Should I take yet ANOTHER test?

[BobbieT1999]

I have the It's Not Covid Cold for a week it's been pretty mild so far just a few sniffles and was almost gone but I've spent a fair bit of time outside in the last couple of days (countryside not towns/cities) got a bit chilly, and tonight I'm feeling quite sorry for myself. I'm a bit sleepy deprived today and feeling tired, low and achey. No temperature

I've taken a total of 6 LFTs in the last 7 days, including 1 tonight, and 1 PCR just in case. All have been negative.

Do you think it's overkill to get another PCR done (just in case)? Or am I letting the headlines get to me?

DH had this. Repeatedly tested negative, felt absolutely shocking. Then had a routine test for work three weeks later and it picked up a positive result. Health protection involved due to where he works and are of the opinion that what he had three weeks previously was Covid and he's still testing positive.

Thank you for replying, is he alright now?

I don't feel nearly as bad as shocking, I'm sure I'll feel much better after a decent night's sleep (which I didnt get last night), but I don't think I'll relax until I've done another PCR so I'll arrange one for tomorrow and continue with my daily LFTs as long as I have any cold symptoms.

I don't know what we're supposed to do if we can't trust the tests when they're negative. Scientists & medics all predicted a bad cold season this year due to the intensive lockdowns. I know that covid doesn't always present with obvious covid symptoms but there are limits to how far I can isolate without providing proof of a positive test.

Other illnesses still exist. If you had these symptoms in 2018, what would you have assumed they were? A bad cold? It's probably a bad cold then. They're still around, not just covid. Don't waste any more government resources on another test when you don't even have the symptoms required to order a test

Good luck with the cold, I've had it for weeks and in that time I've done 3xpcr plus far too many lft (all negative).

No I don't feel its overkill otherwise I wouldn't have done more than the first pcr. I'm finding this goes in cycles, start feeling better then wake up with a sore throat or snotty nose (hopefully this is the last symptom and I'm gonna get over it this time), which means I need to test yet again. I am so over sticking swabs up my nose (doing the lfts every other day)

You have done tests, you've got negative results.. Its a cold.
Not every symptom anyone ever has again is covid...
The plastic waste from the millions of mindlessly done covid tests is going to be vast and a problem for yrs to come.
If you do have covid and have negative tests... Well you've been put and abput spreading it.already
But honestly I'd stop testing now.

I had one of these. Had a week off sick when it was at its worst. Cold, sore throat, cough, mild temp, fatigue, earache, headache. It wasn’t great and 4 weeks later I’m still coughing though it’s finally going away I think! ( dry tickly cough) .

I had a PCR 3/4 days in as lots of people I know had cold symptoms or headache when testing positive or covid and I lateral flowed each day for the first week or so. I wasn’t near anyone either while I was off bar my partner. I do lft for work anyway twice a week/when I meet up with people and it’s always been negative.

If you want to reassure yourself have a PCR. More than likely just a bad virus.

I tested negative 2 days before my symptoms started(for work) but the day they started I did another because the symptoms were there, so I would've thought if you had symptoms during the PCR it would have showed positive if that's what it was. Not everything is covid 🤷🏻‍♀️ I've had worse illnesses than it when I did have it tbh!

We’ve had this cold for weeks on end. My DM had Covid right when we got ill but our PCRs were negative. Yesterday we did another PCR as DH got pinged but that was negative too.

It’s just a dire cold that seems to come in waves. You feel a bit better for a day or two then it comes crashing back.

Personally I wouldn't. You don't have any of the symptoms that would necessitate a PCR, and you've already done 1 recently and you've had numerous LFT. I'd probably keep up the daily LFT though.

Thank you for your replies!

You're right of course,the headlines I think were getting to me late at night when I was overtired.

@MrsLeclerc

We’ve had this cold for weeks on end. My DM had Covid right when we got ill but our PCRs were negative. Yesterday we did another PCR as DH got pinged but that was negative too.

It’s just a dire cold that seems to come in waves. You feel a bit better for a day or two then it comes crashing back.

It's evil isn't it? And in my mind a direct consequence of lockdown and social distancing. I used to have a robust immune system, having young children I was in constant contact with coughs, colds etc. But I always shrugged them off and at the most had a snotty nose for a few days. I swear everyone I know that has had covid in the same timeframe (again I have young children and I know of plenty of people who have had it) has recovered within 2 weeks. Here I am on week 5 with "not covid", feeling fine for a few days and the a day or 2 of feeling horrendous

I've currently got the not COVID illness and testing negative. I feel dreadful and have done for four days now. I had COVID in the summer and this is worse so 💐 sympathy.

I'm currently swigging benylin out of the bottle.