Typically atypical-positive covid LFTs

[Elmo333]

Hello folks. I’ve had my 3 covid jabs thankfully but in the last 4 days, I have had 5 positive lateral flow tests! However, my PCR was negative. This is so typical of me! I feel ok but have had different advice. My sister is getting married in 2 days time. One GP said “if the PCR is negative, then all is fine” and another one said, “5 lateral flow tests cannot be a mistake because they rarely give false positives so don’t go to the wedding”. In all honesty, I’ve been terrified about going to the wedding but didn’t want to get covid as the trade off🤣. I had another PCR this morning and am awaiting the response. All very strange!! I feel ok. Thanks for listening x

[Whitegate]

The south-west of England has twice the national level of Covid infections due to many thousands of false negative PCR tests leading us to circulate freely for several weeks thus infecting many thousands more. Take care, St Elmo.

[wishbone in reply to Whitegate]

There's been a few thousand in my part of South Wales too. My health board sent at least some of their PCR tests to the lab at fault.

[Elmo333 in reply to Whitegate]

Thank you, I did wonder that. Does the picture of the test look positive to you guys?

[Moomin8]

Morning 🙂 I, personally, would go with the positive LFT. We had something similar with a colleague at work. In the end, she tested positive with her 3rd PCR! Five tests can't be wrong, surely! I wouldn't risk being at a wedding just incase.

[bpeal1]

If you’d asked me 2 months ago I’d have said go with the PCR. However, having experienced what’s happened round here thanks to the Lab giving false negative PCR results I would go with the lateral flow results. I know several families that have caught covid because they were in contact with someone who was wrongly given a negative result, so personally I wouldn’t risk it.

[Bethany02]

You don't have any acidic drinks before doing your test?

[Elmo333 in reply to Bethany02]

No this morning I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything at all.

[Ascidian]

I think that part of the problem can be that the tests are indicating different things. As I understand it, the LTF is more likely to be positive shortly after infection, and the PCR tends to be positive as the illness develops a bit more. So if you are a "slow developer" it could theoretically happen that you have a negative PCR initially. But if your PCR from this morning is still negative, that would seem a little bizarre. Fingers crossed you are not ill...