Covid reinfection within 90 days

[Helby2112]

I tested positive at the beginning of November with only a sore throat and slight cough. All LFTs before and during my isolation were negative; I only ever tested positive on PCR. On Tuesday I began to feel unwell with a slight cough and cold like symptoms (not too bad) but didn’t retest as I understood the guidance to be not to test at all during the 90 day period after a positive PCR. I went to work on Wednesday but realised when I got home, I had no sense of smell or taste at all. More out of curiosity than anything, I did a LFT and it was instantly positive with a very bold line. I phoned 111 and the doctor who called back said if new covid symptoms develop, official advice is to retest regardless of the 90 day window. She also said her son had tested positive twice during 5 weeks and that his swabs had shown two different variants, indicating two different infections. I had a PCR and it came back positive yesterday. I am still positive on the many LFTs I’ve done since!

I’m just curious if anyone else has experienced anything similar. I feel much worse this time round with very typical covid symptoms (none of which I had last time) but people keep telling me the positive result is ‘old virus’. I understand this happens with PCR tests but surely not on LFT tests which detect active virus (and were all negative first time round!)

I’m very confused! I also work in a school where covid is rife so if I was going to pick it up again anywhere, I guess it would be there!

It certainly looks like a new infection with possibly a different variant I have no experience but just want to say I hope you feel better soon.

That’s really kind, thank you. X

Perhaps you had Delta before and now you have Omicron! Hope you are okay.

That’s what I thought but I’m presuming I would have been informed if it was Omicron. Thank you! X

I'd presume your first illness wasn't covid and was false positive on the PCR (apparently 30% are according to another thread) especially if it was the only one you took and LFTs were negative at that time.

Hi - you’re exactly right in your logic with LFT showing active virus only so it sounds like you are on your second infection. I hope you feel better soon xx

Thank you. Maybe I’ll never know! If I have caught it twice, I’m very much hoping that my natural immunity and my vaccinations will see off a third infection. I don’t much fancy another 10 days stuck in!

@Mossstitch

I'd presume your first illness wasn't covid and was false positive on the PCR (apparently 30% are according to another thread) especially if it was the only one you took and LFTs were negative at that time.

It was probably one of my posts that you read @Mossstitch, as I post that a lot! However you’ve misread, it’s 30% of PCR NEGATIVES which are false. Positives are very rarely false - on LFT or PCR.

The NHS guidance has now been updated to emphasise that you must retest if you have new symptoms or for travel or if you are identified as a close contact. This is since omicron appeared.

On another thread, the OP wasn’t told she had suspected omicron, but her named contacts were so am not sure how that works.

@JanglyBeads oh, sorry, thanks for correcting me! There just seems to be so many tests recently saying the opposite of what you expect on the coronavirus board and in work (I work in hospital so lots of symptomatic colleagues frequently off awaiting test results ect with positive LFTs then negative PCRs or the other way around, that I've lost all faith in testing🤷).
Op, hope your better soon, I also hope I don't get second infection as was ill first time for a very long time. I have had regular PCRs from ONS survey and despite having positive patients on ward so far not caught again🤞 since March 2020.

Janglybeads, I’m sorry to hear you were so poorly. From everything I’ve read, the fact I had it so mild during the first infection was what left me vulnerable to another infection. If my viral load wasn’t high enough to be detected on an LFT and my symptoms were mild, that might mean I didn’t produce enough (or any!) antibodies. Fingers crossed you’re in a much better position! X

Thanks for your good wishes but it wasn’t me that was “so poorly”, or anyone on this thread as far as I can see?

(Am wondering if you read my post on another thread about my DS who had lingering symptoms for about 9 weeks.)

We're in a similar boat. We all (Me, DH and teen DS) all tested positive in mid-November. DS was completely asymptomatic but DH and I had grotty cold symptoms (he had mostly a cough and I had sinus pain/headache/earache). Isolation finished last Friday, by which time DH felt much better, albeit a bit tired, but he went into work on Monday (university), felt a bit rough on Tuesday and has had a worsening cough all week. Yesterday and today he's had a temperature again. He's been isolating and I've sent for another PCR for him, but given how close it is to the original infection, I don't know whether it's a new infection or just a resurgence of his symptoms, although if anything he's more poorly this time round.

Sorry JanglyBeads, my mistake. I was referring to Mossstitch‘s comment about being ill for a long time in 2020 and got muddled. Pleased to hear you haven’t been really poorly though!

Has your DH tested positive on a LFT spiderlight? It’s all so confusing isn’t it? Even if the PCR picks up old infection, he will have to continue isolating for ten days whether it’s old or new virus. As far as the government guidance goes, I think he’s doing exactly the right thing! I hope he feels better soon.

He hasn't done a new LFT yet - I'll get him to do one today, but I suspect it'll be positive regardless. I'll do one as well for comparison. He's going to isolate regardless. He's feeling very sorry for himself.