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?

@DumplingsAndStew

Continously seeing people applauding that positive cases are going down (which is a great thing) then reading many instances of people not getting a PCR test, or advocating that others don't. You realise these infections won't be counted in any stats?

Yep.

Especially as numbers fell just around half term among school children. I bet some of that is people stopped testing because they wanted to go on holiday etc. Or stopped because it wasn’t needed over half term.

But if they’ve not had any symptoms then why would they get long Covid?

If you’ve had Covid with no symptoms can you still get long Covid?

I didn’t see anyone I know in the days before the positive test thankfully, but I did go to a number of public places like shops, the bank, takeaway coffee places. I should have called them all shouldn’t I?

I also went to the park and playground several times with my DC! Could I have spread it to other families?

I was wearing a mask in all these places (except the playgrounds) but have read they’re not actually that effective! So I could still have passed it on.

And then what would have happened - the app is practically unused now and people will tend to just ignore unless it is someone they know
Most of us are testing and symptom spotting your track and trace simply wouldn’t

I went to Pizza Express when DS was positive with friends they were notified via me they weren’t by Pizza Express
Activities etc we know of positive cases through word of mouth not being contacted

As long as you isolated the 10 days which is a legal requirement with a positive LFT unless you get a negative PCR

I wouldn't bother doing pcr tests

I tested positive last week. Kids are negative on lateral flows but two days ago I thought oh I best get them tested, they're positive, now we have to isolate for another 10 days when they may well have been positive when I did a pcr

I can't take this isolation malarkey much longer

@holly76666

I didn’t see anyone I know in the days before the positive test thankfully, but I did go to a number of public places like shops, the bank, takeaway coffee places. I should have called them all shouldn’t I?

I also went to the park and playground several times with my DC! Could I have spread it to other families?

No, you shouldn’t have called those places. What happens is you tell T&T and then I’m not totally sure if they then tell all those places, especially ones where it’s be almost impossible to know who exactly you were in close contact with, eg in the bank, or takeaway coffee place. It might just be that they use that info to monitor how it’s spreading.

It’s good you were wearing a mask as that does reduce transmission.

In theory you could have spread it in the playground, but being outside massively reduces the risk of transmission. And as long as you were there before your symptoms, then that’s what’s happening every time someone develops symptoms - you’re infectious before symptoms develop. So unless you are like literally going to go into another self-imposed lockdown, there’s no point beating yourself up about the fact you were out of the house before your symptoms started.

I do think that there’s nothing you can do differently now, so don’t keep angsting. In future, if your DH tests positive on a LFT, he should get a PCR, and if that’s positive too, you should get PCRs for you (if more than 90 days since your symptoms started this time) and the DC.

But nothing you can do about the past, and you did the responsible thing with isolating anyway, even without a PCR.

Calm down, it's done now. Thousands of people go out and about without knowing they have a virus or infection, don't stress.