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Original poster

Children’s symptoms

26 replies

rebus1 · 29/08/2021 20:53

DC (11 and 16) have gone to bed with cold and headache. I mentioned it to my mum in passing and she said I should test them as kids have different symptoms.

I will get them to test tomorrow but how likely is it that they’re positive? It would the biggest PITA if so, they’d need to miss first week of sixth form and secondary.

OP posts:
Ouchyhurt · 30/08/2021 08:32

It's wise to test I think. When I had covid my first real symptom was a headache. I didn't get a cough until about 5 days later, I never got a temperature. My DS had a mild sore throat (wouldn't have normally even registered he was unwell it was that mild) and he tested positive, no cough, low grade fever for a few hours about 3 days later.

Incidentally my LFT test was negative, this was an hour before my PCR test.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 08:34

DS has just recovered from Covid and his only symptoms were blocked/runny nose and high temperature.

Lweji · 30/08/2021 08:39

I'd test and isolate as much as possible even with a negative antigen (lateral flow) test result.
The Delta variant seems to give symptoms more like a cold.

(On a side note, and for everyone reading, if you're worried about missing school or work, it is a good idea to limit close indoor contact with people outside of our household. The Delta variant is much more transmissible than previous ones. And to keep wearing masks if distancing is not possible. Remember that transmission occurs via aerosols, so distancing indoors doesn't work well to prevent transmission.)

QueenofBrickdon · 30/08/2021 08:40

DD had a blocked nose and DS had a hoarse voice. No other symptoms, they were only tested as DH and I tested positive.

Original poster
rebus1 · 30/08/2021 08:48

Thanks all, just waiting for them to wake up so we can do the lateral flow tests. Fingers crossed for negative.

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 09:02

You'd be better off doing PCRs to be honest if they have cold symptoms. Lateral flows only detect about 50% of positive cases. All the ones I did were negative but when I did a PCR it was positive.

Lweji · 30/08/2021 09:12

If they are positive you can largely trust it.
But if they are negative it's not a huge reassurance. There's about a 50% chance the result is false.

If you had pregnancy symptoms and had a negative test that was only true 50% of the time, would you be confident that you weren't pregnant?

LFT can be useful, but negative tests are not reliable and give a false sense of security.

Watapalava · 30/08/2021 09:16

They do not need a test since they are not gov advised symtoms.

Im so tired of reading on mumsnet about "follow the rules, rules, rules" yet people making up a new one and choosing which to follow

Your kids do not have covid symptoms - the advice doesn't say 'but get one anyway if you know loads have had it with a headache'

People can still get a cold you know.

Watapalava · 30/08/2021 09:17

It may be covid but theres no way id make me teens miss that first week due to testing for the sake of it

AlexaShutUp · 30/08/2021 09:20

@Watapalava

They do not need a test since they are not gov advised symtoms.

Im so tired of reading on mumsnet about "follow the rules, rules, rules" yet people making up a new one and choosing which to follow

Your kids do not have covid symptoms - the advice doesn't say 'but get one anyway if you know loads have had it with a headache'

People can still get a cold you know.

There has been plenty of published data confirming that the most common symptoms of delta are different from previous variants. The fact that the government has failed to update its advice accordingly does not mean that people should not exercise a sensible degree of caution by getting tested when they experience the common delta symptoms.

Yes, it might just be a cold, but if it is covid, it would be irresponsible to go round spreading it.

AlexaShutUp · 30/08/2021 09:21

@Watapalava

It may be covid but theres no way id make me teens miss that first week due to testing for the sake of it
So you'd happily let them go round potentially spreading it to vulnerable people just so that they don't miss out?
howdidigettobe50something · 30/08/2021 09:23

Yes could be with those symptoms. LFT are usually more accurate when positive but obviously follow up with CRPs anyway.

Goshthatsmyneighbour · 30/08/2021 09:39

We have COVID at the moment. Headache was my daughter's first symptom - that and feeling tired and off food. I also had headache as main symptom to start with, followed by mild sore throat and tiredness. Loss of smell and taste came later on. No temps or coughs. I read that Delta variant symptoms may differ from the original symptoms...

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 09:45

@Watapalava

They do not need a test since they are not gov advised symtoms.

Im so tired of reading on mumsnet about "follow the rules, rules, rules" yet people making up a new one and choosing which to follow

Your kids do not have covid symptoms - the advice doesn't say 'but get one anyway if you know loads have had it with a headache'

People can still get a cold you know.

Fuck the rules. People can still get colds but a huge amount of people with Delta variant have cold symptoms. Testing is the RIGHT thing to do to rule out Covid.
Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 09:46

@Watapalava

It may be covid but theres no way id make me teens miss that first week due to testing for the sake of it
What an irresponsible person you are.
Terriah · 30/08/2021 09:50

My DC have recently tested positive & they had headache, runny nose and sore throat. They were showing negative on lateral flows but their PCRs were positive.

bonbonours · 30/08/2021 09:51

We have Covid too right now. My first symptom was sneezing, followed by stuffy nose and headache. Only very occasional slight cough. My 15 year old is also positive and just has a headache. My LFT came up very strong positive when I tested after sneezy. Then followed up with PCR. Don't school ask the kids to test anyway? Ours are supposed to test the day before school starts and then twice a week ongoing.

JuliaBlackberry · 30/08/2021 09:51

My kids were recently floored with bad colds and headaches but no temperature. They were negative. It's useful to test though.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 09:55

@JuliaBlackberry

My kids were recently floored with bad colds and headaches but no temperature. They were negative. It's useful to test though.
Absolutely, it could well just be a cold but there's no harm in testing to be sure. Results come back pretty quickly, if it's negative then they won't miss school, if it's positive then they won't be going in and spreading it everywhere. Yes it's a pain if they have to miss it but it's unfair to potentially spread to loads of other kids forcing them to miss it as well.
Goldeneggg · 30/08/2021 09:55

All 3 of mine recently had Covid. My eldest had a sore throat (we initially thought it could tonsillitis).
My middle DC had no symptoms until Day 5 of a positive PCR when she started sneezing a lot (like hayfever). She then developed a productive cough for some days.
My youngest DC had a runny nose and some days of a productive cough. He had a temperature spike on one night towards the last few days of isolating after the positive PCR.

They've all had the same symptoms throughout the year and I've tested them but this is the first time they've all tested positive.

Original poster
rebus1 · 30/08/2021 11:33

Lateral flow positive for them- bugger! DH and I negative. have booked PCR for all of us to confirm.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/08/2021 12:32

Well said waxon. Someone needed to. Thread after thread of that is too much.

I am sorry about that outcome OP, but not surprised. Almost every young person I know who has tested positive has had nasal symptoms/headache first. Then stomach.

On the bright side, they will almost certainly get through it and be immune while it is whirring its way round more of the school population. School will set them work, which will almost certainly be quite gentle at the beginning.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 12:38

@rebus1

Lateral flow positive for them- bugger! DH and I negative. have booked PCR for all of us to confirm.
Sorry to hear that LFTs were positive. But it just goes to show that some people on this thread saying "don't test them because of the rules" shouldn't be listened to.
Piggywaspushed · 30/08/2021 12:45

Any idea where one or other of them picked it up OP? Bear in mind if it was somewhere where you weren't, if you do a PCR today you might be negative. If one of them passes/has passed it to you or your DH, unfortunately it might be a few days before you will know via a PCR.

My family went from DS1 to DS2 ,then to me. It took about 10 days to get to me.

Lweji · 30/08/2021 12:54

I have no words for Watapalava Angry.

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