The great South west PCR mystery

[3asAbird]

They say they investigating when we going to find out outcome?

inews.co.uk/news/covid-lateral-flow-tests-negative-pcr-1236141

Is it option

1. faulty batch pcr tests only at South west drive through test centres? 2/ corruption or negligence at the local lab? Does the South west have 1 giant lab that processes bath/ Swindon and Bristol pcr tests
2. some new varient that evades pcr tests like the one in France.

Are we even doing much genome sequencing these days?

We did have surge testing in Bristol last winter with varient e48k similar South Africa but that was pre delta.

We had massive cases in locally June and July.
Local r rate seems low currently despite so many off school and 2 Universitys return.

3 kids my child's year have postive lft but negative pcr.
We don't have any set date for covid jabs.
The school is not declaring any cases at all publicly..

Weirdly people saying home tests giving postive results.

That lft more likely to bring us false negative than postive..

Just makes me worried so much covid all over the region undetected with postives not isolating.

So many if these postive lft negative pcr seem to be school children.
ONS forecast 1 in 14 teens had covid last week yet all teens at our school with covid symptoms have negative pcr?

&7 teachers have no symptoms - sorry teacher I meant test positive on a lfd but negative PCR

Absolutely @Greydaysandrainbows.

@Frazzled2207

I’m miles away but was raging when I heard Boris say that the “technical issue didn’t affect the bigger picture that cases are broadly stable”.

Yeah right Boris. Whatever. Thousands of people have been wrongly told they were negative when positive and not been isolating through no fault of their own. Of course it’s going to affect the ducking bigger picture.

Giving him a huge benefit of the doubt, it could mean that the reason why we look like we're rising is that earlier should be higher (but got false negative) who are now re-testing en masse and so artificially pushing numbers up now, so the graph would be flat, rather than a dip then rising.

BUT looking at the bigger picture, even assuming that would mean that we're stable, there must have been tens of thousands of people going out saying "I tested, it's negative so don't worry" and even if they only pass it onto one person each, that's a big spread-especially as it seems to be concentrated in one area. I can't see that it won't make a difference for a few weeks at any rate, as well as the lack of confidence in PCRs.

In some ways the best thing to do would be instead of asking to do a second pcr would be ask people to do an antibody test. Obviously this wouldn't be definitive (can't guarantee that they hadn't had covid asymptomatically earlier) but it might give a better idea.

I'm tempted to go for an antibody test, after having the cold that's going round, as i've had multiple negative tests both pcr (through Zoe) and lateral flow. I'm still breathless three weeks later.
The children brought it from school, and lots of their friends had it, but none tested positive (either lateral flow or PCR). Now last week, the school has let us know that they have a number of cases. I'm wondering (SE) if there was more to it.

I had already restested on a postal test and got a positive the day before the 43000 false results scandal broke.
Even though I got a positive PCR, I have still received a load of messages from t+t asking me to redo my two previous negative pcrs. Idiots.
I have also been asked to redo my DCs pcrs. I'm pretty sure the 5yo hasn't had it as no symptoms and no positive lateral flows. Not going to subject that one to yet another test just to please t+t.
The eldest did have it, had 2 positive LF. But I'm not getting him restested as we are more than 10 days from the symptoms and LF so a retest now would only result in missing another week of school when they aren't even contagious.
I've had about 20 messages from t+t since Friday. Tempted to block their number.

[quote CiderWithLizzie]@Greydaysandrainbows that’s not the case - my text said “strongly recommend”.[/quote]
Mine said strongly advise and book one ASAP.
It means just that.
Out of all of us who tested positive on the lfd - I’m the only one negative on the retest PCR - everyone else is positive

@Tinysnickers

I had already restested on a postal test and got a positive the day before the 43000 false results scandal broke. Even though I got a positive PCR, I have still received a load of messages from t+t asking me to redo my two previous negative pcrs. Idiots. I have also been asked to redo my DCs pcrs. I'm pretty sure the 5yo hasn't had it as no symptoms and no positive lateral flows. Not going to subject that one to yet another test just to please t+t. The eldest did have it, had 2 positive LF. But I'm not getting him restested as we are more than 10 days from the symptoms and LF so a retest now would only result in missing another week of school when they aren't even contagious. I've had about 20 messages from t+t since Friday. Tempted to block their number.

Omg don’t get me started on that. Youngest D.C. tested positive on the lfd with me he’s not positive. 12 calls from t and t. The first one took an hour listing everyone he has been in contact with since he got his wrong negative PCR eg school, orchestra etc took nearly 2 hours after the third call wanting the exact same info I thinking - how can this database have cost so much money?

As I told them you gave him a negative PCR over a week ago - where do you think he has been? Everywhere? Absolutely everywhere. He is a kid- to the park to football everywhere - it’s a frigging disaster. Then 6 tests asking me and other DC to go for another PCR - Constant ringing - we need to go for another PCR we all went late yesterday/ I said and got the result same time and the one was positive. Even the callers are tearing their hair out. I’ve been told send him back to school Monday by someone (10 days after first symptoms) I’ve been told 10 days from Friday just gone and I’ve been told Wednesday - 3 different callers and have given me 3 different dates. It’s a nightmare.

Meanwhile my lovely work colleague lovely man - has had 3 negative PCR and now a positive and is very ill.

Isnt that entirely the problem though Greydaysandrainbows ,we all just end up blaming "the others" for spreading it ? I'm sure many have read the other thread about parents sending sick kids into school where teachers are (understandably)criticising them for doing so but if a teacher in a public sector, strongly unionised secure job with decent sick pay and terms and conditions isn't able to take time off when sick then what hope is there for the parent of a sick child who is in the sort of job where they don't work they don't get paid? With the strategy thats been pursued since the summer we literally have no choice but to accept that we are all going to catch Covid sooner rather than later but cross fingers most adults had the opportunity to be double jabbed and don't get significantly unwell. How do we turn back the clock at this point and put firebreaks in when people in positions of responsibility aren't able to comply with basic principles that reduce transmission? I do empathise, was pushed out of a job in healthcare myself and now no longer able to work because of the years I put in pushing myself to keep going when ill as I was "indispensable" and had no cover when I was off sick...I really regret that now.

The fault for the pcr fiasco lies 100% with the lab.
But management should not be making people who are "so ill" with covid or any other type of symptoms come into work if they are saying they feel very unwell.

I’ve no idea about teachers but I do know the symptoms we had weren’t deemed to be Covid symptoms but flu/ cold symptoms etc runny nose. Even then If you have one of the 3 main symptoms you take a PCR - if the PCR says negative you carry on - if this is correct (I would suspect given the sheer panic by T and T around here that 50,000 incorrectly identified as negative people in and out of work and schools across the south west ) - if 50,000 were conscientious effort to follow the advice and isolate and get a PCR that the lab that incorrectly returned then as negative is to blame. Many eldest has been pinged 5 times this morning / all her friends tested negative on a PCR on Tuesday and now are pinging back positive - we knew it was Covid they had lateral flow positives - I don’t care who gives it to whom - I care about stopping it. Daughters school don’t have masks - yet she wears one every day in every lessons - her PCR is negative. Youngest is primary no masks - he’s positive. My work were strongly advise to ‘make your own mind up but you don’t need them’ - any how it’s all a moot point 30 more positive PCRs at work this morning - departments are closing

@sartorius

The fault for the pcr fiasco lies 100% with the lab. But management should not be making people who are "so ill" with covid or any other type of symptoms come into work if they are saying they feel very unwell.

This. However we were in our knees with staffing ratios it’s a moot point - it’s closing now for a 2 weeks circuit breaker

@sartorius

The fault for the pcr fiasco lies 100% with the lab. But management should not be making people who are "so ill" with covid or any other type of symptoms come into work if they are saying they feel very unwell.

I think the problem is there is so much other illness around that they need someone to come to work

I get that @GoldChick I really do and for mild symptoms that's fine.
However where people have severe winter flu type symptoms, whatever they're caused by, it can prove to be a false economy as has proved to be the point here

@sartorius

The fault for the pcr fiasco lies 100% with the lab. But management should not be making people who are "so ill" with covid or any other type of symptoms come into work if they are saying they feel very unwell.

I disagree with the fiasco being 100% of the lab. Some of the blame goes to the DHSC for a. Giving the contract in the first place and more seriously b. For not realising what was going on FOR A MONTH and letting covid rip through schools in the meantime

@sartorius fully agree. We've had a whole team taken out of action with real knock on effects. Could have been avoided if people hadn't felt forced in.

We cannot possibly blame those who were ill and carried on working, or their work places, because they just followed the rules! They have done nothing wrong.
And, if they stayed home and isolate, they got no rights, as the PCR was negative. So no help with shopping and so on if the whole household was isolating, no financial help, and no cover at work, so basically doing an unathorised absence.
The fault falls 100% on the lab. And, on T&T because, as all LTFs are to be reported, and the PCRs are reported too, they should have noticed this trend earlier.
I am looking forward to find out the details of what went wrong in that lab, and how comes that they did not notice themselves that their testing was wrong, before reaching the espectacular figure of 43000 tests!

And.. .... several days of testing, not just the one day. Surely, they have strict tests, including checking samples that they know are positive, every so often. So how is that it failed for several days? We do trst our instruments daily, so we may missed that something went wrong one day, but not the next? And we are a really simple set up. For pharmaceuticals, they have pages and pages and pages of protocol.
Let's hope though, that is only the testing that went wrong, and no that they are not using back up techniques frequently enough, or sequencing samples of covid tests frequently enough, so they have not missed a new variant.

My test in September is looking like it was a false negative. It was the super cold. They just message me. It’s ok, I was only working in school whilst infected. Which has now had to go back to bubbles as the virus is rampant. No harm done eh?

September!

Yes. September. Which is what half the school had as well.

This is going to explain the size and duration of this peak we are having around here. If it actually was that far back.....
So so many around here with the duper cold indeed.
We are waiting for ours back today. Tested on the 6th, and got the text to have it repeated yesterday. But LFTs were negative, and no symptoms. Just identified as close contact.
The previous week though, we had "the cold" with minor symptoms. Just tired, a bit worn, sleepy, a few sniffles. It spread through work and school quite quickly. I do hope it was a cold, because so many of us were just pandering around after negative tests!

@Itisasecret

My test in September is looking like it was a false negative. It was the super cold. They just message me. It’s ok, I was only working in school whilst infected. Which has now had to go back to bubbles as the virus is rampant. No harm done eh?

I know of someone with a September test that has just had the text through. Also SW. Luckily they have been working from home.

Just had a text to tell me that DD's test on 20 September might have given the incorrect result.

Can anybody beat this early date?

Well well... if we go back to the 20th Sep, it can be very well that there is not a cold being transmitted even if we are keeping distances and sanitising, plus masks, which was quite a weird one actually......

The news channels seem to have forgotten about this disaster already!!!

I know!