I have a cold.

[Beeme29]

First cold in a long time. Dd and DS were snotty end of last week which only lasted a couple days and quickly went. Dp is also feeling like he has a minor cold and so do I!

I mean after both kids were snotty and dp too it’s pretty obvious I have a cold. None of us have had fevers, coughs or change of smell or taste. I assume if it was covid at least one of us would have one of the main symptoms.

But I have a sense of guilt. What if actually have covid?! Sounds daft. But read so much on people testing positive with cold symptoms.

I have an insanely itchy feeling in my throat and ears. I am bunged up and sneezy and my eyes feel all heavy. Insane sinus pain - I have sinus issues so sinus pain is very common for me anyway cold or not. No fever, no cough (never get coughs with colds, I’m quite lucky). I can smell fine for now. Hoping my bunged up nose won’t affect my smell.

I’m not planning to go out anywhere. We are just staying at home watching films until I’m
better? Dp has only had a slight snotty nose and is fine now. He doesn’t seem to catch full blown colds!

I feel just meh. Up and about doing housework etc but my energy levels are dropping throughout the day!

Or should I get a test? With all 4 of us having had cold symptoms and no official covid symptoms between us it does seem likely it’s a cold!

@Beeme29

I completely get where you are coming from.

DD had a cold/snotty nose 2 weeks ago and so did half of her class!
Hubby & I are at the tail end of this cold now having caught it from DD.

We have not felt unwell or had any of the 3 Covid symptoms. We’ve just been full of snot and a bit tired.

Hubby had Covid at Christmas and these cold symptoms are nothing like that. We are also assuming/hoping he has some antibodies so this should just be a cold.

We decided not to get Covid tests due to not having any classic symptoms.

We did make the decision not to meet up with grandparents over Easter Weekend as didn’t want to share our germs even though the risk outside is very minimal.

@SaveWaterDrinkGin

DD’s primary school have issued us with a list of secondary symptoms which include runny nose, cold like symptoms, upset tummy and headache. We’ve been told to seek a PCR test for all of them.

Crazy how they all different. My twos school actively encourage children with a snotty nose and mild colds into school - if they haven’t got any of the main 3. I overheard DD’s teacher saying half the class had a cold not long before Easter. That’s where Dd caught she’s from I assume and then DS caught it off her. The school has had zero cases though - no known cases at the school since the start so they must be doing something right!

DH and I have similar snotty colds too. We have both done LFTs, before we started being snotty and afterwards. Came up negative.

There's a lot of colds around here at the moment.

DD is snotty too. I did a LFT on her yesterday to check it is just a cold. We're hoping we don't catch it!

My sister had a very slightly bunged up nose, she tested positive for covid by doing a lateral flow test at home. She does them twice weekly for work.
I had covid, just felt tired for a day or so. Didn’t bother testing as no other symptoms and was also pregnant at time so thought was tired due to last trimester.
Had a positive antibody test a few months later. Arranged via my work.
If you have mild cold symptoms and have school age DC I’d get a test just to know for yourself.

@RedMarauder breathless and extra fatigued are symptoms if she normally feels like this the op would know if not get a test.
if it’s negative it’s great . I don’t think it helpful that people talk people out of testing . If I’m wrong no harm done Is there she’s just reassured it’s her sinus and a cold . 🤷‍♀️

If it helps; our DC caught a cold (snotty nose/bunged up sinuses) at nursery and after 2.5 weeks it had worked it’s way onto his chest and sounded phlegmy so I called GP as I was concerned about chest infection but they wouldn’t see him at all until he’d had a covid test.

Irritating as HELL, she even said on the phone that snotty noses aren’t common symptoms. She said ‘get a covid test and go to your GP on Tuesday if necessary’ this was on Friday.

So of course we got one in case it got worse over the weekend.

DS tested positive last week with cold symptoms- runny nose and sore throat. No cough, fever or change in taste/smell.
We’ve been doing twice weekly lateral flow tests and the first one last week was negative (the day his runny nose started) but the next one three days later was positive. Confirmed with a pcr test.

Have you taken antihistamine torule out hayfever?
You said you thought it might be that.

I have a snotty nose, a prickly throat, buzzy ears inside, sore irritated eyes. I take cetirizine hydrochloride (antihistamine) morning and night and when it wears off the symptoms come back.

You can develop "hayfever" at any age and the triggers can be multiple; dust, tree pollen (the tree pollen season is now), grass pollen etc.

@happysunr1se

Have you taken antihistamine torule out hayfever? You said you thought it might be that.

I have a snotty nose, a prickly throat, buzzy ears inside, sore irritated eyes. I take cetirizine hydrochloride (antihistamine) morning and night and when it wears off the symptoms come back.

You can develop "hayfever" at any age and the triggers can be multiple; dust, tree pollen (the tree pollen season is now), grass pollen etc.

I am thinking of taking some shortly!

I mean that I thought my dc could have had hayfever last week. Dd suffers from hayfever badly and I have in the past but have been okay for a few years!

Hoping it antihistamines will at least help the insanely itchy feel in my throat and ears - the best way to explain the sensation is an itch between my throat and ears which wouldn’t be relieved with itching my ears externally - like deep inside the ear canal!

Thanks all. I am going to see what I feel like first thing. Couldn’t get a test here today even if I wanted to. Think they only do them up until 1-2pm. Very limited here 💕 hoping I’ll be alright in the morning and it’s a short virus whatever it may be!

@islockdownoveryet I got the Zoe App precisely because I frequently get symptoms like that. They tell you to get tested if you have what may just be cold symptoms as they were the ones who provided data to the government for some of the other symptoms.

@RedMarauder I have the Zoe app - but don’t use it that often. I have however out my symptoms in today and it hasn’t told me to get a test. Would they have instantly? I know I’ve had an email asking if I will take a voluntary test when I had a bad throat last year (tonsillitis confirmed by gp in the end).

Test.
I had covid which presented as a bad head cold, sinus pressure was put of this world. Never had a fever or cough and eventually lost my taste and smell.

Please get PCR tests. It's so easy to talk yourself out of it and convince yourself that it's just a cold. DH has had cold symptoms, runny nose, sneezing, no temp, cough etc but this weekend had lateral flow and PCR results come back as positive. Traced back to lady he has been in contact with at work who is vaccinated so thought she wouldn't catch or transmit it. She thought she had a cold. (DH's team were notified that she had a positive test just over a week ago, but told it wasn't necessary to isolate as work was 'covid secure'.) So now Easter holidays are even more dull as no walks or kids going to the park, DDs bday tomorrow is off until we're out of isolation as we can't drive to get takeaway coffee/ice creams etc which was all she asked for after having rubbish lockdown birthday last April. I can't work as I'm self-employed and can't leave the house as needed. The list goes on. We could have just decided that he had a cold due to his symptoms but if we'd not tested would potentially have spread it to my parents as was due to go and have drinks in their garden.

@Beeme29 they normally email you the next morning advising you to take a PCR test.

I actually miss colds. I would have had about 4 in the past year normally. It does make me a little concerned about my immune system.

[quote RedMarauder]@Beeme29 they normally email you the next morning advising you to take a PCR test.[/quote]
Thank you. A while ago I logged that had a bad throat and I had an email a couple days later asking if I would do a test - but said I wasn’t obliged. I really haven’t used the app much do not sure how it works. By that point it was obvious it was a throat infection and was on antibiotics so didn’t do the test!

@AliciaMayEmory

Please get PCR tests. It's so easy to talk yourself out of it and convince yourself that it's just a cold. DH has had cold symptoms, runny nose, sneezing, no temp, cough etc but this weekend had lateral flow and PCR results come back as positive. Traced back to lady he has been in contact with at work who is vaccinated so thought she wouldn't catch or transmit it. She thought she had a cold. (DH's team were notified that she had a positive test just over a week ago, but told it wasn't necessary to isolate as work was 'covid secure'.) So now Easter holidays are even more dull as no walks or kids going to the park, DDs bday tomorrow is off until we're out of isolation as we can't drive to get takeaway coffee/ice creams etc which was all she asked for after having rubbish lockdown birthday last April. I can't work as I'm self-employed and can't leave the house as needed. The list goes on. We could have just decided that he had a cold due to his symptoms but if we'd not tested would potentially have spread it to my parents as was due to go and have drinks in their garden.

Wow so she thought she couldn’t catch it because was vaccinated but she took a test anyway her employer said she doesn’t need to isolate. Omg you get fined for not isolating, I actually think employers making staff that are positive work should be heavily fined . Like you say it’s ruined your half term break . Covid secure is a load of bollocks in my opinion . If someone was positive and is coughing and sneezing that can travel further than 2 metres.

I had a "funny throat" with no other symptoms and came up positive as part of routine weekly testing. So never assume a thing!

@Beeme29 yes annoying how all schools seem different. Ours has had no (known) cases either but they’ve specifically told us not to use lateral flows on the children and to obtain pcr’s for any symptom. Meaning when all of reception had snotty noses last term they all had to have pcr tests. Weirdly, we’re only being told to isolate for a main symptom though (cough, fever, loss of taste or smell). For secondary symptoms they can still attend school until the pcr result is in?! Makes no sense to me at all.

Parents (and shortly non parents too) can have COVID tests to do at home twice weekly. If you do them yourself at home you would know if it was COVID and would help keep rates down in the community too.
I am a TA and have also come down with a cold that has made me feel rotten (lots of colds going round due to the return to school). I have been doing twice weekly tests since Jan and I found it reassuring to be able to do a test and know it is not COVID. It also means I don't have to isolate over the Easter holidays.
Just need to get that vaccine now. I am 48 so hopefully in May...

@Beeme29 how are you feeling today? Have you got test result yet? We've all had a presumed cold since last week of term too so reading with interest...