Covid symptoms. Lateral flow test or pcr test

[shuz1980]

If you have covid symptoms is either test ok to take?

No you need a pcr.

@shuz1980

If you have covid symptoms is either test ok to take?

No you need a PCR

PCR.

PCR and you need to self isolate.

No PCR is the one for symptoms lateral flow is for when you have none

Thank you all

Hi son tested positive last week & I was negative. I then started to get congestion & scratchy throat so I did a lateral flow test which was positive so then I did a PCR which came back positive.

15 months in and this is STILL a question. Jesus Christ.

@Tippexy

15 months in and this is STILL a question. Jesus Christ.

If it's the first time you've had to deal with it then yes, it is still a question

Hijacking slightly but I had a cold, which has turned to a cough. I know technically I should do a pcr but I’ve done multiple lateral flows. Surely one of them would pick it up if it was covid?

Blossomworld you'd have thought so but it seems not! Maybe they should give everyone a PCR test once a fortnight instead.

@Blossomworld

Hijacking slightly but I had a cold, which has turned to a cough. I know technically I should do a pcr but I’ve done multiple lateral flows. Surely one of them would pick it up if it was covid?

No, because the commonest reason for false negative is user error.

But the better PCR test is less influenced by poor technique.

@Blossomworld No, lateral flow have a really high false negative. If you've got symptoms you need to book a pcr test.