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Conflicting Lateral flow and PCR test results.

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grandmaz Fri 24-Dec-21 14:38:20

Apologies if this has been covered in another thread …I have looked through but couldn’t see that it has.

Ten days ago I felt as though I was getting. a cold. Mindful of the advice on the ZOE Covid symptom study app, I did my LF test a day earlier than I would usually do. To my shock, the T line was visible. Faint but definitely visible. I immediately sent for a home PCR. Whilst waiting for that I did another LF the following morning. Identical to the previous one, faint pink but definitely visible T line. Did the PCR test when it came and the courier collected it. The result came back a day later…negative.

I was isolating of course but I thought I’d do another LF …from a different box as I’d used the last two from the previous batch. This was also positive. Spoke to 111 doctor who was very thorough and said ‘you’ve got Covid’. I was enrolled into the home monitoring service. My own GP called me the following morning and suggested a repeat PCR which I sent for and returned. Whilst we spoke and I told her what had happened she said ‘you’ve got Covid’ and gave me advice etc. she’s had it twice herself so has some personal experience of it.

Well you’ve guessed it, the second PCR was also negative. I called the GP again and she said ‘we’ll ignore the tests, you’ve got Covid …sometimes things happen at the labs’ ?

So here I am feeling pretty rubbish still, although thankfully with no worsening of symptoms…however I feel that I don’t really know whether this IS COVID or not. What to believe? I’ve felt dreadful…and I’m double vaxxed and boostered as well as flu jabbed …am 69 with asthma and atrial fibrillation, plus some fairly common digestive issues but otherwise nothing major going on. I’ve been scrupulously careful over the last 22 months, rarely go out, food orders online …and now and again I see my beloved children and grandchildren on my front path….no hugs no kisses …just like many of us it’s so painful. No idea how I have contracted the virus, if it is the virus …but am feeling upset and confused by the conflicting test results. I can theoretically end my self isolation now …two x LF test yesterday and today were negative …but I feel wrung out physically mentally and emotionally…I’ve cried at so many Christmas movies over the last few days …even Shaun the Sheep ? and would welcome news of anyone else’s experiences with conflicting results please.
Spending Christmas with just me and the dog again this year like many of us I’m sure …so would like to wish everyone Seasons Greetings and a much better 2022.

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Chestnut Fri 24-Dec-21 15:08:28

I'm so sorry to hear all this Grandmaz and can understand your feeling so low. These damn tests are really not reliable are they? My friend tested Negative for 2 weeks on LF tests and then Positive on the PCR showing she had covid all along. For 2 weeks!
I would just look after yourself and stay at home until you feel better, because you obviously have some kind of virus. Frustrating not to know for sure, but it does seem like covid if you have had positive tests. Thankfully you seem to be coping with it despite your asthma etc.
You need some contact with your children and grandchildren. If you're not visiting them at Christmas then can you share the celebrations over a video call? Maybe they could leave it running so you can see them and they can talk to you as if you were there? That would make you feel a part of it. Get them to prop the phone (or iPad) up somewhere so you have a view of the room or the table and they can see you. If you can't be with them I'm sure it would cheer you up to see them like that. I know it would me.
I hope you can get over this winter blues and think about things getting better in the Spring and Summer which they definitely will.

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Chestnut Fri 24-Dec-21 15:22:31

Grandmaz Just to add, you say you've had no hugs and kisses from the family, if you mean from the start then I'm wondering why. I kept clear of my family during the dangerous periods at the start and last Christmas, but there were periods when it was safer and we did meet up and hug. We are meeting up tomorrow (me and 3 adults and 3 children). None of us appear to have had, or to have covid so we feel it's safe and will be hugging. I feel very vulnerable having been a smoker and having had pneumonia at least twice in my life, I'm sure my lungs couldn't cope, so I would never take a risk. I feel we're safe, but as you've found, nothing is guaranteed 100% safe because you got it anyway.

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grandmaz Fri 24-Dec-21 15:35:31

Chestnut thanks for your kind and thoughtful replies. I’ve just tried to follow the rules for everyone’s sake really. I tend to hibernate from October to March anyway as I have dodgy lungs due to having had whooping cough as a pre teen in the 1960s and hence any cold or viral infection plus havoc with my having to have oral steroids and meds as well as the usual inhalers etc. so I am super cautious and so are my family on my behalf. We don’t mix if anyone has colds or flu because I can be ill for weeks if something goes to my chest which things tend to. So it’s been a sad ubundance of caution. I’ve got five children and nine grandchildren …not all are huggers or kissers by any means but I do miss seeing them as well as the odd PDA! I had planned to spend Christmas with the majority of them this year as I had my booster in November but two now have colds, several of the cchildren are too young to be vaccinated so on balance have decided to stay away. Yes we’ll Zoom and it will be fine as long as I can hear them…I’m a bit hard of hearing …but I’ll see most of them that way xx

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Chestnut Fri 24-Dec-21 16:54:49

Wow, 5 children and 9 grandchildren! If you get a call with all of them you'll be spending most of the day on video calls. Really, we are so lucky to have video calls, unlike in the past. I'm glad to hear you'll see them that way. Better powder your nose first thing tomorrow.
My 3 grandchildren are too young to be vaccinated so maybe I am taking a risk tomorrow, but I do believe we all have to take responsibility for our own safety and make our own decisions based on what we feel comfortable with. I wouldn't meet up just because Boris said we could, unless I personally felt it was safe.
I also tend to be ill for weeks if I get a cold which always goes to my chest, but I have found 2 daily Echinacea from Healthspan literally stops the cold in its tracks! Last few colds have just been a sniffle for a day or two and are then gone. It really works. Mind you, haven't had a cold for a couple of years due to isolating. I cannot vouch for other makes of Echinacea by the way, just that one really works for me.
Well I hope you have a good day tomorrow and get lots of video calls. As I said, they can always stick the phone or iPad up somewhere so you can watch the action, even if they're not conversing with you.

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