Negative PCR at the weekend but now school have an outbreak-retest?

[FlatteredFool]

Dc was woke on Friday with a fever, cough, snot and sore throat. I booked him PCR and we got a negative result on Saturday. He's back in school today but now an email has been sent out advising of an outbreak in school. Should I retest him? It's not his class but the class next door and of course they mingle at break and lunch and assembly now. I'm CEV so a little worried.

Was he feeling better when you sent him back to school? Just because they get a negative test doesn't mean they should be back in school if they feel unwell.

If he wasn't a close contact then I wouldn't test again unless told to do so

I would retest

My first PCR was negative but I knew my symptoms and how I was feeling was more than likely covid - retested and 2nd one was positive

OP is asking if she should retest due to cases in the school though so it's a different situation

He still has a cough, slight sore throat and is sneezing but is fine in himself-bouncy and eating and drinking normally. No fever now. He picks up everything going and has had so many covid tests poor bairn.

Could you do a lateral flow and one on your self?

I agree with lateral flow. We have a snotty cold in my house (no fever, the kind of cough you get with a snotty cold) so have been doing boxes of LF tests.

Lateral flow are not reliable enough to rule out covid. People with symptoms should take PCR tests

@dementedpixie yes but assuming mum has no symptoms (or would of test) and a negative pcr. I would use lateral flows.

I don't think I would, no. A PCR isn't very likely to be wrong, is it? Unless you did it on yourself? Most colds will still be colds, not Covid. Definitely worth checking of course as some are Covid. But once you've got a negative PCR test, I would trust it.

It's just as likely that he has any other virus so no I probably wouldn't re-test following negative test. Is he better? I would have still kept mine off if they were poorly with a fever. Sometimes even when it's not covid they are still too poorly for school!

I'd be doing LFTs every couple of days.
I know they arent't 100% reliable but neither are PCRs. He most likely didn't have covid when he got the PCR so most likely doesn't now. I'm not sure continually going for PCRs is necessary.

I'd continue with lateral flows too for now. It's how I caught my daughters last week and it was confirmed by a PCR.
It's also rife in her class but diarrhoea and loss of appetite was the symptom that made me test her. She's always hungry usually!
The lateral flows are actually better than I thought if you definitely have it although I think it only catches it at its height.

I'll pick up some LFTs today anyway and see how he is after school.