Clear symptoms, a confirmed case in the house but negative LFT!

[littlepeas]

He is off for a PCR this morning before anyone tells me off!

My ds has confirmed Covid - day 6 - he had very minor symptoms for a day.

Dh is continuing to test negative despite having classic symptoms (cough and temp)! He has had 2x AZ vaccine and is mid 40's.Other 2 dc and I are all negative and symptomless.

Anyone else get negative lateral flows with symptoms and then go on to test positive with PCR? Ds's lat flow came up positive instantly, so it seems strange - surely dh has Covid??

Loads of threads on this. LFTs aren't reliable, loads of people are getting negative results when they have Covid. The ones me and DS did were negative and we both had positive PCRs.

Oh sorry, I hadn't seen any other threads (not recently anyway). I suppose I am comparing it to ds's lft, which came up as positive instantly.

I heard that it could be something to do with the viral load and it's less likely to show positive if your viral load is low, no idea how true it is. I did 3 LFT when I had Covid, all negative, same with DS, we definitely had it as we both had positive PCRs and I had symptoms.

My DS's Covid experience over last three weeks :

Classic symptoms but LFT negative so went for PCR as he was clearly ill.

PCR negative so went back to school after three days of being ill in bed.

Still feeling ill for another week and half and still getting negative LFT which we were doing regularly as we were still worried he had Covid ( our DD is CEV so we're worried for her sake)

This brings us to last weekend and he is still feeling rough. We did a LFT on Sunday - negative. Comes home from school saying he feels worse than ever so we test again - this time positive. PCR test next morning and that comes back positive too.

By this time I'm coughing and feeling a bit off. My LFT and PCR are all negative. I'm isolating even though I don't legally have to.

I just don't understand it!

My son tested positive on the Saturday. I took a PCR on the Monday which came back on the Wednesday as positive but in the meantime, I had been doing daily LFTs which were all negative.
I didn’t get a positive LFT until the Thursday (3 days after doing the PCR which came back positive). I think the LFTs can take longer to show an infection - especially in those who are vaccinated and may have a lower viral load.

It's so strange. A lateral flow also picked up my mum as positive when she was asymptomatic!

Dh is in bed after coming back from his PCR test - he says he feels sick now too. We've been in the house since Monday - I don't see how it could possibly be anything else (although he seems to think it is).

Someone I know had a positive PCR test and out of curiosity did a daily LFT. It took to day 5 after her positive PCR for a LFT to show positive.

This is really interesting to see how it’s working within families. On of the dc’s tested positive by LFT on Sunday (strong and appeared straight away) and that was confirmed on Wednesday by PCR. There’s me and DH who are double vaccinated, his brother who has just been vaccinated and his twin brother and younger sister (so 6 of us altogether). We have been doing daily lft’s since Sunday and they’ve all been negative and just sent of pcr’s for all of us today so I’m interested to see if any of them come back positive.

I will update when we get DH’s result. I would be very surprised if it comes back negative.

Having similar issues here, my DS 12 pcr positive and LFT pos Sunday.

awaiting my pcr result. LFTs all negative. Weird symptoms started yesterday, altered taste, ears hurting, eyes sore
Done two different lft today both negative
Hope result comes soon.

I tested positive on PCR on Monday but had negative LFT Monday and Tuesday. I was symptomatic since Sunday.

PCRs are more sensitive.

My pcr has just come through negative

It's strange. Lft picked up my ds as positive. Pcr confirmed. Dh was negative lft but positive PCR. I have been negative LFT and PCR. But taking another PCR tomorrow to double check.

Someone in my house has confirmed covid. I'm having similar symptoms, just a few days behind. Taken several LFTs, all negative. I'm able to stay indoors so I'm doing that anyway because household quarantine is sensible if you have the means to do it. Of course it's not impossible that I got a regular bad cold at the same time a family member got covid, but it would be an odd coincidence.

Yes me. And because my boss then said it was OK to come into the office I did so and came into close contact with half of my department who were all there for a training day in a small windowless room.

Got a negative Lft on Tues when I first developed pretty strong symptoms. Just blindly put my faith in it, wrongly I now see.

Positive Lft Friday confirmed later that day on pcr.

You would think after not far off two years of covid existing they would have developed more accurate home tests by now

Lfts are really unreliable when you have "symptoms" (not just the big three). They were designed for regular at home testing to catch the asymptomatic cases. Unfortunately a pcr is the only way to know for sure.

Anyone else get negative lateral flows with symptoms and then go on to test positive with PCR?

Yes. Me this week.

Anyone else get negative lateral flows with symptoms and then go on to test positive with PCR?

Me too. I did another lateral flow after getting the positive PCR and there was a very faint line.

Well dh is positive - what a shock

He was in utter denial until the text arrived 'it's just some bug'.

I also have a positive lateral flow this morning, but no notable symptoms.

Yay!

Dh - double vaccinated AZ
Me - double vaccinated pfizer

But no way of knowing whether that has made the slightest big of difference.

My mum is double vaccinated AZ plus Pfizer booster and returned a positive lateral flow 2 days after seeing ds, but is asymptomatic. She is doing better than my dh, who is 30 years younger than her!

Littlepeas im glad you know now but hugs xxx hope your all ok
Mine has come back negative again. Im not doing another now unless I really obviously need to. Ive done two this week mon and Friday both neg
Its so strange how it works/starts/ picked up

Sorry, @littlepeas.

I'm double vaccinated too. I believe this should reduce the severity of the illness, but it certainly hasn't stopped it being transmitted ;(

Sorry to hear that OP. Similar story here, I had negative LFT the same day (in fact after) I had a positive PCR...

My DC even had a negative PCR at first (despite feeling ill), followed by a positive one a few days later...

Very similar, bunch of LF negative but pcr positive.

It’s quite worrying! There must be tonnes of people walking around with it who have assumed they’re ok based on lat flow!