Negative LFTs and positive PCR with just cold symptoms

[Cherrydown]

I thought it might be useful to share my experience as I keep reading threads where people are being told they're ridiculous for thinking they might have Covid and cold symptoms are not part of it.

Tuesday - I was sneezing and runny nose
Daughter had a brief slight temp so did an LFT on her, strong positive. Booked us both a PCR for the next day. My LFT was negative.

Wednesday - I had sore throat, runny nose, headache, very tired, still negative LFT.
Daughter slight headache but fine apart from that

Thursday - both get positive results

If it wasn't for DD's brief slight temperature, we would have just been carrying on as normal, I work in healthcare so do LFTs twice a week, which are still showing negative.

Yep, it's often hard to differentiate from.other viruses. My DC tested positive on a random LFT and her only symptom was a mild sore throat. I teach a KS1 class. I've had loads off absent already this term with cold symptoms but none of them are PCR testing unless they have a really bad cough because it's a hassle to do it on young kids. We have no way of knowing if it is standard colds or potentially COVID. I'm just hoping the effects of the vaccine don't wane after a few months as has been suggested is possible or winter won't be much fun - most school staff I know were vaccinated between May and August.

My first symptom was a tickly throat. My worst symptom during my isolation period was a stinking cold for 2 days. Negative lat flow on the same day I took my positive pcr.

I only lost my sense of taste and smell at the end of day 3 or 4 I think. If Dh had not tested positive 2 days before, I wouldn’t have tested for my symptoms until that happened.

LFTs seem to be very unreliable. I was talking to my friend the other day. Her DS is doing LFTs x2 per week. A couple of weeks ago he had cold symptoms, did LFT, negative, did another midweek, negative, carried on going to school. Last weekend, after his cold symptoms had cleared up, he did LFT and it was positive! Confirmed with PCR, also positive. But by then he was feeling completely fine. Three days later, LFT was negative again.

In a letter from our school, 50% of the confirmed cases was from a runny nose or cold symptoms, 19% had a headache and 19% had no symptoms but tested due to contact.

Due to high number of cases in the area you need to test for cold symptoms, headaches, sore throats, coughs, temperatures, rashes etc before returning to school, plus siblings and other identified close contacts.

We have had the opposite, repeated pos lfts and negative pcrs. We aren’t the only ones a my DC school. DC is back at school with pos lfts, evidently a cold can show pos but it’s the pcr that counts. Not sure what this means for using lfts for getting into places and holiday testing.

What’s the point of LFTs then? They’re clearly not working!

I actually think the general idea for testing of secondary schools is really good. LFT twice a week will pick up a lot of the people with no symptoms. Then you test with a PCR if you have symptoms - or if you have close contact.

However people don’t do this. The “3 symptoms” thing is confusing. Then on top of that you have the current issue with positive LFTs and negative PCRs. So great in theory but is not working in practice.

And meant to add OP, I am sure that the majority of the population wouldn’t have tested in your situation and would have said “it’s just a cold”. I’m always grateful for those that do test - thank you!

@Changemusthappen

We have had the opposite, repeated pos lfts and negative pcrs. We aren’t the only ones a my DC school. DC is back at school with pos lfts, evidently a cold can show pos but it’s the pcr that counts. Not sure what this means for using lfts for getting into places and holiday testing.

This worries me as I’ve been reading of PCRs being negative but LFTs positive. LFTs are incredibly unlikely (rare) to give a false positive. There was another thread which said that PHE were investigating this issue so I wonder if there are faulty PCRs out there

I agree, the LFT tests seem to be quite unreliable. Covid is everywhere at my childs school, lots of children are off but even though they all seem to have the same symptoms and are in close contact with each other, some test positive and some don't. My child's friend who she sits and socialises with tested positive, dc didn't. Both had same symptoms at about the same time.

Out of exasperation I've given up concerning myself with it all !!!

I’ve been the opposite - had two positive LFTs but received a negative PCR. DS tested positive on his PCR and I had the same symptoms so was fairly sure it was wrong in my case. Luckily I did another PCR and that came back positive.

Same happened to me. I had a runny nose but felt fine, twice weekly LFT negative. There had been a covid outbreak on my ward so they were testing all staff on the rapid test and I came back positive. Did a pcr and went home and I got a positive pcr result the next day. I haven't bothered with LFTs since because they are so unreliable.

I believe that I have covid at the moment. Awaiting result of second pcr after the first one was inconclusive. DD has already tested positive so we know it's in the house.

It's just like a cold so far. Sore throat, runny nose, slightly achey, a bit tired. No fever. No real cough to speak of. No loss of taste or smell so far.

People shouldn't be too quick to decide that it isn't covid.

It all feels like it's a bit of a mess doesn't it?

Half on my dd's class is now off with it, it all started from a girl who's mum was positive but the girl was negative, so could carry on going to school. She finally tested positive 7 days later, by which point it was spreading. I think at the very least household isolation should be brought back in.

Zoe app suggests that symptoms have changed over last 18 months and are now very similar to a regular cold, especially among the vaccinated. Zoe researchers would like govt to update the list of symptoms!

DS1 had a positive LFT followed by negative PCR (the next day).

@Cherrydown

It all feels like it's a bit of a mess doesn't it?

Half on my dd's class is now off with it, it all started from a girl who's mum was positive but the girl was negative, so could carry on going to school. She finally tested positive 7 days later, by which point it was spreading. I think at the very least household isolation should be brought back in.

I agree that household isolation should still be required. I didn't actually need to isolate earlier this week as double jabbed and not symptomatic. However, I do now have symptoms so, had I gone about my business as usual earlier in the week as permitted, I would no doubt have passed the virus around to all and sundry. Ridiculous.

Most people with any common sense will try to minimise contact with others if they have a positive case in the house, but it isn't possible for everyone to work from home etc, so not everyone will have this option. It's no wonder that the virus is ripping through.

I dont think symptoms necessarily changed - there was always that kids got more d&v runny nose headache etc. What has happened is more people getting mildly as
Younger and others vaccinated.

I've seen some people saying their lateral flows been negitive but PCR positive. My son had positive lateral flow tuesday after his friend got covid on friday. Since friday I've done morning and nightly lateral flows on me ( double jabs) and had a runny nose wednesday. Pcr was positive all the other lateral flows negitive and then out of curiosity did a lateral flow at lunch time yesterday and its STILL negitive. I help run a cafe aswell so I've seriously spread it without knowing. A customer that's a covid nurse told me about a month ago lateral flows dont work on the double jabbed and they clearly dont on me.

I tested negative on LFT and positive on PCR with no symptoms. I developed cold symptoms 2 days after my PCR (blocked nose, sneezing, phlegm). Lost my sense of smell and taste the day after and developed a temperature.

I had no cough, no tiredness, no aching limbs, no chest problems. Would have gone to work under any other circumstances.