Testing negative but symptoms

[Bubblepop24]

DS tested positive last Friday when we all developed symptoms. Me, DH and daughter tested negative on Friday and again on Sunday on PCRs and negatives on LFs this week. We continue to have coughs and are very very tired. DS has a sporadic cough but is absolutely fine otherwise.
Is there a chance he had a false positive and we have something else? It's rife in his school at the mo so unlikely. Or can you have covid but not test positive?
Or considering we're on day 5 post his positive result, should we expect to test positive in the next few days?!
Im literally driving myself insane - we'd rather just know we're positive and get on with it now.

It's a good question. I have tested positive on a pcr with symptoms of a heavy cold and my ds who is spiking a temperature and dry constant coughing has tested negative. I'm in no doubt whatsoever that he has Covid.
Sorry I can't help you with a proper answer really but I don't think the tests are always 100% accurate.

Might be because your PCR was too soon to pick it up? Probably worth doing a second one to check.

(I think the timing of the tests is perhaps more critical than most people realise)

Yes I think we're going to go for another tomorrow. So fed up of the anticipation of it all ...

I feel your pain, as I have been not right since the last week of August, yet negative LFTs and 2 negative PCRs.
My partner tested positive on 3 LFTs. He’s better now. I have ended up with a sore chest needing steroids. I have asthma, seasonally so that’s probably why.
I am double vaxxed and also had COVID (strongly suspected, no test!) in March 2020.
So, I can’t prove I’ve had Covid and claim any support can I? My job is casual hours, no sick pay.
I’m wondering whether the new strains are picked up reliably by tests or perhaps they just aren’t that reliable or like PP said had to be the right window of time.
Having had it once I’m pretty sure this is the same with minor differences, like this time it began with runny nose, head/ face ache.
It’s awful being so ill but not having that ‘proof’.

All the other viruses that existed pre-Covid giving similar symptoms haven't disappeared... You probably just have one of those.

All I can say is the 2 of us who tested positive on LFTs went on to test positive.
The other two are waiting PCR results but testing negative on lfts.

I feel wretched, cold symptoms, cough, headache, so most symptoms really of common bugs. Raging fever.

The one constant (when my other son had covid) is a raging temperature. Currently 39.6.

My dh had raging temperature, cough and feeling exhausted and tested positive on LF test. Arranged a PCR test for him fully expecting it to be positive but it was negative. After 3/4 days he started to feel much better temperature gone still slight cough and did LF test and was negative. He felt tired and wiped out for a further week. My theory is he did not do PCR test property because he felt so Ill.

Isolate for 10 days from the start of symptoms? I know if you’re under 18/ double jabbed and negative you don’t have to but you also don’t have to go to work/ school if unwell. Other illnesses still exist that cause absence.
Also the winter Covid plan mentioned staying at home if unwell? Is that not happening?

Dh tested positive for covid, whole family asked to do pcr as he was delta when it was just emerging. We all tested negative first time but had already developed symptoms. As each family member got their positive LFT/pcr we were then all told to pcr again. Took 3 tests and 5 days for me to get a positive pcr but definitely had it earlier. Thankfully it was at a time when we were forced to isolate due to positive family members. Wouldn’t be the case now, we could be out there spreading it around as kids required to go to school.

We had lots of negative tests before we finally tested positive even though we had the symptoms for days.

I was told yesterday that if you actually have Covid, you're much more likely to have a false negative LFT.
I think you'll have to do another PCR test. Your first one was probably too early.

Ok so the last comment had me 🤯 but I’ve just read something that made sense -ish… People who react badly to COVID, ending up with chest infections etc, will not always test positive because their immune systems have dealt efficiently with the virus. The problems happen when the immune system has gone OTT. Mine has gone OTT.

Possibly not.

We have an awful cold and covid in the school currently.

Very similar symptoms and some is covid and some is cold.

Your ds could have got covid from school and another of you a cold and passed that one.

3 people having false negatives from a single household is very unlikely.

I’m exactly the same. Identified as a close contact on Monday and I also started feeling ill…headache, sore throat. Negative pcr on Tuesday. Felt steadily worse, blocked sinuses, feeling hot, slight cough on Wednesday. Hacking cough by Thursday, temp by Friday and another negative pcr. Also negative daily lfts.

I work in a school and we have staff going down with COVID and this other virus. Can’t see the wood for the trees! 🤯

Hi, this is an interesting thread to me as I had a positive LFT and then a negative PCR, but had all the symptoms (plus or minus) and now feel a bit better but totally wiped out. I think I may have had covid. It would be reassuring in a way if I had, otherwise why do I feel so exhausted.