Lateral flow false negs.

[cheesenpickle]

Husband has covid. My 10 year old woke in night with blinding headache and temp of 39. Hes been asleep most of day and is never ever sick. I have lateral flow tests from work so tested him expecting him to be positive except its not! School have dropped off a pcr test so will do that but is it possible to have covid and get a negative lateral flow?!. Have just cancelled drama exam , dress rehearsal and dinner out as assumed we would have to isolate again.

The accuracy of the LFT is lower, that's why we need to do the PCR if you have symptoms.
Hope he gets better soon.

Lateral flow tests aren't very reliable and gave a high rate of false negatives which is why PCR is used to confirm if you have covid

LFTs have a 50% false negative rate where covid is actually present. There's not the same as saying its 50% likely to be wrong on every test. However it does mean that if you genuinely suspect covid, and wirh those symptoms and the current delta presentation I would too, that you need a PCR test.

Are you sure it's a pcr that school have dropped off, one that you have to send away to a lab? At least you won't have to wait for a home one to arrive in the post.

Lateral flow tests are not reliable enough to use when symptomatic. Symptoms should always = PCR.

My understanding is Lateral Flows pick up less than 50% of actual positive cases so are used day to day/on the non symptomatic to try and catch additional unknown cases.

@ColettesEarrings

Are you sure it's a pcr that school have dropped off, one that you have to send away to a lab? At least you won't have to wait for a home one to arrive in the post.

You can leave the house to get tested even if SI.

If you live with your husband then surely the whole household is isolating anyway? Unless the isolation period has already been completed. If you have symptoms you can still go to PCR test site for people with symptoms.

When I did a postal test the results where back within 14 hours.

True - you could always just work on the assumption he has it.

You should all be doing 10 days isolation anyway - when did dh test positive?

Yes, definitely possible. My friend had Covid recently and tested negative for two days with mild symptoms (fatigue and headache), before stronger symptoms kicked in and she tested positive on LFT and PCR.

When Dh and I had covid tests, because I had symptoms, the testing centre were doing a study of lateral flow test reliability, by doing a lateral flow test at the same time as the PCR.

My LFT came back positive, as did my PCR. Dh got a negative LFT but went on to get a positive PCR.

0ur isolation period finishes on Wednesday for husband's positive. The ones the school dropped off are definitely pcr. We had ordered 1 by post but they kindly dropped one off so we can test him and get it in the post tonight. Its interesting that if you have the virus they still aren't necessarily accurate.( the lateral flow ones).

What is it today with posters not understanding that a) LFT are for when you don't have symptoms and b) were never said to be 100% accurate

What is the issue with the messaging on this that simple concepts aren't getting out there?

Yes lateral flow miss up to 50% of cases, which is why they're only used for asymptomatic screening, not testing. PCR miss very few.

@clarissemccellan. There is no misunderstanding and im not sure there is any need for the tone of your post. If you have lateral flow tests at home and symptoms most people will test whilst waiting for pcr slots/ test to arrive. Im fully aware they arent accurate but i was just surprised that my son has got symptoms and is obviously poorly that at lateral flow would be negative.

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

see dr bharat pankhania on this.
scroll down to second item, 18 june discussion.
he says LFT are unreliable and were never meant for people with symptoms.

My DH & I both have covid (showing symptoms and positive PCR results)

I have continued to perform lateral flow tests at home - for interest sake - they have all continued to show negative results for both of us.

Home tests are giving us a false sense of security- they don't work!

@cupcakecourageous

My DH & I both have covid (showing symptoms and positive PCR results)

I have continued to perform lateral flow tests at home - for interest sake - they have all continued to show negative results for both of us.

Home tests are giving us a false sense of security- they don't work!

I disagree. They should be used in the way and context they are designed, to pick up assymptomatic cases They have recently picked up a number of cases at our schools and work. They do work!

@ClarisseMcClellan

What is it today with posters not understanding that a) LFT are for when you don't have symptoms and b) were never said to be 100% accurate

What is the issue with the messaging on this that simple concepts aren't getting out there?

I started a post about this the other day. The gov on advertising on this (the one radio advert I heard) didn’t make this clear at all, it just said every day can order covid tests to do at home twice a week. They really need to rename name the PCR to the ‘covid symptoms test’ and the lateral flow test to ‘twice a week test’ or a better name and do an advertising campaign to explain when they should be used.

I only started to show symptoms after a positive PCR test (I was symptomless at the time and only tested as a precaution as my DD has covid)

I have never had a positive lateral flow test to date (not while I was symptomless but positive or after symptoms started) neither had my DH.

So no...they don't work. And if symptomless people are testing negative on their lateral flows they could be carrying covid unwittingly (like my DH & I were).

Lateral flow tests are doing more harm than good, giving people a false sense if security when they could be silently spreading it!

Ok a quick update....after testing (PCR) positive 4 days ago and developing symptoms 2 days ago....I've just had my first positive lateral flow test.

Lateral flow is obviously a little late to the party! (Just think how many people I could've infected if I hadn't been self isolating- scary stuff!)