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Covid

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Original poster

DD tested positive & has symptoms - postal PCR or go to test centre?

61 replies

daisybank2 · 10/12/2021 10:09

Me & DH have different opinions.
DD has had 2 positive lateral flows & mild covid symptoms.
I think she should do PCR by post, rather than go to test centre (close by and walkable) so doesn't leave the house and potentially infect others.

But DH thinks for quicker result we should go to walk in test centre.
99% sure she has covid - but obviously need the official PCR result. What would you do?!

OP posts:

OnlyAFleshWound · 10/12/2021 10:50

You know she has it, so there's no real rush. My daughter also has it this week (along with 1/3 of her school class) and she had mild symptoms and tested positive on two LFTs.

We did postal PCRs on all of us, including her - they came back the following evening and they all confirmed the lateral flow results (hers positive, rest of us negative).

ShortDaze · 10/12/2021 10:53

I was told that you have to isolate from the date of positive PCR test (not the LFT), so you will end up isolating for a day or two longer if you wait for the postal one to arrive.

ChessieFL · 10/12/2021 10:57

The last postal test we did got lost and we never received the results, so I would say go to the centre. As a pp said they’re designed to deal with people who may be infectious.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 10/12/2021 10:57

When my dd had a postal one it went missing so I'd do drive thru

Lshajisk · 10/12/2021 11:01

I did a postal test last week. It took 2 days to arrive and then 3.5 days after it arrived at the lab to get the result. If you're happy to wait then that is fine. Local walk in/drive throughs are results back in 24 hours.

superstar84 · 10/12/2021 11:04

Def go to the test centre

Ds has to isolate for 10 days from the day after his test, if we'd done a postal one he'd have isolated for even longer

thelittlestrhino · 10/12/2021 11:06

The results of my postal one never did come back either.

PurpleDaisies · 10/12/2021 11:08

@superstar84

Def go to the test centre

Ds has to isolate for 10 days from the day after his test, if we'd done a postal one he'd have isolated for even longer

The op’s daughter has symptoms. That’s when the isolation period will start from. The test date isn’t an issue here.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-long-to-self-isolate/

DobbyTheHouseElk · 10/12/2021 11:12

Definitely go to a test centre. Based on my experience this week. Sunday morning DC had symptoms and a positive LFT. Ordered a postal test. DH went to test centre 2 hr journey for himself.

DH got his results back Monday morning. Negative.

DC postal test arrived Monday morning I put it in the post priority box etc Monday lunchtime. Didn’t get results back til Thursday morning! Negative.

MalbecandToast · 10/12/2021 11:13

@PurpleDaisies I know it says that but when DH had covid the T&T people said the day of the test was day 0 and to count the 10,days from the day after the test, even though the cough started two days before the test. He queried it and was told they were right and he had to comply

PurpleDaisies · 10/12/2021 11:16

[quote MalbecandToast]@PurpleDaisies I know it says that but when DH had covid the T&T people said the day of the test was day 0 and to count the 10,days from the day after the test, even though the cough started two days before the test. He queried it and was told they were right and he had to comply [/quote]
T and T have a history of inconsistency and not getting things right. Depending on who he spoke to, he might have got a totally different answer.

My isolation was from my symptoms, not my test date.

friedeggandsauce · 10/12/2021 11:20

Postal- you know the likelihood is she has it!!

Aderyn21 · 10/12/2021 11:20

I'd do the walk in. Postal PCR never bothered to send back ds result!

friedeggandsauce · 10/12/2021 11:21

@MalbecandToast that's not happened to people I know, they've isolated from symptom day- perhaps he had a new member of staff who didn't understand?

DontTellThemYourNamePike · 10/12/2021 11:27

My DS(13) tested positive a couple of weeks ago on an LFT. I decided to get a postal PCR because he was coughing a lot and I didn't fancy sitting in a car with him for over an hour! Also, he really just wanted to lie down and would have struggled to get into the car and endure the journey. He was very unwell for a few days. And as pp's have said, isolation is from the first day of symptoms or date of test if no symptoms, so it made little difference.

Lindy2 · 10/12/2021 11:28

I'd do postal. It will add about 24 hours to your wait time but with a positive lateral flow and symptoms I'd say you're almost certainly in for a 10 day isolation regardless of when you get your PCR result back.

I hope she recovers quickly and the rest of you avoid it.

kingat · 10/12/2021 11:32

I dont follow your logic, so why do we have test centres, everyone going there is potentially infected and thats why doing PCR

alexbury · 10/12/2021 11:35

If you yourself don't have symptoms I wouldn't go to the walk-in if you need to accompany your daughter because then there's a chance you could get it.

However if she's old enough to go on her own that might be the quickest and easiest for her to get a quick result.

She may well not give it to you – but potentially you could get it from the test centre yourself, which is a bit of an own goal! I appreciate they take all precautions possible, but I would still not go anywhere near a test centre if I didn't have Covid myself personally.

Frazzled2207 · 10/12/2021 11:38

Or if you are certain she has it like we were with our dc just do neither and go with the lft result and isolate.
We have let everyone know that needs to (is a big outbreak at school so clearly that’s where it came from). I see no benefit in having him pcr’d.
The rest of us went to the test centre though.

fakereview · 10/12/2021 11:42

I'd go to the test centre - the poor girl is going to be stuck at home for 10 days - at least this is the one reason she is allowed to leave the house and get a bit of a walk.

DappledThings · 10/12/2021 11:44

@kingat

I dont follow your logic, so why do we have test centres, everyone going there is potentially infected and thats why doing PCR

Exactly. The staff there obviously expect a lot of people who come in to be infectious. That's what they are there for.

Go to the centre. It's tedious enough waiting for results after the centre, postal one would take ages.

jaysusmickeyandjoseph · 10/12/2021 11:45

Do the postal - we are in the same situation got results 27 hours after posting. Very quick

emmathedilemma · 10/12/2021 11:53

I'd go to the walk in one, wear a mask on the way there if she can. My local one is in portacabins with the doors open so it's practically outside and the staff don't come anywhere near you. I've never seen anyone else there for a test at the same time. If you do a postal one are you not going to run into issues with weekend post deliveries / collections?

Laurel1 · 10/12/2021 14:42

Walk in definetly!

Original poster

daisybank2 · 10/12/2021 14:48

Thanks everyone - we did a quick drive with windows open to local test centre and did PCR there. I think I was overthinking! - the centre was pretty empty tent with ends open so all v safe as possible!

OP posts:

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