Lateral flow tests following a positive PCR test

[HairyMaclary]

Can anyone help me with this. I understand that you should not have another PCR test within 90 days of your first positive test. This is because you may still test positive even though you are no longer infectious as you still have the virus in your body. Does anyone know if this also applies to the lateral flow tests that schools will be doing?

My son tested positive on Christmas Day and I don’t want him to have to isolate again because the lateral flow test shows him to be positive within 90 days when he has no new symptoms.

I can’t find any information about this online. However, my son won’t be the only one in this situation and I wondered if anyone had any information.

We've been told if we get a positive on the PCR test then no Lateral Flow test for 90 days so I guess it's the same.

I may be in the same situation and intend to let the school know the household had positive cases over the holidays so that if the
children test positive it's likely to be because of the infection now.

TeaAndBisquits - when you say ‘we’ are you someone who has them regularly? Ed NHS or care worker? Do you have any paperwork that explains why you could link to?

Tumbleweed101 - I sent an email to the teacher in charge of testing but got one back saying it wouldn’t show it he had antibodies so was fine to do! I think he got the wrong end of the stick, I know DS has had it, I just don’t want us all to isolate again for an ‘old’ virus. Also DS1 didn’t get tested as had no symptoms so may test positive but we’ve all done our isolation period etc.

I’m fully prepared to isolate/ test if anyone gets new symptoms though.

@HairyMaclary you are correct in questioning this. I would not advise a lateral flow test within 6 weeks of a positive PCR test (unless there are new COVID Symptoms). You would indeed all have to re-isolate if it was positive.
I work for T&T and I can foresee there may be all sorts of families having to isolate again in January for this very reason!

Yeah you shouldn't test within 90 days of a positive test in the absence of symptoms

@ladyandthechocolate Thank you. I was beginning to wonder if I’d got it wrong. Any idea what to do about it?

Do you have any information you could share? I’m wk seeing about refusing to give consent for 90 days just in case but the school are great and I want to support them and not be difficult!

@dementedpixie - thanks. Where is that from? Can you link to the actual document? I think I need to share it with the school.

We (nhs) are being told not to for 90 days.
It’s a bit worrying that they don’t know this.
Look on nhs England- lateral flow antigen tests.

They can’t test without consent, so just don’t consent until 90 days clear. It’s not compulsory testing.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings there's info here although it doesn't directly relate to schools

Thanks dementedpixie that’s the one I had seen earlier which explains it well. However it talks about PCR tests rather than lateral flow tests.

I may have to go with no consent but I don’t really want to!