Surely I haven’t got Covid again already?

[JorahFriendZone]

On Christmas Eve I tested positive on a LFD after waking up feeling shocking, went for PCR on Christmas Day and the result came back positive on 27th. Knocked me off my feet for a full week and still felt weak afterwards. Still tested positive from day 6 to day 11, which was getting weaker. Had a week of leave following this and didn’t test as didn’t need to. I’ve had the cough since, though it’s been nowhere near as bad and I’ve felt tired, but other than that I’ve been fine.

Went back to work and that day my husband tested positive on a lateral flow. I’m a healthcare professional and the rule was/is that I must test on an LFD for 7 days from his positive and I’m still allowed in work as long as it’s negative within the allotted time, which is 15 minutes. I have been testing at work daily and the result is negative for at least 15 minutes and then a very very feint line comes up after this, which is past the time (I usually have it on my desk and then clini-wipe the area). On Wednesday and Thursday I seemed to have a fully negative LFD. Yesterday also appeared negative. This evening I’ve taken one and a very feint line came up in 10 minutes.

Now this is where I’m confused. I always thought a line is a line so this would indicate I’m now positive again, but surely I wouldn’t have tested positive again so soon? I have a cough and tiredness, but this is left over from covid over Christmas, so there are no new symptoms. My eldest child was positive with my at Christmas as they’re not allowed to test on a LFD for 90 days as directed by school unless there are new symptoms. Has anyone had any experience of testing positive again so quickly? Could this just be left over virus? My husband is still in his isolation period.

I thought LFDs were discouraged for 90 days following infection due to risk of false positive?

*positive with me
*and they’re not allowed

I thought that too Floaty, but our occupational health advised that was what we had to do to be able to stay in work. I don’t believe that I have a new infection, but I’m a bit confused on it and the guidance isn’t explicitly clear. Obviously I don’t want to put anyone at risk, but don’t want to have to go back into isolation if it’s just from Christmas covid.

But it doesn’t matter whether you’re taking the LFd for work, school or to have a laugh - the risk of false positive is high. Your work must know this? What has your covid officer advised?

@FloatyBoaty

I thought LFDs were discouraged for 90 days following infection due to risk of false positive?

Isn’t that PCR?

Else the 6/7 day LFT test wouldn’t make sense.

@JorahFriendZone

Guidance for the public is very clear.
For 90 days following infection you should not test again, unless you display new symptoms of coronavirus.

Whilst work may ask that you don’t go in, they cannot enforce personal isolation (and nor should they try)

I’d also ask that the absence is clearly noted not as illness or covid related but the result of policy decisions. I would raise holy hell if salary were impacted.

@Tippexy

After your test to release LFDs

2/3s+ will still test positive at day 6/7
A significant proportion will still test positive at day 10 and well beyond but you are no longer considered to pose risk of infection

First Google result -Random selection

www.valeofyorkccg.nhs.uk/seecmsfile/?id=4912

I don't think it's clear at all. I was told by test and trace not to test for 90 days on PCR or LFT. Now we have to test with a LFT on day 6 or whatever to be released from isolation. Doesn't make sense.

My nhs work has also insisted we should be twice weekly testing with ltfs even if we have just had covid
I'm tempted not to though as surely I'll be very very low risk for next 90 days and would stress if faint lines were coming up

[quote FloatyBoaty]@JorahFriendZone

Guidance for the public is very clear.
For 90 days following infection you should not test again, unless you display new symptoms of coronavirus.

Whilst work may ask that you don’t go in, they cannot enforce personal isolation (and nor should they try)

I’d also ask that the absence is clearly noted not as illness or covid related but the result of policy decisions. I would raise holy hell if salary were impacted.[/quote]
Actually the advice now being given to schools is that pupils and staff should not stop testing for 90 days but should carry on testing twice weekly.

This is the wording in the guidance to schools (I’ve been told the same for both the school I work at and the school my children attend).

There has been some uncertainty about whether people who have had COVID within the previous 90-days are still exempt from participating in the routine twice-weekly lateral flow testing recommended for all school staff and secondary school pupils. It has now been clarified that all eligible pupils and staff are strongly encouraged to participate in routine LFT testing regardless of how recently they have had COVID themselves. This is in view of the higher rate of re-infections caused by the Omicron variant.

@LadyLazarus40

Where is that guidance coming from? I’m not disputing that’s what you’ve been sent but if it’s the case, then the public health messaging is lagging behind and needs to be brought up to date, fast.

(It’s also insane - the number of people who continue to get faint lines etc on LFD for weeks/months following infection is significant- what are those people supposed to do, given we’re no longer doing confirmatory PCR? Which they’d need twice a week anyway? You’d never leave isolation....)

@FloatyBoaty PHE - we got the same wording both at work and at from my childrens school.

My family all tested positive on the 15th of November, I work in a school,as does partner, was told not to bother with LFTs for 90 days. However, we tested before seeing vulnerable family on boxing day, we were negative, ten year old child could not be tested as run out of LFTs and could not find any. Beginning of January, my child starts showing signs of cold, still no LFTs to be found, presumed just a cold, then he started wheezing , borrowed LTF off neighbour and came up positive in a minute. PCR confirmed it. All within six weeks

The message re 90 days changed to carry on testing in January. @changedforschoolpost don’t your childrens schools / your work have LFT’s? I would have thought with the testing before term in Jan you’d have been able to get some?

That might have been a double whopper delta-then-omicron….

Actually @FloatyBoaty it might be PHE via our County Education Health Team to be strictly accurate.

@LadyLazarus40

The message re 90 days changed to carry on testing in January. *@changedforschoolpost* don’t your childrens schools / your work have LFT’s? I would have thought with the testing before term in Jan you’d have been able to get some?

They did but we had a load of dud boxes with no liquid in vials so ran out- we are fine now, just ran out at a crucial time when school was closed.

My sister is throwing random very faint positive lateral flows sometimes when she tests! She like you had covid around Xmas. She was waiting for them to get darker if it was a new infection, but they haven’t. She also doesn’t have any new symptoms, just left over symptoms from the initial infection (snotty nose and mucus in throat) I think it’s possible to get a very faint positive on a lateral flow for a few weeks after covid in some people. (She has to test regularly as high risk work)

My stepdaughter tested positive on Dec 9th, then again on Jan 10th. She had neg lat flows in between her 10 day isolation and new infection.

...as long as it’s negative within the allotted time, which is 15 minutes. I have been testing at work daily and the result is negative for at least 15 minutes and then a very very feint line comes up after this, which is past the time (I usually have it on my desk and then clini-wipe the area).

Is this flowflex?
The time is 15 to 30 minutes

If you have new symptoms then yes it is possible that you have caught covid twice within the space of a couple of weeks.

Not the same times, but i know someone who caught it just before Xmas and is positive with it again now

Updated guidance to nhs and care homes and workplaces says no lft for 90 days based on new evidence showing that positive is likely to be false

Nhs staff defo shouldn’t be lft

Quick google of nhs rules will tell you that

@Watapalava

Updated guidance to nhs and care homes and workplaces says no lft for 90 days based on new evidence showing that positive is likely to be false

Nhs staff defo shouldn’t be lft

Quick google of nhs rules will tell you that

Thats not actually the case for NHS staff actually.(unless it has changed again since Jan 11th and Ive missed it, possible!)

The recent guidance, which was actually further updated on Jan 11th can be found here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings/covid-19-management-of-exposed-healthcare-workers-and-patients-in-hospital-settings

Bascially - lfts on days 6 and 7 or onwards to get 2 negative lfts to return to work - if lfts still positive after day 10 continue to test with lft until a single negative result is obtained. If stillpositive at day 14, can stop testing and return to work on day 15 (following risk assessment from line manager) There is some flexibility for possible return between days 10 and 14 with no negative lft depending on risk assessment and line manager.
Scrolling down to section 4 deals with re-testing. No pcr for 90 days following positive.
if re-testing with lft during the 90 days (and it doesnt say specifcally if this should or shouldnt be done) then a positive lft should trigger a new period of isolatio - pending a further assessment of the possibility of reinfection to decide if isolation is needed or not. However it is very unclear who performs this assessment - it syas the advice of a clinical infection specialst should be sought so infection control team maybe? All sounds very vague and as far as I knw in my trust there is still no definite plan or guidance following this latest guidance (although obviously it is only a few days old.)

I do agree however it is now extremely confusing

I am in a similar position, having tested positive on Christmas day. DH didnt test positive until day 11. I tested negative on days 7 and 8 , but when testing again due to DH I was constantly worried about getting a positive lft ( I didnt thankfully )and so far have been adivsed to continue with the usual twice weekly testing for work.....

I manage the Covid response for my school, I've been told by health security agency that whilst you shouldn't do a PCR for 90 days you should do LFTs! Yet previously the guidance was not to so I'm not sure why it's changed ...