Are we supposed to get a covid test for just a cold ?

[user19097527484949]

It seems on MN that's what people do. But in real life, I know lots of people out and about with colds. Going into work etc. I mean just the minor, usual head cold.

What's everyone else doing if they get a normal cold at the moment ? Or if their child gets a normal cold? Not the main three symptoms. My toddler is at home with me and not at nursery. Just want to do the right thing when / if we get a cold.

Also, when will a cold just be a cold again ?

Just to add , we do our flow tests religiously but I never mention colds to anyone because of the hysteria

My DD was sick on way to school on Friday and despite the raging tummy ache and obvious vomit, I was still told by the school to take her to the testing centre and get an in person PCR test done, before she can come back on Monday!
(No thought given to the risk of passing on whatever stomach bug she actually has, of course!)

@CervixHaver

My DD was sick on way to school on Friday and despite the raging tummy ache and obvious vomit, I was still told by the school to take her to the testing centre and get an in person PCR test done, before she can come back on Monday! (No thought given to the risk of passing on whatever stomach bug she actually has, of course!)

If you go to a testing centre in a car, the child won't come into contact with anyone. If you are going to awak in one, staff are wearing PPE and measures are in place to avoid potentially spreading germs (because Covid!)

@NiniTheMouse

No PCR test for a cold with no main symptoms here: it's not in the list of reasons you're allowed to get.a PCR test at the moment. We can all get lateral flow tests now,.

It feels unsanitary now how so many people used to ignore colds/mild flu and soldier on to school and the office powered by lemsip and an unfounded belief they're somehow not contagious. Even when colds are just colds again I hope people are a little more cautious and spread them less.

So no-one should be ill again ever? That would disastrous for our immune systems.

• Lateral Flow Tests are notfie symptoms - people need to use a PCR test if there is the possibility of Covid
• Covid syptos in children do seem to sometimes be different to the main 3, so caution over colds is understandable
• I know it is all a huge ball ache, but there are stl younger people who are not vaccinated who will be working in schools, and there are also children like my ds who is medically vulnerable, has shielded all year, but is now in school.

Pretty obvious by now you PCR test for one of the 3 main symptoms. So if the “cold” has one of them test if it doesn’t don’t test. Hopefully the majority are doing regular LFT tests with the hope they pick up covid that presents with no symptoms or different symptoms. A positive LFT warrants a PCR test regardless of symptoms.

Everyone in real life thinks I'm hysterical for getting a test for a normal cold. When will this change in general ? Once everyone is vaccinated, do we still need to test for colds etc ? Probably not right ?

I wouldn't, no. Unless one of the three main symptoms is present. The test itself isn't a bother but the isolating that comes with it until you get the result is!

The lack of general immune challenge we are all being subjected to does worry me a bit. Remember the end of war of the worlds? When all the aliens die because they can't fight off a cold? I appreciate it's fiction but it always comes into my head whenever people talk about trying to drastically reduce the spread of the usual fairly benign viruses that we co-exist with!

@Daisydoor12

Pretty obvious by now you PCR test for one of the 3 main symptoms. So if the “cold” has one of them test if it doesn’t don’t test. Hopefully the majority are doing regular LFT tests with the hope they pick up covid that presents with no symptoms or different symptoms. A positive LFT warrants a PCR test regardless of symptoms.

Only secondary age children and parents of primary children are doing LFTs, they are not intended for primary aged children.

A woman came to work with "a cold". She had a sore throat and runny nose.

No temperature, no loss of sense of taste and smell, no cough.

Turned out to be covid. And she'd given it to a lot of her colleagues.

The 3 covid symptoms are a complete red herring.

Everyone with any signs at all should at the very least do a LFT.

@Whatalottachocca

We have children in school with colds at the moment and children with hayfever. There's no need to test with cold symptoms unless you're still hysterical about Covid. 😉

I love this. The arrogance is breathtaking.

Tell me, which other laws do you break because you're not 'hysterical' about them?

My husband is a teacher and does his LFTs, I do them too. We have two children at nursery. How many parents of his pupils in their exam years would be ok with him self isolating whilst we wait for PCR tests to come back every time one of the children has a runny nose? It would be every couple of weeks at least.

I was wondering about this. My dc is about to start nursery, I imagine she will pick up everything as she’s been so isolated her whole life.

Nursery policy is test if she has one of the three covid symptoms and we can’t afford to take time off work to test and wait for results if she just has a cold, so she will be going in if she doesn’t have one of the three symptoms.

We all have colds right now and haven’t tested. Kids in school as normal especially since that’s the only place the cold could have come from. Tbh we have major test fatigue and my threshold for testing (tests have always been negative) has gone way way up.

The pp with so many kids with covid but only 1/6 with testable symptoms sums it up for me st the moment..
It's not right only those prone to coughs are being kept off for testing. More sensible to test kids for any symptoms and that might slow the spread of all the colds too.
Even within my 2 kids
If say
They started with sore throat on same day
Dc1 stopped at that
Dc2 progressed to runny nose and cough

They would likely have the same virus.

My cold turned out to be covid.
All I had was a runny nose and a bit of sinus pain.
I work in a hospital on a ward with really vulnerable patients so luckily they tested me on shift and sent me home.
I didn't have any of the main symptoms and my lateral flow was negative.

@Sunshinegirl82

I wouldn't, no. Unless one of the three main symptoms is present. The test itself isn't a bother but the isolating that comes with it until you get the result is!

The lack of general immune challenge we are all being subjected to does worry me a bit. Remember the end of war of the worlds? When all the aliens die because they can't fight off a cold? I appreciate it's fiction but it always comes into my head whenever people talk about trying to drastically reduce the spread of the usual fairly benign viruses that we co-exist with!

@Sunshinegirl82 YES! That last moment from the War of the World film has really stuck with me through this pandemic. How humans have earned our place on the planet, through generations that survived or died from virus and pathogens.

I, most likely based on the information I know from the time, caught covid from a 'child with a cold' - there were a number of them I was teaching at the time. Just a cold according to families so sent in to. school. The small 'cough' part was just them having a cold, sinuses, etc.

A number of the parents tested positive.

I tested positive and ended up in hospital ill, lengthy time of work, lengthy recovery, long covid, ongoing medication, etc.

Fwiw my cough was more like cleaning my throat, rather than a proper cough. I have a ' high temperature' of just under 38c for a couple of hours.

So, if a cold comes with any of the symptoms, even if temporary then we should be testing with a PCR.

School children should not be treated differently to everyone else.
If it is deemed necessary for the rest of the population to test and isolate, etc it should be deemed appropriate for school families too.

When the rest of the country doesn't need to test and isolate then fine. No more testing for anyone.

@HSHorror

The pp with so many kids with covid but only 1/6 with testable symptoms sums it up for me st the moment.. It's not right only those prone to coughs are being kept off for testing. More sensible to test kids for any symptoms and that might slow the spread of all the colds too. Even within my 2 kids If say They started with sore throat on same day Dc1 stopped at that Dc2 progressed to runny nose and cough

They would likely have the same virus.

Sensible but not feasible for many. We can’t afford to test dd for all colds or other illnesses she might pick up at nursery. We would have to take off a couple of days off work each time which we can’t do.

@HazeyJaneII Well that certainly was not the case at the walk in one we went to!

DH had a snotty nose, and sore throat. He tested positive for covid.

@tentosix

DH had a snotty nose, and sore throat. He tested positive for covid.

No fever, cough, or loss of smell

I have a cold now, did a test yesterday. Awaiting the results still.

Everyone (secondary age up) is meant to be doing two lateral flow tests a week at home now.

You can get them free from chemists or the Govt covid site online. Or from test centres.

One of my DC brought home a cold from school so we tested her and then the rest of us as we call caught it. It takes minutes to do and is responsible.

No, I don’t bother. I do have some LF tests kicking around that I have used when Ive felt particularly rubbish with a cold. DD’s have been into nursery full of cold all winter. Both nurseries (they are in different ones as we moved house) say it’s fine but if they start coughing/fever, obviously we have to test. & we have done several times each 🤦🏼‍♀️

PP - I don’t think anyone went to work pre-covid with colds etc thinking they weren’t contagious. It’s just, a cold is a minor illness and no reason to not go to work! The amount of colds I catch with two young kids, I’d never be in bloody work! I was in last week with a stinking cold.. I had tested on this occasion because I had a cough. It was negative so in I went. I can WFH, I do most of the time but I’m supporting new starters at the mo & we are doing that face to face as it’s so much better!