Currently those without symptoms who test positive on a lateral flow are asked to order a PCR test and can only begin their isolation period when they receive the second result.
False. The self-isolation period starts when someone becomes symptomatic or, if they don’t become symptomatic, from when they took their first positive test, whether that was a lateral flow or PCR test.
“Currently those without symptoms who test positive on a lateral flow are asked to order a PCR test and can only begin their isolation period when they receive the second result, effectively forcing them to isolate for longer than seven days.”
The Telegraph has reported on plans to remove the requirement for people who test positive using a lateral flow device (LFD) test to then take a confirmatory PCR test.
It claimed this will reduce the self-isolation period for millions of people who would otherwise be required to start self-isolating on receipt of their PCR test result.
After the policy change was confirmed by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), it was also reported by the Mirror and Sky News which repeated the claim this would cut the self-isolation period.
However, it isn’t true because it wasn’t ever the case that people had to wait for a confirmatory PCR test to start their self isolation period; the self-isolation period for people without symptoms, starts when someone receives their first positive test, whether that’s an LFD test or a PCR test.
Guidance from the UKHSA for England, published on 30 December 2021, before the scrapping of confirmatory PCR tests, says: “Your isolation period starts immediately from when your symptoms started, or, if you do not have any symptoms, from when your positive LFD or PCR test was taken, whichever test was taken first. If you are isolating because of a positive test result but did not have any symptoms, and you develop COVID-19 symptoms within your isolation period, start a new isolation period from the day your symptoms start.”
Similarly, as of the end of last year, people testing positive with a PCR test in England were being told by the NHS that if they had no symptoms and this was a follow-up test, they should self-isolate from the date of their first test.
This is also the case in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Full Fact contacted the Telegraph for comment and will update this piece if they respond.
Removing the requirement for confirmatory PCR tests was confirmed by the UKHSA on 5 January, and will come into force on 11 January, in England.
In their reporting of the announcement Sky News and the Mirror made the same error as the Telegraph, suggesting that this would mean the self-isolation period for people without symptoms would now start from the date of their LFD test, which had always been the case.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland people may end self-isolation after seven days if they test negative using a LFD test on days six and seven, or two consecutive days after this point. Otherwise they must self-isolate for 10 days.
This will also be the case in Scotland from 6 January, which prior to today’s announcement did not allow for people testing negative to end their self-isolation period early. So while that announcement will reduce the self-isolation period for people in Scotland, the move to scrap confirmatory PCRs won’t.
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