130AM TO 230PM
Owen Kennedy is back in hospital again so we all wish him the best again to get well soon and out of hospital.
Denis Crowley Club Captain
Court Bookings by Members
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
When you have covid, here’s how you know you are no longer contagious | Washington Post
/in COVID, News /by RobHow long should I isolate if I have covid?
Wait. Shouldn’t I test negative on a rapid test before leaving isolation?
When should you take a PCR test vs. a rapid at-home test?
2022 Forster Seniors Tennis Results
/in Foster Seniors, News /by RobNCAA champion Ben Shelton
/in Ask the Pro, Goss, News /by RobATLANTA — The phrase “future of American men’s tennis” mostly inspires groans these days, as 74 Grand Slams have come and gone since Andy Roddick lifted the U.S. Open trophy in 2003.
Invariably, the burden of that drought falls on the American youngsters who quickly rise up the rankings, start making an impact on the ATP Tour and then run into the Grand Slam wall that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have erected over the last two decades.
So let’s not saddle Ben Shelton, just 19, with that kind of albatross. But we can say this: The rising University of Florida junior, who won the NCAA singles title in May, is very, very good. And he’s on the precipice of a career-defining summer that may well put him on a very different trajectory from the one that seemed laid out for him just a few weeks ago.
Shelton, whose father Bryan is a former top-100 player and now is the head coach at Florida, played his first ATP-level match Tuesday, at the Atlanta Open. He won it in pretty straightforward fashion, beating veteran pro Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-2, 7-5 and letting out a big scream as he put away an overhead on match point.
“It’s really special,” said Shelton, who was just a few blocks from the courts of his childhood at Georgia Tech, where his father coached until 2012.
But with each tournament he’s played, the bigger story is that Shelton himself might be special, and his performance could very well force some decisions about his future much faster than anticipated.
As of now, Shelton is slated to return to Florida in the fall. But after performing well in several Challenger-level events and impressively winning his first round here, he’s on a fast track to the top 200 in the world rankings. Brad Gilbert, the longtime pro player, coach and ESPN analyst, wrote on Twitter that Shelton will be “top 50 for sure.” And the U.S. Open already has granted him a wildcard into the main draw, which would be a guaranteed $75,000 in first-round prize money — if he turns pro.
“That’ll definitely be a talk later in the summer with my parents and my team and we’ll make a decision based on where my development is and what’s going to be best for me not just on the court but off the court as well,” Shelton said. “There’s no real results or rankings that are going to sway my decision in a big way.”
There’s plenty, of course, that could bring Shelton back to college. It’s a comfortable place for him, he wants to complete his finance degree and it’s certainly a big deal to play for his father on one of the most successful teams in the country.
But as he goes through the process this summer, it certainly seems possible Shelton and those around him will conclude that he’s just too good to go back to school.
“I’m just a college guy out here having fun,” he said. “I don’t put too much stress on my matches. I’m focused and want to do the best I can, but it’s not do-or-die for me out here.”
Shelton will get a better sense of where he stands on Thursday when he faces No. 25-ranked John Isner, who has won the Atlanta event six times. After going 11-4 against pros ranked mostly in the 150-300 range, this will be Shelton’s first opportunity to see how he stacks up against a top-100 player.
But regardless of how it goes against Isner — and certainly it’s a major step up in class for someone who hasn’t turned pro yet — it’s Shelton’s explosive game at 6-foot-3 that is drawing as much attention as the results.
With a big lefty serve that averaged 126 mph against Ramanathan and the ability to get a massive kick on his first and second serve, Shelton already has a legitimate weapon that can win him matches. But he also appears to be very solid off both of his groundstrokes and is very comfortable coming into the net to finish points behind both his power and slice. Shelton won 15 of 22 points when he came in for a volley or overhead.
“I love to get to net, be able to use some of my hand skills, athletic skills and going up to get the ball (to put away overheads) is one of my favorite things to do,” Shelton said. “I could have done a better job today incorporating my serve and volley and getting to net quicker in points but I think that’s a big part of my game and a big part of my development.”
Only the hardest of hardcore tennis fans would have been watching Shelton on a Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta, but it was easy to see why he’s been a dominant college player, going 37-5 in singles last season. It was also a huge advertisement for other tournaments this summer and fall to offer him a wildcard entry, as Atlanta did. Every tournament wants to boast that it helped launch a great career.
It’s far too early to project that Tuesday’s match was the debut of the next great American champion, but at the very least Shelton appears poised for an interesting and successful pro career. Shelton may have some things pulling him back to college for another year, but if he keeps playing like he has the last several weeks, it will be difficult to turn down the opportunities he’s creating for himself right now.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken
MLTC Newsletter – Tues 26th July
/in Badge, Club News /by RobRain played havoc with round 10 Badge with a lot of matches washed out. Our top 3 Mens Teams all had wins to gain some points on their opponents.
Round 10 Results
All other matches were washed out including Thursday Ladies.
Round 11 will be played next Saturday with Ladies 2 And Mens Teams 2,3,4 and 5 playing at home.
SOCIAL WILL BE ON TWO COURTS ONLY FROM 1130AM-230PM.
Best wishes,
MLTC Club Captain
www.manlylawn.com.au