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Covid

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Is it a legal requirement to report a positive covid test?

62 replies

weallliveinayellowsubmarine72 · 15/01/2022 18:16

As the title says....if you get a positive lateral flow do you have to report it?

I've a family member that doesn't want to. Their reasoning is they know where they got it and will already be coming to the end of isolation but if they report it they'll have to isolate for a lot longer.

They're isolating and not going to stop until they have 2 clear tests so not putting anyone at risk.

I'm curious whether legally they're meant to.

OP posts:
Kshhuxnxk · 15/01/2022 18:17

Nit sure tbh but the reporting is so they can do T&T.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 15/01/2022 18:24

It's not a legal requirement but

  1. everyone who doesn't report makes the figures look lower than they really are which means we can't track how prevalent it is
  2. she won't have the positive on her medical record or Covid passport which could affect her ability to travel 3 if sounds like she's doing this so she can reduce isolation to whenever she likes rather than the full 5 days (as long as you have neg tests on 5th and 6th day). That's illegal, the isolation period is a legal requirement
  3. if she needs to claim isolation period payment then she needs it officially recorded.
CovidForChristmas · 15/01/2022 18:25

I can’t find anything that states it’s a legal requirement.

They should report if they intend on claiming the isolation payment or if they want it on their covid passport/medical records.

The official reason to report is: “Reporting your result, even if it's negative or void, helps scientists track the spread of COVID-19 and spot new outbreaks faster”

JugglingJanuary · 15/01/2022 18:28

It says you should I haven't heard or read anywhere that says you must, but probably because it's virtually impossible to police & can be faked anyway.

Your relative should still go from the date of a positive test though not where/when he thinks he got it from, but if he's waiting until he gets 2 negative tests 24 hours apart, he's doing more than many I suspect.

weallliveinayellowsubmarine72 · 15/01/2022 18:28

That's the thing I can't find anything that's says it's a legal requirement so it's down to personal choice.
They're convinced they know when and where they got it and won't stop isolating until they've had 2 negatives in a row which now will be a min of 10 days after they were exposed so I think they'll have complied with isolation assuming it takes a couple of days to settle in and show up on tests.

OP posts:
weallliveinayellowsubmarine72 · 15/01/2022 18:30

No financial help needed and fully vaccinated so I've nothing to help convince them there.

All I've got it's it helps the statistics to try and change their mind l.

OP posts:
oldtableleg · 15/01/2022 18:35

No it isn’t.

JugglingJanuary · 15/01/2022 18:36

It does help the statistics, but he looks to be being pretty sensible (except assuming he knows where he got it. It's easy to be wrong! But he'll have isolated for a good chunk of time & have two negatives so I don't think reporting it is a hill I'd die on!

weallliveinayellowsubmarine72 · 15/01/2022 18:40

Quite I'd rather they isolated properly than reported but then didn't isolate.

I just wouldn't want them to get into trouble and thought if it was legally required that would convince them to report it. Anyway I think they've left it to late to report now anyway.

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 15/01/2022 18:48

No it isnt. It is to follow isolation rules but not to report and reporting must be within 24 hours

Watapalava · 15/01/2022 18:55

No its not. My whole family has had covid and none of us have ever had pcr or reported our lft. Couldn't be arsed with T&T. We did isolate though but it meant we could walk the dog etc

Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 15/01/2022 18:58

Isolation isnt 10 days from exposure its 10 days from positive test result or symptoms start so your relative wont be isolating for the right amount of time
Pp have said why its important to report but it isnt a legal requirement.

Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 15/01/2022 18:59

@Watapalava

No its not. My whole family has had covid and none of us have ever had pcr or reported our lft. Couldn't be arsed with T&T. We did isolate though but it meant we could walk the dog etc
Walking the dog isnt isolating! So your family didnt isolate
tigger1001 · 15/01/2022 19:05

Didn't report my youngest's positive lft. We did all isolate correctly though , and did follow up lft on the correct days.

We were positive at the same time and I just couldn't deal with any more texts/emails. His only contacts were us. So pointless from a test and protect view as we were already isolating.

kitcat15 · 15/01/2022 19:15

I had a pcr after a positive lft ( didn't report the lft..)..but my son, SIL., nephew and many of their friends ( all 30s) just self isolated after positive lft....didn't report and didn't bother with pcr

AlwaysLatte · 15/01/2022 19:18

People need to be contacted and warned. I've been very grateful to the people who gave my details to T&T as I was cautious in my contact with vulnerable relatives.

AlwaysLatte · 15/01/2022 19:23

My whole family has had covid and none of us have ever had pcr or reported our lft. Couldn't be arsed with T&T. We did isolate though but it meant we could walk the dog etc

'Couldn't be arsed. Went out anyway'

Words fail me.

OneMoreWish · 15/01/2022 19:35

I thought if you did a lateral and got a positive but had no symptoms you didn't have to do pcr but had to isolate. You only have to have pcr if you have the classic symptoms. Hard to say then if illegal or not if someone claims no classic symptoms ...

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 15/01/2022 19:38

I know lots of people who haven't bothered. I didn't bother with a pcr the first time I tested positive

sirfredfredgeorge · 15/01/2022 20:21

Unless you are a registered medical practitioner then you do have a statutory duty to.

weallliveinayellowsubmarine72 · 15/01/2022 20:36

@sirfredfredgeorge

Unless you are a registered medical practitioner then you do have a statutory duty to.
What do you mean by statutory duty? Is there a legal requirement you know of?
OP posts:
sirfredfredgeorge · 15/01/2022 20:49

Yes,
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/659/regulation/2/made

Of course unless you (in which case the duty is on you) or them are actual registered medical practitioners (working doctors pretty much) then there's no duty.

There may also be some appropriate defence about not becoming aware of it in the course of work, but I've no idea on the defences.

LizzieMacQueen · 15/01/2022 22:03

Someone said on a different thread that one of the conditions of getting the free LFT tests was that you agreed to report your results. It'll be in the t's & c's.

Quartz2208 · 15/01/2022 22:15

@sirfredfredgeorge

Yes, www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/659/regulation/2/made

Of course unless you (in which case the duty is on you) or them are actual registered medical practitioners (working doctors pretty much) then there's no duty.

There may also be some appropriate defence about not becoming aware of it in the course of work, but I've no idea on the defences.

Is that saying the opposite that you do have a duty as a medical professional to do so

I am almost certain the legal requirement is to self isolate not to report. Report is just strongly advised/wanted

sparkypupp · 15/01/2022 22:24

@Watapalava

No its not. My whole family has had covid and none of us have ever had pcr or reported our lft. Couldn't be arsed with T&T. We did isolate though but it meant we could walk the dog etc
🤦🏼‍♀️