"She's fine, we've done a lateral flow"

[Happymchappy]

I just wondered if anyone else is coming across this more and more amongst parents at school. The vast majority of people I chat to seem to be relying heavily on lateral flows these days - less so PCRs for close contacts, coughs etc.
I'm just intrigued how common this is more widely?
I'm sure if a child was visibly ill with symptoms the school would send them home and they'd get a PCR then - I've come across it more in social interactions like playdates etc.

Oh please

Relying on LF here for the children, and even then a bit over it tbh. Young children are horrible to swab (giving very dodgy results) constantly ill and it’s absolutely rife here now so feels totally unavoidable.

To be fair PCRs aren’t that great either.

@PeachesPumpkin

To be fair PCRs aren’t that great either.

Perhaps but it’s better than a lateral and even better than no test .

My dd spent time with a friend who tested positive, she then developed cold symptoms, tested positive on 4 lateral flows over the weekend but 2 pcrs done over same weekend came back negative 🤷‍♀️ We are South West where some of the dodgy PCR tests were but I haven’t been contacted to say she had a dodgy one.

If your child has a positive LF then just get a PCR regardless of the symptoms. Most of the people I know who have had covid, have a headache and are tired the first couple of days, no cough.

To be fair PCRs aren’t that great either.

Well how on earth are you supposed to know if you have it then?

To be fair, both are reasonably accurate. Which doesn't mean they are never wrong, but it does mean that you should take a positive result (on either) seriously.

LFTs are meant for if you are symptom free. They should have a PCR, I had a negative LFT 3 hours before I took a PCR that came back positive. I didn't have symptoms at all until after the PCR. My son tested positive the day before and just had a cough. Certainly if other kids have tested positive in the class they should be doing a PCR just to rule it out. I can't really see how "an hour of your time" is really that big an inconvenience to know for sure. If you are using the drive through you are not in contact with anyone else who has it unless they are in your vehicle.

To be fair PCRs aren’t that great either

PCRs are actually super-sensitive if they're done properly.

Ive had covid and for first few days my symptoms were headache and feeling achy.

I started with a cough yesterday, I did a LFT and whilst waiting for the result order a PCR test, I did another LFT this morning, just before my PCR test arrived, so I have done that and sent it off, but with 2 negative LFT tests I will carry on and go to work, I will continue to do an LFT everyday until I get my PCR result back.

I’ve sent kids home from school, insisting on a PCR despite them having negative lfd tests. 2 out of 3have had positive PCRs.

One of the parents were awful to the office-her child came back positive.
We are all trying to do our best in this situation but we need to help each other…

@Snaketime

I started with a cough yesterday, I did a LFT and whilst waiting for the result order a PCR test, I did another LFT this morning, just before my PCR test arrived, so I have done that and sent it off, but with 2 negative LFT tests I will carry on and go to work, I will continue to do an LFT everyday until I get my PCR result back.

But as you have symptoms, you should be isolating until you receive your PCR result not going to work.

Yes and it's driving me mad.
One single one off lateral flow test does not mean you don't have Covid ffs.

@ TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross
Many people describe that they are feeling “crap” and actually have a fever.
For many having a runny nose or sore throat is feeling unwell or under the weather. CRAP is when I have a fever and feel really ill.
A fever is a symptom that qualifies PCRs not LFT
People have forgotten that yes, there are lots of viruses about, but we are in the middle of a pandemic in one of the countries with the highest covid rates. If you have anyone of the 3 symptoms it’s a PCR or these ridiculously high rates aren’t dropping anytime soon.

Lateral flows were negative for me even after my PCR. They give a false sense of security

An LFT picked my sons case up within about 10 seconds flat.

Everyone I know who has had positive LFT has had covid (positive PCR).

So if I'm honest I'm not sure I'd bother with PCR if I had positive LFT and some kind of symptom of any illness (most I've known lately who are jabbed get heavy cold symptoms).

If I had symptoms and negative LFT then I would get an PCR to be safe.

I wish people would say LFTs are only for symptom free. Of course they will pick up a symptomatic infection. How do you think they work? They detected the virus antigen which doesn't go away as soon as you get symptoms. The point was that they were a useful, cheap blunt instrument to pick up symptomless cases that would otherwise go undetected & therefore protect the population as a whole.
THEY WILL WORK ON SYMPTOMATIC INFECTIONS.
They may not be as accurate as PCR but are good enough (& better than perhaps thought before). A false positive is extremely unlikely (false negative more so).

Bugger auto correct
Wouldn't say

I understand your frustration but agree with others about accessing PCRs. And can we also remember that coughs and colds also go around at this time of year and not everyone with these symptoms has Covid.

Thank you for all the replies. This has been really interesting and informative for me and has opened my eyes to lots of different reasons for people not taking PCRs. I've often found Mumsnet really good for making me see things from another person's perspective.
The situation that made me post originally was a friend dropping off her daughter with a cough, telling me that her cough had just started but it was fine as they'd done a lateral flow.
Like another poster said above, I completely get it and I'm not too worried or concerned but more just interested.

@itsgettingwierd

Everyone I know who has had positive LFT has had covid (positive PCR).

So if I'm honest I'm not sure I'd bother with PCR if I had positive LFT and some kind of symptom of any illness (most I've known lately who are jabbed get heavy cold symptoms).

If I had symptoms and negative LFT then I would get an PCR to be safe.

LFTs don’t often show false positives, that’s quite rare. They are notorious for false negatives. If they were that accurate they would be accepted in places like hospital, airports, schools etc.

2boys I know. That's why I said I'd assume a positive LFT was accurate but question a negative one with illness (even if they weren't the 3 main symptoms).