I have just tested positive for covid for the first time EVER…

[Us3rnam36]

As the title says, I’ve never tested positive before. I’ve had colds and coughs and felt run down, but that’s what they’ve always been.

I’ve been feeling pretty run down the last couple of days, especially yesterday. The worst symptoms being body aches and a really sore throat.

Tonight I’ve not slept a wink as I’ve been so cold, shivering under my duvet. But I am so hot to touch and my temp was 37.6 degrees, so I decided to just do a test as I had a free box in my cupboard. I didn’t think it would be positive as I’ve been run down before, with all of the covid symptoms, and nothing.

Lo and behold, two very clear lines appeared. I am a bit in shock to be honest and feel pretty 💩. My plan is lots of paracetemol and to just rest.

Has anyone else tested positive recently?

Amazon have Flowflex LFT's for £3.98 for 5.

I still won’t be buying tests, repeatedly testing myself and my family and isolating until I get 2 negative results.
Im self employed and I cannot afford to take time off with every cough and cold, or mild symptoms of a virus.

I appreciate some people still wish to do this, for example families with an immunocompromised member but I won’t be.

I just don't understand who tests anymore. There is no guidance to. Surely you lot would feel better not knowing. Doesn't it make you worry more knowing you've tested positive?
Doesn't make sense to me.
I understand you'll say it's to do with the vulnerable, but even so.. just do what you'd do normally if you were unwell.. stay away from them?
Live your life

Taking a test doesn't stop me living my life but it protects my family from possible permanent or long-term damage to their health. I don't need the government or NHS to tell me to do that.

I'm testing because I'm a fit and healthy 52 year old and it's made me feel like a 70 year old. If I gave this to someone with a compromised immune system because I didn't want to be inconvenienced... I appreciate I'm lucky in that I can work from home and my employer doesn't mind but I still wouldn't want to pass this on to anyone.
I hope everyone is feeling a bit better today today. Day 6 positive (the Amazon tests) but I just managed a slow 20 minute walk outside and catching up on work.

Day 3 after testing positive / day 4 after getting symptoms, and I am still feeling crap. I am really not sleeping at night either for some reason even though I am exhausted which isn’t helping.

Even if I hadn’t tested, I would have known that this was covid as I have every single classic symptom.

Today I am going to try:
ibuprofen / paracetamol every 3 hours
drink lots of water
try and sleep

yes, DH had it first & had the shivering, sweating, very bunged up nose & generally felt quite ill. I caught it a few days later and just had a very slight runny nose for a couple of days. DH had a very strong positive on a test & I only ever had a much fainter line, we put it down to me having had a booster jab in December

I made my comment about Amazon for those who still test, everyone else can feel free to ignore it 🙄

Don't take your meds every 3 hours or you'll overdose!

@ChrisPPancake sorry I meant paracetamol, then 3 hours later ibuprofen, then 3 hours later paracetamol - so essentially every 6 hours.

as you can take ibuprofen and paracetamol together.

If you alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen you don't overdose - you aren't taking more than the maximum dose of each. Be careful not to take paracetamol and cold& flu tablets though as they also contain paracetamol.

Ok no problem, I wasn’t singling you out to lecture you on my view of testing!

I think I’d advise anyone worried about being able to afford a regular supply of covid tests to not buy them. Let’s also be mindful of the level of plastic waste.

There seems little point testing unless you’re planning to follow a strict isolation procedure.

It’s not “such a simple thing to do” for most people with family responsibilities, work and the practicalities of life.

The whole “I’m doing it to protect my family” sounds like an overestimation of the level of protection that might provide, considering you are surrounded by a society who are not testing en masse.

Id certainly be mindful of socialising if I was displaying obvious symptoms of any viral infection. I don’t need a test to tell me to be do that.

You can take a paracetamol dose every four hours and ibuprofen every four hours also. There is no danger doing that. I find max dose paracetamol the most effective in treating a high temp x

I work in public health, we aren't even monitoring cases, even in care homes once 5 people test positive they don't bother testing anyone else. More elderly people died with flu than covid last winter. The vulnerable will continue to be vaccinated, just act how you would for any other virus with those symptoms, if you are unwell stay at home, if you feel OK no need to lock yourself away and obsessively test. Obviously if you are someone who is eligible for antivirals because of other co-morbidies that's different, but average Jo who is fit and healthy doesn't need to be testing or taking special action.

I'm on holiday, and have barely got out of bed since halfway through Day 1. Absolutely exhausted, don't want to do anything but sleep, no appetite, aching all over, throat is insanely painful. It came on so fast, too - fine one minute and then bam, feel like utter shit.

Headed out for a walk this morning as poor dh is having such a crap holiday, but within an hour I needed to go back to the hotel and was crying with exhaustion. Not like me at all.

I've not tested but I'm sure this is Covid. Never had it before, so typical I would get it on holiday! Might have to wear a mask on.the plane home I guess...

Then scroll up. People are telling you why we are testing - because we feel incredibly ill and want to know why or because others have vulnerable friends and family.

We've got it. Horribly ill. Third time for both. Neither previous time was this bad.

We tested as both had long awaited hospital appointments and elderly relatives who would have been killed by it if they'd been this ill on their own. Good job we did test and stopped spreading it.

I'm self employed and I would test if I had symptoms. I wouldn't see face to face clients in my office if I tested positive.

You've already said you're horribly ill, so what difference does a test make?

If you're ill you already know to stay away from the vulnerable, so the test is irrelevant.

I test for it. I had it for the first time ever earlier this year, having been incredibly careful for the whole 3 years, and I felt like crap for weeks. Why would I want to get it again, especially when we still don’t know what the long-term effects might be?

Plus, I don’t want to give it to people who could become much more ill than me, who could actually die.

It hasn’t gone away.

I hope you feel better soon, OP.

Sympathies to anyone feeling dreadful- particularly the lady whose holiday has been ruined!

However, common sense dictates that in most circumstances, anyone feeling horribly ill with a suspected virus would stay off work and avoid visiting frail family members- regardless of a test?

I think for some at home feeling feverish and unwell, a positive test can add an unnecessary level of fear due to the horrors of the pandemic we’ve come through- the death rates scrolling along the bottom of every news report is fresh in everyone’s mind.

Op I hope you aren’t feeling too anxious. Although flu like symptoms can feel dreadful- most recover in a week or so from covid by treating themselves at home Post viral symptoms or complications from the current strains are rare.

I am on day 11 of being ill and although I am much better I am still far from well.

I have sinus pain, a headache, blocked nose, catarrh and feel exhausted.

I potted up a couple of plants earlier and had to rest for a couple of hours!

I'd like to test but just because I'm curious to know whether, after all this time, this is actually Covid. And to make myself feel a bit less guilty about stuffing up our holiday!

However we're in a tiny town with few amenities and no pharmacy locally. I might test when we get back on Thurs. I'm not scared or anxious at all, but if I feel really crappy I want to know why.

I'm only on Day 2 and feeling awful. My fever won't come down even with Paracetamol. I'm taking Boots cold and flu tablets and they helped the awful blocked nose feeling but there is so much pressure inside my head/nose and its so painful I didn't get much sleep. I'm resting and watching TV but annoyed I can't sleep.

@Moonberri I also am finding it really hard to sleep as well. It’s so annoying.