If not covid then what? Or should I book another test?

[hippospot]

So today is day 4 of symptoms.

Day 1 - nausea, terrible headache, achy shoulders and chest, feeling hotter than usual but thermometer said it wasn't a fever.

Day 2 - same plus short of breath

Day 3 - headache eased a bit, shoulders no longer achy, but chest feels tight and short of breath

Day 4 - chest sore and short of breath

No cough, no fever, but the shortness of breath has got me really worried.

I did a covid test on day 2 and it came back negative on day 3. But how reliable are they? Is a false negative possible?

30% false negative PCR Covid swab rate. More depending on who / how took it. ( I’ve had a swab taken by a nurse. Doing that to yourself effectively would be challenging !)

Yes I'd test again. Purely because as it's stands you have the symptoms and so should be isolating.

I'd feel better stopping isolation if I'd had a sec9nd opinion.

I'd take another test.

I will book another test today.

The thing is I don't have any of the main 3 symptoms (fever, cough, change in smell/taste). But what else could it be? I've had the flu vaccine, it's not a cold, and Covid is the most contagious thing circulating...

I've had pneumonia before and was coughing non-stop with that (and in agony). This feels different.

Buy an oximeter too.

I’d probably take another test, but could just be a random chest infection or something. Call your GP if you’re worried.

Tested 3 times before my positive result showed. Like you I just felt awful and knew I had it. Headache on the Friday and felt awful , contacted by T&T on Sunday as colleagues had tested positive so I tested. Negative on Sunday, tested again on Tuesday as now had difficulty breathing and severe lethargy, test inconclusive so tested again on the Thursday and it was positive. Had been unwell for nearly a week when I tested positive and only got one of the 3 covid symptoms on day 9!!!

I've booked another covid test and I've also got a phone appt with a GP. Thanks everyone.

I had exact that last March. Convinced it was it, doctor agreed. Did an antibody test in the summer that confirmed it wasn't covid, most likely just a chest infection.