Positive LFTs but negative PCR twice

[DaxtheDestroyer]

So confused! My DC tested positive on an LFT, we booked a PCR which was negative. When we got the result we checked with another LFT (completely different batch) which was even more strongly positive. Repeated PCR - negative again.
So what's going on? There must be something causing the positive LFTs, there are loads of cases at school at the moment. Anyone had this happen? Just so confused as to what's the right thing to do

Could turn out to be the key to everything, Honey!

@TheHoneyBadger yes you can use those tests in your throat, just be sure not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes beforehand. They changed it to nose-only just because they thought they'd get higher compliance even though nose-only gives slightly lower accuracy. They even forgot to take the bit out of the instructions about not eating and drinking before your test, so if you've got sores in your nose I'd say it's fine to do a throat swab instead.

Thanks Ashes. Ds did one a bit earlier as he has a sore throat and his friend has tested positive and it was negative. I'll leave it till tomorrow evening and do one and get him to retest.

I have very little faith in them tbh. The recent rash of people getting positives only to be followed by negative pcrs is disturbing me though - lft was meant to be notoriously bad at detecting covid reliably so it doesn't make much sense and I wish there was an acknowledgement that this is widely happening and that it is being investigated.

I am so glad I found this site. I have been so confused what is happening to my family. DD had positive LFT since Wednesday so took her for a PCR which came back negative. We are in the Swindon area and it seems to be happening to so many people around us. What is happening? Surely this needs to be reported as something is making the LFT’s positive and the PCR’s negative.

This could explain why rates seem to be going down while, anecdotally at least, covid is going crazy in schools. I'm in no way a conspiracy theorist but it does make me suspicious...

Yes I've experienced the suspicion too. Official rates are based on pcr results and a) those are seemingly taking ages now so rates will be behind the reality and b) many people seem to be having to take multiple pcrs before they get a positive. Obviously some won't do repeat pcrs and just carry on as normal despite having symptoms.

Not saying it's deliberate but it is convenient and keeping quiet about it when it's clearly a widespread phenomenon currently doesn't help people to interpret the data with these realities in mind.

@TheHoneyBadger

It's a little bit too convenient when there is a vested interest in the obvious consequences of a clearly bonkers policy being hidden. (the clearly bonkers policy being lifting any mitigations in schools with high covid rates and no kids vaccinated).

I hope the scientists that have been holding the government to account are hearing of this and doing what they can to investigate. Very worrying.

My colleague had this. She had 6 positive lateral flows, all the covid symptoms yet she had 3 PCR tests come back negative over a week. It wasnt until the 4th PCR that she finally got a positive. Covid also subsequently confirmed by an antigen test a few days later. Its really worrying that she had so many negative PCRs. Also southwest.

Its very strange at the moment - DD says in her school all the kids are sick with exactly same symptoms, half are testing positive and off school, half are testing negative and just going in and swapping their illnesses around.

Think there are lots of errors in PCRs and LFTs at the moment. DD thinks its a mutation the PCRs aren't picking up but no idea, I wonder if people aren't doing test correctly or there are optimal days for doing it and can test too early or too late.

First post on here, but we have just experienced this. DS is in a group of five friends (secondary school). One friend had positive LFT but negative PCR last week, so came back to school. Now, three others, including my DS, had strong positive LFTs yesterday morning. One friend has now had a positive PCR result, while I’ve just received a negative result for DS. No news on the third friend yet.

No idea what to do now! It’s complicated by the fact that DD had a cold last week (negative LFT and PCR) and so DS now has symptoms that match hers, so he is symptomatic of a cold, but no classic covid symptoms IYSWIM. I will get him to do another LFT shortly, but what do I do if that’s positive again?? We are in the Wiltshire area and all this talk of issues in the SW area is making me nervous. Two positive LFT/negative PCR in a group of five seems so unlikely!

Could the cold be throwing the LFTs off?

I’m in Yorkshire. Beginning august my daughter had symptoms. Did PCR, negative. My friend came to stay (not vaccinated) got same symptoms, negative LFT’s every day but did PCR after five days as so poorly. PCR was positive. I do think my daughters PCR was wrong.

Last week my mum had positive LFT, negative PCR. The fifth time this has happened in her work in the last two weeks.

Definitely something not right with the PCR testing.

Second LFT - blazing positive

@karenm51 oh no, I would do another PCR and keep him off. There is a bad cold around but with his friend testing positive and him having another positive lft I would test again

My sister had positive LFTs and a negative PCR but tested positive on a PCR 4 days after initially testing xx

@ajja2021 Yes we are going to - we did another LFT from a different box, and that was also positive so we are just working under the assumption that he has it. Will try a postal test so hopefully we get a different PCR batch, maybe the extra couple of days will make a difference too.

Third friend has also now had negative PCR result from the same testing centre - it’s definitely worrying! He will be back in school tomorrow I think…

Today I phoned 119 again and they said that the LFT is picking up a cold virus because people are doing them when they have symptoms. I cannot believe this though. I phoned DD’s school and they said they are getting lots of cases of this. We got the second PCR’s back and they were negative again. I am feeling really rotten today and so confused. I dont know who to contact as surely this needs investigating.

the LFT is picking up a cold virus because people are doing them when they have symptoms

That should make sense except it's happening in people who live in a household with positive PCR cases with the same symptoms and in people who eventually go on to test positive.

@noblegiraffe

the LFT is picking up a cold virus because people are doing them when they have symptoms

That should make sense except it's happening in people who live in a household with positive PCR cases with the same symptoms and in people who eventually go on to test positive.

And in our case, my DD didn't have any symptoms of anything.

If anyone is interested, we finally got DS’s second PCR results back - positive. So in our case, the LFTs were most definitely correct (makes sense considering false positives are extremely rare), while the first PCR was a false negative.

Interesting, and worrying, karen. I wonder how many wouldn't bother getting the second PCR.

Just started my own thread as this is exactly what happened to my teen dd, she's had all the main symptoms and tested positive on LFTs since last wend. I've taken her for two PCRs and they've both been negative.

I'm really confused 😐

Also south west!!!

We have had 3 negative PCR’s now so we are convinced its not C19 but my golly it is definitely something. I have never been this poorly before, I am sleeping for 19 hours a day and coughing like crazy. Our Dr said that the LFT’s are picking up any coronavirus, which isn't reassuring.
Work have said I can come back when I am ready but I dont think that will be before my 10 days are up.

Happened to my DS and one of his friends last week
I don't know what is happening.

In the same situation here and also in the south west. Been having very strong positive lateral flows since Wednesday. All classic symptoms including total loss of taste amd smell. Awaiting PCR results. DH PCR result was negative and has same symptoms as me and positive lft.

Little update form us. Ds never tested positive on PCR despite the 4 positive LFT (which 2 he took before he had any symptoms so I don’t buy the it’s picking it up because you ah e symptoms rubbish) but I know have covid. Positive pcr came
Back. Only person I could have caught it from is DS because we decided to SI for the 10 days once he got his first +ve LFT. His stepsister had it and it was all over his class and year group (plus I barely went out the week before with my youngest because of the weather)

Quick update. Me and DD have both just got positive PCR's. A few people in our town had said to try a different test site but we felt so poorly and ordered home ones instead. Both have returned positive. Unbelievable.