If your last covid test was inconclusive and you were due to see some very elderly people in a few days’ time, what would you do?

[Interrobanger]

A. Get another test to make absolutely sure either way?

B. Do nothing and go ahead and see them?

A

A.

And lateral flow in the meantime, preferably with different brands.

A

Thanks. Yeah, you’d think A, wouldn’t you?

MIL did B. And spent today with us and my 91 year old family member.

FFS.

Inconclusive almost always means borderline, some Covid was found but not enough. Its stupid but you'll likely be infectious v soon and pass it on. This happened last year and when we called up to ask why it said inconclusive not positive as we would have been more careful they just said its procedure if some but not enough Covid is in the sample they put inconclusive because then everyone will retest (we didn't because we figured only a positive is a positive).

Best to do a PCR too as LFT have not always been picking it up (friend had Covid last week, 1 positive PCR, 5 negative LFTs).

Fucks sake.

So MIL could have it and be contagious now?

A, why did she do the test in the first place? Is she symptomatic?

My ds got inconclusive when I did my PCR test on the Tuesday, I was positive. He then started with symptoms the next day. Hope you’re all ok.

She’s part of a clinical trial and does them once a month.

I’m annoyed she didn’t double check and came anyway. Going to make everyone do LFTs tomorrow.

@Interrobanger

She’s part of a clinical trial and does them once a month.

Is it a self swab by any chance, my husband has had one like that and it was because he did it himself and the sample was rubbish. Retested the same day by the trial (needed his 2nd jab) was a negative. I do wish they would put out the poor quality samples as void but his trial always says inconclusive.

@Interrobanger

So MIL could have it and be contagious now?

Yep, she should get a PCR ASAP and you'll know for certain when it comes back. Sometimes (though v v rarely) it can be inconclusive because they dropped it.

The odds of spreading the new variant in households is a touch lower and with boosters, your elderly relative will hopefully be okay. If its inconclusive today, then there is a chance she is positive but not contagious today (if its only been 24 hours).

Our timeline last year:
DP got the PCR test midday 22nd
Got the inconclusive 23rd midday
Infected the first person on evening 23rd.
Did another PCR as DP had a nasty cough/chest infection on 24th and I insisted he redo it as it was too suspicious - at this point he was certain inconclusive = negative.
Infected the other two on 25th when the results came through as positive - despite knowing this they turned up anyway for a Covid Christmas party (prevaccine at that point, so they figured getting it all together was better 😅).

Hope that helps. I know it's hard but try not to worry ❤️

This variant is definitely a lot milder, it's affecting tissue higher up in the lungs, not attacking the tissues in the nose, is a lot more like a common cold and with double vaccination no one has died, with boosters, the infection chance is also really tiny. We also have better treatments for Covid now, very few people who are in good health and catching it are even going into hospital.

I'm on that trial and it would depend on the wording. Was it void or inconclusive? Me and my daughter had void tests outside of the trial when we had symptoms so of course in those circs we retested. I was positive and she was negative and the person at the test centre said they'd had a load of people with void tests coming back in so presumably some issue at the lab.

If it had been part of the trial I'm not sure I'd have bothered - I'd be doing a lateral flow test before meeting people though. Did you ask her to do a lateral flow?

The wording was ‘inconclusive’. I only found out this evening after we’d already spent the day with my 91 year old relative. Have asked her to take an LFT in the morning because we’re supposed to be meeting more friends in the afternoon.

Dh came back inconclusive the same day two of us tested positive. He tried again 2 days later and was negative. So it’s not always a case of low level infection. We think it was “void” as probably didn’t do properly

The thing with the trial is you don't really think of it as a safety measure - the results can take ages and so it would have no bearing on my plans to meet people. I think really it would have been safer to just ask her to do a lateral flow before visiting.

@Coughee

The thing with the trial is you don't really think of it as a safety measure - the results can take ages and so it would have no bearing on my plans to meet people. I think really it would have been safer to just ask her to do a lateral flow before visiting.

Well I’m only now finding out that when she was asked if she’d tested (meaning LFT) and she said yes, she was talking about the once a month. She hasn’t been doing any testing apart from that

Your relative doing an LFT won’t be effective as it doesn’t spread that fast. She should wait ~5 days from contact with a positive case. If your DH is positive and you saw your relative the day after chances are low your relative caught anything.