Feeling ill before testing positive

Agree with chestnut

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 ?

I've just joined this, my first online anything ......... thought I'd enter the conversation as a tester.
I've been feeling rubbish since the week before Christmas.
Non stop coughing. Had a LFT every day, always negative and had a PCR which was also negative. Had 2 lots of antibiotics "just in case".
I honestly feel that its been coronavirus even with all the negative results.
One slight benefit (to my liver a least) is that i haven't been able to touch a drop of alcohol. Wine tastes like poison.
I'm saving a fortune! (wink).

Yes my friend was negative for days whilst having a ‘bad cold’ but then changed to positive about 4/5 days later

I felt as if I was getting a cold and had a sore throat and tested negative. The following day I felt worse and tested positive.

DH tested negative twice. It wasn’t until I tested positive that on the third test a barely visible line showed on his kit. He thought his was a cold. In my case I felt grotty for a few days, no covid symptoms until a few days in when I lost my sense of taste and smell. The coughing came about a week later.

I understood the LFT is for people showing no symptoms and the PCR test for people who do have symptoms. Once you have covid symptoms the LFT is not reliable.

2 DGC were never unwell. Got tested as DGD had symptoms but she was negative all way through. DD1 and DSil were testing every day after DGS was positive so became positive the day they felt unwell - heavy cold like symptoms. On day 12 after parents were affected DGC tested positive - they had never been out and seen anyone and she cried for 2 hours as we never saw then over Christmas and they were supposed to be coming on New Year's Day. She is only 4 and was very brave. No symptoms though.

I'm no medic, but can imagine your body fighting the infection and making you feel rotten, until it loses the battle and you fall sick!

If anyone has symptoms it should be a PCR test not a LFT
Although in my experience LFTs are pretty good at picking up positives regardless

Yes, happened to my DD too. Negative PCR followed by a positive.

I haven’t but my daughter and several other people I know felt rough, had 3 days of negative LFT then a positive