Have you had a positive covid test with a runny nose and cold symptoms?

[StellaGib]

I keep seeing people repeat on here that runny noses are not a symptom of covid, and if you have a cough with other cold symptoms like a runny nose it can't be covid.

The two people I know who have had covid though (unrelated to each other, never met) both started with cold symptoms and a runny nose then developed a cough

So my question is - if you or your child has been diagnosed with covid, did you also have a runny nose?

Not me but a relative (high school child), tested positive with only a runny nose. No other symptoms present, not even a cough. This was almost 2 weeks ago. Since then other members of their household have tested positive and range from entirely asymptomatic to headaches, terrible fever and dry cough.

I know two children who have tested positive with mild common cold symptoms

Yes, received my positive result yesterday.

I assumed it was a cold as I had a runny nose, sneezing and only got a little dry cough near the end.

Was persuaded by the teacher on the school gates to take a test (coughing fit as I got there) thought she was silly as all the guidance I’d seen says covid doesn’t cause cold symptoms. I had no fever and could smell/taste just fine.

I feel intensely guilty now.

The UK has chosen the big three symptoms but we know it presents in a huge array of ways. A snotty nose doesn't mean it's not COVID.

@Gigglr

The UK has chosen the big three symptoms but we know it presents in a huge array of ways. A snotty nose doesn't mean it's not COVID.

Totally agree with you but I have read a few threads in the last couple of days with people very confidently stating that if you have a runny nose it can’t be, or if cold symptoms start before your cough then that’s how you diagnose

The problem we have going forward is that it is entirely possible a runny nose, sneezing etc is 'just a cold' but covid is also present. Sneezing etc wasn't a 'symptom' in the summer but we are now in cold and flu season so it may now appear to be a symptom. I'm hugely concerned that everything will become a symptom, even though it is perfectly possible to have a sore throat and covid for example, it's not necessarily a sore throat because of covid.
It's so difficult to identify symptoms which is why the list is ever changing.

After advice from our company doctor my employer is now asking staff to self isolate for other symptoms.

Cough
Temperature
Loss of smell/taste
Sore throat
Persistent headache
Diarrhoea
Runny nose.
Horse voice
Breathlessness

Yes, I’ve had a sore throat, runny nose and general cold like symptoms. No cough or fever but got a positive test result on Friday after work insisted I got a test due to working with vulnerable groups (glad I worked at home before getting a test!)

Not me but several former colleagues and students at three local schools. All of them had “just a cold” or “just a runny nose and a bit of a sore throat”. Their OH’s, parents, children etc have all been going into work and school as “a cold isn’t COVID” and I think a lot of people are shocked and there’s probably many that went under the radar in the last week.

I’ve had a runny nose, severe headache, very mild not persistent cough, sore throat and tiredness, no temp, no loss of smell/taste, no persistent cough...I’ve been tracking my symptoms every day in the Zoe app and I’ve received an email from the Department of Health saying “as you are displaying a certain cluster of symptoms of which we are currently trying to determine whether they are related to coronavirus, we are inviting you to take a PCR test as soon as possible” with special instructions on how to obtain a test. Currently awaiting results but I by no means have any of the 3 main symptoms we are told to look out for.

I think ignoring “cold” type symptoms could be leading to the growth in cases most recently. So many “colds” going round at the moment and some will be just that whilst others aren’t.

I should say as well that prior to getting the email but whilst becoming very mildly ill, I’ve attended medical appointments, the dentist, and lived with Shielding family members as well as doing a couple of in store Click and Collects... I’m really worried that I might have passed something on, especially to the dentist or my family as it’s the only time I wasn’t wearing a mask.
I get sinusitis regularly and assume/d it was that...I really hope it’s not, for everyone’s sake. I’d feel awful. I’ve been careful since the sore throat and occasional cough started but I thought nothing of the initial headache/tiredness/sore eyes/runny nose.

Yes I had a positive result with a cold - runny nose and sneezing and sore throat for a few days . No cough at all

Just for balance my dd had a cold then developed a cough and raised rash so we isolated and tested. She was negative. There are certainly still just bugs about.

My point is that there’s no way to be certain apart from through a test. If you develop one of the testable symptoms then do so. Reported shortages aren’t a reason not to test if you can get hold of one and the government need to concentrate on resolving that instead of us restricting ourselves. The advice from the beginning has been to test, test, test and I still believe that to be the best way forward.

Do you think these tests are accurate even Dominic raanan said some giving false positives I mean if it is a coronavirus wouldn't if pick up a cold just intrigued

I had a positive with a fever and ear pain.

A few days later, my sense of taste went and I coughed a few times.

Those with cold symptoms who tested positive, did any of you also have a temperature? DD has a heavy cold (started yesterday), no cough or temperature but slight sore throat

Hmmmmm. Interesting. I've got what I think is a cold. No fever. No cough just one from post nasal drip. No change in taste / smell. I'd not even considered a test!

False positives are a huge risk if mass testing asymptomatic people Eg moonshot. They're not really too much to worry about when testing people with symptoms.
Dd had a persistent cough last Monday and Tuesday morning, no other symptoms . I got her tested on Tuesday (by which time cough had gone) and it came back negative on Wednesday morning so back to school.
She's now developed a full on cold, sore throat, snotty etc. I have no plans to get her retested and will be sending her to school as long as she's well in herself. I assume that's the right thing to do, what do others think?

Just looked on the app (which I do think is good BTW) and it says no.

Are we even meant to be testing if we don't have yhe three main symptoms??

@FannyIsNotMyAunt

Are we even meant to be testing if we don't have yhe three main symptoms??

Just to add to my post, I’m not sorting a test for DD unless she develops a cough, temperature or lack of taste/smell. But, I am on my guard now, checking temperature regularly.

Oh dear, I’ve got a bad cold at the moment. There is a very very mild/barely there cough as PP said is from post nasal drip, I was pretty adamant it wasn’t Covid as I’m uncontrollably sneezing and my nose is running.

Maybe I should get a test then

My understanding is no. But others do seem to be doing differently. To complicate the issue the zoe app wants testing from many symptoms to build up knowledge, for example it wanted me testing with a headache. I suspect if I put in dd's symptoms it will tell me to get her tested.

But you can’t get tested if you don’t have one of the main symptoms and even then it is hard to get a test and extremely disruptive to life if the whole household has to is isolate between the symptoms and the test result.

I am not saying people shouldn’t get a test if they develop a high fever, bad cough, or loss of smell or taste.

But, if you’ve ‘just’ got other things (sore throat, runny nose...) or are slightly warmer than normal or are clearing your throat more often than normal or the coffee smells slightly less strong one morning, you can’t get tested even though it is possible have mild Covid. The testing process firstly can’t cope and secondly is too disruptive for people to get tests for every symptom.

I think this is wrong. I think we should have managed to develop a proper testing system that meant you could get a same day test and results within 24 hours if you had any symptom so we could pick up the mild cases. However, we don’t.

Therefore this is why it is SO important to do all the other things - keeping apart from each other especially. We should all be assuming we do have Covid and protecting others.

Unless having a cold and covid at the same time is medically impossible how would you differentiate the different symptoms? You might have both.

Aside from that everyone must surely know by now that there are no set symptoms you can 100% rely on, rather than anecdata you'd be much better to look at the Zoe or other large scale research projects for your information

Hiw aee these people with colds but no cough getting tests?!

My daughter had a cold that turned into a coigh and school wanted them in...