To ask you to please not rely on lft's if you have symptoms.

[Coronachristmas21]

About 10 days ago Dp went on a work training course with someone he wouldn't normally have much contact at all with (work in the same place but not close by). His work is pretty social distanced but the training day was not. He was sat near to the guy all day on training course for one day. The guy was sniffing, sneezing and coughing all the way through but he said he had got a negative lft so he was 'fine' in his words.

Very next morning less than 12 hours after last contact, the guy tested positive on a lft and comfirmed by pcr. Just a few days later Dp tested positive and isolating until later in the week. Thankfully not overly unwell and pretty much over it.

Now our autistic son has tested positive. Thankfully mild symptoms but he's had an hour long meltdown because in his words 'he has the virus' and 'Christmas will be rubbish'

Probably get through me and Dd as well.

I know we could have caught anywhere but we try minimise the risk. I'm not working currently and don't really go very far and get most things delivered, dc are primary age and there has been next to no cases in their small village school! Dp's work is usually distanced. We don't go to crowded places, wears masks etc. We've avoided it for 21 months.

I am pretty pissed at the situation, but I know there's not much j can do about it. But the point of my post is to please don't rely on lft's this Christmas when you have symptoms. They can work, Dp had a strong instant positive when asymptomatic but sometimes don't work when you are actually ill?! 🤷‍♀️

To add, please don't think it's covid if it's like a cold. Both Dp's and DS's symptoms are cold like. Sneezy, runny nose etc!

To add be careful when thinking about sending your dc to school. Ds could have gone school all week. He had two negative pcrs on Monday and Wednesday (despite actually having symptoms on Wednesday) re-tested him yesterday which was positive, it can change so quickly.

Just want to rant. I've had the most rubbish year or so with bereavement and other things as well as covid and I feel like I just want to curl up and cry.

I am grateful that neither Dp or Ds is particularly ill.

I also care for my grandma but haven't been in because of this. Even though I'm still negative, I don't wanna risk anything 😪

@godmum56 I really don’t think that’s right. They’re basically an Elisa I think and the more viral protein the quicker and stronger the colour change. That was probably somebody trying to come up with an explanation for the reason why you should do a pcr if you have symptoms. The explanation is they are not reliable enough

I also wonder what do you mean by symptoms?
DD and I both had a few colds already but it’s normal in our household. We actually had less colds this year then usual.
I will need PCR test every week all year around if you test for sneezing and runny nose as I suffer from colds in autumn-winter and hay fever in spring- summer.
When DD had temperature she did PCR and we all stayed at home waiting for the result.

Our test results have been back within 14 hours this week. Test at 10am ish and results at midnight. Dp tested at 5pm last week and results at 7am.

@ChirpyChirp

You don't need to take 'days' off work to get a PCR. I took DS for a test last Friday at 4pm. Results through at 4am on Sat. It is pretty quick these days...

Yep, less than 24 hours when I've done one (3 times). I've not had to take any time off work, apart from when I did get a positive result!

Also are people really getting colds every other week that they'd need to test so often? Seems like everyone has a dreadful immune system on MN!

@ChirpyChirp

You don't need to take 'days' off work to get a PCR. I took DS for a test last Friday at 4pm. Results through at 4am on Sat. It is pretty quick these days...

We've had our results within 12-15 hours this week too. Pretty impressed!

@Waxonwaxoff0

I've already said in restaurants, you do tend to catch everything. We also do very long unsociable hours where we often don't have time to piss, let alone eat! Yes, we probably do have weakened immune systems as a result.

I've done numerous PCR tests for me and my dcs. We have never had a 24 hour turnaround. Maybe it depends on where you live.

Since you're lucky enough never to have had to take time off work and therefore lose your wages I can see why you maybe don't get that others aren't in the same position.

[quote JS87]@godmum56 I really don’t think that’s right. They’re basically an Elisa I think and the more viral protein the quicker and stronger the colour change. That was probably somebody trying to come up with an explanation for the reason why you should do a pcr if you have symptoms. The explanation is they are not reliable enough[/quote]
no, she's actually a science person I will ask her to explain again.

[quote OnlyHereForTheClothes]@Waxonwaxoff0

I've already said in restaurants, you do tend to catch everything. We also do very long unsociable hours where we often don't have time to piss, let alone eat! Yes, we probably do have weakened immune systems as a result.

I've done numerous PCR tests for me and my dcs. We have never had a 24 hour turnaround. Maybe it depends on where you live.

Since you're lucky enough never to have had to take time off work and therefore lose your wages I can see why you maybe don't get that others aren't in the same position.[/quote]
I do get it, but to be honest I'd get a PCR and just not isolate until I got the results. No one checks.

The whole point of my post wasn't intended to go about what symptoms are covid or not.

The bloke had a cough so by going by the main three would warrant a pcr.

But in many people it is like a cold. Including the two positives in my house.

I don't know why people are so against pcr testing with a cold. Results are coming back really quickly. How many colds do people get in a year for it to be an issue? I have about one cold a year.

The government need to update their symptom list. Most other countries have a much longer list of symptoms and the U.K. isn't in a great place right now compared to other countries...

I think some people have had to do that at my work, but probably wouldn't have helped with the op's covid contact if he'd tested and then come into work.

It is a question of judgment if you feel well enough and have taken a LFT then I would carry on as normal - if you were really unwell whether it be covid or something else you would tay at home.

@OnlyHereForTheClothes

I think some people have had to do that at my work, but probably wouldn't have helped with the op's covid contact if he'd tested and then come into work.

To wax, sorry

@Coronachristmas21

The whole point of my post wasn't intended to go about what symptoms are covid or not.

The bloke had a cough so by going by the main three would warrant a pcr.

But in many people it is like a cold. Including the two positives in my house.

I don't know why people are so against pcr testing with a cold. Results are coming back really quickly. How many colds do people get in a year for it to be an issue? I have about one cold a year.

The government need to update their symptom list. Most other countries have a much longer list of symptoms and the U.K. isn't in a great place right now compared to other countries...

I get colds at least once a month in winter and then I have allergies through the summer months #blessed

PCR results do not come back all that quickly where I live. I have done several myself and my dcs have done a lot. I don't know why. It may be because we live in a very densely populated area or something.

@OnlyHereForTheClothes

I think some people have had to do that at my work, but probably wouldn't have helped with the op's covid contact if he'd tested and then come into work.

True, but I'd feel better personally knowing I'd taken a more accurate test. I think it's because I had Covid myself and it really was exactly like a cold, if I had relied on LFTs I did which were negative I'd have carried on as normal and spread it to god knows how many people, the range of symptoms is just so varied.

My allergies do present like a cough and cold as well. I have had to do PCR tests for that too, as it makes me cough a lot.

It's fine. I'd gladly sit around testing myself every week, but then I'd have no money. I'll just sign up for all those generous benefits you can get in this country 🤣

How many colds do people get in a year for it to be an issue? I have about one cold a year.
Aaa that’s the issue. DD and I have at least one cold per month, sometimes even two. November and December are particularly bad for us for some reason.
I never had one cold per year in my life. It’s like a dream goal for me.

@Coronachristmas21

Our test results have been back within 14 hours this week. Test at 10am ish and results at midnight. Dp tested at 5pm last week and results at 7am.

Unfortunately not the case everywhere… it took 3 whole days to get my negative PCR result last week, and 30 hours to get my positive this week (with no symptoms but positive LFT). It’s almost enough to put my off PCR testing in future, and if I’d had a job where I would’ve lost pay while waiting for a result, it would have been even worse.

I agree the official symptom list needs to be updated. I googled a couple of days ago and it’s still cough, temperature and loss of taste/smell. I thought the Delta (current prevalent strain) and Omicron (emerging strain) were different. We’ve had throat/head/ cold symptoms this week. LFTs say negative but now many are saying they are inaccurate anyway? We look after a frail 94 year old lady (unvaccinated due to multiple allergies) and she wouldn’t survive Covid

I saw the doctor on This Morning too, saying not to do a lft if you have symptoms because it'll give a false result and only rely on pcr.

My friend recently (with symptoms) did two lft's that were positive so he isolated then had a negative pcr, he did 3 more positive lft and then a second negative pcr!

He had no idea whether to believe 5 + pcr or 2 - lft so he isolated just in case.

Yanbu. I have dc with kids with additional needs and most people have no clue how difficult it is.

Personally I think its selfish to be coughing and sputtering next to someone all day regardless of a negative lft. There's a lot of selfish people about unfortunately.

DH and I have both tested positive this week, DH on Tuesday night on a lft (negative Tuesday morning), did a pcr Wednesday and took 2.5 days to get the results. Cold like symptoms, as soon as he tested positive on a lft I started working from home just in case.
I tested positive Friday morning, pcr at 10:30 & got results same day. Sore throat, cough and a fuzzy head.

[quote JS87]@godmum56 I really don’t think that’s right. They’re basically an Elisa I think and the more viral protein the quicker and stronger the colour change. That was probably somebody trying to come up with an explanation for the reason why you should do a pcr if you have symptoms. The explanation is they are not reliable enough[/quote]
I had remembered it right. Apparently if the viral load is high it denatures the enzyme so it stops working. So it’s good for no or very few symptoms.

Can anyone provide a reference for this? According to the government website LFTs perform best when viral load is high
www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-lateral-flow-antigen-testing-for-people-without-symptoms

I used to think LTF were amazing but I got a negative on the Tuesday lunch time with the smallest of sore throats was going out so just did test as part regular testing. Next day full blown covid and positive lateral flow. Then PCR and two weeks full covid

I was passing it around unknowingly thinking my clean lateral flow was safe. Now if I met up in a group and I’m told everyone has down a test I not be confident at all that it means anything.

Lfts work fairly well if used at the onset of symptoms.

Perhaps his PCR would have been negative when his lft was. You can't assume he'd have got a positive.