Anyone had negative lateral flows then positive PCR?

[Jo6545]

Me, my husband and our toddler have had cold symptoms for the last 4-5 days, we both then started with a cough yesterday so took a lateral flow (my friend had some spares as she’s a doctor) but we also sent off for a PCR the same day. Lateral flows were negative and to be honest it doesn’t feel worse than a head cold but then last night I totally lost my sense of smell and today lost taste as well. I know lateral flows not as reliable but surely one of us would have tested positive?

yes, dd1 did.

DSS 3 negative lateral flows, 1 negative PCR, 10th day isolation 3 positive lateral flows, followed up with PCR.

Multiple friends and family members have had negative lateral flows but then positive pcr tests. Get well soon to you all

but surely one of us would have tested positive?

Nope - this is why LF tests are useless when being used in this way.

And just remember, thanks to Boris, these little wonders will cost every man, woman and child in the UK around £1500.

Yes. A family member felt rough from last Sunday. Headache, tired which then turned in to a chesty cold. She LFT'd from when she felt rough and tested every morning from then. So 5 days worth. All negative. She was sitting on the bus on the way home on Friday and realised she couldn't taste her chewing gum. Did another one Friday night. Positive. PCR test Saturday. Positive.

Yes, DP only tested positive on a lateral flow once he had substantial symptoms and had been in hospital. Multiple students have given negative LFTs and tested positive with a PCR.

They are useless.

Wow they do seem absolutely useless then especially as they’re meant for people without symptoms and even with acute symptoms positives aren’t showing up...hopefully the PCR will confirm soon.

I'd guess loads of people have, I don't think they were ever claimed to be 100% accurate were they?

You are absolutely not supposed to do a lateral flow if you have symptoms. This has always been clear.

Yes - me. I was feeling slightly under the weather but didn't have the list of symptoms required to get a PCR. The lateral flow was negative. 2 days later I was still slightly under the weather but again no fever/cough/change of taste which the pcr test required. I took a pcr anyhow as all of us in the house felt slightly off. All came back positive.

LFT waste of time

A Cochrane Review in March this year looked at lots of research studies of the accuracy of lateral flow tests.

On average the data they looked at said LFT pick up 58% of people without symptoms who are Covid +ve as identified in a PCR test.

On average the studies said LFT pick up 72% of people with symptomatic covid.

I think this is what this means but I'm happy to be corrected:

For each individual one of us the LFT has a 6/10 chance of picking up our asymptomatic covid, which isn't that great. (LFT missed my covid the day before and the day after my positive PCR test).

But if you are a school, and you have 1000 people planning on coming through the gates today, and among those there are 10 with asymptomatic covid, if you do a LFT on everyone then at least you'll find 6 of those asymptomatic people before they arrive which will cut down your risk quite a bit.

You cannot rely on lateral flow tests.

DH had negative lateral flow Friday morning, his work insisted he had a PCR (there had been an outbreak at his work) he went for PCR Friday afternoon, Saturday morning they text and said positive.

He’s ill, deffo covid, he’s just done a lateral flow at home this afternoon to see if it was positive (I’ve been doing lateral flow - all negative, so I wanted to see if his would come back positive) it has straight away.

Although im not sure you are supposed to do lateral flow if symptomatic?

Anyway Op hope your all ok x

Yes, dd, this last couple of weeks.
All the LFTs said negative and the PCR said positive.
That's from when she was notified, and had no symptoms, then when her symptoms started, and then after she feels much better - all the LFTs said negative, but the PCR in the middle, said positive.

twitter.com/doctorshaib?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

the above is dr bharat pankhania, whom i follow. he has been right on everything so far. and a nice guy too.
he doesn't think much of the LFT; so many false negatives, miseading.

Yes, I know 2 people that tested negative on an LFT but tested positive on a PCR. But, I have also known of people who have tested positive with an LFT who would have otherwise gone on undetected and therefore spreading it, because they had none of the major symptoms that would trigger testing with a PCR. Once testing positive on an LFT they then test with a PCR.

You're only supposed to test with LFT periodically and when you have no symptoms - so you have no cause to test with a PCR. If you have symptoms then you test with PCR.

The tests have different purposes, LFT are to identify cases that would otherwise go undetected because there are no symptoms, therefore no reason to test with a PCR. So although not as accurate as a PCR, they do identify some cases that would otherwise go undetected completely, which is better than them all going undetected.

Symptoms or a positive LFT give you reason to test with a PCR, to confirm or deny covid. LFT won't pick up every case, but will pick up more cases than if people who didn't have symptoms didn't test at all.

It's not that LFT are useless, but their purpose is to pick up cases that otherwise would not be, because the person has no symptoms, or no 'main' symptoms and therefore wouldn't test with a PCR.

Well the PCR test came back negative! I was convinced as I had (and still have) zero sense of smell. Like not even a hint with my face in a tub of vicks.

You are absolutely not supposed to do a lateral flow if you have symptoms.

The point being though, they are meant to pick up cases before symptoms develop, so that still renders them useless.

LFTs aren't supposed to be instead of PCRs, they are supposed to be instead of no test at all. And therefore, however inaccurate, will hopefully pick up some of the cases that wouldn't have been picked up otherwise.

@amicissimma. We know they aren't accurate or to replace pcr tests . But the point is if you have covid and and symptoms why would you get a negative on lateral flow tests and everyone says well they aren't accurate. Yet you have no symptoms and get a positive test and then they have picked the virus.

Anyone caN pick up lat flow tests.
No need to be a doctor.
Local pharmacy has them
You just say you need them for work or school or whatever.

maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/

You don't even need to say you need LFTs for work or school anymore. You can just order them online (in England at least).

Yes, DH and I were negative on the laterals but positive with the PCR. I also know 4 friends who were the same.