Two negative lateral flows, what are the chances?

[SisterAgatha]

I was exposed to a positive case on Saturday, spent all day with the guy. Feel awful now but mostly just cold symptoms, nothing in chest, am double vaxxed and just sneezing and runny nose mainly.

On Monday I took a lateral flow, negative. Today I took a lateral flow, negative.

Today we have all been asked by work to take a PCR. (I am p/t so not in till today anyway)

I feel like I must have it. But 2 lateral flows have been negative. What are the chances of me still being positive? Asking here really as everyone knows so much on this thread and I am well out of the loop now. I can understand how one is wrong but not two.

This will all be resolved when the pcr result comes in of course. Just curious really.

Given you are feeling unwell after being a contact I’d say there’s a decent chance of the LFT being wrong.
Purely anecdotal I know of several people with confirmed Covid from PCR tests who have tested negative of LFTs throughout.
Sorry!

As one of the principle reasons for false negative LFTs is technique, the it's very likely that one false negative will be followed by a whole string of them

Similar situation but no known contact, Sneezing lots, snotty/runny nose, 2 x negative LFT.
Was wondering if worth doing PCR or not, but then would have to lie about either contact or symptoms.

I think a PCR is the right course of action. LFTs aren’t the most accurate.

I agree it’s the right thing to do. It’s just what are the chances? I feel like I must have it.

Technique makes perfect sense actually.

My friend and son had 4 negative lateral flows each and were positive. LFT are not worth doing IMO

Isn’t advice now to have a PCR if a close contact to avoid isolating?

@Butterflystar76 you don't have to isolate if you've had both jabs, even as a close contact (seems bloody stupid tbh!)

ThorIsAGod This is exactly the kind of real life story I want to hear because you don’t know the truth of it from the news, just “tests are xx% unreliable”. I don’t care if I am or I’m not positive, I just want to know, if you know what I mean. I took the lateral flows to try and be safe. I took them before we even knew the guy was positive, just in case.

I cannot wait for these results tonight.

I had a 'bad cold' from the end of last week. My blocked nose cleared on Monday and I still couldn't smell anything which is when I took an lft. I couldn't see any hint of a line after 20mins whatsoever, the only reason I took another is because I happened to check after 30mins and there was the faintest of lines. The second one was super faint and took ages to show as well. A follow up test confirmed I have covid. My point is, I'm not sure all 'negative' results really are negative.

CirqueDeMorgue was your final test a PCR?

I’m worried now as I administered the PCR too so if it is technique, will it still not show? Or does the bigger swab change things?

The swabs for the PCR were the same as lateral flow last time I went.

Oh the swab was definitely bigger, my gagging was off the scale 🤣

@SisterAgatha

CirqueDeMorgue was your final test a PCR?

I’m worried now as I administered the PCR too so if it is technique, will it still not show? Or does the bigger swab change things?

It was a PCR but I also did a third lateral flow with a very clear positive result and my technique was always the same so goodness knows why the first ones were so faint!

My partner has had 3 negative lateral flows since being symptomatic on Sunday. PCR yesterday was positive!

Doh, name change fail! Anyway I really don't know what the science is behind the tests or why one is better than the other but I do think the list of official symptoms should maybe be updated!

My partner has had 3 negative lateral flows since being symptomatic on Sunday. PCR yesterday was positive!

I’m fully expecting a positive result now. I was at a family party on Saturday night, my name will be mud.

My dd is negative throat
Positive in nose did u do both

Did both all three times, yes. Aren’t you always meant to do both

@SisterAgatha

My partner has had 3 negative lateral flows since being symptomatic on Sunday. PCR yesterday was positive!

I’m fully expecting a positive result now. I was at a family party on Saturday night, my name will be mud.

Chances are you weren't at high viral load just after exposure though surely? Doesn't it incubate for a while?

Work colleague was in this situation. She took LFTs all week, all negative. PCR was positive. She passed Covid onto me, all the LFTs I took were negative. My PCR was positive. I don't trust them at all any more.

My symptoms are cold like too by the way. Blocked nose, phlegmy. Lost my sense of smell and taste roughly 5 or 6 days after being infected.

nanbread I spoke to my mum just now and she said similar. If I am positive from the guy at work then I caught it Saturday, and in theory, she would have also caught it Saturday off me at the party. So our symptoms would have appeared around the same time (Monday for me when I took the first lateral flow). And she’s been fine and it’s now Wednesday. So hopefully even if I am positive, no one at the party will have it... I am so hoping that’s the case.

If u had vaccine u may not get it neither of us have caught it of my dd

My lft were all negative (all 10). Had to get a pcr just to prove it really, and after 5 days of negative tests the pcr was positive. I had all the symptoms so it wasn't a shock.