Can you have a false negative lateral flow test?

[Mary89]

I’m asking on behalf of someone else? Can you have a false positive? The next one taken a couple of hours later was negative…

PCR test ordered. If that’s negative does that mean you don’t have Covid ? 🤔

When my daughter had covid she tested negative on a later flow. She got a pcr anyway as was a close contact of someone and she had symptoms. It was positive and then she done numerous other lateral flows after and only one was positive out them all.

There was a heap of people having pos LFT then neg PCR, but they found out a Lab was producing false neg PCRs.
You can definitely have false negative LFTs, I’ve had a pos PCR last week and 3 neg LFT.

My sister had 3 positive lfts but then 2negative pcrs. She was told she didnt need to isolate

I don't think any test can be trusted 100%

I know two separate households that recently had false negative LFT. PCRs were positive.

I also know someone who had multiple negative PCRs -despite being ill & his wife’s being positive-his antibody blood test was positive so he had had Covid! He was isolating any way as this was pre vaccine & that was the rules.

False positives are possible but really rare, false negatives are far far more common in the region of 30/40%.

I started a thread on this a couple of days ago. I had a pretty dark positive on a lateral flow test, negative PCR, and a couple more negative lateral flows. I did another LF this morning and positive again, although no stronger than the last positive. I'm awaiting results of a second PCR now, don't want to risk infecting anyone else especially with Xmas round the corner.

My understanding is that LFTs produce more false negatives than false positives, significantly so (which is why you should take a PCR if you're symptomatic).

My dh had numerous negative LFTs despite clear, classic symptoms - his PCR was positive.

Thanks everyone. Hopefully the PCR test will clear the situation …