DS tested positive 3 weeks ago. Started coughing now.

[Whatdoyawannado]

His only symptom at the time was a high temperature for three days. He's been back to school for a week and now woken up coughing. I'm not sure what to do, should I take him for a PCR? I'm worried it'll come back positive anyway as he's probably still got the first infection in his system still. If it comes back positive then Christmas is cancelled. We've just done 20 consecutive days of isolation, I can't bear to do another 10!

It most likely will come back positive which is why we are told not to test again for 3 months after positive pcr

You're not meant to PCR within 90 days as it may still show a positive result. So I wouldn't do that. As I understand it it's unlikely for him to get covid again so soon however with these new variants I'm not so sure. Having said that there are so many other bugs and colds around at the moment. It could easily be one of those.

I'm really not sure what to do in this situation as testing won't be reliable. Hopefully someone more knowledgable will be along!

Highly likely it will be positive still after 3 weeks. Maybe Do a lateral flow?

A cough can just be a cough.

Dd and ds have both cough recently. Dad also caught off them. We did lft and then decided to do a pcr as mum's funeral is between Christmas and New year and we wanted to make sure it wasn't covid as people were visiting dad, also lft aren't meant to be used with symptoms.

All negative.

They just had a cough.

He's got a sore throat and headache now as well 🙄

Temp high end of normal. I don't know what to do!

Generally a new symptom should get a pcr. I was teating negative a week after I had covid so does not necessarily mean he would get a false positive

Likely another virus that's going around! Foods and flu are still rife. Dd has had a cough for a few weeks and tested negative at the time. Now she's actually got covid (caught off dp), she has no new symptoms! Still has the cough from a month ago but not new!

Coughs are rife. Half the kids in my children's school have had bad coughs and none were covid. Most of the kids with covid do not have coughs.

Anyway, unlikely to be covid 3 weeks on.

I was told by test and trace no pcrs but can do lft's.

Thought you were meant to test if new symptoms

@Whatdoyawannado

He's got a sore throat and headache now as well 🙄

Yes. Probably from The coughing.

You, seem convinced it's covid again. So either you risk going out and about and him spreading it. Or do a PCT, accept it will be positive (even if he isnt) and isolate over Christmas.

That's your choices. If you really believe it's covid, again, it would be immensely shitty to just carry on as normal.

Do a lateral flow OP, they are FAR less likely to pick up old infection. PCR, you are risking picking up old virus & him testing positive regardless..

I have a cough and cold, it's not covid - other viruses are available

@Darkpheonix When my DS1 tested positive we all instantly isolated, despite the rules saying under 18s and double vaccinated can go out. I didn't send DS2 to school and I'm glad I didn't as he tested positive 3 days later and DH 3 days after that. I would certainly never do anything 'shitty' where covid is concerned.

I've done a lateral flow, it's negative. He's not actually coughing anymore. Just feels a bit ill.

There's a dreadful chesty thing doing the rounds.

[quote Whatdoyawannado]@Darkpheonix When my DS1 tested positive we all instantly isolated, despite the rules saying under 18s and double vaccinated can go out. I didn't send DS2 to school and I'm glad I didn't as he tested positive 3 days later and DH 3 days after that. I would certainly never do anything 'shitty' where covid is concerned.

I've done a lateral flow, it's negative. He's not actually coughing anymore. Just feels a bit ill.[/quote]
I am sure you did.

I don't think it's covid. You seem fairly convinced it is. That's why it would be shitty to go out, if you think it is.

Chances are, it's not.

I've had a awful chesty cough, no temperature, no snotty nose. Had a PCR, which was negative. DGD5 had the same thing and now DH has started with it. He has had negative LFTs all week ( has them done daily at work). He has come off nights this morning, but will go get a PCR when he wakes, although I'm expecting it to be negative. There just seems to be another virus going around.