Feeling ill before testing positive

My DD felt ill the beginning of the week before Christmas - sore throat one day, aching that ibuprofen didn't entirely get rid of the next and then feeling a bit better after that. She did a LFT on Christmas Eve as the family were coming to us the next day and got a positive so went for a PCR which, eventually, came back positive too. By the time she got the positives she felt OK

I am sending for LFT kits from the Government, and one delivery is the newer “nose only” type,
then the next one is the older “throat and nose” type.
I’ll do them whatever as trying to keep this blooming virus contained.

I started to feel a bit poorly last Thursday pm - head cold starting - tested negative. Still felt slightly poorly on Friday but as we were meeting pals at the pub, tested again - negative. Out with sister on Saturday for meal, still feeling a bit groggy, tested negative. Sunday evening tested again, positive. All three friends from pub are now positive. Sister still negative. I'm still positive as is DH. I've heard of so many folk positive at the moment although numbers are dropping. Thank goodness the symptoms are fairly mild, for us at least.

I really don't think it's necessary to try to swab throat as well as nose, especially since Omicron strain mainly affects nose. Better to follow instructions on pack, especially about leaving swab in extraction liquid for specified time and pressing against side of plastic tube to get stuff from swab into liquid.

Farzanah

I understand it is better to try to swab the throat as well as nostrils for a more accurate LFT reading, although you do run the risk of swallowing the tiny swab if you do ?

Maybe gaffer tape the little swab to a toothbrush handle?

My youngest son said he felt terrible before christmas. He tested negative so he kept going to work. He then tested positive for the next 7 days until a negative test. Really strange. Also he has had it before and he is jabbed up!

clbm48

It's not a tiny swab, it's on a long stick. It's virtually impossible to swallow it!

Some of the newer packs come with a short stick. The instructions are different as they say you only need to put them up your nose not into your throat. Having said that I read an article which said that you should still swab your throat to get an accurate result.

I'm assuming MrA has been on serving drinks/meals duty!

It's interesting who does and doesn't succumb within a household.

My sister's adult son lives with her, he caught it and she didn't.

My hairdresser, her husband & small baby caught it, but their two school-aged children didn't - she regularly tested the children but they remained negative.

It's not a tiny swab, it's on a long stick. It's virtually impossible to swallow it!

Hi Riverwalk
Thank you - I’m pretty sure I got it from DGD aged 2. Her nursery was closed week beginning Jan 10 as the two managers both had Covid.
We went to see DD and DGD on the Wednesday and the Friday, DGD full of beans & fighting fit.
But on the Sunday DD, SiL and DGD all tested positive & I tested positive the next day. DD & SiL both had symptoms but DGD had none.
Fortunately MrA has been fine.

My SiL tested positive after her regular PCR as she is a Care Worker. Felt like she had a typical cold, runny nose & bit of a cough for couple of days after test. My DB felt a bit like he had a cold for a few days. Now he has tested positive after 2 negative tests & has hacking cough, runny nose & feels really bad. So this version of the virus is much different to when my DiL, DGS & DGD had the previous version! All were feeling bad & tested positive after LFT & then PCR but my DS tested negative with both. So tests work but not for everyone it seems.

... I'd better test again then! Think it's just a cold ... but still ...

janeainsworth

Beverley It really makes me cross, that the NHS hasn’t updated its 3 symptoms, continuous cough, fever & loss of taste/smell.
The Zoe study showed over a year ago that other symptoms are common.

Last Saturday (15th) I thought I might have a cold, LFT negative.
Next day, cold symptoms worse. LFT again negative, but as a result of logging this on the Zoe app, I got a PCR, which was positive. I had none of the 3 NHS symptoms.
I then had the worst cold of my life & stayed in bed for a week.
Now, on Day 11, I have zero energy & am just relieved I don’t have to go to work or look after small children.

And yes, I’ve had 3 vaccines.

Hope you feel better soon jane.

Out of interest, do you have any idea how you picked up the virus?

on xmas day i visited family, 3 of us came down with 'covid' symptoms 3 days after the meet,the other 2 tested positive, i didn't yet had the same symptoms. I tested negative with lft i was going to get a pcr test then my symptoms lifted! very strange condition.

My DD was quite stressed and felt overwhelmed for 2 days before covid symptoms developed.
Completely out of character for her as she's normally very capable

My symptoms were definitely just like a typical cold- no cough, no loss of taste smell. I had a slight fever by 3rd day. It's now got to the stage some of my previous colds have done - very snotty nose - can keep blowing out lots of greenish grunge?. Slight loss of appetite.
I've heard Omicron described as being like flu, but what I have is not nearly as bad.

They are also saying eye infections and feeling dizzy can be symptoms. I guess the eye infections might come if you have cold symptoms and rub your eyes. Are cold symptoms always present ?

Beverley It really makes me cross, that the NHS hasn’t updated its 3 symptoms, continuous cough, fever & loss of taste/smell.
The Zoe study showed over a year ago that other symptoms are common.

Last Saturday (15th) I thought I might have a cold, LFT negative.
Next day, cold symptoms worse. LFT again negative, but as a result of logging this on the Zoe app, I got a PCR, which was positive. I had none of the 3 NHS symptoms.
I then had the worst cold of my life & stayed in bed for a week.
Now, on Day 11, I have zero energy & am just relieved I don’t have to go to work or look after small children.

And yes, I’ve had 3 vaccines.

The symptoms of Omicron are not the “classic” Covid ones and the government has never updated the list, even though scientists have been urging it to be done for over 18 months.
Many people just have a runny nose and think they have a cold.
joinzoe.com/learn/omicron-symptoms

To all people on here who say you must take a pcr if you have symptoms ive been told twice that you cannot have a pcr more than once a month. What if you have symproms more often. Ive had a chest infection/cold/terrible cough had numerous lft tests and one pcr, all negative. My symptoms have kasted a month but i could have had covid and got better by the time im ready for another pcr.

My short incubation time may have been related to very close contact with positive case - my 3 year old GD- before I knew she had it.
Other members of her family had Covid just before Christmas, and though she was negative then, we thought she may have had it.

My recent experience in relation to OP:
Last Thursday I came to visit daughter expecting 3rd baby imminently. She told me on arrival that GD had just had PCR as mild cold symptoms, but lft was negative. I decided to take my chance, especially since fully vaccinated with booster.
However, next morning, PCR result came back positive and I had to be listed as close contact. In Ireland, close contacts get sent lft kits to test themselves over next week.
On Saturday I had slight pre-cold symptoms (scratchy throat) and around lunchtime did lft. It reacted with faint positive. Sunday morning more definite runny nose and sneezing and did another test - more definite positive. I assumed I had Covid and reported my results on official site.
Since then I've had worse cold symptoms but gradually improving now.
So in my case I started developing symptoms and got weak positive lft only 48 hours after exposure to Covid

Ah yes.
That makes sense, thanks.

If you have symptoms and get a positive lft, it's pretty certain you have Covid. However symptoms and negative lft, you may have Covid - then need PCR. In Ireland now, younger people who get positive lft can report on health website and case gets added to stats. Also get asked for close contacts.
Lft does not become less reliable with symptoms, just less sensitive than PCR.

I’ve heard of loads of people having this scenario. One chap I know had the same symptoms as his parents. They both had positive PCR’s while his was negative so he carried on as normal, with neg LF’s for work, then a week later, a PCR came back positive.