Why would people not do PCR if they've tested positive on LFT? (Not in order to avoid isolation, they are doing that quite happily)

[Tryingtryingandtrying]

Just that really. Why would someone do this? Is there a benefit in getting PCR confirmation?

@MoggyP

Because they don't care about accuracy of the data on which the government is basing key decisions that have a massive impact on everyone's lives?

Or because they don't understand why tracking the spread of omicron matters? Or that sequencing from PCR samples is the only way of tracking variants (old and new) or spotting new ones such as Kent

Or you could argue that a huge number of positives have always gone unrecorded (the majority, surely?) so to register them all now would look like a catastrophic increase. The government knows they’re seeing a snapshot.

For instance, we can’t compare the amount of positives now with last winter or any time before that when LFT were either not available or in its infancy. If you felt a bit off last Christmas and Jan when we were all in lockdown anyway, you might well either not have bothered with a PCR (you were in lockdown anyway) or not have met the PCR criteria anyway. You didn’t own a LFT or likely even know what one is. Now you can confirm your suspicions with a LFT.

As I am over 60 and retired I doubt anyone would give a fuck if I had long covid or not

@jay55

Because they can't get to a test centre or post box without using public transport.

I thought you were allowed to make essential journeys icw testing? Though going on public transport is clearly a really bad idea, perhaps that was a rule for on foot and own car

Is there still a courier service to return tests for the housebound? Or do they expect people to ask friends/neighbours/local volunteers to help?

Isle of Man has the option of registering positive LFTs with no PCR:

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-59735685.amp

Because we had a shit time with T&T telling us wrong information and giving us grief earlier this year. I’m afraid we can’t be arsed with that. Daily LFTs here. All isolated.

MoggyP
Is there still a courier service to return tests for the housebound? Or do they expect people to ask friends/neighbours/local volunteers to help?

If there is it's not easy to find details online.
When I had covid I had a high temperature and felt dizzy and breathless, I couldn't think straight and would have found it impossible to sort out a PCR test.
If I'd been on my own I wouldn't even have tried.

I would never PCR again if I could just isolate. Test and trace was a shambolic experience last time.

I suppose you could flip this question round and say why would you?

My son's entire Uni flat tested positive via LFTs. None did a PCR. They just isolated. They couldn't have got to a testing site as they were living on an out of town Uni campus. PCR tests would have had to be done by post, and that's not easy on campus as you have to leave your flat (not allowed) to go to collect your post from an (inside) office (not allowed if positive/isolating).

One had previously (last year during lockdown) got a +ve test and reported it/asked for PCR, and the uni staff were useless - they wouldn't deliver it to the flat and reminded her of the rule not to leave the flat! Apparently, you should get a "friend" to collect it for you and deliver it, which isn't easy when you first start uni and havn't had any F2F teaching so couldn't meet any "friends".

So this time, they just isolated and didn't report it as there's no help/assistance anyway.

I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. 4 year old tested positive on lft, very quickly developed symptoms and quite clearly had it. He hates tests and I didn’t want to subject him to another one so just isolating him at home. I’ve got it now, again, I quite clearly have it. I just can’t be bothered booking and going for a pcr when I know I have it, and can’t be bothered with constant calls from t&t. I am going to isolate so I don’t need anyone checking that I am.

@MoggyP

I thought you were allowed to make essential journeys icw testing? Though going on public transport is clearly a really bad idea, perhaps that was a rule for on foot and own car

Also, quite apart from it being a bad idea from a spreading it point of view, unless you are lucky enough to be asymptomatic, or have very mild symptoms, you wouldn't be well enough to get public transport with all the walking and waiting involved.

Also, even if you have a car, even driving to a test centre when you can barely walk to the toilet and have a raging fever is really a viable option.

isn't really a viable option...

Surely not being well enough to organise a test and travel (whether to a test centre or priority post box) must be a key reason, especially if you don't have any well people in your household who can facilitate.

you'd struggle to access any of the services without a positive covid test on your records

I don't understand why people continue to say this - medical treatment for "long covid" wouldn't be denied just because you'd don't have an official confirmation on your records! Doctors treat symptoms... And there will be thousands of people who had covid without official confirmation during the first wave when PCR testing wasnt available, do you think they're all being turned away by their GPs because they don't have an official diagnosis of covid?! What about the people who were asymptomatic, but have still developed lasting problems? Are they turned away?!

If you go to the doctor with symptoms of post viral complications you will be treated for them, regardless of whether you took a PCR test or not.

To prevent having to gag doing the throat swab?

It triggers me and puts in a bad place every time.

I have covid. Been positive on a lateral flow for 6 days now. I don't feel the need to get a pcr, it's the holidays and I'll have finished my isolation before I even return to work.

I did a PCR test for two reasons when I had a positive lateral flow and my whole household had already tested positive: 1) to have an official record should my employer ever ask for it 2) to have a walk to the nearest PCR centre. I walked with mask on along quiet streets where I didn't meet anyone and went at a quiet time at the testing centre. As this was my only legitimate reason for leaving selfisolation I decided to do it. Without these two reasons I probably would not have bothered.

I would assume that it just seems unnecessary faff to them . Most people need the PCR test for work or school absence . If they are able to self isolate without problem and have informed any close contact, they probably don't see the point in bothering .

I would think a lot of people don't so when I look at the Covid stats I always think there are a lot more people who just didn't bother with the PCR

When elderly parents had covid they would not have been able to cope with the drive through PCR or drive and park to reach a walk through site. They would have found it all too confusing. As we were sure they'd got it with typical symptoms, caught from another family member and confirmed with a LFT, we wouldn't have wanted to put them through the aforementioned hassle of getting a PCR.

Don’t see the point really. If it’s positive on a LF, then I’ll be isolating anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️ I trust their accuracy from a positive perspective. Why do I need to shove another swab up my nose? You report your LFTs anyway in theory.. although I never report negative ones!