Do you legally have to get a PCR test?

[Thisismynewname123]

If you know your child has covid, you're following all of the isolation rules, close contacts are also isolating (or also have covid), is it a legal requirement to get tested?

No.

No

in case of any doubt, I was referring to the child requiring the test, not to myself as a contact.

Still no.

As long as the covid 'suspect' isolates for 10 days (and currently all contacts) they don't have to test.

But you can't be sure they have covid unless they test, and isolation may be unnecessary.

How do you know they have Covid if you haven't tested?

No, but why would you not?

If your child were to develop long covid or any lasting symtoms, having no positive test result could hamper the provision of the correct medical support.

And if they have had no test, you do not know they have Covid.

No but you won’t know if they’ve had Covid will you ? I suppose if the child struggles to do a test then as long as you isolate then no issue .

They definitely have it because they've been away with others who all now have, have several positive LFT and all the same symptoms as everyone else who is also positive. I accept the point about the NHS being aware of Covid if there are long term issues. So the next question would be, if you're 3 days in when you get a pcr, would they count days from when you got the test, or from when symptoms started, 3 days earlier?

From when symptoms starts. You need to be quick. I'm not sure of the current rules as it keeps changing but the PCR needs to be within the first few days.

Day0 for isolation is the day when symptoms started or, if asymptomatic, the day if the positive LFT

Current rules here

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

(expected to change next week)

No one can be forced to take a test, that really would be several steps too far.

Isolation starts from symptoms or test if no symptoms

Tests should be done within 5 days of the start of symptoms,I believe. Also they may need proof of previous infection for something so worth doing anyway.

After hearing about the harassment others have had from T & T I'd just accept the positive LFT and follow the guidelines like you are doing. Theres never a legal requirement to test ever. As long as you're fulfilling the moral implications that covid brings, ie isolating and notifying close contacts that's all that matters

My daughter and 1 of her housemates tested positive a few weeks ago. When her other 2 housemates started with symptoms they didn’t get tested.

It was obvious what it was, they followed all the isolation rules so didn’t see the point.

It took test and trace nearly a week to contact my DD and they’d let all their close contacts know themselves by then anyway

Maybe log the positive lft.
I cant see how medics can argue about whether dc had it if had contact plus lft. (Which miss casses rather than false positive generally)

The 10 days begins at onset of symptoms not positive test.
And no you do not have to take a PCR.
Many are not.
Which makes it clear that the hospitalisation and death rates are even lower than reported.

As a % of positive cases.

We didn't test DS.

He had exactly the same symptoms as all the other positive cases. He has ASD and sensory issues and a test would cause him major distress so we didn't do one and he's isolated as per the guidance. No close contacts as he's anti social

There’s no compulsion to PCR test therefore there’s no compulsion to isolate BUT it is the right thing to do.

I wouldn’t worry about longer term consequences like long covid etc or needing supportive treatment. Cross that bridge if you come to it but HCP’s will treat suspected covid symptoms as covid. You may have to revisit having a PCR if it came to that point. If long covid became an issue then it would be considered based on historical and current symptoms.

The only thing it might reasonably affect is things like travel where proof of a recent infection is required in place of vaccinations/isolations. That varies from country to country and by various ages.

The ten days are from the start of symptoms - it’s only if you are asymptomatic that the 10 days start on the day of the PCR. If you have no symptoms on the day of the PCR but subsequently develop them then the 10 days start then (but as far as I can tell nobody is taking any notice of that last one..).

If they are a teen who may want to travel, go to festivals or large events after the new rules come in in September and aren’t yet vaccinated then a positive PCR will give them 180 days (six months) of a covid pass equivalent to two vaccinations from the date of the PCR. They also can’t be vaccinated within 28 days of a positive test.

Also if large numbers of people aren’t taking PCRs the actual numbers of infections aren’t going to be recorded meaning that people who are vulnerable won’t be able to make informed decisions about the risks they are taking in the community. I know at least 3x people personally who have decided not to - if this is happening on a large scale nationally then the current Covid infection rates will be meaningless and the opportunity to spot and react to new variants is reduced.

DS1 tested positive a couple of weeks ago - test and trace called once he had his PCR, they weren’t interested in the people he’d been in contact with who had already tested positive (which were the friends who he caught it from), I just gave them the household names and we all isolated. From the end of the week household members of a positive case won’t even have to do that (what could possibly go wrong..).

We’ve all made a lot of sacrifices for the greater good since this all started - not recording new cases doesn’t seem to have any benefit but doing a PCR does IMO & it’s so simple to get one I don’t get why they wouldn’t (also why as a household member you wouldn’t either to rule out the possibility you have it and are unnecessarily putting others at risk?)

Which makes it clear that the hospitalisation and death rates are even lower than reported

How have you come to that conclusion?

As PP have already said no you don't have to and the clock starts from the symptoms starting. Contact tracing through Test and Trace doesn't happen without a positive PCR though.
But I wonder why you wouldn't want them to have a PCR, given that you've done several LFTs on them already? The PCR test is no worse, especially if you get a home one.

If you have a positive LFT and log it you will be instructed to get a PCR.

I think you are doing the worng thing not logging the LFT and not getting a PCR, and I can not understand your reasoning. You should be allowing contact tracing to take place.