What's going on here?

[Lemonandlime123]

Over the last couple of days I've had aching on and off. Christmas Day evening I had a strongly positive lft but in the morning it was negative. DH then tested strongly positive on Boxing Day morning.

The whole family took pcrs later that day. Mine has come back negative but DHs positive. I guess it is possible that I currently don't have the virus but why would I get a strongly positive lateral flow if that is the case? DH has all the classic symptoms and we haven't isolated from each other.

DD1 and DD2 also negative pcrs despite having awful coughs/fever 🤷‍♀️

A positive LFT is v unlikely to be false, a negative PCR much more likely to be wrong.

You've got COVID.

It's not rocket science. You've been in close contact with a PCR confirmed case, you're aching and have a positive LFT.

You've got COVID

@bobbie42

You've got COVID.

It's not rocket science. You've been in close contact with a PCR confirmed case, you're aching and have a positive LFT.

You've got COVID

No need to be rude 🤣

@JanglyBeads

A positive LFT is v unlikely to be false, a negative PCR much more likely to be wrong.

Why are we then asked to take a confirmatory pcr test if that is the case?

Mainly because negative LFTs are very unreliable, therefore the simple message was decided: if you have symptoms (are a close contact, added more recently) and are therefore much more likely to have covid, take a PCR - because you might show negative on a LFT although in fact be positive.

I was listening to Dr Angelique Coetzee on the radio earlier. She was saying the the omicron Covid was commonly a muscular skeletal illness, presenting with aches and pains rather than coughing and sneezing.

Lateral flow tests pick up proteins from the actual virus from your nose (and throat if that's where you swabbed). When they are present there's a really good chance you're infectious.

PCRs pick up genetic fragments which may, or may not, be viable, so can tell if you've recently had or have got the virus (even if you've just picked it up) but not whether or not you're likely to be infectious. A correctly negative PCR would show that you don't have genetic fragments in your swab, possibly because you didn't have Covid, or because your body has got rid of them all.