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 ?

BooblePlate yeah my boss is not going to be pleased if I have to isolate every week waiting for PCR tests everytime my LO gets a sniffle. But then it could be covid.

I’ve had two colds since March 2020 and both have been very much in my head and sinuses only. If I had a temperature or started to cough I would get a test but not otherwise. Although I didn’t test I did keep my cold away from people more than usual as I didn’t want to give others a cold with symptoms requiring a test/isolation.

I have a lateral flow kit at home for testing twice a week. I done it for the first 2-3 weeks or so, haven’t done one since. Most of my colleagues (if not all) in my work are the same. They’re so unreliable its pointless to be shoving stuff up my nose twice a week.

My kids are on to their second cold each since starting back at nursery too, just as expected. Pre covid at least one of them had a snotty nose every week. If we start testing every time theres any cold symptoms they’ll never be at nursery and i’d lose my job as i’d be constantly isolating.

@BooblePlate

“ Are you saying you children have a new cold every 1 or 2 weeks?”

I am saying that one of my toddlers will almost certainly have a runny nose every 1-2 weeks. Are you surprised?

I asked you if they had a new cold....if it is a runny nose because they've had a cold that is dragging on, or because they've got hayfever then they wouldn't be getting tested. So yes it seems surprising to me to have a brand new cold every 1 or 2 weeks. Until having to shield my son I worked in a preschool, so am aware of how many coughs, colds and snotty noses children have...I'm also aware that my colleagues have had a bit of a nightmare trying to adhere to guidelines, and encouraging parents to get their children tested when they have symptoms.

The problem there HazeyJaneII is that in the same post you are saying that not all runny noses will be a “new cold” but equally parents can’t be trusted to make that decision. So should every runny nose be tested with PCR and isolation just in case parents are fibbing?

I've literally just said, if they have a new cold then get them tested. If they are still snotty from the cold they started last week...then don't. A brand new cold every 1/2 weeks seems a lot to me....and to only have colds which have one symptom (runny nose)...that surprises me. But there you go!

I'm not sure I said anything about not trusting parents to make the right decision.

I know quite a few people who have had sore throats and tested positive. It's not one of the 'three' but believe it's quite a common symptom.

@ThatIsMyPotato

How do you get a test if you don't have any of the symptoms? Will they test me if it seems like I just have a cold?

No, you only get a test for the three symptoms they tell you to test for. You can't get a test for any other symptoms unless you lie and say you've got the main ones.

All the runny noses talk is a red herring. Cough, temperature, sense of taste/smell. That's it. Yes, sore throats can be caused by COVID, but the government, advised by scientists, have set the bar where it is for a reason. We just need to adhere to it. It's very simple, really.

We think the index case was a child who had a "cold" and who's cough mum said isn't covid (like she can tell by looking at him) because 5 days after his "cold" we had an outbreak of 11 more children and 5 staff. 1 of the staff contacts died

That is so sad, and that is also why I will at the very least keep my kids off school and do lateral flow tests when they have none of the '3 for PCR' symptoms.

Also, it's obvious when a child has a new virus. After having a virus a runny nose can persist for quite a long time but anything new should be tested for in my opinion. Yes, it's a pain, but it's better than killing someone.

Everyone can get lateral flow tests now and there is no waiting for results. I see no argument at all for not at least doing one of these.

My DDs headteacher has had a strict policy of no obviously contagious kids in school and attendance overall has gone up from what is normal in non pandemic times. So more kids in school overall learning because the selfish few aren't sending their kids in sick to spread germs.

We've still had a few bugs but far fewer than normal.

Yes the runny noses stuff is ridiculous, but it’s so easy for people to dictate how they think things should be according to their own circumstances, ignoring the actual guidelines but deeming those who would do differently as selfish and wanting to harm others, while failing to think through how their dictates would work in other circumstances.

@MargaretThatcherMilkSnatcher

When I tested positive (PCR) for Covid a couple of months ago, my symptoms were:

Runny nose
Sneezing
Blocked sinuses
Feeling knackered
Cough (because of the congestion / sinuses)
Blocked ears

Loss of smell and tasted didn't come until several days after the positive test.

Basically I felt like a had a cold. So yes, I'd do a Covid test!

Welcome to my world from March to September every year, I have all of those symptoms apart from loss of taste and smell thanks to bloody hay fever!

Cough, temperature, sense of taste/smell. That's it. Yes, sore throats can be caused by COVID, but the government, advised by scientists, have set the bar where it is for a reason. We just need to adhere to it. It's very simple, really.

So how do you explain people testing positive when they have none of the above symptoms, just a sore throat?

So how do you explain people testing positive when they have none of the above symptoms, just a sore throat?

Let me draw your attention to this part of what you quoted:
Yes, sore throats can be caused by COVID, but the government, advised by scientists, have set the bar where it is for a reason.

We know that not all COVID cases have those three symptoms- heck, one in three cases are totally asymptomatic. But the government and their advisors have decided that the most efficient way for us to deploy our testing resources is to only PCR test in response to those 3 symptoms, so that is what we need to do.

@Puntastic yea thank you, I can read but you seemed to be dismissing the need to test unless you had one of the 3 symptoms Which didn't include sore throat. My apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying. I just don't want people to not test because the sore throat isn't on the list as I know too many people who only had a sore throat

How would people know if they have a cold or if it's covid?

[quote RockingMyFiftiesNot]@Puntastic yea thank you, I can read but you seemed to be dismissing the need to test unless you had one of the 3 symptoms Which didn't include sore throat. My apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying. I just don't want people to not test because the sore throat isn't on the list as I know too many people who only had a sore throat [/quote]
I'm saying exactly that- you don't need to isolate and test for every sore throat. There are people on here saying they can't afford to self isolate and test for every runny nose or sore throat and I totally agree with them. The government set the bar of when to test and when not to. At present, you only need to isolate and test with any of the main three symptoms.

If you have an issue with that, take it up with the government and their scientific advisors.

I’ve never had a temp, cough or loss of taste with a cold.

Baby had a temp and a runny nose earlier this week. I called 119 who put me through to 111 who said not to bother testing her because she hadn’t been in contact with anyone and doesn’t go to nursery.

Then yesterday my 7yo dd got a temp and a runny nose and I tested her (negative). For what it’s worth the results took 14 hours to come back so we weren’t isolating for long.

@Onceuponatime1818

I’ve never had a temp, cough or loss of taste with a cold.

I've never had a cold without getting a cough and it usually lasts for weeks after the cold has gone.

If you have an issue with that, take it up with the government and their scientific advisors.

I do have an issue with it, based on what I am seeing around me. Some medical experts also seem to disagree with the government and their scientific advisors https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n2888* - lots of other examples for anyone wanting to google.

IF YOU HAVE A SORE THROAT PLEASE GET TESTED. I know people who have not got tested for too long because it isn't an official symptom. How many people have they affected in the meantime? The test centres are not at capacity, so why take the risk?

How would people know if they have a cold or if it's covid?

You can't - only with a test. I get stress-related cold-like feelings all the time. If i took a test everytime, i'd have never been in work. Sometimes, i rang in sick and got a test (always negative). Other times, i worked through thinking i knew my body.

However, when i rang in sick with a "head cold" a few weeks ago, work made me have a test, i finally had got it. I isolated immediately. My early symptoms were feeling shit, slight sore throat and headache.

The rest of my family had it and were completely asymptomatic. Had friends who got it and had very light or no symptoms.

In the end, there are a whole range of symptoms and alot of people are asymptomatic. The lateral flow tests sound a good way to indicate if you have it. We can't get them where i live. I would have definitely been using them when i felt "coldy".

Surely at some point everyone will be vaccinated so it won’t matter if it’s a cold or covid

@Onceuponatime1818

Surely at some point everyone will be vaccinated so it won’t matter if it’s a cold or covid

It depends - do you expect it to become a vaccine of babyhood? Or an annual vaccination boosterfor all?

It looks at the moment as if it will be more like flu: an annual booster, recipe adapted according to variants around in any given year, for the most vulnerable [perhaps plus those most likely to spread it], resulting in a decent level of protection for a large number but a residual level (deemed to be acceptable to society) of serious illness and death, and a level of nasty illness for those not eligible for vaccination.

Back in February (3 weeks after my first jab), started sneezing with a runny nose. No fever, headache, cough, anosmia, yada yada.

I'm symptom logging for the Zoe study, and logged the symptoms. They asked me to do a test, it was positive, so we all self isolated even though my symptoms had stopped. No-one I'd been in contact with, got it.

I'm still a bit mystified TBH! 🤷‍♀️