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?

[quote Tinysnickers]@Itisasecret I am actually pretty scared as I'm fairly sure it's now rampant in our town and my elderly parents are out shopping and things, potentially queuing behind someone positive who's been told they don't have it. I feel a bit sick thinking about what the real numbers actually are. We've not been too bad right through as it's fairly quiet place but something feels very different now.[/quote]
It’s genuinely scary if you live here. People are getting very, very sick. School age children, average parent/teacher age people. Unless you’re down here and actually living it, you don’t know how much of an issue it is. That said, hospital admissions are reflecting it now in the SW. possibly because of viral load?

Covid positive people are literally going about their business. Something is seriously wrong and it’s a scandal.

[quote Tinysnickers]@Itisasecret I am actually pretty scared as I'm fairly sure it's now rampant in our town and my elderly parents are out shopping and things, potentially queuing behind someone positive who's been told they don't have it. I feel a bit sick thinking about what the real numbers actually are. We've not been too bad right through as it's fairly quiet place but something feels very different now.[/quote]
I feel the same. I feel sick knowing any one of the many "colds" I have had could have been Covid and I've been falsely reassured by the tests.

It is really scary. And definitely feels like February 2020 when there were threads on mumsnet talking about cases coming back from half term skiing in Italy. And others saying don’t be stupid you can only get it from China. And there are only 3 cases in the UK.

I’m just so glad I read things on here and can warn my parents. No one else they know realises that there is a potential big issue

I don't buy south west or Bristol is low covid as know more people than ever with symptoms and ill.

The stats put into graph form doesn't make sense.

I'm pretty much resigned to having it now after 2 days working in a very small stuffy office with poorly co-worker who is non-stop coughing and blowing nose and whose family all have classic covid symptoms, positive LFTs but negative PCRs which mean they are all back out at work and school. I'm thankful I'm
aware of this bizarre PCR issue though so at least I can make sure to steer clear of my elderly family members for a few days.

I’d be interested to hear how people have got on comparing home/postal and drive thru PCRs? Does anyone know if they go to the same lab?

We’ve got the also strange situation here where both children and teachers have the same classic covid symptoms, but….multiple (vaccinated) teachers have positive PCRs and all children have tested negative…weird. Is there something about how children tare tested (nostrils only) that makes their PCRs less reliable? I realise children are (usually, some like @Itisasecret’s poor daughter excepted) more likely to be asymptomatic, but surely that would still produce a positive pcr? Especially as they’re unvaccinated? It’s all very strange…

@3asAbird Where's that graph from and what are 9 suspicious LTLAs?

Those graphs are from this Twitter thread which was linked a couple of pages back

twitter.com/artysmokesps/status/1448108103011115013?s=21

(and it explains the 9 sus LTLAs!)

Thanks!

I finally got a positive. Postal PCR.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58899612

Relevant article to this issue on bbc website this morning. Surely they should be changing the guidance?!?!

@Tinysnickers

I finally got a positive. Postal PCR.

How long did it take to get your postal result after you sent it?

@Tinysnickers

I finally got a positive. Postal PCR.

does that reassure you in any way? You are still as sick potentially shedding the virus as you were before. This is what I find so difficult to understand why people test and test and test. It has become an endless loop and we will never return to normal at this rate. The fear shown by some of the previous posters that tests are not reliable and 'we could all die' is worrying. If you don't trust the tests and 'it is a scandal' it would be better and save the taxpayer billions to stop issuing them for free to people who are placing far too much reliance on them

@bunnybuggs it would mean my employer would actually let me work from home and count it as covid related sick leave.

This is what my Zoe app is guesstimating for one of the 9 Local authorities. The daily govt stats were showing very very high infection rates in school teens, and minimal elsewhere, but it is beginning to creep up within the likely "parent" age group.

Buggs do you not see the issue with allowing COVID + out and about? The issue is in the SW, lack of hospital space.

Unless you’re living it and seeing just how many schools and work places are impacted because people are getting very sick, you really can’t comment. It’s an absolute shit show down here and it’s getting worse.

The fear shown by some of the previous posters that tests are not reliable and 'we could all die' is worrying

Your dismissal of people’s justifiable concerns about their and their families’ health and possible impact on employment is concerning.

Dh's work had this. They had to dispose of thousands of pcr tests when it was realised the date had expired and they were giving negative/unclear results. I wonder if the tests being used are similarly out of date given south west has generally had a lower infection rate.

@minisoksmakehardwork

Dh's work had this. They had to dispose of thousands of pcr tests when it was realised the date had expired and they were giving negative/unclear results. I wonder if the tests being used are similarly out of date given south west has generally had a lower infection rate.

I didn't know they expired.

@bunnybuggs It is not reassurance. I knew I had covid and had stayed at home. I wanted to avoid being asked to test again as a close contact within 90 days, as theres a possibility I'd be positive due to dead virus remains in my body, and I did not want to pointlessly isolate later.
I also want covid noted on my medical record so that if I have any long term complications eg long covid I will not be dismissed as never having covid.

@louiselady500 tested posted Tues midday, results yesterday mid evening.

[quote Tinysnickers]@louiselady500 tested posted Tues midday, results yesterday mid evening.[/quote]
Thank you

@Tinysnickers same reasons I've been persistent on getting the positive pcr result. Not to mention, we plan to go abroad when we can to visit family and don't want to have to isolate if the day 2 test comes back properly. Main reason is to have the test results on medical record in case of any future health issue that could be related.

The bbc news article posted up thread is interesting. I think that’s the first of the spin to cover up the issues. So rather than admit there has been an issue the guidance will change to be “rely on lfts”