Are lots of non-covid bugs going around where you live?

[StitchInLime]

So many people I know have a nasty bug at the mo: coughing, fever, laid up in bed. All tested negative for covid (including PCR tests). One friend is convinced it’s covid despite this, the delta version evading tests. I think it’s just down to more people mingling and the usual bugs and viruses having a field day after being victimless for months.

Still, interested to know if others are finding this too?

Bit of both here tbh. A couple of school bubbles have burst this past week and there have been clutches of positive tests reported for the area a run of a couple of months with none.

There’s also a lot of negative tests anecdotally and hay fever.

*after a run

My daughter had a dry tickly cough last week but pcr test was negative.

Yes, I'm in South Wales and there's definitely something going around. It started with my 3 year old having something like a cold. Now I've had it for the last week and actually thought it must be covid but I had a negative test so I suppose not.
I've got the most awful blocked nose and sinus pain, plus can't smell or taste anything at all even when I get my nose clear. It's horrible.

Winter is going to be a nightmare once the respiratory virus season starts.

Losing taste sounds like covid.
You can have false negatives.

Yes its been worked through my household over the past two weeks. We have done mulitple tests, all negative.

We all have felt awful with chesty coughs, sore throats and runny noses.

I think people have forgotten that there is more than one virus in existence.

No I've not forgotten that but smell and taste even with a clear nose was a bit of a signifier.🤷

I lose smell and taste with every cold I get so not always

Yes, noro and a horrid cold going around.

I think flu will be massive this year.

Yes we all just had a really rotten cold which lasted weeks and knocked us for six. I hadn’t felt that lll for a very long time.
DS is poorly all the time but I think that comes with the territory of being a grimy toddler in nursery.

We have had plenty of different things brought back from school. First cold was the worst though.

I have been feeling awful for about 10days, I thought it was the high temperatures.
I have Long Covid but now have sweating, nausea, sore stomach and all the flu symptoms too.
All LFTs are negative.

I can't think straight either.
So much to do for work.
Missed put with things with the family too.

It's as though all the illnesses I would have had have hit me at once.

I always wear a mask in shops, on public transport etc, wash my hands so don't know how it has crept up.

DW is starting with it today...

Off to bed to sweat it out.

I was coming on to say no.
But actually yes!
What you and others describe - DH couldnt shift it for more than 2 weeks, and normally he is as fit as a flea.[previous to this gc struggled with whatever it was].

14 month old caught a nasty cough last week at nursery (not covid). Doctors said it was absolutely rife atm and then today she appears to have woken up with a sickness bug. It's literally one thing after another atm

Yes, think so.

Dd has what we though was an allergic reaction to a cat - watering eyes, coughing, sniffles, etc.
It's now developed further with a cough, and general 'cold' like symptoms.

We have taken 4 LFTs and 2 PCRs in the past week or so and all are negative.

@Tealightsandd

Around 30% of PCR tests give false negatives (and actually only a small percentage of false positives, before anyone jumps in).

It's very likely a lot of these non Covid bugs are in fact Covid.

With DD she has had more than one of each test, all negative - so I think it's fairly safe to say that it isn't covid, surely?

Same here. DD has had cough/cold on and off for three weeks now. Over a dozen LFTs and 2 PCRs all negative.

I'm on Day 7 of a horrible cold and cough - daily LFTs for past fortnight have come back negative.

First illness for me in almost 2 years....

It makes sense that there are other bugs around.

Pre covid there were always lots of bugs about, including in the summer months. No reason as to think why they'd have suddenly disappeared.

More mingling means more bugs, not just more covid bugs.

Interesting justsaymaybe and Halloweenrainbow I’ve had a bad cold but also lost my smell and taste which sounded the alarm bell for me. I’ve had negative pcr and almost daily LFT’s which have all been negative. It’s either a very similar virus to covid or my tests are false negatives.

Loads of people coming down with bugs round here and they are being tested but coming back negative. I still can’t smell or taste but it was a really stonking cold and apparently this can happen with a respiratory virus.

Yes other viruses and bacteria infections still exist

@danadas

Lots of hayfever round here which although not unusual in itself, there seems to be more than I ever remember who have never suffered before and for those that have their usual meds aren't helping.

I know is an old comment, But my hay-fever has been horrendous this year (and last), on a combination of 3 different antihistamines and still struggling. And yes it is hay-fever because its been going on for so.long. The gp, basically told me that because I haven't had to fight the usual coughs/colds/etc, my immune system has gone in to overdrive.

We’ve had a horrible virus in the family. Very bad head cold, sore throat, headache, chesty cough etc. All negative on lateral flow and PCR tests and two family members are in situations where they have been subject to frequent PCR tests (every other day), administered by healthcare staff. Ive been unwell for 12 days now and still not right.

I guess we’ve all got reduced immunity from being in lockdown for so long.

That's what happens when people are shut away or kept at a distance from other people.

Or maybe it's a sign we're not supposed to be herded together so much and infect each other with illness.