Haven’t done a PCR test - worried

[holly76666]

I started developing all the classic Covid symptoms and immediately did a lateral flow test, which unsurprisingly came back positive. I’ve been self isolating ever since and tomorrow is my last day. DH and my toddlers don’t have it yet as far as I know (DH is doing daily lateral flows and the DC aren’t showing any symptoms).

Do I still need to do a PCR or have I left it too late now? Also, could I get in trouble for not having done one?

Too late. And nobody will know you didn't.

The only difference is that your partner and child would have been told to get a PCR test too.

Too late. Needs to be done within 5 days of becoming symptomatic. Why didn’t you?

The main issue is that you may test positive for some time so if you’re planning on going on holiday you’d potentially have an issue.

Too late. Did you tell people you’d been in close contact with in the 2 days before your symptoms developed? Non household close contacts are advised to get a PCR (even if no symptoms) but don’t have to isolate (unless they develop symptoms or get a positive PCR). But it’s probably too late for them too. Your DH would also have been advised to get a PCR (not just do LFTs), even with no symptoms. Again, too late.

Why didn’t you go for a PCR just out of interest?

The issue is your family. They should have done PCRs. I hope they've not been going out.

I would PCR your whole family. LFTs aren’t very reliable.

I feel so guilty that I didn’t get one. I’m struggling with terrible anxiety (was about to start a course of meds before getting Covid) and after reading that test and trace bombard you with calls I thought I couldn’t face it. I also worried I wouldn’t be able to remember every single place I’d been and that I’d get in trouble for forgetting one if they somehow found out. But what if they now find out I’ve had Covid and didn’t get a PCR?

@Idontgiveagriffindamn

The main issue is that you may test positive for some time so if you’re planning on going on holiday you’d potentially have an issue.

Good point - and you need to be double vaxxed or negative LFT or positive PCR within last 90 days to get into some venues in England, and you might well be positive on LFTs for some time (and so you’re advised not to do LFTs for 90 days after having Covid for that reason).

Are you double vaxxed? Otherwise getting into venues might be an issue (if you’re in England and if you want to do that kind of thing!).

Just do it now. At least then you can do the right thing from here on in.

Could I also have put my family or others at risk? We’ve been careful for the duration - DH has been taking the DC out but only for walks and not meeting anyone.

I think you won't be able to "officially" say you've had it so now you can't test for 90 days or it will come up as positive and you'll have to act like you have it. But depends on your work place really

You won't get into trouble, if you have been fully isolating at home since onset of symptoms.

But there will be nothing on your health records about you having had covid, and if you have had a totally new variant (unlikely, I know) it won't have a chance to get picked up by labs.

Plenty of other reasons why it would have been advisable to get tested.
But very little point now, you even risk a positive PCR and being told to isolate for a further 10 days

Yes, I’m double jabbed and am not planning to go on holiday (if only) or to any venues anytime soon.

T&T calls weren’t too bad when DC and I had Covid - once to go through everywhere I’d been (40 mins!), then I think a couple more times (day 5 and 10? Or maybe day 3 and 7?) to check I was still isolating (2 mins). They also went through the help that was available.

They only ask you about where you’ve been in the previous couple of days, and to be honest there’s no way they’d know if you forgot you popped to the corner shop!

Altho obviously you should have got a PCR, I also don’t know how they’d find out now that you’ve had Covid but not got a PCR.

Thinking about it, I’m so worried that I could have put my DC at risk What if they’ve had it without us knowing?

I would be more concerned that your DH hasn’t had a PCR because he could get it outside of your isolation period and not show symptoms. Then spread it to other people.

Being double jabbed doesn’t make you less infectious (although it may make you infectious for a shorter period of time).

So I wouldn’t worry about your lack of PCR although I hope you did let contacts know informally?

@holly76666

Thinking about it, I’m so worried that I could have put my DC at risk What if they’ve had it without us knowing?

They may get it after you, if you got it first. So you could still test them.

I totally forgot about one whole day's worth of social activity when t and t called. I rang those friends myself.

I would say the key piece of information here is you have anxiety. You didn't do it. It's in the past. Move on. You're fine. You took precautions. You don't need people in MN laying into you, it will simpy erode your mental health - look ahead and cross this off the list of things you need to worry about mull over

@holly76666

Could I also have put my family or others at risk? We’ve been careful for the duration - DH has been taking the DC out but only for walks and not meeting anyone.

If you didn’t inform other close contacts so they could take a PCR test and change their behaviour (only going out for essentials) then yes you have put others at risk.

The advice would have been that your DH and DC (and other non household close contacts from 2 days before symptoms) should have had a PCR after your positive PCR (had you had one), especially as a third of cases are asymptomatic. So yes, it’s possible they’ve been spreading it without realising.

On the upside, there’s recent evidence that being double jabbed cuts the risk of household transmission (and anecdotally, my DH and other DC tested negative on PCRs when me and the other DC had it - DH on two PCRs as he felt a bit rough a few days into the isolation - still negative). So it’s great that you are jabbed, in terms of reducing the risk of onward transmission.

You won’t have put your children at risk.

But your logic of not being able to remember every place is awful. So you didn’t tell them any place you went to in case you missed one? That’s really illogical and could have resulted in you passing it on. You had days and days and days to have a test.

No one will ever know though, unless you need a test soon.

@Iggly should I order a PCR now for my DC a even though they’re not showing symptoms? Should I also order one for my DH?

My judgment is shocking sometimes, I feel so annoyed with myself.

You really don’t need to worry about this. You have isolated and your family have been sensible. In our local authority the guidance is not to PCR test under fives just isolate for five days if a household member tests positive. It might be sensible for your husband to do a PCR but otherwise I really wouldn’t worry. Doing a PCR would have made no difference to the risk to your children.