Are false faint positive LFTs a thing?

[yelloweverything]

Dd11 had a faint positive LFT today. It was barely there in the time slot (not everyone in the house could see it) but after the time elapsed, it was a bit stronger (but still faint). We've all gone for PCRs waiting for the results.

I was in the camp that a positive LFT meant likely positive PCR but I've known a few people in the last few weeks where PCR has come back negative after faint positive LFT - is it a thing now? Is it happening a lot?

I'm slightly clinging on to hope here as we have a lot of lovely things that will have to be cancelled at great upset to SEN dd who already has mental health issues from the covid / lockdowns etc taking so much away from her. Timing at its absolute worst.

We use nose only ones too. Well dd has come back positive now so I think it's wise to pcr ds again in a few days as the school suggested.

I think its more likely to be a false negative PCR than a false positive LFT

[quote Vanillacupcake33]@yelloweverything sorry about your dd. I hope she gets well soon.
My ds is still testing positive on lft so I've kept him off and I'm going ring nhs in a bit but I know his school isn't going to be happy but I just don't see how he's still testing positive with a negative pcr. If the nhs tell me go by this pcr and the school want him in I'll have no choice but to send him school but it just seems so wrong. My dd is suffering with her symptoms shes getting very strong positives but it's been 6 days since I did her pcr and it isn't back but I'm fully expecting that to be positive. I just don't know what to do with ds.[/quote]
I'm really surprised to hear the school are so keen to have him in. Most schools I know would be the opposite and not be to happy with them coming in if there's a chance they have covid. Are you sure they're not just telling you the official rules? It's hard for schools as they have to toe the party line but if you say you think there's a high chance he's positive and the pcr is wrong they'd be mad to not err on the side of caution.

My ds has this everytime he does an lft test, positive but always followed by a negative pcr test. To quote our doctor, those tests are rubbish and less than 50% accurate, so half of people with positives are actually negative and half of the negatives are actually positive!!

@thirtyrock39 I was also shocked. When I rang today I told them what nhs had advised me to do but that as his pcr was negative its up to the school. At first they wanted him in and wanted to go by the pcr but I explained again dd tested positive and ds has symptoms and testing positive on lft and it surley wouldn't be right to send him in, after me being passed to someone else they agreed to keep him home and do another pcr at the end of the week going by nhs advice to me on the phone but for a minute I thought they were going to tell me he needed to be in and I think hadnt I spoken to the second person the first would have certainly told me to bring him in. I would have done anything either way for him not to go because I don't want him infecting anyone It just didn't sit right with me.

I did test faint positive on lft but pcr was negative. I still get faint positive lfts two weeks later. I haven't had any symptoms. My son is the same. We ignore them as they look the same as the ones which were followed by negative pcr.

Yes.

I had medium strength LFT followed by negative PCR (same day). Next day I had very strong, very immediate LFT so going for another PCR. I’m not feeling very well (though none of the big 3 symptoms) and have recently had contact with others who have tested positive so I am sure it is the PCR that is wrong.

@verite1 yes I would definitely do another. My dd first 2 lft were light but definitely there and the next day was a strong positive she took a pcr that afternoon and it came back positive yesterday so defiantly get another. She also doesn't have the main symptoms but is poorly with it. So far she's had watery eyes, off stomach feeling sick, snotty, on off cough, achy, headache and says she has a funny taste in her mouth.