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Original poster

To think rates are going down because people are choosing not to have PCRs?

357 replies

Glassery · 19/12/2021 16:38

Two of my friendship group have this weekend told me that they have symptoms, have got a positive lateral flow, but have decided not to go for a PCR test as a positive result means they would have to isolate over Christmas.

Instead they are going to carry on with their lives as normal for the next few days ‘because it would be a shame to have to make the children stay home’ with them.

Personally I think it’s a disgrace but anyway…

AIBU to think the drop in rates over the past few days is not because Covid cases are falling but instead because selfish people don’t want to isolate until 28th Dec?

OP posts:
itsgettingwierd · 19/12/2021 20:15

@Moonbabysmum

True; however my hypothesis is that the numbers will continue to fall next week.

😂 Yes, I know the evidence is actually that cases are going up, but my hypothesis is that they are falling...

Lol.

Op isn't saying they are actually falling. But falling because people aren't testing so they don't miss Christmas.

I agree with her.

Also if I did a positive LFT I wouldn't do a pcr. I'd do the LFT daily for 7 days on ds though and would isolate.

antisocialsocialclub · 19/12/2021 20:16

Yeah I’ve seen this on Twitter, lots of people saying ‘you can only catch COVID if you test for it 😉’ so obviously it’s being pushed as a way to avoid isolating.

It actually makes me so angry how selfish people can be.

CoedenNadolig · 19/12/2021 20:16

Slightly different but I know many front line staff in various settings who have been "advised" to LTF twice a week haven't done so last week and aren't planning to this week. If they become symptomatic they will isolate and PCR but right now everyone's avoiding asymptomatic testing I think.

Knickerthief1 · 19/12/2021 20:16

I think you're right but I think people won't be doing LF's either. What you don't know can't hurt you - so people are just burying their head in the sand. I think this is more where people have no symptoms or very minor cold symptoms. It's a bit harder to ignore and carry on as normal if you're very ill.

itsgettingwierd · 19/12/2021 20:16

@Justheretoaskaquestion91

If you have a positive LF and you’re isolating I can easily see why you wouldn’t do a PCR. For me it’s a total ball ache to have to go to a test centre as I have 2 small children. Ordering them to home can also take days and god knows if it even shows still. They should make it possible to just log LF positives online or something if people so choose.
You can!
invinoveritass · 19/12/2021 20:27

@antisocialsocialclub almost as angry as it makes me, to think we're all being crippled for a virus so deadly, you need to test to see whether you've actually got it 🥴

Sally872 · 19/12/2021 20:28

I am more likely to have a prc at the first sign of any issue to make sure I don't pass anything on to elderly relatives. I am worried about taking a pcr when I shouldn't and wasting nhs resources but I am very cautious I will probably react quicker to make sure I am as safe as I can be. I can't be the only one and I dont know anyone who would avoid pcr and carry on life with symptoms. (That said they probably wouldn't tell me if that is their attitude)

antisocialsocialclub · 19/12/2021 20:39

[quote invinoveritass]@antisocialsocialclub almost as angry as it makes me, to think we're all being crippled for a virus so deadly, you need to test to see whether you've actually got it 🥴[/quote]
I think the point is by not testing, people are avoiding track and trace and having to isolate. It’s not really about it being deadly or not, it’s testing to know whether you have it so you don’t spread it around to someone for who it may be deadly.

RagzReturnedUnwrapped · 19/12/2021 20:48

@Spaghettipie1

I agree. I work in a GP surgery, a huge proportion of my work is listening to chests to confirm that they don't need antibiotics because it is likely viral, and possibly Covid, but no PCR. Sometimes because they know it's not Covid (well I don't know it's not Covid so no idea how they do) and no they can't get a test because they need to get to work. It's soul destroying. *@DreamerSeven* you don't know it's not Covid, symptoms don't necessarily last long and it may well have been/be.
I work in a GP surgery too, I sometimes scan down the list of GP appointments to see how many have cough etc listed as the reason for call and wonder how many are actually Covid. Most haven't done a pcr and also so many say they did a LFD test and it was negative therefore it isn't covid. 18 months+ and people still don't get it...

I went for a PCR today and I've never seen the test centre (big one, capacity for a dozen cars at a time at least) so empty, I actually thought it was closed!

HappyDays40 · 19/12/2021 20:53

My husband had two positive lateral flows. He didn't bother with a PCR as he felt lousy and couldn't cope with all the phone calls. He had not been in any contact with anyone so just self isolated for 10 days.

Sd352 · 19/12/2021 20:55

@ChangeChingyChange

My daughter technically had symptoms for 2 days and I put my head in the sand to it. She had a runny nose and cough but she does have asthma. She's absolutely fine now though so I know its not covid and she's OK but lesson learned I should just do LFTs and accept the outcome instead of putting my head in the sand. I'm just desperate for her not to miss Christmas with the in laws which I know is silly really Blush
How do you know it’s not Covid? I only had symptoms for about a 24 hour period but it was definitely Covid (positive on both LFT and PCR).
CeeceeBloomingdale · 19/12/2021 21:03

[quote ShirleyPhallus]@CeeceeBloomingdale I really don’t care what you’ve “been told”, the advice is in black and white on the gov.uk website right now, on the screenshot linked. I am not spreading misinformation, I am spreading the exact information that is being given by the government and will defend myself when someone is rude in the first place. Hmm[/quote]
@ShirleyPhallus I apologise, you've misunderstood me. I used a quoted quote and therefore got confused about who posted what, I was actually agreeing with you and meant Foolsrule was rude to you.

There is no need for a PCR any longer, there was that recommendation in the summer but it is no longer on gov.uk. Foolsrule said that T&T were telling people to get a PCR and I was saying they DID NOT tell me that on Friday. I was told 7 days of LFT only. I specifically asked about PCR to check I was understanding gov.uk correctly and it was no longer needed and they confirmed we would only need a PCR if we developed symptoms or recorded a positive LFT.

Nowayoutonlydown · 19/12/2021 21:07

Might have something to do with PCR tests taking so long to be checked.
From sending off for a test to receiving a result its taken a whole week for DD, so I assume there are thousands upon thousands of tests that haven't been checked yet so their results aren't being counted yet.

ShirleyPhallus · 19/12/2021 21:11

Oh ok @CeeceeBloomingdale, I’ll retract my sassiness, no harm done Flowers

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 19/12/2021 21:12

Cases are up +72% today vs last Sunday.

They aren't falling!

But yes they are certainly underestimated, partly because people are just acting on lateral flows but also I don't think reinfections are counted so if someone who had it last Christmas gets it now they aren't in the stats. Robert peston has been banging on about it as there are signs of high reinfection rates.

Ginger1982 · 19/12/2021 21:17

@ChangeChingyChange

My daughter technically had symptoms for 2 days and I put my head in the sand to it. She had a runny nose and cough but she does have asthma. She's absolutely fine now though so I know its not covid and she's OK but lesson learned I should just do LFTs and accept the outcome instead of putting my head in the sand. I'm just desperate for her not to miss Christmas with the in laws which I know is silly really Blush
Ridiculous. My son had the exact same symptoms and had Covid. God knows who she's infected.
HaaaaaveyoumetTed · 19/12/2021 21:20

My dad's not having a PCR but he IS isolating following a positive LFT.

monsterflake · 19/12/2021 21:24

I don't know if I'm missing something or have got the wrong end of the stick or what, but surely with a positive LFT there is a high chance the person has covid, especially with symptoms too. So wouldn't going to a test centre or having to go out to post a home PCR be counter productive? I'm happy to be corrected if I'm being dense.

nodogz · 19/12/2021 21:48

I sort of felt like this earlier this week. My kid tested positive with a pcr, just before we were due away for the weekend and obviously the extended family Christmas has been knocked on a few days. The thought of just not telling people or bending the rules did cross my mind.

But if I did that then I might harm somebody more vulnerable. And I'm not up for that. Luckily we can make the choice to lose a weekend away and work from home.

The advice from track and trace, nhs website and nhs messaging is all over the place. No wonder no one obeys the rules.

I think lots of people are avoiding pcrs and even lateral flows

PickledOnionsOnToast · 19/12/2021 21:54

I think it's more likely that people just won't do any kind of test, LF or PCR, especially if their symptoms are mild because they'd just rather not know.

If you're not going to isolate why would you even bother doing a LF?

onedayoranother · 19/12/2021 22:15

What drop in rates? They are at an all time high! But yes I agree that people are not testing - and so is the government, which is why they keep saying it's underreported and the estimation is about three to four times official figures.

BurntO · 19/12/2021 22:19

I do know what you mean. With Xmas people don’t want to isolate. I imagine many will isolate for 5/6 days then Do Xmas as normal. We knew DS had covid but his test was negative. We still made him isolate but I wasn’t going to retest for the sake of stats.

BurntO · 19/12/2021 22:26

@ChangeChingyChange I hope you’re embarrassed that you posted that. My DS8 had the exact same symptoms and is also asthmatic and he had covid. His symptoms on lasted 3 days and were minimal. Are you serious??

Squeezita · 19/12/2021 22:29

YABU. I’m the laziest and most lackadaisical person I know and I still have got a PCR every time I had symptoms.

Darbs76 · 19/12/2021 22:34

Wow how blooming selfish can people be. So they plan to infect family & friends so they don’t have to miss out. The pandemic has really shown people for who they are.

Numbers are down as it’s the weekend

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