Government set to announce those with positive LFT will not need PCR

[TikTokBitches]

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-around-a-million-people-isolating-due-to-coronavirus-in-uk-as-testing-rules-set-to-be-relaxed-12509316 COVID-19: People who test positive on lateral flow tests won't need follow-up PCR, govt to announce - as 'around a million' isolating 

Whilst this sounds like a good idea, what about those of us who have recently had positive lateral flows and negative pcrs? There seems to be a lot of us.

I haven’t followed the news as much recently so I may have missed something but do close contacts still have to isolate in the case of omicron? Because if so then a pcr would be needed to identify those omicron cases to say whether close contacts have to isolate. Or have they stopped this now because omicron is the dominant variant?

CEV need a PCR to get the medication . Also people claiming the £500 grant.

all my lft are negative i only got a pcr test because dh came back positive

Ridiculous when you can’t get any LFTs. Are they on drugs?

It’s all part of just getting on with life and living with Covid.

I've had 5 false positive LFD's (negative PCR's), they weren't faint either.

I'l be in permanent isolation if I can't get a PCR (I have to do 2 LFD's a week at work).

If the LFD's are to be believed I have had Covid since October (jabbed and boosted with no symptoms) that is undectable on a PCR.

Given you can now self Cert for a month I imagine an uploaded postive lft result will allow for sick pay

Won’t stop people sharing test results etc for few days off work! There are people in my work place opening trying to catch covid to get time off - not my view they admit it.

Megan you wouldn’t

You isolate 10 days then free whether lft still positive or not

@Leftbutcameback

I would be interested to know the figures of how many had a positive LFT then a negative PCR. Does the govt keep this data?

I don’t have the exact data but I do know that if you report an LFT then it will be removed from the case numbers on receipt of a positive PCR. I presume the numbers are available somewhere but I haven’t looked.

A lot of people don’t declare an LFT result officially unless they need proof for something but I imagine a lot are picked up at the point of booking a PCR as a reason for the PCR.

@TikTokBitches

http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-around-a-million-people-isolating-due-to-coronavirus-in-uk-as-testing-rules-set-to-be-relaxed-12509316 COVID-19: People who test positive on lateral flow tests won't need follow-up PCR, govt to announce - as 'around a million' isolating 

Whilst this sounds like a good idea, what about those of us who have recently had positive lateral flows and negative pcrs? There seems to be a lot of us.

They need PCR results to track new variants. These PCR results are what the labs are sending onto the vaccination researchers to adjust the vaccines. If we decide to completely abandon PCR testing it would be a really strange decision.

@JS87

A lot of people in here are insistent that very faint lines are positive LFT. Whilst some of these do lead to positive pcr the majority don’t and personally I have seen them a lot on our tests. I would only count my LFT as positive without a follow up PCR if it was a clear strong positive line. Anything very faint I would still do a pcr.

Perhaps people consider a faint line to be a positive becsuse that’s literally what the guidance says? I’m not saying faint lft don’t result in negative but we can only work with the information we have.

Two lines, one next to C and one next to T, even faint lines, shows the test is positive. The positive line may be weak. You should hold the test strip up to the light and examine closely to feel confident of the result.

It’s all a load of shite seemingly anyway. Guidelines changing all the time, everyone is confused. Just another way of washing their hands of responsibility.

But if LFTs miss lots of positives then surely it kind of defeats the object?

I’m agreeing that it’s supply/demand not planned for so body swerving admitting that. Still the usual not one thing or another.

This is only for asymptomatic, if you have symptoms you get a PCR. It's fairly simple, and a way to ensure we can continue with the genome tracking of the variants.

The news seems to be suggesting that the LFTs are more suitable for checking if you're actually infectious, where as the PCR picks up the genetic material so you could have a positive but actually not be infectious. If this is the case, surely an LFT is preferable???

@Bunnyfuller

But if LFTs miss lots of positives then surely it kind of defeats the object?

I’m agreeing that it’s supply/demand not planned for so body swerving admitting that. Still the usual not one thing or another.

PCRs miss a LOT of positives (up to 30%), so not much will change.

The news seems to be suggesting that the LFTs are more suitable for checking if you're actually infectious

This is something I’d like more research to be done on, I’ve heard this a few times over the past few months.

BBC confirmed it starts next week

@Leftbutcameback

I would be interested to know the figures of how many had a positive LFT then a negative PCR. Does the govt keep this data?

I’m more concerned about the people I know who were having false negative LFT but were positive on PCR. They would just be walking around spreading it!

This is not being done as a positive choice, just a response to the impending chaos.

@TikTokBitches

http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-around-a-million-people-isolating-due-to-coronavirus-in-uk-as-testing-rules-set-to-be-relaxed-12509316 COVID-19: People who test positive on lateral flow tests won't need follow-up PCR, govt to announce - as 'around a million' isolating 

Whilst this sounds like a good idea, what about those of us who have recently had positive lateral flows and negative pcrs? There seems to be a lot of us.

It’s only if you have no covid symptoms according to the BBC.

If you have covid symptoms, you still have a PCR test.

Link to the BBC article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59878823

According to the article at least, neither symptomatic or asymptomatic LFT positive cases will require a PCR:

"Covid testing rules are to be eased for people without symptoms, who will no longer need to confirm a positive lateral flow test with a PCR"

"Under the new guidance, those who have symptoms and have a positive lateral flow will still have to isolate but will no longer take a PCR"

So essentially, any positive LFT means no PCR required from 11th Jan onwards.

Who even cares any more.

negative lft with no symptoms and postive pcr is likely an old infection so you are less likely to even be infectious

Seems a good thing to me. I didn’t bother getting a PCR after a positive lateral flow. Why bother? LF might miss positive cases but if you show positive, you’ve almost certainly got covid. No point faffing with A PCR as well.

If you’ve got symptoms & your LF is negative. Still get a PCR.

If you’ve got symptoms & your LF is positive. Simply isolate.

I agree with this and it's what we did back in September (mostly to avoid the T and T bollocks) but me and a few other posters got grief for doing it - people said we were skewing the statistics/would have problems getting medical help if we developed long covid/would have trouble if we wanted to go abroad etc etc.

The Immensa lab scandal should have stopped us putting our complete trust in PCR tests.

This is something I’d like more research to be done on, I’ve heard this a few times over the past few months.

Chris Whitty referred to this in the last covid briefing I think (I wasn't fully concentrating because I was doing tea!). Didn't he say that LFTs were very good at picking up when people were most infectious in which case there must be evidence somewhere?

@Frazzled2207

I’m pretty sure that the sky article in wrong as it suggests isolation is delayed until you do a pcr test whereas it starts when you get positive lft or symptoms.

Not sure Of the rationale tbh other than taking pressure off pcr system

I agree with your first paragraph. BBC reported it the same way, which is incorrect.

@Cherryblossoms85

Who even cares any more.

what do you mean by this? You're not isolating? You're bored with it all? I'm quite bored with it too but having had to deal with my child being hospitalised with it at the end of last year, and the death of a close friend's sister last summer, I feel pretty prickly towards those who think it's all just a big old fuss.