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Original poster

Is it possible

32 replies

crazyfamilyof8 · 19/12/2021 19:38

Hello

Could someone tell me if it's possible to have covid but test negative on lateral flow test and a pcr though out 10 days?

13 days ago I started with a itchy throat and it lasted 2 days in my husband tested positive 2 days into my itchy throat so we both went for a pcr he was positive I was negative he went an isolated alone in a room. Anyways I then developed a dry annoying night cough that lasted to days abs a runny nose. Then would wake up with a headache. I never felt tired I was doing my normal routines. My asthma was playing up the whole time. I even walked to Tesco and felt so breathless I turned around and walked home. Anyways on day 9 of my husband's isolation all my symptoms disappeared and I've been left with a bit of a flemmy cough in the mornings only I wake up and need to bring it all up and it's bright green.

I lateral flow tested every day and have done two PCR all negative!

Has there been cases of people who have had covid but it never showed or was it just coincidence that I had same symptoms as my husband.

OP posts:
shalalala · 19/12/2021 19:42

I'd love to know the answer to this as I feel the same! I guess thought that there are other illnesses out there

Original poster
crazyfamilyof8 · 19/12/2021 21:35

@shalalala yes very true I have not been ill in ages. And don't suffer from soar throats so when the itchy throat came along I was really worried

OP posts:
LostThePot · 19/12/2021 21:40

I think it is possible. I felt very unwell and lost my taste when my dd had Covid but never tested positive on 2 PCRs and a million LFTs.

One of my other dc also developed a cough during this time and also tested negative on numerous LFTs/PCRs.

BIWI · 19/12/2021 21:42

There are plenty of other illnesses and viruses out there! We all seem to have forgotten this.

Spacemonkey2016 · 19/12/2021 21:44

About a month or so ago I had the worst cough of my life, a fever for 8/9 days, completely lost my sense of smell and taste on Day 4 (never experienced that before) but I had a negative PCR. After my negative test and about a week of fever, I went to the GP, as I assumed I must have a chest infection and may need antibiotics as honestly, I'd never felt so rough. GP was cross I was there despite negative test, said I absolutely had covid and signed me off work for a further week. So she certainly thought it possible. I'm still on the fence. I certainly expected ny PCR to come back positive. I guess I'll never know!

Terminallysleepdeprived · 19/12/2021 21:45

I have covid now. I had the absolute same symptoms in October and tested negative on 3 pcr tests. I assumed (wrongly) I just had a cold this time until I did a routine lft.

There are other illnesses and this covid variant seems to mimic anything from a migraine to flu and everything inbetween

ABitOfAShitShow · 19/12/2021 21:48

Same for me. Started with a headache 2 weeks ago then a few days later the snot came (and some intermittent coughing). Had a negative PCR last weekend and tons of negative LFTs around it. Still feeling rough. Meanwhile, my friend who I was with lots last weekend, and who was negative on LFTs each time she met me, tested positive the day after I last saw her. All her symptoms are the same as mine. My LFTs have continued to be negative so I’ve given up. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Dancingonmoonlight · 19/12/2021 21:50

DC1 had every symptom listed including fever for five days, vomiting, headaches and cold symptoms. Tested negative on LFTs and PCR.

DH lost taste and smell and tested positive one week later.

It turned out that DC1's classroom had covid and the majority of children were absent from their classroom whereas DH works from home and barely leaves the house.

He could only have picked it up from DC2.

So yes I think its possible to have covid and have a false negative possibly due to it not being carried out correctly?

Totorosfluffytummy · 19/12/2021 22:12

My DS had several negative LFTs and one negative PCR while having the same symptoms as the rest of us who had all positive PCR tests but negative LFTs. He did get a positive on his 2nd PCR though.
He was the 2nd of us to get his symptoms so was definitely positive for his first PCR and all the LFTs despite negative results.

rrhuth · 20/12/2021 05:47

It is possible, primarily I would imagine due to user error with testing.

But also - lots of non-covid viruses are back with a vengeance this this.

Get well soon!

DockOTheBay · 20/12/2021 05:53

Possible but unlikely. More likely you just have done other virus.

firef1y · 20/12/2021 05:55

It may be possible but either way it sounds like you may have a chest infection now, so please contact your GP

SonicBroom · 20/12/2021 05:55

Meanwhile, my friend who I was with lots last weekend, and who was negative on LFTs each time she met me, tested positive the day after I last saw her

@ABitOfAShitShow if that’s the case she would have caught it somewhere else, there’s an average 5-6 day incubation period, she couldn’t test positive next day

sarah13xx · 20/12/2021 06:00

Definitely possible for lateral flows to miss it completely. I think they’re useful for some things but people take them as gospel like ive done a LFD so I don’t have covid. Well no, you still might have covid 🤔 My friends were supposed to go on a Christmas night out, I pulled out and said given the situation it wasn’t a good idea. A few others followed suit but my friends then said we’d go to someone’s house instead and all do lateral flows beforehand. There were 10 of us meant to be going. I thought that’s still a terrible idea but I’m easily forced into things so said I’d go 🙈 The night out was Saturday night. One friend sent us all her lateral flow result on Thursday saying she was good to go 🤦🏼‍♀️ A full 2 days before it! I think they actually encourage people to do things they wouldn’t more often than not. I tested negative so would have been oblivious and went but got DH to do one and he was positive. My other friend tested negative but had been sent for a PCR through the amount of cases in her work and she tested positive. There’s every chance your PCR just wasn’t at the time when you were most infectious so you were maybe past it by the time you started going for them or I was thinking a month or two ago when everyone started having that same illness with the scatchy throat and cough that maybe it was a new strain not showing on the current tests we have

ThesecondLEM · 20/12/2021 06:15

We had covid last Xmas and then we had the cold from hell back in October.i have never seen my DD16 so unwell and had to call 111 Worse than covid, our GP rang back and was adamant it sounded like covid. Gave DD antibiotics as concerns re chest infection. Two negative PCRs for DD and one for me. We were flattened for over a week. I'm convinced it was covid, dd never gets sick and if she does she shakes it off, battles on. She was off school for two weeks

AnkylosaurusAches · 20/12/2021 06:19

I know of someone who was signed off through suspected Covid by the Gp despite no positive tests. Her whole family had had it first and it was when you bubbled. She hadn't been anywhere for 2 weeks.

AnkylosaurusAches · 20/12/2021 06:20

She had several tests

endlesscraziness · 20/12/2021 07:17

It is possible. Often for example in ICU cases we can't pick it up in a nose and throat swab, it's the testing of fluid in the lungs that determines it. Plus you may have an ineffective swabbing technique

SonicBroom · 20/12/2021 08:10

@endlesscraziness what’s the best swabbing technique please?

AnneOfAvonlea · 20/12/2021 08:29

Sorry to hijack but dd has had 4 positive lateral flows and 2 negative PCRs. She has felt unwell for a few days but is now feeling better.
How are these conflicting results possible?

ABitOfAShitShow · 20/12/2021 09:44

@SonicBroom

Meanwhile, my friend who I was with lots last weekend, and who was negative on LFTs each time she met me, tested positive the day after I last saw her

@ABitOfAShitShow if that’s the case she would have caught it somewhere else, there’s an average 5-6 day incubation period, she couldn’t test positive next day

As I said, that was the last time - I was with her lots over the course of several days. And less, but also with her, in the days before that.

The 5-6 days average is exactly that - an average. There are people who start to show symptoms much sooner.

BIWI · 20/12/2021 09:58

@SonicBroom

Meanwhile, my friend who I was with lots last weekend, and who was negative on LFTs each time she met me, tested positive the day after I last saw her

@ABitOfAShitShow if that’s the case she would have caught it somewhere else, there’s an average 5-6 day incubation period, she couldn’t test positive next day

Apparently with Omicron the incubation period is a lot shorter. Can't remember where I read that but I'll see if I can find a link.
BIWI · 20/12/2021 10:00

This isn't where I read it, but it says the same thing

It's also why there's now a recommendation that if you're going somewhere, and need to do a LFT before you go, that you leave testing till as late as you can before you go.

flyingthrnest · 20/12/2021 10:14

@AnneOfAvonlea

Sorry to hijack but dd has had 4 positive lateral flows and 2 negative PCRs. She has felt unwell for a few days but is now feeling better. How are these conflicting results possible?

Same here - I've had 1 negative LFT, 1 positive LFT and 1 negative PCR. I have a slight cough

endlesscraziness · 20/12/2021 11:08

@AnneOfAvonlea have you done different PCRS eg one postal one drive thru? It may be a lab issue

Omicron is believed to be 24-48 hours from exposure to infectious

Swabbing technique essentially is follow the instructions and ideally get someone else to do it as it should be uncomfortable- not a tickle of the nostril