Snot giving positive reading?!?!?!

[confusedmummy123]

Day 3 of covid and just out of interest I took a throat swab instead of nasal and it was negative the nasal swab positive. I am snotty and I'm wondering if its a cold and the mucus and snot is showing a false positive? I'm not making it up as I have read reports of this happening. Although I may be wishful thinking! 🤪any one else had experience of this?

The fact that the bacteria is present in your snot doesn't make it more likely to be a false positive. Why would it?

Covid bacteria in your nose but not your throat doesn't make you negative. It makes you positive.

Bacteria? Surely you mean virus?

🤦‍♀️ why are you wasting lateral flow tests?

False neg lfts are really rare.

My ds only tested positive on throat, I have only tested positive on nasal, others on both. I guess it is where the virus congregates (amusing image or maybe covid has just made me crazy)

My 7month old tested positive this morning....proper snot bucket at the moment. I know its a true positive as 4 out of 6 of us have also treated positive, brought home by my secondary school age son who's friends have dropped like flies since last week.

@Onlyrainbows

Bacteria? Surely you mean virus?

Yes, obviously.

It's irrelevant to my point though - the fact that it's in snot doesn't make it any more likely to be a false positive.

If you have the virus you will of course be very likely to have virus particles in your snot.
You also have dust etc in your snot which is why you should blow your nose first.

I’m not sure why you think it’s a false positive?
It’s a true positive.

www.google.com/amp/s/inews.co.uk/news/politics/lateral-flow-tests-positive-covid-test-results-unreliable-caused-snotty-noses-1245117/amp

@Onlyrainbows

Bacteria? Surely you mean virus?

I do sorry

So get a PCR. Until then, positive LFT means positive for covid. Not "well I'm sure it meant no!"

[quote confusedmummy123]www.google.com/amp/s/inews.co.uk/news/politics/lateral-flow-tests-positive-covid-test-results-unreliable-caused-snotty-noses-1245117/amp[/quote]
That does seem to be an unproven theory. Chance of false negative PCR is higher than a false positive Lateral Flow test. With high cases, this will happen in about 3.5% of cases (having a positive LFT then negative PCR).

It means there is covid in your snot
HTH

That article is from October.. Isn't that around the time they had the issue with the testing laboratory in the South West? So they realised that they weren't false positive LFTs but false negative PCRs...

@VanGoghsDog

False neg lfts are really rare.

Well this is absolute nonsense!! PCR tests are much much more sensitive than LFTs. Millions of people have had negative LFTs and then gone on to have positive PCRs

It probably means that your throats swabbing technique isn't that good

How do you think the LFT is picking up Covid from your snot if you don't have Covid?

It just depends where the virus is replicating. At the moment it's in your nose, which is probably why you're snotty. A feature of Omicron is for it to start in your throat, so you might have tested positive from a throat swab at the beginning.

Well this is absolute nonsense!! PCR tests are much much more sensitive than LFTs. Millions of people have had negative LFTs and then gone on to have positive PCRs

You're right, I meant to say false positives. Which makes more sense in the context anyway.

False positive LFTs are rare, false negative PCRs are rare. Hence changing the rule to only do PCR if you have symptoms, not to double check a positive LFT.

My DS tested positive with a LFT on Monday. DH tested him again today (out of curiosity, I told him it was a waste...) and he tested negative. I've said it makes no difference, he'll be isolating till at least Sunday.

But curiously, the swab he did on Monday was a really snotty one, and I did wonder if it made a difference. My rational mind however tells me it wouldn't have shown up positive if there hadn't been COVID in his snot