Do I have covid? LFT faint positive, PCR negative

[Nurri]

I have been testing since nov 11. On that day I got faint positive LFT and PCR done that day was negative.
Nov 13 another faint positive.
Nov 15 negative PCR
Nov 16 positive LFT
Nov 19 positive LFT
Nov 20 negative PCR. Coughing and hard to breath started.
Nov 22 positive LFT
Today I still feel it is hard to breath. My amazfit watch shows me blood oxygen 93-97 (once 87). It always have showed me 99 until now but I guess it isn't very reliable.
Some days I have low grade fever 37-37,2C.

How long am I supposed to test? Why does LFT turn out positive if I don't have covid? Does it pick up something else? Am I imaging that it is hard to breath? When will I know I have to seek help?

I dont't know if I have had any contact with covid positive but my grandmother had it in the beginning on October (I didnt have contact with her when she got covid and when she got positive pcr). She had covid pneumonia but I went to visit her only when she was well at the end of October.

Funny how Mumsnet read a few stats and seem to over ride government advice

Negative Pcr means it’s highly likely do not have covid

Multiple negative pcrs only strengthen that - what are you saying they’re all wrong?!

Multiple negative PCRs mean probably don't have Covid.
Multiple positive LFTs with symptoms in a high Covid environment mean very probably do have Covid.
The two pieces of evidence are in conflict but the latter outweighs the former.

@Watapalava

PCR detects active infection and always trumps lft. You do not have covid.

That’s completely wrong.

If I’m wrong then why does the national website say if ur lft is postive, and you have symptoms but pcr is negative then you do not need to isolate?!

The choices made by the English government are driven by a variety of reasons, including trying to motivate covid positive people to get PCR tests so that the data is available to enable public health decisions. A few people like the OP who may be wrongly given permission to go out even though they do have covid may well be a price worth paying for that gain (in a largely vaccinated population), but that doesn't mean that they definitely don't have it, just that the government is prepared to take the risk that they do in pursuit of wider goals.

You need to remember as well that at the time that the LFT/PCR rules we're originally set the case rates were probably a lot lower, which skews the numbers.

@ScottishTinydancer321

Although did you see what happened in wales lol.

What’s happened in Wales?

@LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 sure it was wales lots of pcrs were faulty and gave negative results. Was a bad batch

I had this op. 14 positive lfts over a few weeks, 4 neg pcr tests, did home tests and drive through ones. I was mildly symptomatic. I'm going to do a home antibody test in a fortnight to try and see once and for all if I've had it. There are some that can look for naturally acquired rather than vaccine so that's my plan.
Public health England were no use either, they kept saying pcr trumps lft despite the odd of 14 lfts showing false positives.

@Winterwonder5 20% of people who have had Covid have negative antibody tests so that won’t tell you definitively either, unfortunately.

I went for another PCR yesterday and it was yet again negative. Did today 2 different LFTs. One was negative and the other one was positive but with fainter line than before. I guess even if I had covid then with two weeks the tests should turn negative.
Are there any other viruses or something that would turn tests positive? Pneumonia (would explain the hard to breath part)?
I will add that I don't live in the UK so the scandals won't affect my results, also I can't order home kits.

They shouldn't do op. From what I've read the lfts only show a positive result if there is an antigen present in the sample. The antigen produced by our immune system is covid specific so other virus' shouldn't be able to trigger it.

I know kids had been using orange juice etc to get false positives but that works because the acid in the juice/pop basically breaks the test strip and allows anything to bind to it to give a dodgy positive. I haven't been putting fruit acid up my nose so I guess it rules that out

@Ki0612

Could you have had covid recently? You aren't supposed to lateral flow after covid for a few weeks as it will still be positive. Could explain positive lateral flows but negative pcr.

No, it's PCR that it's advised not to do after recovering from Covid as it tests for genetic material and can pick up genetic fragments, which, although deactivated, may linger in your nose/throat for up to 3 months (rarely, but occasionally more).

LFTs detect the protiens from the virus, which are only present if the virus is present, so test negative sooner than PCRs might.

Hi there,

I’m after some advice. I’ve had a headache and feeling a little warm for the past few days, lethargy/ fatigue, nausea and scratchy throat. I have since had multiple (approx 5) positive lateral flow tests. They have been very faint and apart from 1 they have been getting fainter.

I have used 2 different boxes. My Fiancé has had several negative results- he too has a mild sore throat.

I’m a nurse and I’ve been caring for Covid positive patients. A member of staff has tested positive from their PCR test and is asymptomatic.

However, I have had 2 PCR tests and both have been negative!! Government guidelines say that I can discount these LFT’s as false positives. I know false positives are extremely rare and it’s more likely you would receive a false negative. I’ve taken time off work as I don’t want to potentially and unknowingly make others unwell plus I don’t feel 100 percent.

I know there were issues with the PCR testing a few months ago but I presume this would have been resolved? Also, one was a fast track at my place of work and the other was taken to a sister hospital.

Any advice- should I send a postal PCR? Maybe do an antibodies check?
Anyone else still experiencing this confusing phenomenon? Xx

You have covid. Please stay at home

Positive LFT = Covid.

Stay at home.

You can get a false positive PCR if you had Covid recently which is why they say not to do another within 90 days, but not a false positive LFT.

It's statistically extremely unlikely that you would get multiple positive lateral flows unless you did in fact have Covid. Also the more people in the community with Covid, statistically the more likely it is that a LFT positive is in fact true positive.

We got caught up in the earlier Immensa testing scandal, and as scientists we looked into this in detail. In our family we had 2-3 negative PCRs each, but positive LFTs, and in the end via hospital and postal testing PCR we were all shown to have Covid.

You should act as though you have Covid because it is extremely likely that you have Covid (the chances of it not being Covid are vanishingly small). It's a complete bugger though if you need a positive PCR to get compensated for loss of earnings due to isolation.

Thank you so much for your replies!
It is frustrating that without a positive PCR I won’t be put on medical suspension at work. Although, I think I have done the right thing and I’ve told work I am too unwell to be able work. It would be irresponsible of me to be caring for vulnerable adults in a hospital setting!

Pollaidh It is so interesting that you eventually got positive PCR’s. I will send a postal sample off and await the result of that.
I hope you have all recovered!

I had multiple positive LFT followed by negative PCR. I developed pneumonia and still positive LFT and negative PCR.

Oh my goodness timeforanewlife - that’s awful, I really hope you have recovered. Thank you for responding, I feel I’m doing the right thing and not going into work and staying home!

@PalmerViolet1292 Yes I did recover (still not great but definitely better) but couldn't claim financial support as PCR was negative. I only got SSP so not great. It took me 6 weeks to return to work and I am still extremely tired, coughing and my asthma worsened.

@timeforanewlife that’s awful 😞 I’m sure it will take a bit of time for you to fully recover but I’m glad you’re starting to be on the mend. It seems dangerous that employers are happy for their staff to return who are symptomatic and with positive lfts. Why take the risk?
Government rules need to change and weigh up the risks rather than relying on PCR’s when there is other evidence available to support the likelihood that an individual has Covid.

I would love to know why the lft’s on several occasions from different batches have picked up the virus when the ‘gold standard’ has not.

I ended up in hospital too - hence the hospital positive. Still poorly and off work unfortunately. Had we known DS had Covid we would have taken precautions. Thanks Immensa.

Take care! You are definitely doing the right thing. Try the postal test because it's so unfair you're being penalised for caring for those around you.

@Pollaidh 😯 bless you. That’s horrendous that you were hospitalised and still so unwell! It’s interesting that a few of you lovely people had negative PCR’s and were so poorly.

I’m thankful that at the moment I only have headaches, slight temp and I’m absolutely exhausted. I feel like I’ve finished night shift.

I really do hope you’re better soon! You take care also. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! ❤️

I have sent for a postal PCR so I’ll do that and send it asap! I’d be surprised if I did not have Covid as I’ve been looking after several positives in the last few weeks!

Interestingly, I did see a case a month or so back of a patient with ground- glass changes on their chest X-ray but they had multiple negative PCR’s. They were ‘happy hypoxic’ so everything clinically indicated Covid but the test said otherwise. Hmmm....

Thank you once again for reassuring me I’m doing the right thing.