To ignore positive PCR

[whatshouldIdoo]

The whole family unit had Covid a month ago and all have recovered.
Last week a close friend tested positive for Covid and so I booked us all in for a PCR as we had seen her.
However you are not supposed to have a PCR in the 90 days after having Covid:

"Not testing within 90 days of a positive COVID-19 test will avoid unnecessary isolation. It is possible for PCR tests to remain positive for some time after COVID-19 infection as the test can pick up inactive viral fragments (which are not infectious)."

As you can probably guess, one of the kids came back with a positive result.

AIBU to ignore that as we should never have taken the test?

I appreciate I will get flamed for not checking this before doing the test.
If I'm honest I knew there was guidance not to do a PCR within 90 days of Covid. I wrongly assumed the reason was that you were unlikely to be infected again in that period. In my mind I felt that we could have had Delta a month ago and then possibly have Omicron and wanted to have an all clear before seeing any relatives.
Now the results have come back positive I have looked into it more and realise I've been an idiot for going for the test and the reason for not giving PCRs to people within 90 days of infection is the high number of false positives due to left over non-contagious viral fragments. I accept I've been a bit of a twat wasting resources going for the test and wish I hadn't.

All lateral flows have been negative for all of us.

So my question is AIBU to ignore the result of the PCR test (that we should never have had) and presume it is a false positive as within 90 days of infection?

@Fossie
That's interesting. Thank you, I will talk it through with Test and Trace in the morning

@Aquamarine1029

Your child could have had Delta a month ago and Omicron now.

This is the problem.

We have the same one, which is why we tested (LFTs) before seeing elderly relatives, even though we all had Covid within the 3 month period, just to be sure.

We wouldn't have PCR'd but we wouldn't have gone with a positive LFT.

You need to isolate until Test and Trace contact you tomorrow, explain the situation to them, and act on their instructions.

Ask Test and Trace. I know several people who have been 'let off' after explaining a similar situation.

Guidance is if you don’t know and do it, isolation standa

Similar with husband and test and trace said no to isolating

It's incredibly rare for that to be the case. Much, much higher chance of it being a false positive from the previous infection.

I'm not sure that they poster who wrote this has the scientific knowledge to be so certain

From what I have read, there are many cases at the moment of people with Omicron after being infected with Delta as they are different.

If Omicron wasn't so infectious, why are people who have had double jabs and a booster getting it? (clue: because the vaccines don't give 100% protection. Best rate is around 75% protection from Omicron.)

I don't understand why you would take a test and then ignore the result.
You were obviously concerned enough to take a test, now you want strangers on the Internet to tell you it's OK to ignore it.

Let's look at facts, your child could have it again. By isolsting you massively reduce the risk of spreading it if they do.
Do you want to take that risk? You will never know if they have it or not so surely the best thing to do is isolate.

And just to weigh in 3 of us just tested negative this week after having covid 8 weeks ago so you can still test negative on PCR within the 3 month window

You now can't possibly know. Shouldn't have done the test as you're in an impossible moral dilemma.

My dcs crèche requires a negative PCR to return to the setting after being a close contact. DC had covid (tested positive on a PCR) over the summer and needed several PCRs within 90 days to get back to crèche due to being close contact with others She didn't have any false positives even soon after. I would treat that as a legitimate positive if I were you. I think your trying to let yourself of the hook to be honest.

So you tested as dont want to spread to family but wasnt expecting it to come back positive. If you ognore it and it is positive you risk the very people you were trying to protect. If child isolates and rest of house hold repeats PCR tests you will know for sure. Plus you dont risk infecting others

I was told when I had Covid that you are not to take a PCR within 90 days (just LFT) as legally you have to isolate from a positive PCR. I think then you have to as you can be fined £2,000.

This is one of the ways how the virus spreads - one is highly likely to be contagious if they’re positive. Isolation is the moray right thing to do to not spread the virus.

Reinfection rates are high with omicron. A previous delta infection gave much higher immunity (5.4 times higher) to a 2nd delta infection than it does to an omicron infection.
It's entirely possible the child has been reinfected.
www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232698/modelling-suggests-rapid-spread-omicron-england/

Whybon earth did you bother to have the pcr again in that case? You sound bonkers, OP.

I think it’s unlikely that they are positive, especially as lft is negative, but not sure where you stand legally. I thought that was why they advised you not to do a pcr unless symptoms , because I thought if you have a positive pcr you should isolate regardless. Think you need to have advice from track and trace,

YABU - go back and check the rules and do the right thing - you are being idiotic

I think you have been very lucky with your post that you have so many qualified virologists responding. 😉

It's incredibly rare for that to be the case. Much, much higher chance of it being a false positive from the previous infection.

How on earth can you state this so confidently as fact (omicron infection after delta) omicron has only been around a few weeks. It's way too early to know

@PUGMEISTER21

I think you have been very lucky with your post that you have so many qualified virologists responding. 😉

I had a pcr test Friday Friday morning at my local park and ride which is now a test centre but I’ve received no results yet, is anyone else waiting this long for results.

You have incorrect advice in your mind OP. When you book a PCR within 90 days of a previous positive infection, it asks you if you have tested positive within the last 90 days and when you select yes, the swab will be processed differently to account for this (I presume they use a different sensitivity or look for a different viral load etc).

I know all this as we had to test again 6 weeks after we were all positive when DH and DD developed new coughs. I rang 119 to ask what to do and the lady on the phone explained it all to me. Rather than guessing or holding on to outdated advice, that's what you should do too.

My 9 year old had covid October rest household didn’t get it. Presume it was delta. My dh tested positive day before Xmas eve. We all had PCR 9 year old tested positive. We all have in now. Presume omicron seems to be easier if o catch

@Watapalava

op ignore it. Dont respond to T&T - nothing will happen, they didnt contact me once for my dc

🙄

@liveforsummer

It's incredibly rare for that to be the case. Much, much higher chance of it being a false positive from the previous infection.

How on earth can you state this so confidently as fact (omicron infection after delta) omicron has only been around a few weeks. It's way too early to know

Sadly, reinfection by omicron after delta is happening, even on the limited data