When do you count as symptoms starting?

[BeyondsConstantBangingHeadache]

Hiya all

Quick question... if you had say a continuous headache and sickness for a week, but then started coughing on day seven, do you say your symptoms started with the headache (which most covid cases do seem to) or with the cough?

Curious as I know a positive test result ideally needs to be taken in the first five days of symptoms - so Im wondering if waiting too long to have the "official three" symptoms is causing further spread (as people continue to socialise in the first week, then get a negative result so carry on as normal)

What do you think?

Bump

Absolutely. I started with a headache and had to lie that I had a temperature to get a test. Lo and behold - positive. Loss of taste and smell arrived two days later, I've still never had a temperature or noticeable cough. Utterly fucking ridiculous. If I hadn't known someone who had headache as only symptom, I wouldn't have tested, DH would have gone to work and the kids would have gone to school.
It's so misguided as to seem deliberate... (heading into tinfoil hat territory )

Interesting about the headache as I log daily with the Zoe app and when I said i had a headache two days in a row it asked me to get a test. Still waiting for the result...

You start from the day of the 1st symptom even if you dint realise at the time

Tuesday- I had a headache and sore throat
Wednesday- had a headache sore throat, sneezing and a couple of coughs
Friday- lost smell (so 1st actual cv19 symptom). Tested positive- results back Saturday

Day 1 was Tuesday and I could go out again after midnight on Thursday (so early Friday morning). That was day 10

I didn't get a cough until day 10 and was actually most unwell on day 11 and 13.

I think you're probably right. I'd felt a bit 'off' for a few days but then lost taste and smell 4 days later. Took a test the next day which was positive and isolated from the onset of the loss of taste and smell. I think however that I probably had the virus for those few days before when I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous. If I hadn't lost the taste and smell I wouldn't have got a test!

@FlyLight

I think you're probably right. I'd felt a bit 'off' for a few days but then lost taste and smell 4 days later. Took a test the next day which was positive and isolated from the onset of the loss of taste and smell. I think however that I probably had the virus for those few days before when I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous. If I hadn't lost the taste and smell I wouldn't have got a test!

A bit off is how I felt. Like the day before you get a cold/cough. generally very mild symptoms- a light sore throat but no issue with swallowing. A sniffle but not a runny nose etc

Headache was the main symptom.