Feeling so scared

[Freakingoutlots]

Hi all

I had covid March 2020, wasn’t too bad but 1-2 months later I suffered histamine intolerance symptoms/mcas which caused a whole load of frightening symptoms. I had every blood test going, plus heart, chest and even a head mri scan-all came back okay.
I’ve suffered on and off since but have been very very slowly getting better somewhat.
Not this weekend, the weekend before, we went away for the first time in two years, just an hours drive but good to have a change of scenery. There were lots of people around, we had a great time but felt exhausted. I put it down to doing too much. Last Friday I started to feel like my hay fever had gone nuts, sneezing lots, but by the evening runny nose that wouldn’t stop and sore throat, aching etc, I was in bed all day, bit better yesterday, still not 100% today but able to do tasks around the house. I still have headache, runny nose stopped Sunday, now I’m getting a cough 😬
Toddler Dd has a cough too the last couple of days, was sneezing last week. Dp feels exhausted and ill too.
I’m terrified we’ve contracted the delta variant, after being so ill before I can’t go through it again. I keep reading about symptoms worsening days 5-8 if it’s bad, that’s tomorrow onwards.
I have a test from the chemist, not sure how reliable those are? I’m doing it after Dd wakes from her nap.
Not been vaccinated yet (in a foreign country and have to wait a week or two) also worried to be vaccinated after my awful reactions to things now since being ill the first time.
I haven’t been that anxious, but suddenly my anxiety has gone sky high 🥲

I wish we’d never gone, it was a Father’s Day treat but I so wish we’d just stayed at home. Been feeling so low and just wanted a moment of normality

Please try not to worry. Book a PCR test as you have symptoms.

@SonnetForSpring I have a test from the chemist, do you think that will be ok?
Do you think this sounds like the Delta variant?

It sounds like the summer cold that pretty much everyone I know has had over the last couple of weeks. Colds still exist despite what many will have you believe. And sorry if this sounds harsh but when you say you wish you would have stayed at home exactly how long are you willing to keep sacrificing your quality of life out of fear for Covid?

@Katie517 I felt exactly the same as you until this, I’ve been living my life for the sake of my child etc, but it’s brought it all back to me the last time and I’m worried it’ll be worse on my body this time. I don’t know, my anxiety has gone through the roof

Op my dh has also got bad hay fever etc and ok also thinking is it delta?
He's not got a cough though and has done two lat flows, both negative.

@Lemonmelonsun This isn’t hay fever though, the constantly runny nose at the start was like a heavy cold. It feels like a bad cold but with aches and headache, am hoping it just is 🙏

We have all just had an awful cold bug last week in our house with symptoms like you describe. Negative for covid.

We also have just had colds (and sinusitis), repeated LFTs negative.

Just done the test, waiting 15 minutes, hoping it’s negative 🙏 can these tests ever be wrong? Can they give a false negative or are generally reliable?

If you have symptoms you need a PCR test really.

What sort of test is it? If you have symptoms, you need a PCR one.

Yeah you need a PCR test whatever this one says.

Hoping for you it’s just a cold (there’s a lot about, I had similar recently, felt crap for a few days). If it is covid though then chances are good you’ll have mild symptoms after having had it already.

Oh was feeling really relieved was negative? Reading all these though, it might not be true?
It’s one of the tests from the pharmacy that you put up your nose, I’m in another country, but assuming they’re all the same?
What’s the point in selling them if they’re useless 🤷🏻‍♀️

A PCR test works the same way in terms of what you do, but it's tested differently. Please go and get one.. Not sure what the process is if you're overseas but should be fairly straightforward.

I’m inside all week anyway, so happy to isolate anyway, but tests here are so expensive, I was hoping a test testing for covid would be enough. What on earth is the point in selling them 🤷🏻‍♀️

What on earth is the point in selling them 🤷🏻‍♀️

If it’s a lateral flow test, they’re not useless, they’re just not as reliable as PCRs. If you have symptoms that might be covid it’s safest to get a PCR.

@GoldenOmber But surely you’d only be doing the test if you had symptoms anyway, so if it’s advised to do another one anyway, what’s the point?

@Freakingoutlots - in the UK, people are advised to do two lateral flow tests a week every week if they are going to use them. The idea is to pick up asymptomatic people, or pre-symptomatic people, and the issue with inaccuracy is ameliorated by the regularity of testing. If you get symptoms, though, or get a positive LFT, you are asked to get a PCR test.

[quote Freakingoutlots]@GoldenOmber But surely you’d only be doing the test if you had symptoms anyway, so if it’s advised to do another one anyway, what’s the point?[/quote]
LFD tests are used in the UK for large groups of people-eg health workers, teachers, secondary aged children and their families to do twice-weekly asymptomatic testing. If positive, you then follow up with a much more accurate PCR test. Both are done with nasal and throat swabs. LFD tests are done at home and you get the results half an hour later, the PCR have to be sent off.

I don’t know what test you have done but suspect if you have got the results yourself, it’s a LFD. There are not designed for use for people with symptoms here.

Still doesn’t make sense 🤷🏻‍♀️If the results aren’t accurate and don’t mean anything, why even bother with them
Sorry but I’m confused

@Freakingoutlots

Still doesn’t make sense 🤷🏻‍♀️If the results aren’t accurate and don’t mean anything, why even bother with them Sorry but I’m confused

I think Boris paid his old mate Dominic Cummings to make loads of them so they had to be used up…

Just as a note- whilst we recommend a more accurate PCR for those with symptoms a LFT is more likely to work accurately if you are displaying symptoms than asymptomatic. It’s just a cheap, easily self administered way to try to keep track
of things.

A negative test means its unlikely to be covid, but not that it definitely isn't. If you're doing two a week and you catch covid but don't have symptoms, you're likely to get a positive at some point while you're infectious, so it should help interrupt the spread. But they're not super accurate, so if you have symptoms, you can't really rely on them safely. If you don't want to get a pcr test, then I suggest you all isolate for ten days anyway, to be safe.