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

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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.

@RedToothBrush

If you are constantly testing positive you simply have no choice but to only test if you have symptoms.

You presumably are seeing people indoors after a lateral flow anyway - you can't be doing pcrs (and isolating awaiting results) every single week anyway.

You can only do as much as is possible under the circumstances. Limiting socialising indoors probably should be on everyones radar anyway and its not forever.

If lft effectively don't work for you, theres not a lot you can do other than that.

I have only been seeing people indoors in the couple of days after confimed negative PCRs.

It can then be a few weeks before I want/need to see anyone indoors again and then the whole palaver starts again.

If I am not able to access PCRs because I don't have symptoms, I am going to have to give up any sort of social life during the winter when we can't sit outdoors.

My mental health is at rock bottom already.

Anyone know what about those who have symptoms? I am not going to be doing LFTs on my dc under 5. I would have done a pcr if they had symptoms. Are we supposed to do LFTs or pcr tests if we've got symptoms , does anyone know?

Found the answer. You will need pcr test if you have one of the three main symptoms

If its a regular problem, then see someone and get a medical exemption. Or just do a pcr if you have symptoms. The end.

Not much else you can do. You shouldn't be doing zillions of pcrs just cos you want to socialise and are anxious over it. That way lies insanity.

Geninuely if you are going through the whole process including isolating awaiting a result for no reason every week or so, you are nuts. At what point do you go enough is enough? (clue: this one).

No one is going to think the worst of someone who has a genuine problem. The reality is there is only so much people can do. You have been doing it.

LFTs aren't reliable enough.

@MalagaNights

We need to be moving to:

Get vaccinated.
If ill stay at home until you're better.

Job done.
It's over.

I think we are moving towards this to be honest.

@3g4g5g

Found the answer. You will need pcr test if you have one of the three main symptoms

…which don’t tend to occur with omicron

I wonder how many people will then 'cheat' an LFT if they don't have to 'prove' it with a PCR? And they will.

I think they’ve done it for two reasons:

1. They’ve totally underestimated how many people need PCR tests due to the rapid rise of omicron. Labs are swamped so let’s just change the rules.

1. It allows them to conceal the true numbers testing positive so they can bumble along saying they’re following the data, while actually doing SFA.

I tested positive on PCR but not once on ltf. So now it’s seemingly fine for me to walk around potentially spreading?

I agree we can’t test forever but it seems they don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Boris’s shambolic press conference yesterday made that plain.

@Jaxhog I wonder eh ? My friend has 45% of their staff off , hardly any have produced proof with the confirmation pcr email .

My DS has had 4 positive LFTs followed up by 4 negative PCRs since August. He’s never been symptomatic and was not a close contact beforehand. That’s 4 times he would have had to isolate unnecessarily. He’s in year 13 - he can’t be messing around with this.

We have noticed it’s only in the mornings- recently flowflex. I am frightened to test him again….

It's only if you test positive on lft that you don't have to do a PCR.

If you have symptoms you need to get a PCR regardless of lft results as they can often give false negatives but rarely give false positives (so, getting a PCR for a positive lft is a waste of resources as they are more than likely correct).

@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?

Just out of interest I loooked the the government dashboard for my local authority area.

On 30th December 4,924 tests were carried out.

On 30th December (cases by specimen date) 350 people were reported as having confirmed Covid.

@Jaxhog

I wonder how many people will then 'cheat' an LFT if they don't have to 'prove' it with a PCR? And they will.

Yes some will, of course.

@Jaxhog

I wonder how many people will then 'cheat' an LFT if they don't have to 'prove' it with a PCR? And they will.

Surely they're only the same people who would already act like selfish dicks and just not get a PCR or report a result anyway?

@MalagaNights

We need to be moving to:

Get vaccinated.
If ill stay at home until you're better.

Job done.
It's over.

Yeah, definitely that simple

You should offer your services to the WHO

@RedToothBrush

If its a regular problem, then see someone and get a medical exemption. Or just do a pcr if you have symptoms. The end.

Not much else you can do. You shouldn't be doing zillions of pcrs just cos you want to socialise and are anxious over it. That way lies insanity.

Geninuely if you are going through the whole process including isolating awaiting a result for no reason every week or so, you are nuts. At what point do you go enough is enough? (clue: this one).

No one is going to think the worst of someone who has a genuine problem. The reality is there is only so much people can do. You have been doing it.

Who would you suggest I see? GP and 119 are not interested.

It was previously mentioned on a thread that if you test positive on a LFT but don't get a PCR that your medical record and Covid pass will not be updated to show previous infection with Covid. Not sure if this is the case but it is a valid concern.

@SilverGlitterBaubles

It was previously mentioned on a thread that if you test positive on a LFT but don't get a PCR that your medical record and Covid pass will not be updated to show previous infection with Covid. Not sure if this is the case but it is a valid concern.

All positive LFT need to be registered, so I imagine that will take over the pcr.

@Topseyt

They are finally starting to phase out the obsessive testing. I am relieved about that. We do have to learn to live with this thing, it isn't going anywhere.

Boosters every year and then just get on with it would be my approach, although I am sure I will get my arse handed to me on a place for saying that. I don't care though.

Completely agree.

Nice way to bring case numbers down ...

@TheChip That's relying on people to actually do this, some will, some people want to stay under the radar and this also relies on peoples honesty. What's to stop someone reporting a positive test just for some time off work?

2. It allows them to conceal the true numbers testing positive so they can bumble along saying they’re following the data, while actually doing SFA.

I suspect this might be high in the agenda. It's a good way for Johnson, currently under a bit of internal party pressure to show a win and get headlines that 'brave Boris held his nerve' or some other such rubbish 🙄

@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?

@ConcernedAuntie Just out of interest I loooked the the government dashboard for my local authority area.
On 30th December 4,924 tests were carried out.
On 30th December (cases by specimen date) 350 people were reported as having confirmed Covid.

Your reply is using meaningless data, ConcernedAuntie. You don't know how many out of those 4,924 had positive LFTs. Maybe all, maybe none, or anywhere in between. Without this information, we can't possibly say how many positiveLFT+negativePCR there are.

[quote SilverGlitterBaubles]@TheChip That's relying on people to actually do this, some will, some people want to stay under the radar and this also relies on peoples honesty. What's to stop someone reporting a positive test just for some time off work? [/quote]
Nothing, just the same as it was always possible to get your mate to name you as a contact when that required isolation. But we don't have enough tests, and there'll be people doing that now given the difficulty of getting PCRs. There isn't currently a path available to us that doesn't include the opportunity for some people to swing the lead.