Lateral flow tests do they work?

[Trollsinthedungeon]

I did one on Sunday because I felt grotty and I was meant to be in work on Monday, I have to do them 2x a week. I tested negative. Had an asthma attack that night got rushed to hospital treated and then tested for covid because I had 2 out of 3 symptoms.

That PCR test was positive

My truest have actually stopped using them in the last couple of days because of the high level of negative results, they decided to check them with pcr tests and there was a huge increase in positive because the lateral flow didn't pick it up.

@VEGAS2016

I work in the nhs. 2 members of unit staff (with temp & cough) both tested positive on the lateral flow test, then both positive PCR test.

So they both had symptoms then?!

I had one at the start of the month & it came back negative. It was at a care home so I could see a relative up close & personal!
I was healthy before & have been since then. I have had no contact with anyone Covid-positive so no need for a PCR test.
I'm assuming I was negative during the LFT & it reported correctly.
When the area moved into Tier 4 just before Xmas, we were told the home were no longer carrying out the LFT resident visits.
I do wonder whether the home is now doubting the efficacy of the tests.

Lots of media reports don't seem to be joining the dots. There are headteachers (rightly) pointing out the problems of space, staffing, funding etc. with the testing, but the fact that the tests are dangerously unreliable barely gets a mention.

@notevenat20 I've got the innova ones

notevenat20 I've got the innova ones

Can I ask, why did you choose those?

What will happen if I don’t consent to my secondary school dc having them? Will an isolation absence be treated as unauthorised?

I also work in a secondary school (admin) and cannot believe that this will be used instead of isolation.

Will write to my MP but she has been strangely off grid lately so I don’t know how much use that will be.

We’ve had no information about changes to the existing procedure of isolating contacts, but have been asked for consent for the lateral flow tests.

But the schools have had such little (no?) information on how it will all work/be administered that I’m not surprised.

What will happen if I don’t consent to my secondary school dc having them? Will an isolation absence be treated as unauthorised?

I am not consenting-it is not mandatory. I very very much doubt it will be treated as unauthorised and if it is, I don’t care.

They have not been properly scientifically assessed for asymptotic people - it’s not what they were designed for. Unreliable at best, will pick up a few but miss a lot. I wouldn’t trust.

@notevenat20 we got given them by the trust I work for. No choice in the make!

I've also got the innova ones, again also the ones we were given by our NHS trust. I imagine they are cheaper, I therefore imagine they are the ones schools will get!

just to be clear - is it these tests that they are removing isolation bubbles in school for and pushing us back with?

@junglepie

I've also got the innova ones, again also the ones we were given by our NHS trust. I imagine they are cheaper, I therefore imagine they are the ones schools will get!

Do you use them instead of self isolation if staff have been identified as a close contact of a positive covid case?

just to be clear - is it these tests that they are removing isolation bubbles in school for and pushing us back with?

Yes.

letseatgrandma No. Only for twice weekly regular testing, the idea being they may pick up asymptomatic cases. You still have to isolate if you are required to as a close contact - I am currently isolating as my dd has tested positive so I couldn't go into work this week. Also advice is to get a pcr test if you actually have symptoms. Also if you get a positive LFT you then need a pcr to confirm. So yeah, not actually that much use really!!

Just when you think schools couldn’t be any less safe they then do this. The government must hate schools.

junglepie if you were a teacher and your daughter tested positive you could still go into school, take a lateral flow test, and if it showed negative you'd be good to teach your classes.

Hope she's OK.

There are different types of lateral flow test. I'm guessing the ones most people are using are the Innova ones which are a swap test is that right?

I got some Nadal IgG/IgM Blood test ones before visiting mum at Christmas. We isolated for 14 days before going and tested on day 13 - The Nadal test is meant to be 94% accurate in the 10-14 days window after exposure.

I understood they gave false negatives for over 50% of people with Covid. There was an article in the Financial Times about it.

So, no. They are pretty useless tbh.

notevenat20 we got given them by the trust I work for. No choice in the make!

Ah ok. If you buy them yourself they are only slightly cheaper than the Roche ones but maybe that is how decisions are made.

I understood they gave false negatives for over 50% of people with Covid. There was an article in the Financial Times about it.

The question is subtle. They are normally used on people who don't have symptoms. Those people can either be presymptomatic (that is will have symptoms soon after) or asymptomatic (will never have symptoms). The press doesn't distinguish between these two cases but the difference is potentially important. In particular, how infectious are people who will never have symptoms?

@EndoplasmicReticulum

junglepie if you were a teacher and your daughter tested positive you could still go into school, take a lateral flow test, and if it showed negative you'd be good to teach your classes.

Hope she's OK.

I know. My dh is a teacher. I think the whole idea of lateral flow tests is crazy tbh!

Oh and thanks, my daughter (14)is absolutely fine. The only symptom she had was last ss of smell, and we only realised when she complained her new perfume she got for Christmas didn't smell of anything! Other than that she's right as rain thankfully.

Does a lateral flow test pick up the virus where it was asymptomatic in the past 90 days like the PCR test does? Got visions of many pupils being sent home when the had the virus up to 90 days ago and asymptomatic so they never even knew. Presumably the testing staff will know not to repeat the test for 3 months... sounds very shambolic to me.

@Backyard72

There are different types of lateral flow test. I'm guessing the ones most people are using are the Innova ones which are a swap test is that right?

I got some Nadal IgG/IgM Blood test ones before visiting mum at Christmas. We isolated for 14 days before going and tested on day 13 - The Nadal test is meant to be 94% accurate in the 10-14 days window after exposure.

Those are a bit different as they are antibody tests and so no use for detecting the initial stages of illness/infection so would not be of any use for regular testing