Anyone never tested positive but feel like they are ‘reacting’ to infection?

[Licencefeegone]

Bear with me, I know this sounds ridiculous but I am wondering.

4 of us adults in the household are triple jabbed, after the jabs we all felt slightly unwell, very tired, sore throat for a few weeks - your typical post vaccine effects.

Now and again one of us will feel unwell again with the same symptoms - headache, feel very tired / fuzzy headed and the occasional sore throat. Whenever this happens we will take an LFT - always negative. No one in the household has caught it at all yet.

We’ve travelled abroad during the last two years and I felt unwell on the return once, DH another time - PCR negative but had all the ‘post vaccine’ symptoms.

We went to London last weekend - travelled extensively by train / tube ate In restaurants, went to the theatre, pubs etc. DD this time has a sore throat, I felt very fatigued mid week. All LTFs negative.

Is it ridiculous to think we are occasionally being exposed to covid and our immune systems are doing their job, causing mild symptoms but overcoming the virus to and extent that there’s never enough to get a positive? Is that even possible?

Anyone else have the same thoughts?

I think the same. Apparently it’s called an ‘abortive infection’ You’re exposed to the virus but antibodies//t-cells fight it off before you become ill.

When DS has delta in Nov I didn’t isolate from him
at all. Spent hours in the same room. I felt a bit ‘off’ for a few days. Low in energy. Couldn’t run my normal distances. Then it cleared. I was testing negative the whole time.

This is a good thing I think. To be exposed to the virus and fight it off stimulates the immune system. So it recognises the virus next time. And hopefully fights it off again or you have a milder illness than you would have with zero immunity.

Have had this a few times over the last couple of years. Same symptoms as after my first jab - chills, malaise, splitting headache, runny nose (like water not mucucs) sore throat...but LFT always negative.

It lasts 48-72 hours, then back to normal. It does not coincide with my period, which can cause similar symptoms in some people.

I've always had this sort of thing . Pre Covid , I would occasionally feel a bit 'off' as if I was getting a cold . Most of the time the cold would never arrive . I've always assumed that my immune system has dealt with it before it took hold .

My ds tested positive over Christmas.

l did feel slightly unwell tired runny nose and headachey over the same period but tested negative on lfts.

Yes this is me. I was wondering about this. I’ve never tested positive but keep getting symptoms that last 48-72 hours like you say.

I’ve never heard of ‘abortive infection’, that’s really interesting.

4 in our house tested positive before Christmas and my first symptom was achy lower back/hips… a really specific ache. One of us didn’t catch it but then went back to school and caught it straight away (we had all finished isolation 2 weeks before so wasn’t from our house).

A couple of days after his positive test I had that exact achey lower back and hips again, then the day after felt headachey and a bit unwell. Was convinced I was getting it again but was negative on lateral flows… this was last week and absolutely fine now! But I was sure that it was trying to infect me again and my body fought it off…!

I did positive in the end but initially, when DD2 tested positive, I had the exact same symptoms and quite specific symptoms which I now suspect were Omicron. I had a line come up on a test that disappeared and a negative PCR. The whole household went on to get it but I was negative for ages before eventually testing positive. It felt like my immune system had a good fight against it from first exposure, but then eventually couldn’t keep it at bay!

Five colleagues I work with are currently off with covid. I had a tickly throat and then a mild sore throat and low level headache for a few days around the same time. I'm getting negative LF and also did a PCR due to the sore throat. All negative. I am triple jabbed, had the booster before Xmas. The colleagues off have been double jabbed or booster after Xmas and never had covid before. We had it in the household Xmas 2020 - I got negative tests then too. My daughter works in covid wards at the local hospital. I may still get it in the next few days but do wonder if I'm having the abortive infection.

I've wondered the same thing.

DH and I both felt a bit run down (tired, bit sniffly, woozy head but not actually ill) for a few days when DS was at home with Covid in October but we never tested positive, and I felt the same a couple of weeks ago after lots of mingling & going out over Christmas.

I'd love to know whether my body has been successfully fighting it off!

Same here.

My dd tested positive a couple of weeks ago. DH and I both felt a little sniffy, had a light headache and were more tired within 3-4 days of being exposed to DD.

We never tested positive but definitely had very mild symptoms. I guess our immune systems did their job well!!

It could just be another virus each time. Covid symptoms are not exclusive to Covid.

Another thing to consider is that when you do an LFT test when you feel like this, it may not give an accurate result. Many people have a negative LFT followed by a positive PCR.

It could just be another virus each time. Covid symptoms are not exclusive to Covid.

In my case my dd definitely had Covid (positive LTF) and obvious symptoms. I must have got it very mildly that the LTF test didn't find any trace?

I had close exposure to Covid - a positive child breathing right into my face. I then had a headache and swollen glands for a few days but never got Covid.

I felt exactly the same years earlier when DD had chicken pox.

I've always thought it was symptoms of fighting off an infection and an aborted infection seems to make a lot of sense. Apparently a lot of the symptoms you get when you are ill are actually down to what your immune system is doing rather than your actual illness.

I feel the same way.
I'm currently experiencing mild symptoms and just feel like something is going on in my body but I'm negative on lateral flows.
Weirdly my arm where I got my jab keeps throbbing too despite me having my booster back n October.
The last time I felt this way (early Dec) I also had the weird throbbing right where I had my jab. It lasted 4days.

Omg you don't sound ridiculous at all - this is exactly what I've been like since my booster!

Always test negative and test regularly for work.

Could it be a side effect to the vaccine?
Perhaps your immune system has been compromised?
I live in London and take the tube every day but haven’t had any of these symptoms. I’m unvaccinated though.

I've got this at the moment. DS tested positive a couple of days ago, and I'm waiting to see who wins the fight - my immune system or the virus.

I had this too last week - lateral flow and PCR both negative. Glands in neck came up slightly, and 8 hours of smelling non-existent burnt toast (hence why I went for a PCR). All tests negative.

Would an 'abortive infection' leave an immune trace on antibody tests? I've had the same thing but according to a private test I have zero natural antibodies, only vaccine ones, which doesn't explain my obvious symptoms while my children had covid.

From what I understand the t-cells clear the infection so you don’t produce the antibodies. But antibodies wane and t-cells are longer lasting.

This is interesting:

Ah I’m so glad it’s not just me. I’ve been pondering this a while now. It’s happened a good few times, usually after mixing or travel. Makes you wonder!

This is us exactly. 4 of us in house. Three of us my husband, myself and older daughter (22) triple jabbed, youngest 16 has had one vaccine.

My husband works in a small school and every teacher but him went off testing positive with covid. Daughters friends 3 of them had covid. We felt under the weather last week. Sore throats, tired, headaches. Did pcr tests all of us negative! Weird!

Just remembered all our glands in neck swelled too

My son was poorly last week and my daughter is this week with a positive test. Despite a headache and cough, my tests are still negative. Clearly I have the virus to some extent, but no positive test for whatever reason.