Is there a point in doing a pcr?

[Couldntmissthisonethisyear]

My sons class got sent home yesterday as the teacher and 8 children were positive.
He was negative on a lateral flow last night and a very faint line tonight.
Feeling under the weather with a mild cough, its obviously covid.

What is the need for a pcr now as we will all just stay home now anyway so it would just be adding to the numbers.

Or is there an actual reason that my stressed head can't think of, I thought about a recovery pass but he's not old enough to need to show one?
As for tracing contacts it would only be his class and they're all contacts anyway and are at home with the advice to get a pcr.

Why run the risk of potentially having to isolate again for no reason (which could happen if a PCR is needed for any reason in next 90 days, when he could still test positive)?

I thought the same when we got covid in the summer but getting tested has been important as I’m suffering from long covid. It was also useful when the kids needed testing at school as they were still showing positive weeks later.

@StealthPolarBear It took them bloody ages to get proper treatment, in my friend's case. Because she was under 40 they didn't believe Covid could have affected her. She's now been diagnosed with Covid-induced asthma and is much better with the right drugs, but it took a battle to get there.

It was only a few months at the beginning but yes it’s very difficult for them to access the long covid clinics without the proof - long covid hadn’t been heard of then, who knows what else will crop up and it’s precisely why is so important to get confirmation of a positive result, never mind the research and planning aspects of knowing the true extent of the pandemic.

@AD80

For me I think it's helpful to have in record they've had covid. I know they could get it again... also after a confirmed positive test you shouldn't routinely test for 90 days do a pcr would mean he's exempt from any routine testing!

This

My child had two faint positive lfts… pcr negative, next day lft was negative. So yes it’s worth doing a pcr I think!

I’d get them, to have it on record

I think I've been swayed for the long covid aspect.
Thanks for the input as I couldn't see any reason to pcr, it's shocking that they would block access to long covid clinics without proof when they're saying most people will have caught it soon.

@Couldntmissthisonethisyear - As you don’t need an urgent result, order a home test it will be much more convenient.

If we care about the stats and the numbers, it needs to be a pcr too. So there is a counting argument.

Again though, as so many people are about to get omicron and the lab capacity for PCRs won’t be there and the policy will likely have to change to eliminate the need for confirmatory PCRs, there will likely need to be new access pathways anyway. I say this to reassure people who in a few days perhaps won’t be able to get that PCR anyway, not through choice.