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Original poster

Testing negative but DH is positive and I have the same illness

46 replies

MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 15:24

Namechanged for this as it is a giveaway for those who know me.

DS2 (age 2) had a fever of 39 two weeks ago. We took him for a PCR immediately. Admittedly the swab was not up his nose for long enough as he fought it. Result was negative. DS was really off for the next five days - very tired, very cuddly, very snotty.

About six or seven days after DS had his fever, DH I both came down with what we thought were colds. Runny nose, sore throat. We carried on for a day or two but over the weekend we both went down like stones, ended up taking it in turns to go to bed and sleep. DH does sometimes do this when he is ill but I never do. Both of us felt just terrible.

On Monday I did a LFT and it was negative. Then that evening I developed a cough and DH had a temperature of 38.2. We booked PCRs for the next day. The morning of the PCRs we both realised we had lost our sense of taste - although DH thought this might have started for him the day before.

Results came back Weds. DH positive. I was negative. I took another LFT and this was negative. DH took one too out of interest and his was also negative!

I had a repeat PCR that day which also came back negative. I got a temperature of 37.9 that evening, a temp of 38 on Thursday, and I've just checked now and I'm 38 again. We both still feel terrible and are in and out of bed napping.

I am so frustrated because I feel certain that DH and I have the same thing, and if I have had Covid I want to know!

Wondering if anyone has any similar experiences. Is it worth continuing to take lateral flows or will they not show up this late into the infection? I did one just now and it was negative, but it touched my tongue when I gagged.

Not to drip feed, I also think I've been rather skimpy on the tonsils swabs and done them quite high as I was trying to avoid gagging and ruining the sample with my tongue, so wonder whether my swabbing might not have got a good sample.

So frustrated! I just want to know!

OP posts:
lljkk · 02/07/2021 15:31

maybe he has asymptomatic covid & you both have something other germ.

Other causes of illness are available.

Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 15:36

I did think that, but neither of us have ever lost our sense of taste before. It would seem an unlikely coincidence.

I googled and found in the BMJ online that the PCRs pick up as few as 70% of infected cases, so up to 30% of infected people tested get false negatives. I was rather surprised by that.

OP posts:
Fiddlersgreen · 02/07/2021 15:36

You can just do both nostrils and skip the tonsils completely.
My DS does that as it was how he was shown at school when they first started doing them. He got his positive result that way (since confirmed by PCR)

Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 15:39

@Fiddlersgreen ooo I hadn't thought of that; good idea. Hope your DS is feeling okay.

OP posts:
Plump82 · 02/07/2021 15:43

LFTs aren't to be used if you have symptoms.

Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 15:46

@Plump82 no of course not because they want people with symptoms to get the more sensitive PCRs to maximise their chances of detecting Covid - but I have already done two PCRs! I can't just keep getting PCRs done and in the meantime I have a load of LFTs. I just wondered if they would still pick up the infection a week in.

OP posts:
Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 15:47

Also to be clear, we are in isolation because my husband is positive. Our Covid symptoms started on the same day so me getting a positive result wouldn't change anything in terms of our isolation length but it would just satisfy my curiosity.

OP posts:
MamaJustKilledAMan · 02/07/2021 15:50

Generally I would follow what the result was of the PCR. I too have taken numerous tests on testing sites and at home and all have been negative over the last year or so.
I took 6 lateral flows last week, all positives. Did 2 test sites and one in hospital at the beginning of the week all positive too. I think there is no mistaking it's the first time I have had Covid.
I second what another user said; it sounds like you have unluckily come down with a bug and have escaped Covid, however I would still isolate anyway due to your husband getting a positive.

Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 16:37

I'm certainly isolating; it's a legal requirement and anyway I feel too crap to go anywhere!

I've heard of other people getting lots of negatives while feeling ill and knowing they were exposed to Covid and then suddenly one faint positive so was interested to see if anyone had a similar experience on here!

Hope you feel better soon @MamaJustKilledAMan

OP posts:
Horehound · 02/07/2021 16:40

I've completely lost my sense of taste and smell and I've had a stupidly bad cold for two weeks now. Thick green snot etc it's horrible
PCR and lateral flow test all negative.
I think you've got a bad virus but I don't think it's Covid and I too think your husband is asymptomatic with covid but is suffering with this other thing. There's lots going about.

CovidCorvid · 02/07/2021 16:40

I know someone who had symptoms and had a negative pcr, but was convinced he had it. Tested again 2 days later and was positive. He’s a nurse so I’d assume knows how to,do his own nasal swab so guess they can sometimes do false negative.

Horehound · 02/07/2021 16:41

They also say if you have symptoms NOT to do the lateral flow tests.

Cherubb · 02/07/2021 16:42

It does sound like it could have been a false positive for your DH or something else and he's also got covid asymptomatically. Hard to know but you are doing the right thing. Are you both vaccinted? I guess we all know it's possible but if you are double vaxxed it would also be less likely I guess! I hope you both feel better soon.

SunbathingDragon · 02/07/2021 16:46

As a PP said, your DH could be asymptomatic and you both have whatever bug your DS gave you. In the middle of a pandemic, with covid-like symptoms, it does seem reasonable to think you probably are positive though especially if you haven’t been swabbing properly.

Original poster
MySharonavirus · 02/07/2021 16:50

Only single vaxxed. The false negative rate for PCR is around 30%, false positive is 0.8% - 4%, so false neg is more likely than false positive. I would totally think it was just a cold except I'm never laid out like this, I've never lost my sense of taste before, and my husband has a positive result.

@Horehound I know, but that's not because the LFTs won't pick it up at all but because they are less likely too, and if you have symptoms you should absolutely have the most sensitive test. But I've already said I have done two PCRs on consecutive days earlier this week. I am being good, honest!

@CovidCorvid this is similar to anecdotes I've heard. I think as I've got the LFTs I will continue to test once a day out of interest until our isolation is up!

OP posts:
hairymclarey152 · 02/07/2021 16:54

My husband tested positive on a lateral flow and then had a positive Pcr

my LF was negative twice

Five days later I lost my sense of smell and had an awful sore throat and headache

Took myself
To the test centre and tested positive

I'm not sure if that was the inaccuracy of the Lflow I took at home

As we were all self isolating anyway I just treated the whole house as if we already positive

WeRTheOnesWeHaveBeenWaitingFor · 02/07/2021 16:54

If it quacks like a duck….
I’ve never lost my sense of taste when I’m ill in my life. It’s too much of a coincidence. You must just have a low level of what ever the tests pick up on.

feellikeanalien · 02/07/2021 16:58

Exactly the same thing happened to my sister. Both she and BIL had exactly the same symptoms. He tested positive and she was negative.

That was with PCR tests and she had been testing regularly anyway because of her work.

Choconuttolata · 02/07/2021 17:03

When my husband was Covid positive my mum also had a PCR the same day and was negative but re-tested 4 days later as more symptoms developed and tested positive. I also tested negative on LFT the day before he developed symptoms and then tested positive on LFT 5 days later confirmed by PCR.

If you have lost your taste it is very likely you are infectious. Everyone in my house tested positive, 4 adults, 3 kids and we all lost or had changes to our taste and smell.

When you do your LFT are you turning the swab round 3 times on each tonsil and then doing both nostrils 5 times? It should make you gag and your eyes water if you are doing it right!

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 02/07/2021 17:07

I had a bad cold and started a cough so did a PCR test. I have had multiple negative LFTs. My PCR test was negative so I phoned my Doctor who has prescribed me antibiotics for a sinus infection. It is possibly that which has also taken away my sense of smell. This is a bit frustrating as I have just bought some essential oils to help my breathing and I can't smell anything! There are lots of things that have the same symptoms as Covid so it is very complicated at the moment.

EllaPaella · 02/07/2021 17:42

You can certainly get false negatives on PCR swabs. In hospitals we have been treating people as 'clinically positive' the whole time - meaning that they were testing negative but had symptoms that were clearly suggestive of COVID. I would just assume I had it if this was me.

SpringRainbow · 02/07/2021 17:52

Nothing really to stop you taking another PCR if you wanted. However I wouldn’t bother with the LFTs.

However, I know lots of people who have your symptoms but have had negative PCRs (some have taken multiple). We have had it in our house and all tested negative.

There is a nasty bug doing the rounds around here.

NichyNoo · 02/07/2021 17:54

Similar thing happened to our family in January - all had the same symptoms but I tested negative PCR whilst DH and DS tested positive.

Purplewithred · 02/07/2021 17:57

LFT are notoriously poor at picking up covid.

PCRs better if done properly, but not 100%.

KurtWilde · 02/07/2021 18:03

DD started with a sore throat on Tuesday, nothing more than that. She had an LFT at her dads - negative. Tried getting a PCR now she's home but she doesn't have enough symptoms. No temp or headache, just the sore throat and now a bit snotty. I've done another LFT and still negative. I know they're not supposed to be as reliable but they're the only option without lying about her symptoms to get a PCR. We all had covid in January and it was very different to how she is now so I'm going with summer cold.