How am I still negative??

[fungussingstheblues]

DS1 had Covid in October and I got a nasty virusy bug at the same time, but kept testing negative. Now the same thing's happening again - DH and DS2 have Covid, very strong lines, and I've again got a yucky fluey virus simultaneously, but negative results the last four days and counting. Why would this be?? Just seems too coincidental and even though I know the tests can be a bit crappy, I'd have thought one might have showed +ve...

Just want to get Covid and get it out of the way now! Any ideas? Am unvaccinated btw.

Negative on a lateral flow or pcr?

Lateral flows - many of them. And the other family members have been universally positive on LFTs, whether they had symptoms or not.

I was ill for two days and then fine for a day before I finally got a positive, so covid had been in the house at least a week.

My DS lives with his GF and she was positive on LFTs and PCR.

He was negative on the LFTs but positive on the PCR.

Hmm... I've been unwell for four days now, but I guess will just keep testing. Just seems odd.

If you've got symptoms, go for a PCR.

@WorraLiberty

My DS lives with his GF and she was positive on LFTs and PCR.

He was negative on the LFTs but positive on the PCR.

Bleurgh, I don't even feel like going out to get a PCR, but maybe I'll have to. 😒

Get a PCR

DD tested positive on Monday (asymptomatic). I started feeling ill on Tuesday. Negative LFTs Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri. Negative PCR Wed. Faint line Sat which is a dark line today.

Baby tested positive on Thurs (she was obvioualy ill Wed night) and DS on Fri (asymptomatic).

@Muststopeating

DD tested positive on Monday (asymptomatic). I started feeling ill on Tuesday. Negative LFTs Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri. Negative PCR Wed. Faint line Sat which is a dark line today.

Baby tested positive on Thurs (she was obvioualy ill Wed night) and DS on Fri (asymptomatic).

Wow! OK, I'm still in with a chance, then 🤣

This was me until yesterday. Dh and all 3 kids tested positive on Wednesday but I didn’t get a positive until yesterday. I started to think I was doing the LFTs wrong. Have you got the throat and nose LFTs or just the nasal ones? In the end I got a very very faint line on the throat and nose one but a really dark line on the nasal one. I think it is quite difficult to swab the right bit of your throat! Or maybe just me

I've just got a positive pcr. The nose only lateral flows are still coming back negative, whereas the nose and throat ones are showing positive, are you swabbing your throat?

We didn't go out for our PCRs, we had them delivered.

Just the nasal ones - didn't know you could get LFTs that do the throat as well, tbh. I have been gargling with peroxide mouthwash as I read that can help a bit, so perhaps my throat is a bit less viral anyway... 😅

Use the nasal ones on your throat too OP.

Before you shove them up your nose, obviously

If you're in England (don't know about the guidance elsewhere) then as an unvaccinated close contact of someone with Covid, you are supposed to get a PCR, as you are also supposed to do if you have any of the three main symptoms. Just get a PCR test.

We have it in our house too and my LFTs are negative.

DH brought it home from work on wednesday. (He stays away monday to wednesday).People he was working with on tuesday and wednesday got symptoms and tested positive on lfts yesterday.

DS woke up this morning with a headache and has a light positive on an LFT.
I also have a rotten headache and am negative.
Im in Ireland and between the age of 4 and 39, were not supposed to go for a PCR any more. I'll try swabbing the throat first as a PP said.

If you have symptoms you have to get a PCR. It’s thought some people won’t catch covid though as they already have the relevant T cells from a previous cold virus. Seems more likely that you have covid but just Havnt gotten a positive result as you Havnt bothered doing the correct test though.

I have heard nasal swabs not great at picking up so when we test I use them
In throat and nose read instructions thou u can’t eat or drink before test and leave swab in that tube thing for full minute and squeeze end as u take it out xx

@WorriedGiraffe

If you have symptoms you have to get a PCR. It’s thought some people won’t catch covid though as they already have the relevant T cells from a previous cold virus. Seems more likely that you have covid but just Havnt gotten a positive result as you Havnt bothered doing the correct test though.

"Haven't bothered"?? Wow.

I'll get a PCR.

Well you haven't? Not sure what’s ‘wow’ about that. PCR tests are more sensitive than lateral flow ones, so hopefully that will give you the result you want.

Two negative PCRs, lots of symptoms, positive lateral flows.

Last June I had positive lateral flows that continued for months and never a positive PCR

Something is wrong somewhere.

@WorriedGiraffe yeah I'm with her and her wow.

My nearest PCR test centre is a 2 hour round trip. I can have one delivered but that still involves dressing and bundling 3 kids under 5, all who do have covid, into a car and driving 10 miles to the nearest collection postbox to return the damn thing. All while I felt like utter shit. DH is in another country so all on my own. And it was still negative.

Not a chance am I doing another one regardleas of positive LFT and symptoms.

No need to be a dick about it.

@Muststopeating your circumstances are totally different to the OPs, she hasn’t had a positive lateral flow and wants a positive test, can’t understand why she hasn’t had one, and wants ideas of why it may be, answer could be that she needs a PCR as she has symptoms and PCR tests are more sensitive and reliable. She also can get a PCR test and is now going to (obviously I don’t no how difficult this is for her though). You already no you have covid. Calling someone a dick doesn’t make you any better than me. So ‘wow’ right back to you for calling me a dick. Have a nice day.

@Muststopeating you can organise a courier to collect it if you can't get to a post box. It's all in the instructions for the postal kit.