Track and Trace calculated date wrongly - no grounds for appeal?

[Sparklefish99]

My son had a positive LFT last Thursday so I ordered a PCR test. It didn’t arrive until late on Saturday so he took it first thing on Monday morning. The results came back positive on Tuesday. I had the call from track and trace and they asked about his symptoms etc. I said that he didn’t have symptoms now, but did the previous Thursday and explained that he’d had a positive LFT on that day too. I then had a follow up email from them which calculated his isolation period from the Monday (when he took the PCR) not the Thursday (when he had symptoms and a positive LFT). This was obviously wrong so I called to explain the situation fully expecting them to admit the mistake and change it. However I was told that once the date was in the system there is nothing that can be done! This was so incredibly infuriating as it clearly was their mistake. I asked if they could listen to the recording of the conversation, but they refused and just reiterated that the date given for the end of his isolation period had to stay and that there was no grounds for appeal.

This now means that he would have to miss almost an additional week of school unnecessarily. He’s in the sixth form and I really don’t want him to do this, especially as there’s no online lessons etc.

Has anyone else had this experience and managed to appeal? (I was told that there was no appeal process even though it’s clearly their mistake). I’m also tempted just to send him in anyway, 10 days from the positive LFT, and just hope they don’t check.

@Sparklefish99

Yes I did and had a text confirmation but as I didn’t then log it on the app (my son doesn’t have the app) it wasn’t in the system.

Also it might be a good idea to get your son the app now so that he will be able to get his Covid Pass by way of having recovered from Covid once the isolation period is up

I'd ignore them and send him back

We was in a situation similar, my 5 year old was isolation due to being a close contact at school so obviously I was isolating with him too, during near the time of end isolation I felt like I was starting with a chest infection ( not unusual as I'm a smoker) but thought the whole household may as well get tested as we was isolatings anyways. I had also been doing LFT on my 5 year old for past week all negative. Anyways we all did pcr and me, partner and 8 year old negative but 5 year old positive ( he never showed any symptoms) track and trace called and said sounds like my 5 year old had a false positive due to cross contamination at the lab (apparently happens often) they recommended us to get him to do another PCR, 24hrs later we got his results he was negative. T&T told us that we still have to isolate as the positive as been logged and not able to un log a case. So we lost a weeks wage for nothing. I will be in no rush to get another PCR unless I'm super poorly or showing positive on a LFT.

We spend 18days in isolation

Hi

Ring 119 and discuss with them, this is happening much more now that T and T callers are no longer clinicians . Apologies if arleady mentioned, didn't have time to read all replies

@SinoohXaenaHide

They haven't made a mistake. He had a positive test on Monday so the calculation starts on Monday. If he had done the test late on Saturday when it arrived the period would have been 2 days shorter. Its perfectly sensible for there to be no appeals process. What a waste of limited resources that would be. He will be fine. The extra few days won't do any harm.

They have made a mistake. The count of days starts from the date symptoms started or the positive LFT NOT the date of the pcr.

I'd ignore if. If there are any repercussions then make sure you have all your evidence. Logged lft, date of symptoms, details of you calling him sock into school etc and it would be thrown out of any court if they tried to prosecute.

They have made a mistake DEFINITELY. OP is correct, your isolation period begins when your symptoms started not when you go the positive test. There is clear science behind this, you're only contagious in the 10 days after symptoms start and get positive PCRs for weeks afterwards whilst not being contagious any more.

This is so frustrating for you OP!! No advice just sympathy

@allsorts1
Thank you (and thanks for not telling me that my local priority postbox has a Sunday collection, or what a good idea it would have been to have spent over an hour in the car with my infectious son to get a PCR test immediately!)

OP
Check out this advice FROM THE NHS WEBSITE

1. Self-isolate: as soon as you experience COVID-19 symptoms, medical advice is clear: you should self-isolate for at least 10 days, unless you get a negative PCR test. Your self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started and the next 10 full days

www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

Honestly. Just calculate it that way. School won't bat an eyelid.

I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that the reason it's not possible to edit the isolation date is because it's not about public health - it's about control.

Ah more conspiracy theories which fall apart when you spend about a second thinking about them.

The government want people at work, spending money, going out. Having people stuck at home is incredibly damaging for the economy and I'm sure if Johnson could have his way he'd drop all isolation restrictions and have infectious people out and about.

I think it's more likely due to a shit IT system (or T and T workers not being properly trained). We have a long history of screwing up public computer systems in the UK.

@tiredoftiers

Is the moral of the story then if symptoms and positive lateral flow, then treat as positive and don't bother with a PCR to confirm? I'm not aware of anyone with positive lateral flow that has then returned a negative PCR.

Lots of people are having positive lfts then negative PCRs at the moment. The negative pcr is likely a false negative. Public health are investigating as there are so many with all classic symptoms, multiple LFTs and then negative PCRs, it’s really weird