It's NOT just a cold

[Tatapie]

AIBU to think the NHS should change the "if you have one of the 3 main symptoms" advice for Covid testing to "if you think you've got a cold please get a test" . Two people I know have recently tested positive and had only what they describe as normal cold symptoms. Unfortunately one of them persisted in thinking it was a cold until a close contact tested positive and they'd been to work etc in the interim.
It seemed in March the gov / nhs definitely didn't want everyone with a sniffle getting tested but I wonder if that has/ should change. Tier4.

I don't disagree, actually. The people I know who have tested positive recently (and there are many) all had cold symptoms.

I agree. I went for a test thinking I probably had a cold but of course tested positive.
Didn't have a temperature though felt feverish, didn't have a persistent cough. My main symptom is nausea.

There does seem to be a lot of people with none of the main 3 who test positive. So I agree op. If you register your symptoms on the Zoe app they will most likely invite you for a test. They collect data on people on having non Covid symptoms with their test results. I guess should this data reach a certain % on positive tests it might help the case to get other symptoms included.

Definitely. My dd just had mild cold symptoms and tested positive over Christmas

The full list of symptoms from WHO dashboard:

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

Most common symptoms:

fever.
dry cough.
tiredness.
Less common symptoms:

aches and pains.
sore throat.
diarrhoea.
conjunctivitis.
headache.
loss of taste or smell.
a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes.
Serious symptoms:

difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
chest pain or pressure.
loss of speech or movement.

I totally agree with you andI said the same to the test and trace woman when she phoned me. I had to lie on the form to qualify for a test as I only had a headache. None of the rest of my family have the 3 main symptoms either. The Government need to start communicating this to people immediately.

I wasn't tested for Covid back in March, because they were only testing hospital patients, not people who managed at home, I'm fairly sure I had it. From the WHO list I had: aches and pains, conjunctivitis, tiredness, chest pain and pressure, discolouration of toes, rash on skin.

So none of the NHS 3 symptoms mentioned!

DH had a positive test a few months ago with just cold symptoms, I was paranoid about sending the kids to school and spreading it so we lied to get a test. I started with diarrhoea a week later, no temp until 3 or 4 days in. Again, I lied to get a test because of DH's positive and was also positive. I didn't have a cough at any point or lose sense of smell or taste.

Agreed. When I had it just before Christmas I had a cold, then lost my sense of smell, got tested and tested positive. I shudder to think of how many people I could have infected before that in the incubation period.

It definitely needs to be updated. I know many people who started with just ‘cold’ symptoms, myself included. When I booked my test 3 days ago it showed 500 spaces so while we have the facilities to carry out tests we should be testing people who just have ‘cold symptoms.

@bearlyactive
Agreed. When I had it just before Christmas I had a cold, then lost my sense of smell, got tested and tested positive. I shudder to think of how many people I could have infected before that in the incubation period.

Agreed, my symptoms started the same.

So why has the government and NHS not updated the official list of symptoms to match the WHO?

If we want to get control of this virus then people need to be aware of all possible symptoms.

In September DS(5) had two bouts of vomiting and a high temperature and 111 told us not to bother with a Covid test as it was just the usual bug that kids get. We did anyway and it was negative but how many others are being given incorrect advice from 111?

@Dowhatyoudowell

There’s people having tests when they had nothing but diarrhoea over on the Coronavirus thread, and saying diarrhoea is a symptom when the NHS website does not list it as one.

I think the who said this is a symptom.

Doctors have been saying it since the start (but I know that people were mocked for buying too much toilet roll)

Yep. DF had cold symptoms with none of the 'big 3' but, as he wasn't eligible for a test, went to work until DM came down with cold symptoms and a tickly cough. Then they both got tested and, surprise surprise, both tested positive.

I had a positive test 8 days ago and still have not developed any of the 3 main symptoms. I initially had a headache and felt tired, I then got a sore throat, followed by a blocked nose and sneezing. My DH also tested positive with similar symptoms.

I agree OP.

I work with COVID patients, sore throat, diarrhea, "cold" symptoms are all early symptoms.

I think we have sufficient testing capacity now to provide tests for pretty much anyone who wants them so we should significantly relax the criteria.

Almost all covid positive people will have a temperature, but unless you are monitoring your temp regularly (several times a day) it's really easy to miss!

I agree. Haven't had COVID but people seem to spend so much time parsing out the difference between COVID and a cold: I have lost count of the number of people I have spoken to who have said things like: it can't be COVID because I am sneezing.

Surely the solution would be to say "if you have any cold-like symptoms, but particularly continuous cough, loss of taste and smell and fever"...

Diarrhoea and gastric symptoms, intense nausea, the need and wish to vomit but can't, neuralgia, headache from the 9 circles of hell, aches and pains from head to toe... it's the devil's work this virus. DH's main symptoms are those. He started out with aching joints, neuralgia, and sniffles. He's on day 7 and it's relentless, unforgiving, and not shifting anywhere. It's just 'bad to worse', back to bad, then back to worse again. It's bloody awful this virus. And I think if you have any symptoms of ANYTHING- screw the guidelines- you just need to be entitled to a test. If you're seeing leprechauns and unicorns line dancing naked, get tested.

@Dowhatyoudowell

There’s people having tests when they had nothing but diarrhoea over on the Coronavirus thread, and saying diarrhoea is a symptom when the NHS website does not list it as one.

Dh’s parents have both tested positive and both have diarrhoea, along with a really bad cough, high temperature and vomiting. They’re struggling to keep any food or water down. Dh’s brother tested positive a few days later (is their carer) and has almost identical symptoms. When my neighbours had it, they also had diarrhoea and vomiting, with no other symptoms. They went for a test a they’d been in close contact with someone who was positive and they lied to get the test.

The ‘3’ symptoms do need updating

I tested positive yesterday and have mild cold symptoms - stuffy nose and a cough. I got tested last week at the first signs of a tickly throat but it came back negative, so I've had these symptoms a good few days before getting a positive result. Hopefully it doesn't get any worse than this because I've had worse colds.

Surely the solution would be to say "if you have any cold-like symptoms, but particularly continuous cough, loss of taste and smell and fever

Presumably though, they don’t have the tests or infrastructure to test everyone who has a cold. That’s a large proportion of the population at any given time.

@TheKeatingFive

Surely the solution would be to say "if you have any cold-like symptoms, but particularly continuous cough, loss of taste and smell and fever

Presumably though, they don’t have the tests or infrastructure to test everyone who has a cold. That’s a large proportion of the population at any given time.

Well quite and that's why we came so unstuck in September.

But the situation is so acute now that the impetus should be on preventing people from making their own "winging it" self-diagnosis.

The assumption should be that if you have any symptoms whatsoever at the moment which could be construed as COVID-like you don't wave it off as "just a cold", you isolate pronto.

Anecdotally I believe this new variant might have different symptoms. I tested positive after having sneezing, mucus in my nose, sinus headache as symptoms and everyone who I have spoken to says they or their friends had the exact same. I've also had these mild cold like symptoms for probably 8 or 9 days before developing full blown illness, wiped out with fatigue and lost smell and taste. The NHS advice was for me to isolate until 3 days ago, but I'm still visibly ill and sneezing so I don't see how I wouldn't be contagious.

I wonder if the new strain is giving more cold like symptoms. It would explain its higher transmissability. I wonder if it is milder, this may not be shown in the south east hospital admissions yet if there are still multiple strains circulating. It would be interesting to look at patterns of symptoms by area of the country. Maybe the zoe app is logging this.

There was a different strain identied in China that had more gastric symptoms but lower mortality rates than the one originally identified in Wuhan.