If you tested positive - what were your symptoms?

[Itsamess8456]

A few weeks ago both dh and I were slightly unwell. Both of us had sore throats, runny noses, sneezing, slightly tight chest, fatigue and a strange symptom of really sore backs and legs. It lasted about a fortnight. It was unusual as we hardly ever have colds.

We didn't have any COVID tests as we didn't have coughs, temps or lose taste/smell. We did instinctively isolate.

Reading a couple of threads here - I've noticed a few posts complaining of a similar backache.

This has got me thinking - of people who tested positive, what symptoms did you experience?

First was the most horrendous headache I've ever had over a period of about 48 hours. My eyes hurt too. Ibuprofen just took the edge off it. I put it down to end of term/work stress (am a mature student and work in the NHS so not an unreasonable assumption!) until I had a very brief fever to go with it. I've also had back pain and needed my blue inhaler a bit more but no dramatic breathing issues and no cough at all so far. I'm about 5 days in.

I had terrible back and leg pain last Monday, am 15 weeks pregnant so assumed I had overdone it with carrying heavy food shopping and added strain to my already under pressure back. Next day I was full of cold, headache, sore eyes, random ear stabbing pain, sneezing and blocked nose. No cough/fever/loss of taste or smell so assumed it was a cold and carried on.

I work in the NHS and took a lateral flow test on Saturday and it was positive. Just waiting for PCR swab to confirm.

Definitely more people testing positive without the three main symptoms. I never would have know had I not taken the lateral flow test. But the back pain was really bad I had to take paracetamol which I always limit to when I really need it in pregnancy.

I started with scratchy throat along the course of being ill I had a fever once, a migraine, vomitting, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of smell and taste. Slight cough

Started with that back of the throat “getting a cold” feeling, tired eyes and a bit achey.

2-3 days later very slight cough. More chesty than dry.

Day 4-5 started to feel like a head cold, very bunged up and coughing occasionally but less than previous. Sense of smell started to go. Can still taste most things but not things that rely on taste and smell together, like mint chocolate and spices in food.

Throughout I’ve had a light headed, mild vertigo type feeling. Slightly more tired than usual but not enough to stop me doing my usual activities around the house.

No temperature at any point, cough not persistent, sense of smell didn’t go straight away. Probably wouldn’t have gone for a test had a close contact not tested positive.

Headache was the primary symptom that didn’t clear even with painkillers followed by body aches but no temperature. This was in the first week before I got tested which the following Tuesday when I got a cough. The positive test came on Wednesday and thereby followed a couple of days of persistent coughing and a slight tightness in chest. Still feeling fatigued three weeks on but otherwise okay. I feel a bit upset I didn’t test in the first week as I was doing the school run with dd3. I may have passed it on but I didn’t have any of the ‘classic’ symptoms. In hindsight, I would tell anyone who has even mild flu like symptoms to get tested.

Day one Thumping head that nothing touched, I spent the day in bed
Day two Started coughing a little bit headache gone
Every day on the cough got worse, body aches, couldn't move without pain, The bloody cough killed my pelvic floor it was so bad.
Day 5 Smell and taste went.
Test on day three, was +

Sore head and throat. But not too bad. Sore eyes, it hurt when I looked up or left. Sneezing. Slight cough - a few times a day.

Would never have tested without there being a positive person in DD's nursery.

Smell went today. I'm on day 5. Feel tired but I'm surprised at how easy it would have been to miss.

PHE/NHS really need to change their criteria to get a test.

I have a slight tightness in my upper chest and a funny feeling at the back of my throat. I have heavy legs and yesterday had horrendous abdominal pains. Should I book a test or just wait to see if I develop any of the main symptoms? Obviously I will be isolating just in case.

The criteria does need to change. When TTP called me after my positive result they said that my isolation begins from the day I started to cough even though I'd had the other symptoms for a few days before.

Outdated symptoms.

If you log your symptoms with the Zoe app they will tell you whether to take a test based on their assessment of your symptoms. They ask about 30 different questions about different symptoms and do not limit it to the cough/fever/loss of taste or smell.
Also contributes to research to help fight the virus. They are the ones who discovered loss of taste and smell were a symptom by looking at what users had logged (took PHE a while to actually do anything about it...). I would urge everyone to join.

PHE and NHS move way too slowly. Remember how many people in March were told they couldn't possibly have covid even with the typical symptoms because they hadn't travelled to China or Italy? Whereas the reality is that community transmission likely started in February if not before.

My 4yo just had a runny nose and stomach pains. I had a weird hunch so got her tested, she came back positive. Her sister now has the exact same symptoms.

They say that gastric symptoms affect quite a lot of patients

Thank you everyone. I have booked a test. I have an excruciating headache and pain around the eyes now.

The very first symptom I had was itchy feeling in my sinuses and eyes felt sore, heavy and 'pressured'. I felt like I couldn't move them up down and side to side properly. Runny nose and a pathetic cough, possibly 4 times a day, more throat cleaning really. I then got conjunctivitis, very bad hip and pelvic pain and fatigue. Sinus headaches, which I'm still getting. No loss of smell or taste until day 8. Tingly pins and needles in my hands, which I still have 6 weeks on.

I have had a positive result. I have not had any of the three main symptoms, but decided to get tested after the Zoe app suggested it. Merry Christmas!!!

Very first symptom was a metallic taste. Woke up the next day feeling like I was getting a cold; sore throat, headache, sinus pain. By evening I was shivering and sweating, had the worst back pain ever.

I think sense of smell/taste went a few days later. Had chest pain and pain breathing, pain all over body, fever lasted over a week.

This is so confusing. In April, I came down with a very sore throat that moved to the crushing feeling on my lungs, pains in my back, breathlessness and one morning a temp of 37.8 which oy lasted a few hours. Called the GP who said that in all likelihood it was Ovid. Lasted 3 weeks, some days better some days worse.

Got the antibody test done in Jun and came back negative.

I now have similar symptoms but milder. Chest feeling wheezy and feeling the need to cough but very mildly, more case of clearing up the throat. Temp of 37.4 which is a bit higher than normal for me but not a fever. A very mild headache. Had the stabbing in the ear which I had last time but very occasionally.

I've concluded that it was the same virus as last time but reading about mild symptoms, see that it could be Covid too. Yet don't meet the criteria for testing.

@oep17 hi! I am also pregnant and positive atm too. My legs have been really aching and almost burning! How long did it last for you? Xx

@Starrr123 hey! Sorry you’ve also tested positive. The aching back and legs only lasted maybe 24 hours for me, that was on the Monday. On the Tuesday I came out with really blocked sinuses and sneezing which I thought was just a cold. Wasn’t until I took a routine test for work the following Saturday did I realise I was positive. Then lost my sense of taste/smell I think maybe 2 days after the positive test and that was it really! I wouldn’t have said I was really ill, had I not known it was covid I would have just said it was a heavy cold. How many weeks are you? I was about 15/16 weeks when I caught it. I’ve since started feeling baby move and had scans etc and all seems well so try not to panic! xx

Ive had the aches for about a week now! So abit worried it may be something else more serious :( i am 17+1!
Hopefully wont last much longer! I also got a rash loss of taste and smell. And sinuses seem super blocked. Glad your better xx

Horrendous headache for 48 hours that pain killers could not touch. Extremely bad joint pain across neck, shoulders, arms and back. Very lethargic. Sweated buckets every night (new bedding required every day for five days), but no fever.
After those symptoms went away I lost my sense of taste and smell. DH had all the same with the exception of losing his smell and taste, but he got the cough. He couldn’t sleep for 4 nights as a result.

I had similar symptoms to you in September it was just the usual September viral spread with schools reopening.
No blocked nose or headache negative test.

@dontdisturbmenow

This is so confusing. In April, I came down with a very sore throat that moved to the crushing feeling on my lungs, pains in my back, breathlessness and one morning a temp of 37.8 which oy lasted a few hours. Called the GP who said that in all likelihood it was Ovid. Lasted 3 weeks, some days better some days worse.

Got the antibody test done in Jun and came back negative.

I now have similar symptoms but milder. Chest feeling wheezy and feeling the need to cough but very mildly, more case of clearing up the throat. Temp of 37.4 which is a bit higher than normal for me but not a fever. A very mild headache. Had the stabbing in the ear which I had last time but very occasionally.

I've concluded that it was the same virus as last time but reading about mild symptoms, see that it could be Covid too. Yet don't meet the criteria for testing.

I would absolutely get tested if I were you.

Feel better soon.