AIBU - to think that PCR results are being tampered with?

[tuesdayschild17]

A week ago, COVID symptoms hit me like a bus. I developed a high temperature, muscle aches, a dry cough, headache and within a couple of days I couldn’t smell at all. I’m talking stick your head in the dog food bowl and still nothing!!

I have had appalling night sweats as well and have heard this is common for the Omicron. I honestly have not felt this unwell for years.

I took a home PCR test and have just had the results and they’re negative! I followed the instructions religiously and made sure I really swabbed my throat/nose properly. I’d gamble large sums of money I had/still have COVID.

Does anyone feel that there are accuracy failures in the PCRs we aren’t being told about? Or that even worse the government may be trying to suppress the number of positives that happen in this huge wave of Covid crashing down on the UK?

Has anyone else had a negative PCR but been sure they have COVID?

I keep saying this but other bugs are still available! Covid hasn't wiped them all out. 10 years ago you would have had a cold and cough. Those bugs are still around now.

PCR tests have never been 100% accurate. Particularly self administered ones.

A while back experts estimated a false negative rate of up to 30% (NB. instances of false positives are less common).

Whether Omicron has increased the likelihood of false negatives, I don't know - but right this moment (as Professor Tim Spector has said recently) given the very high rates of infection in the UK, it's reasonable to assume Covid is the most likely cause of your symptoms.

I hope whatever it is you're now feeling better OP.

I’ve never had COVID, but I’ve had the complete loss of sense of smell a couple of times of the years from respiratory infections. It took a good while (many months) to come back but afaik didn’t indicate anything sinister

Have you done any LFTs? (Yes, I know you aren’t meant to).

Not tampering, but if the protein in the new variant has mutated significantly, then tests developed to detect alpha and delta strains could possibly miss infections and return false negatives? Just wondering.

Tim Specter from the Zoe covid study recently said that even in high covid areas, you are 4 times out of 5 still most likely to have an alternate virus if you are having symptoms, especially at this time of year.

So yes, I can believe that its another respitratory virus, and No I dont think the results are being messed with

@ItsSnowJokes

I keep saying this but other bugs are still available! Covid hasn't wiped them all out. 10 years ago you would have had a cold and cough. Those bugs are still around now.

No but the infection control measures have so far this year reduced cases of other viruses. Right now Covid is the dominant virus (in the UK especially).

my daughter and her boyfriend are both laid out with similar too, all tests coming back negative

here is the link to his talk

@Mxflamingnoravera

Not tampering, but if the protein in the new variant has mutated significantly, then tests developed to detect alpha and delta strains could possibly miss infections and return false negatives? Just wondering.

No this isn't the case with PCRs and omicron. It's possible eventually this will be the case.

No, if I had a negative PCR test then I would assume it to be accurate. If you hadn’t done the test properly your result would say inconclusive or invalid, not come back negative.

There are other illnesses, which I know a lot of the world appears to have forgotten.

I do appreciate that there are other viruses out there. However, I was under the impression that as I’m based in London, statistically it is far more likely for me to have Covid currently than any other respiratory illness. I have a daughter who (before I kept her home from school) was attending a school where nearly half of the staff were absent with Covid and a large number of pupils. It actually seems more likely to be Covid than anything else?

@NettleTea

Tim Specter from the Zoe covid study recently said that even in high covid areas, you are 4 times out of 5 still most likely to have an alternate virus if you are having symptoms, especially at this time of year.

So yes, I can believe that its another respitratory virus, and No I dont think the results are being messed with

You got it the wrong way round.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/londoners-with-cold-symptoms-more-likely-to-have-covid-expert-omicron

And it's set to become the dominant strain across the UK, not just London.

No, it's just that the symptoms of Covid are very similar to other viruses. If you have never previously lost your sense of smell (and therefore taste) with a bad cold or flu, then you have been fortunate! I have, and it sucks, but it passes eventually.

Hope you feel better, OP. There's a really stinking awful flu going around.

I had those symptoms OP. Horrendous fever, cough, headache. Felt like I'd been hit by a bus. No energy.

Completely lost my sense of smell. I couldn't even smell eucalyptus oil. Absolutely nothing. Everything tasted like cardboard. Weirdest thing ever.

This was four years ago. Pretty sure Covid wasn't around then.

My husband and I both had Covid symptoms in the summer. Same illness, same time. We were both really ill. I have never had an illness like it before. He tested positive, I tested negative. I did some research into PCR accuracy and at the time studies were showing that they only pick up around 70% of positive cases. So I think I had a false negative. Quite possible the same thing has happened to you. Hope you feel better soon!

There is a lot of flu around.

I completely lost my sense of smell after a nasty dose a few years ago, was looking after toddler DD alone and left her in a dirty nappy for quite some time because I had no idea.

False negative is possible but more likely you just have another rotten virus.

Just to add I have permanent sense of smell change since having it as well, and I'm now 6 months on.

We're talking about now, not 4 years ago. The balance of probabilities has changed. Right now, with the extremely high levels of SARS-COV-2 infections in the UK, the symptoms are more likely to be Covid than another virus.

All those symptoms went round our house except the night sweats last two weeks but we are all negative I've done loads of lateral flows as I was so convinced I'd see a line eventually

It's kind of frustrating as if your that poorly you just want to get covid over with and you haven't.

@Gertie75 it says loud and clear in the post what test she did

@threebillboards

There is a lot of flu around.

There really isn't. Rates have been lower than average worldwide. Touch wood that doesn't change because the NHS (and economy) is struggling enough with Covid. Right now the UK has extremely high levels of SARS-COV-2 infections - which are rapidly increasing every day.

I’m not sure about there being a big sandal but sure some are wrong.

Friends of mine went down with covid a week ago , positive tests. Then son went down with exactly the same symptoms- negative test. Unfortunately nothing in 100% accurate.