To not be surprised that Covid is rife

[Pugmomma]

Background - myself and DP were due to attend an event on New Years Eve, as such had to prove we didn’t have Covid by providing a negative lateral flow test. On NYE we did the test - both of our tests were positive with the darkest red line you ever did see.

Now neither of us have ANY symptoms, no cough, no aches, fever, headaches, loss of taste / smell - NOTHING. Both felt 10/10.

We went for PCR’s to confirm, convinced the lateral flows were wrong as we were both just completely normal - both PCR’s were positive.

We’ve isolated since obviously, but had we not been due to attend an event we wouldn’t have done a lateral flow as we are both so well and symptom free - we would never have known we had it. Only purely by chance due to the event did we take the tests.

AIBU to think that many more people have COVID than what we’re aware of? Just carrying on completely as normal totally symptom free?

If we hadn’t of had our event I’d of been out shopping / gone to work etc etc as we felt totally fine!

Currently on day 6 after our positive tests and still were both completely fine with not so much as a tickly throat, not a single symptom.

I will add that around a month ago, we got some kind of super cold / flu that floored us both, a week of work each, living of night nurse, absolute hell - we did tests every day convinced we had Covid - all negative. That absolutely sh*t on the Covid we apparently have yet we’re totally fine!

Surely many more people are like us but are blissfully unaware? We can’t be the only ones!

1 in 3 have no symptoms, so no, you're not remotely close to being the only ones.

I bumped into a friend today. Her daughter had covid at Christmas, it was picked up on a lateral flow test as they were planning a visit to friends and confirmed by a PCR. She had no symptoms whatsoever, and none of the rest of the family caught it.

Yep. My view is that there must be so many people with covid who don’t know they have it, that there’s not much point in having restrictions on those who know. It’s barely going to make a dent in the rate of spread.

I think that's why lateral flow testing is encouraged twice weekly.

@GaolBhoAlba

1 in 3 have no symptoms, so no, you're not remotely close to being the only ones.

I think it’s a lot more than one in 3. Myself and DP had no idea, and just tonight my mum who we saw over the festive period has tested positive (she tests weekly) came up with a positive PCR after a negative lateral flow with no symptoms along with her DP and my sister and her DP.. thats 6 from 6 with not a cough, fever, loss of taste between the lot of them. They only went for the PCR because of us but otherwise had negative lateral flow tests. I think the figures must be off, either that or omicron is so mild it’s undetectable without a test

That's why most of us avoid events, especially at Christmas when everyone's seen 20 other people that day

@Lacedwithgrace

That's why most of us avoid events, especially at Christmas when everyone's seen 20 other people that day

I agree however the idea of everyone attending having to supply a negative Covid test (hopefully) makes the odds of anyone likely to pass the virus exempt from attending.. as in myself and DP’s case

I agree however the idea of everyone attending having to supply a negative Covid test (hopefully) makes the odds of anyone likely to pass the virus exempt from attending.. as in myself and DP’s case

All well and good if you can actually get hold of a test, been trying to order LFTs for about 10 days now through the NHS website, but there aren't any available and have friends who have been unable to get PCR tests too.

It's interesting who it affects.

I have friends whose Christmas was ruined by a couple of positive lateral flow tests, but ultimately the whole family came down with it. Out of about a dozen people - all vaccinated, and all over 40 boosted - two 70+ year olds ended up in hospital, a 40+ year old ended up in ICU and is still in hospital, one 20+ year old was very sick, still bed-bound, having antibiotics for a secondary chest infection. Two others had "the worst flu ever" but are ok now. Most of the rest were completely ok.

It's a very strange virus.

Yes I’m sure there a loads about with no symptoms. We have all just had it, I tested myself and 2 D.C. as 4 In the family had ‘colds’. We all 3 tested positive, one of us asymptomatic. I would have sent him off to school had we not tested as he was ‘well’.

Yes that’s exactly why covid has been so difficult to control. People don’t always know they have it, or if they do, they’ve already had it for a few days by the time they feel unwell, and have merrily spread it around.

How realistic is permanent lft testing though? Are the gov going to provide all households with a free, infinite supply? I doubt it. As most are either completely unaffected or only mildly so, at some point I imagine we'll be told to stop testing or do it at our own expense and it will just be something we get now and then like everything else, with boosters at whatever intervals.

I think there is a ? about how contagious asymptomatic carriers truly are... I’d be interested to know if there’s any definitive data.

Don't other viruses also behave this way though?

Many people who carry and spread cold and flu viruses don't exhibit symptoms. I assume some people also don't catch it when exposed as with covid. It's only because we are testing so much that we know all this about covid but as a virus I don't think it's unique in its behaviour and individual outcomes. It's good that we are learning about these things I guess.

How have you been unaware of this

Asymptomatic spread is exactly how we've ended up with a pandemic

That’s why people are advised to test twice a week and before events 🤷‍♀️

It's a very strange virus

Exactly - it floors some people, and is even more severe in some, whilst others have barely any symptoms at all

(To that extent, it's a bit like polio, which was mild in most, but fatal or life changing in others)

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

I don’t think that’s true? Pre-symptomatic yes- but true asymptomatic cases- people who never display symptoms- can’t mathematically be the main driver of transmission.

It's well known that you can be asymptomatic so YABU to suggest this is news

Lots of reports suggesting that if you get a positive PCR but only negative LF you are unlikely to be infectious. Some studies have shown LF detect up to 80% of all cases but 90% of infectious cases.

OH and I were both pretty much asymptomatic and neither DC ever tested positive.

Did you have a PCR when you had this super cold a few weeks back? LFTs are no use if you have symptoms.

Not surprising at all.
And I know of people at work who aren’t testing twice a week, even though we are meant to.

@VaguelyInteresting you're right, I was obvioulsy so flummoxed by the OP not being aware of asymptomatic that I didn't type fully

This is exactly why we have LFTs and are asked to test.

I'm sure (providing we don't get some hideous new variant) we will stop testing sometime this year. Possibly LFTs will be available to buy? The whole point is to slow the spread so you don't end up with everyone infected and needing hospital treatment at once.

LFTs are no use if you have symptoms.

This is just not true. They don’t suddenly stop working just because you have symptoms. They just don’t detect as many cases as PCR tests.