Somerset mum's 'frustration and guilt' over son's Covid PCR test

Families in Somerset have spoken of their concern after receiving what could have been multiple false negative Covid PCR test results.

Their worries come after it was revealed that more than 40,000 people - mainly living in the South West - could have been given incorrect test results by a lab in the Midlands.

Rachel King from Somerset took her son for two PCR tests after he tested positive using lateral flows, and both came back negative.

"I felt by then fairly confident he was negative and carried on taking him to school, seeing friends, relatives," she said. 

"Then this week he took another lateral flow test because we had a friend of a friend who tested positive.

"Again, it came back positive so we've booked him in for yet another test and we're currently waiting on the results.

"I appreciate that errors happen, but this is so frustrating."

She said she feels "huge guilt" particularly as they had been to see her son's grandparents a couple of weeks ago.

'A horrible feeling'

"The thought that I might have inadvertently passed on something is a horrible feeling."

NHS Test and Trace say the 43,000 people who may have been given incorrect results took tests between September 8 and October 12.

Shauna Baker, from Minehead, also said getting her recent false negative results was a "frustrating" experience for her and her family.

"In total we had six false negatives between us - all from test centres, when the postal ones were coming back positive."