Can pcr tests be wrong.

[Bee4229]

Dp has covid. Strong instant positive on lft and comfirmed by pcr. Barely any symptoms.

I've had a cough since the weekend, a mild one. Could just be a non covid cough as my kids have had coughs recently that weren't covid.

I pcr tested on Sunday and again yesterday and both negative. Lft is also negative.

I have cold symptoms, feeling cold, a bit achey etc. Very similar to Dp a day after he tested positive, his has been like a very mild cold. I also have cough but I'm negative.

Maybe be a huge coincidence I have a cold. Wwyd?

Test again? When? Just isolate anyway?

There is a real world false negative rate of up to 30% on pcr tests. I'd test again on Friday perhaps. But as you rightly point out, other bugs are available.

@ColettesEarrings

There is a real world false negative rate of up to 30% on pcr tests. I'd test again on Friday perhaps. But as you rightly point out, other bugs are available.

We are in a bit of a predicament. Dc were poorly with bad colds and coughs in the last week or so, the cough is lingering for them. They were pcr tested and negative at the time and still negative now but worry about symptom over lap.

Right now I don't know if I have what they had or covid or both 😅

Dp caught it at work after 2 very close contacts tested positive!

Not a massive problem. I'm not working at the minute and home anyway, don't need to be anywhere. But unsure what to do about dc for now. I've decided to keep them off and re test in the next couple days!

We haven't had any illness in so long either so it's all come at once!

Also thank you for advice @ColettesEarrings!

We tested PCR negative, then when symptoms continued tested positive a few days later. I would retest.

Before I tested positive I'd had a negative test a couple of days before. So had my DH.

I'd leave it a day or 2 and test again.

It is possible to test too early.

I reckon PCR tests must sometimes be wrong. I know of a family of 5 - 2 kids and a parent tested positive. The other parent and other child had exactly the same symptoms and positive lateral flows but negative PCR (so they are out and about!!!!). I'm sure their PCRs must be wrong.

My sister is a health care professional working on Covid wards. She told me last year PCR tests are only about 60% accurate even when done properly. And if you're testing yourself, you're probably not doing it correctly.

So I don't have a lot of faith in negative test results TBH.

I would retest. Dd tested positive last Tuesday, I was symptomatic too but tested negative on PCR. I kept doing daily lft's and finally yesterday had the faintest of lines on an lft. PCR confirmed the positive. My symptoms have got stronger over the last week although thankfully they are still like a strong head cold.

My son tested positive the weekend before last. The day of his results we all went for PCR's all negative. Daily lat flows until day 3 where my daughter tested positive also confirmed by PCR. We have exact same symptoms as her and have all had them since day before her positive. We have now had 3 negatives PCRs and every lat flow is also negative. It's bizarre. We are all feeling brighter now (she's still in isolation period) but continuing with kat flows but we've all had really bad headaches, aches, tiredness, high temps, generally feeling totally rubbisj
My son who was the first to test positive is going through a scared phase and has been coming into our bed every night for the last two months and snores in your face, breathes all over you. His little sister was actually licking him a few days before his positive
Half his school have it. How we are apparently negative is a huge mystery. Two children positive two children and two adults negative

Thanks all. Dp had a very strong positive lft and confirmed by pcr on Sunday despite being pcr negative on Friday evening (results Saturday). It can change really quickly. But he was mainly asymptomatic when he tested positive. Only tested as her been a contact and had a headache - he always has headaches too!