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Original poster

'Do an LFT before you go out'

125 replies

Powersout · 29/12/2021 22:59

I'm feeling pretty stupid at the moment. My husband tested positive on PCR on 23rd December and started isolating but as my daughter and I were testing negative on LFTs we decided to carry on with the original plan to go to my parents' for Christmas day. My parents were informed about the situation and had no hesitation in letting us come as long as LFTs were negative on the morning. Of course, I woke up with symptoms on Boxing Day and tested positive on an LFT and later PCR. Yesterday my Mum tested positive and now my Dad is showing symptoms...

In hindsight it was such a stupid thing to do. Earlier in the pandemic theres no way I would have gone to my parents house if someone in my household had tested positive. But I have followed government guidance throughout and was therefore following the 'do an LFT before you go out' message that seems to have been rammed down our throats over the last few weeks. But you can be highly infectious 2 days before you get a positive LFT cant you? So why aren't the government qualifying the message at all with this information? I get that it's a simpler message for the majority of the public who have no known exposure to positive cases but shouldn't the message be different for those of us who have had prolonged contact with a case? Or are we meant to just use our common sense which surely is not a great idea for a public health message?

As I said earlier, I feel bad and stupid for passing this on to my elderly parents. Not looking for sympathy but wondering if anyone else agrees that the message is confusing?

OP posts:
slaybell · 29/12/2021 23:01

Aren't you supposed to get a PCR as a close contact of a positive case? Not an LFT? That's what I have been seeing everywhere

JanglyBeads · 29/12/2021 23:01

You're right!

JanglyBeads · 29/12/2021 23:02

Rules now say daily LFTs plus PCR

willithappen · 29/12/2021 23:05

You should have had a PCR and not just the LFTs

Original poster
Powersout · 29/12/2021 23:06

@JanglyBeads

Rules now say daily LFTs plus PCR
Do they? When did that come in? I got the Test and Trace message when my husband tested positive but I'm sure it didnt advise me to get a PCR. I've just looked at government website and cant see that either.
OP posts:
PieMistee · 29/12/2021 23:06

They are saying it because it's popular and they are already dropping in the polls
They don't want to lockdown/have half the nation off work. The scientists are saying something else. The government give no shits if you or your parents get really ill.

XenoBitch · 29/12/2021 23:07

Get an LFT from where?

Original poster
Powersout · 29/12/2021 23:08

I hear you. I work in healthcare so I have a supply.

OP posts:
Excited101 · 29/12/2021 23:10

Sorry op, but I don’t think there needed to be a specific message for this, surely you knew there was a significant chance you were harbouring it?!

SerendipitySunshine · 29/12/2021 23:10

@PieMistee

They are saying it because it's popular and they are already dropping in the polls They don't want to lockdown/have half the nation off work. The scientists are saying something else. The government give no shits if you or your parents get really ill.
This. Johnson doesn't want to rely on Labour votes to get any more legislation through so he's leaving people to get really ill and letting the NHS struggle.
Original poster
Powersout · 29/12/2021 23:11

I've looked back and I can only see advice to get a PCR if you're symptomatic

OP posts:
Katie517 · 29/12/2021 23:11

In England you don’t have to do a PCR as a household or close contact the guidance says you are “strongly advised to do a LFT for 7 days” why do some posters insist on making up their own rules?!

Meandmini3 · 29/12/2021 23:12

The government really don’t give a sh*t about us. Never forget that when you’re following their guidance. Always be a cynic.

HollywoodTease · 29/12/2021 23:12

I saw my sister on Xmas eve to exchange presents, she tested positive by PCR on Monday. I received a text from T&T with a link to follow.

The link asked me for all my info including vax status, then told me that I didn't have to isolate as long as I do an LFT every day for 7 days, or until the 3rd Jan if that was earlier. This was followed up with a text .saying the same.

There was no mention of getting a PCR at all.

RevolvingPivot · 29/12/2021 23:12

The rules are confusing.

However if someone in the household has been pinged as a close contact with someone they isolate but the rest of the family don't. I think?

However if someone in the home is positive I thought you all had to isolate?

Coyoacan · 29/12/2021 23:13

It is frightening to see how rule-bound so many people are to the point that logic goes out the window. But I hope everyone makes a full recovery, OP.

Original poster
Powersout · 29/12/2021 23:14

@Excited101

Sorry op, but I don’t think there needed to be a specific message for this, surely you knew there was a significant chance you were harbouring it?!
You'd think so wouldnt you...but I really thought that if it wasnt detected on an LFT then I didnt have it - as that's what the testing before you go out message seems to imply. My message from Test and Trace stated that I didnt gave to self isolate and just needed to test daily. I took it on face value.
OP posts:
maffhew · 29/12/2021 23:15

It is frightening to see how rule-bound so many people are to the point that logic goes out the window.

This.

Fullofpudding · 29/12/2021 23:15

Surely you knew the risk! It's not exactly rocket science.

Thirtytimesround · 29/12/2021 23:15

Sorry you’re not well OP. I hope your parents recover swiftly.

Lots of people are confused by the government advice, so clearly, by definition, it is confusing.

Suggest you don’t come back to this thread though, Mumsnet seems to be a place for people to be nasty anonymously at the moment, lots of people venting their stresses. Which is why I never return to a thread.

Meandmini3 · 29/12/2021 23:16

LFTs are notoriously unreliable.

Mybalconyiscracking · 29/12/2021 23:16

Your parents made their choice, I hope you had a nice Christmas Day. I am sure that you will all be fine. Beating yourself up about it won’t do anyone any good.

Original poster
Powersout · 29/12/2021 23:18

I dont think it's a case of being rule bound but rather following the advice. I had no knowledge of incubation times for Covid - I only figured this out when Test and Trace asked me for all my contacts between 24th and 26th Dec i.e. 2 days before symptomatic.

OP posts:
GaiusHelenMohiam · 29/12/2021 23:18

Almost exactly the same situation here.

I had colleagues I worked in very close quarters with dropping like flies, but I had negative daily LFTs.

Met with my entire family on one occasion. Yep, we’ve all had Covid for Christmas.

The rules are insane. Also I’m supposed to be going back to work in two days but I’m still coming up raging positives on LFts, after 8 days since the first one. Even with a positive LFT on day 10, the guidance is to go back to work because I no longer have symptoms.

Akire · 29/12/2021 23:20

You did what you thought was best, you can’t chance the past. Yes you could stayed home but the advice was LTF and GO! You could equally be kicking yourself having not gone and then not got covid.

They don’t explain that you can have covid enough to be passing it on and still show a negative. This happened to me negative 2pm one day. Positive and full covid 9am next morning! Feel sorry for the dentist that I had gone to in full faith thinking I was negative. But that’s all the tests we have for now. Hope your parents don’t have it to badly.