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Original poster

Sick of Covid? Well ignore the NHS symptom restriction & test if you have others

86 replies

Toastina · 09/12/2020 05:24

Seriously. After an outbreak where I work we've all just ticked the box even though we've not had the major symptoms, but we have had others. E.g. Sore throat, congestion etc etc... And guess what? All of us that did that came back positive.

That's one big factor why it's not under control, people just aren't testing themselves if they don't have the NHS three.

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 09/12/2020 08:00

I have spoken numerous people who have had covid and very few people had the main 3! The majority of people 'thought it was a cold so I went to work/pub/friends house' Most people had a headache. The people who had anosmia usually had that around day 3 or 4 and only then did they book a test. I wonder how many posted on mumsnet and were told not to bother testing because they didn't have one of the three Hmm Grin.
Its absolutely outrageous that our testing criteria is so limited. Barely anyone had a cough and fevers were low on the symptoms too
I agree with not testing if you have been identified as a contact though. Its a waste of time.

Icequeen01 · 09/12/2020 08:01

@tmh88 I am not sure who "they" are who say you can't get a test unless it is a care home or something where you can't book your own test? If you book it yourself you can just say you have one of the main symptoms and get a test very quickly.

divafever99 · 09/12/2020 08:06

Completely agree op. DH started with a blocked nose and felt generally unwell last week. No temperature/cough/altered taste. He has to do twice weekly Covid tests for work. He was due to do one that one day anyway, and it was positive. DD started with a sniffle and headache a few days later and we are also positive. If it hadn't been for the fact my husband had to do that random test we would have never have thought we all had covid, and would have carried on going to work and school. I dread to think how many people we could have passed it on to.

NiceViper · 09/12/2020 08:07

In addition to the symptoms I listed above, I also had sore throats and some sinus pressure (felt like I was about to come down with a really runny nose that never happened) and the anosmia was at least 2 days after the rest and just before I started to perk up.

I had rather been assuming that there was a cold going round with those symptoms, even though I knew my testing competence was iffy at best. But I really am wondering now. Especially as it happened a few days after one of the DC was sent home to SI because of cases in the school

Skipsurvey · 09/12/2020 08:15

@divafever99
but why and how are you passing it on?

DumplingsAndStew · 09/12/2020 08:25

@NiceViper

No-one is checking you're being truthful on the form. And the are other covid symptoms to the three listed. I think using a bit of common sense wouldn't go awry.

But the other problem with the testing regime is self-administration. Anyone in the know have any idea how many tests are likely to be false negatives on the grounds of incompetently taken test?

I have no idea if I did my throat swab properly (found it difficult and suspect that I got too much saliva on it) and all the warnings in the leaflet say that can make the test unreliable

(Symptoms that led my test were mainly feeling 'off', breathlessness, diarrhoea, fatigue, and then eventually loss of taste. But negative result)

I would assume incorrectly administered tests wouldn't have the relevant testing material on them so would come back inconclusive or faulty.
Lostinacloud · 09/12/2020 08:33

Someone asked what other countries list as symptoms eligible to get a test. In france you can get a test for 3 reasons;

  1. Sent by a GP
  2. Close contact with a positive case (this is 7 days after the contact not straight away)
  3. If you have symptoms which they list as; Breathing difficulties, cough, fever, extreme tiredness, body aches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat or headache.

I had covid at the end of October and got the cough first (very mildly), then mostly just felt a bit unwell and had a headache for 3 days. Only lost smell and taste on about day 4 or 5.

Nellee · 09/12/2020 08:36

Government must know all this! They seem to want to let Covid run wild - whilst putting useless measures in to make it seem as though they’re trying to protect their people.

TheGreatWave · 09/12/2020 08:39

[quote Skipsurvey]@divafever99
but why and how are you passing it on?[/quote]
Because it is a virus, and all the measures only reduce the chance of spread not eliminate it.

divafever99 · 09/12/2020 08:44

@Skipsurvey
We've not passed it on to anyone as far as we know as we isolated as soon as dh became unwell. We are in tier 3 so not visited family for months. The point I was trying to make was that if DH hadn't have done that random test we would have all just carried on as "normal" DD is 5, it's likely she would have infected children at school. I'm beginning to understand now why it's rife at school, if you can be positive with just a sniffle.
I'm wfh home at the moment but DH works in the NHS. Although he wears basic PPE the job he does means he physically can't be 2 meters away from them. Many of his patients are elderly/clinically vulnerable too.

BefuddledPerson · 09/12/2020 08:44

@Lostinacloud

Someone asked what other countries list as symptoms eligible to get a test. In france you can get a test for 3 reasons;
  1. Sent by a GP
  2. Close contact with a positive case (this is 7 days after the contact not straight away)
  3. If you have symptoms which they list as; Breathing difficulties, cough, fever, extreme tiredness, body aches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat or headache.

I had covid at the end of October and got the cough first (very mildly), then mostly just felt a bit unwell and had a headache for 3 days. Only lost smell and taste on about day 4 or 5.

This is just so much more comprehensive.

Makes me worry that UK cases would be sky high if we tested on this basis Sad

Government have abandoned us.

PowerslidePanda · 09/12/2020 08:51

It's ridiculous that in some cities, they're inviting everyone to get tested to try and pick up asymptomatic cases - whilst throughout the rest of the country, people who have symptoms outside the main 3 aren't allowed one! Letting people use their own judgement would be far more sensible.

picklemewalnuts · 09/12/2020 08:54

If you lie on the form about which symptoms you have and it comes back positive, you reinforce the expectation that those symptoms are the ones to trigger a test.

I understand why you do it, but the unintended consequence is to reinforce testing based on the wrong 'main three'.

megletthesecond · 09/12/2020 08:54

I agree.
Any sniff of being under the weather and people should get a test. The three symptoms are way too few.

thegrassisgreenwhereyouwaterit · 09/12/2020 09:12

You’ve hit the nail on the head. The nhs symptoms are very misleading. I just had a scratchy throat, no cough, no temp, taste and smell fine, but felt like I was coming down with something. I test positive and was then very unwell for about six weeks.

Ive known of several people who have tested positive after having traditional cold symptoms after totally believing they couldn’t have covid.

GreyishDays · 09/12/2020 09:22

@picklemewalnuts

If you lie on the form about which symptoms you have and it comes back positive, you reinforce the expectation that those symptoms are the ones to trigger a test.

I understand why you do it, but the unintended consequence is to reinforce testing based on the wrong 'main three'.

I don’t think that’s a reason to not get tested and spread it around.

Also when test and trace phone you, you tell them why you tested. That may get fed back, I don’t know.

GreyishDays · 09/12/2020 09:24

And in areas where numbers are going up sharply (stoke and Telford a couple of weeks ago) they do encourage testing with different symptoms. So if they aren’t controlling it, it’s something that can be brought it.

megletthesecond · 09/12/2020 09:27

I'm sure there's an "other" box you can tick on the form if you don't have a main symptom.

RedMarauder · 09/12/2020 09:28

@Northernsoullover as some posters on MN are in other countries where the signs and symptoms where they should get tested are different or read/involved in research, posters who state they think they may have Covid are generally encouraged to get a test.

Jrobhatch29 · 09/12/2020 09:30

My friend has just recovered from covid. She works on a covid ward and had all the classic symptoms. However her husband and two kids also tested positive a week or so after her with very minor symptoms - runny noses and headaches mainly. Her husband was only under the weather for one day

baroqueandblue · 09/12/2020 09:36

Government have abandoned us

They are pathologically neglectful and unaccountable. But plenty of people wanted them in, despite their incompetent track record, individually and collectively. Their whole ethos is "every man for himself" and sadly that characterises their approach to everything they touch. It's going to take a herculean effort to put them out of commission now.

megletthesecond · 09/12/2020 09:41

It's insane how it's trickling around the population.
I'm sure it's possible to control it with mass testing. Thanks Johnson Angry.

Belladonna12 · 09/12/2020 09:45

I agree that if you've been in contact with someone who has tested positive or if there are a lot of cases in your workplace then you should get tested after any new symptoms. I think most people I know have done this. However, there probably aren't enough tests for everyone to test for Covid without the symptoms.

KiwiKit · 09/12/2020 09:48

Totally agree! We are currently self isolating because my DS tested positive. He just had a sore throat.

PetronellaOsgood · 09/12/2020 09:52

I had a migraine and vomiting, which cleared after 3 days so I went back to work (retail) 2 days later started coughing , tested positive.

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