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Original poster

So many seem to be ill?

190 replies

Thewiseoneincognito · 08/10/2021 20:41

I’ve lost count of the number of people I know who have this ‘mystery flu’ with coughing and classic Covid symptoms and yet seem to be testing negative on LFTs and PCRs, surely it’s not just me noticing this?

DP is now ill awaiting PCR results, I have several colleagues at work ill but all have negative PCRs and LFTs. Friends of friends all in the same situation, FB has plenty of anecdotes with the same scenario too.

Every shop or business I’ve been in today had numerous people with hacking coughs and sneezes. I appreciate there will be a surge of colds and flus as we head to autumn and winter but the cold weather hasn’t really hit yet and the people I know who have been ill the last two weeks or so are all healthy young people.

I’m wondering has Covid changed and is now undectable by the tests? It’s even more maddening that no one has a mask on hardly either but let’s leave that one for another thread.

I just find it hard to believe this sudden surge of sickness is a result of lower immunity to everyday normal illnesses and that it’s a resurgence of the common cold. I don’t remember pre-covid hearing so many hacking coughs, does anyone else?

OP posts:
Original poster
Thewiseoneincognito · 09/10/2021 23:37

[quote BlueBlancmange]@Thewiseoneincognito do you have any idea where you caught Covid?[/quote]
At work most likely. The week leading up to testing positive I was either at home alone and at work. I wear a mask as soon as I leave my house until I get home, obviously those around me don’t always do the same but I hadn’t socialised or done anything else except literally work and home. No children either so there’s no risk of catching from them and DP was away a whole week too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thewiseoneincognito · 09/10/2021 23:41

Also I understand people are saying colds and flu are coming back and that is true to an extent but people are testing positive on the LFTs which are far more likely to be false negative than false positive. Whatever it is some of these people have, it’s clearly registering on the tests and I doubt they pick up the old common cold and flu.

OP posts:
SMBH · 10/10/2021 06:58

Are you conflating two things? There are issues with positive LFTs and negative PCRs, and this is being investigated - in all likelihood there is some form of human error involved. There are also a lot of nasty colds about which are testing negative for both LFTs and PCRs. Do you have a reason for suspecting more sinister things going on in terms of covid itself?

alloalloallo · 10/10/2021 07:46

I’ve got the cough/cold at the moment. Numerous negative LFTs and a negative PCR. DH and my DD also have it and have numerous negative tests too.

My DD1, away at uni, also has it and says it’s about a billion times worse than when she had Covid - very similar symptoms though

I was reading something the other day about how our immune systems haven’t had to do much for the last 18 months so the first time we caught a cough or cold was always going to be horrible

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/inews.co.uk/news/health/worst-cold-ever-going-around-covid-symptoms-colds-uk-after-lockdown-1216245/amp

brokenbiscuitsx · 10/10/2021 07:50

It’s probably because we’ve been kept away from most bugs for over a year and now we are mingling again we are getting everything under the sun. I imagine our immune systems have got a little lazy. Or something more scientific than that 🤣

Backofbeyond50 · 10/10/2021 07:55

I’m just jealous of all those saying they haven’t had a cold in 18 months.

Yep.

I had about 3 last year. Currently full of cold courtesy of one of the dds. All. Negative LFT. Not sure whether to do PCR tbh..

Marguerite2000 · 10/10/2021 08:27

It's called the Covid immunity debt, and we would have had to go through it sooner or later. This was one of the reasons why they opened up when they did, to allow people to build up immunity again in the summer months, and to prevent the 'debt' getting even worse.
It's also why they've extended free flu vaccines again though of course there's nothing to be done about colds. Personally, I've had my flu vaccine, carrying on wearing a mask, and taking an immunity boosting course of vits (half price in Boots) and doing the other usual things to protect myself. I don't have kids in school though so I'm not as much at risk as some people.

Jbm21 · 10/10/2021 16:09

My brother had this "cold" for weeks, did many LFTs and a PCR which were all negative. He did antibody test last week which revealed he was positive for both N and S antibodies, with a S level of 1209 4 months after dose 2 of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Ohdofuckofdear · 10/10/2021 16:18

We've all had it here,I still bloody have it and it's 10 days and counting,no cough for any of us though ThankGod.

Most of us have had at least 1 of the covid injections(me and my DH have had both injections)We've all been testing and no covid just the worst flu I have ever had in my life.

I hope every other poor soul that's having to deal with this feels much better and sooner rather than later Flowers

Urmstonand2 · 10/10/2021 18:16

As an update, the LFT turned positive today (10 days after my first symptoms).

Apparently I am not not eligible for a PCR anymore as my symptoms started too long ago. I guess it makes sense as hopefully i am not infectious anymore (even though i still don't feel well) but not great that I had 10 days to spread it around (I didn't really as I assumed it must have been it)...

Original poster
Thewiseoneincognito · 10/10/2021 22:19

@Urmstonand2

As an update, the LFT turned positive today (10 days after my first symptoms).

Apparently I am not not eligible for a PCR anymore as my symptoms started too long ago. I guess it makes sense as hopefully i am not infectious anymore (even though i still don't feel well) but not great that I had 10 days to spread it around (I didn't really as I assumed it must have been it)...

It’s madness isn’t it. Guessing you’re from Trafford too with your username? It’s rife there 😱
OP posts:
MushMonster · 15/10/2021 18:16

They have mentioned the suspected lab in the news today, newspapers and radio!
It took them a while to find it!

Hopefully this will be a rare occurrence never to be repeated.

43000 dodgy test results have been identified!

Pootle40 · 15/10/2021 18:57

I don't know anyone with a cough or cold

Pootle40 · 15/10/2021 18:58

The media has got people obsessed about the previously mundane

ApolloandDaphne · 15/10/2021 19:03

I have the horrible cough thing. I've done three LFTs, two the new nose only ones and one the old style one. All negative. I haven't done a PCR as it is only one symptom and the cough doesn't seem to fit with Covid. I guess there are always going to be other viruses circulating.

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