PCR negative but symptoms and exposure

[Locoooomotive]

Last week I started with what I assumed was a bad cold, flu like symptoms for a few days, cold symptoms which led to a horrendous cough and now a very sore painful chest. I have had 2 PCR's on days 2 and 4 of symptoms (both negative) now on day 9, tired and very sore chest, terrible cough which GP has given me antibiotics for today. I have carried on as normal (within reason as have felt a mildly ill). Anyway this afternoon I have discovered that a colleague i was with 5 days before i got symptoms has just had Covid. I am now questioning whether this could be Covid because I am double vaccinated (last dose August) and also I have previously had Covid so I would think I would have reasonable immunity. Can it be that the PCR's don't pick up a low viral load?

Has anyone had a negative PCR but been unwell and known they've been around a positive case? I am wondering if the vaccine is 'doing its job' but maybe this is actually (mild) covid or an immune response to it. I am pretty unwell but nowhere near as unwell as I was last time. I haven't really been anywhere to pick anything else up, my kids haven't bought anything home from school (as far as I am aware). I was in a meeting with this colleague for about an hour face to face, no windows open.

Very similar to what happened to me!
My son had high temperature and positive PCR.
My husband and I took a PCR the day after and my husband had a positive, I had an inconclusive. I repeated it and it was negative. At that point I also had symptoms (blocked nose, a cough, tired,...).
I took a lateral flow the day after my negative PCR and it was very very positive. As we were all unwell, looking after a toddler, self-isolating etc I didn't bother to go and take another PCR until a week later. It was inconclusive again. I repeated it and it was negative.

Basically I lived in a household full of Covid, I had all the symptoms but the only 'proof' I had it was a lateral flow that I took at the peak of symptoms. No one of the 4 PCR at the beginning and towards the end of the symptoms were positive.

It's a mystery to me!

You've probably got something else. There are loads of things going around at the moment

I'm confused by your timeline - did the person you came in to contact with test positive shortly after you were in contact with them? Or they've just had a positive test (i.e. more than 10 days since you last saw them)?

In terms of low viral load - I test positive last week - my DH and DC had it, and I had been doing LFTs every day (after a negative PCR). On the 7th day, after a negative LFT in the morning, I started to feel mildly unwell - like I could feel a cold coming on. Repeated LFT and it was incredibly faintly positive. I went for a PCR that same afternoon and it came back positive. So in my (limited to 1!) experience, PCRs can pick up very low viral load (I never got any sicker - just spent a few days feeling mildly off colour).

So I'd think it more likely you have a cold/other virus.

30% of PCR negatives are false.

Have you tried doing a lateral flow at any point?

If you're negative on PCR and lateral flow throughout then I'd say you most likely have some other virus.

@janglybeads 30%!!!

I did one lateral flow when the cough started to get worse, day 6 i think. Yes I think it probably is something else but just wondered if anyone else had had this scenario.