I can imagine so many are walking around with covid as the symptoms are so much like a cold!

[Proudtocare8203]

Day 1 sore itchy throat
Day 2 itchy throat and headache
Day 3 really blocked up nose at night and runny nose during the day.

My experience so far is that it's similar to a bad cold. I just see loads of people with colds at the moment, I wonder how many have covid but they just don't test!!

@Caramel181

It's the worse I've ever felt. Can't even get out of bed, never mind leave the house and spread it! I wish it was just cold symptoms for me :(

Sorry to hear that. I hope you turn a corner really soon X

I was also really sure I had it but kept testing negative

[quote Campervan69]I think people with cold symptoms are testing but getting negative results. This is certainly the case here. Ds3 has a lot of colds all the time but has consistently tested negative for covid. I did read somewhere that if you have a cold its protective against covid.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/233018/cells-from-common-colds-cross-protect-against/[/quote]
Only coronaviruses - most colds are rhinoviruses or other types.

We all had covid over Christmas, all very mild cold like symptoms. Within 2 weeks of recovering from covid we’ve all come down with an awful cold, which has been has been far worse for us than the covid was! There are still lots of colds around.

My nose had a funny, tingling, burning sensation. Like I'd got water up. It was really dry but blocked. That was all that distinguished it from a cold.

We still taking a throat swab as well as a nasal swab.
The kits are the nasal only flow flex ones. I wonder if nasal only doesn't pick up enough.

@megletthesecond

We still taking a throat swab as well as a nasal swab. The kits are the nasal only flow flex ones. I wonder if nasal only doesn't pick up enough.

The nasal only ones picked up all 5 of my family’s covid (likely omicron due to timing) on the first day of (mild) symptoms.

@Waxonwaxoff0. I've lost my smell and taste. I tested positive on ltf so no idea which one I have though, I guess omicron as its running riot here at the moment. Every class of every school seems to have multiple cases. Hearing of lots of 2nd infections too.

@Buzzinwithbez

My nose had a funny, tingling, burning sensation. Like I'd got water up. It was really dry but blocked. That was all that distinguished it from a cold.

Yes I've got that feeling too!!!

Not like a cold here.
Flu like fevers, chicken pox type rash, not eaten anything for a week, struggle to get out of bed

Day 1-10 felt fine, just a bit off colour I guess, day 11 it hit me like a tonne of brick. Temp over 39, cough, exhausted etc.
I'm day 13 today and feel horrendous 😢

Yep!

I have it currently.

It's felt very much like tonsillitis.

It's the type of illness where you'd soldier on through but can't deny having to isolate and recover properly hasn't been a godsend!

I was testing daily as staff and pupil in my class tested positive. Within 3 days 70% of classroom all positive.

@Newjobnewstart

I have an itchy throat and headache tested negative. Sob blocked nose, sore throat, cough tested negative Daughter no symptoms tested positive.

I has symptoms for 48 hours and tested negative.

I only tested positive on day 3 when I started to feel better! Luckily they count first day as day of symptoms.

@itsgettingweird

Yep!

I have it currently.

It's felt very much like tonsillitis.

It's the type of illness where you'd soldier on through but can't deny having to isolate and recover properly hasn't been a godsend!

I was testing daily as staff and pupil in my class tested positive. Within 3 days 70% of classroom all positive.

Having to isolate for me meant being stuck at home over Christmas with 3 children, 1 of whom has additional needs. It was hell. I’d have got better much quicker at work .

Yes I can understand why for some work is better!

I'm also at home with my ds who has autism and physical disability. I'm alone with him.

The first wave in march 2020 I had it badly and that was a struggle.

This time I've quite enjoyed being at home recovering gently - but I work special education so work isn't relaxing. However I LOVE it and never take time off!

Really nasty bug going round so many people had flu and not been covid!
It called mixing with people again building out immune system again!

I was ill for the whole of December - chest infection, then an awful cold, then a sinus infection. Numerous negatives on both PCRs and lateral flows, despite lots of contact with positive cases.

Two weeks later my DS8 was ill for one evening with a headache and fever. Immediate positive on a lateral flow. Household all just isolated together at home, carrying on as normal (no separate rooms, windows closed, etc). All tested daily but nobody else caught it.

Either covid has become so mild that the viral load is often too low to trigger a positive result or (as is said on here a lot) other viruses are still available

Yes!
I only tested a very slight tingle at the back of my throat & nose because DS had tested positive a few days earlier. Even after that I only had mild fatigue and a slightly runny nose. I could have potentially just gone about my business as normal for days.

Day 4/5/6 however, I have been flattened 😩 Serious fatigue, headaches and aches and dizziness - this is no "mild cold".

Cough didn't really amount to anything, even now just a quick clearing of the throat, no high temperature or loss of smell/taste.

A work colleague yday left early because he felt unwell. He said his partner had had a cold and now he had a sore throat and felt like the beginning of a cold. I'm fairly sure he wouldn't test though as he asked what he had to do to get lfts before Xmas as his DD had asked him to do one before a family meal.

I'm just getting over it (day 14).

At first I would have just thought it was a mild cold (but DD had a positive PCR a few days before me). So I knew it was coming.

I could have happily gone about normal life, but on days 6/7/8 I felt absolutely rotten. I could have certainly spread it far and wide just thinking it was a cold at first but it caught up with me and it was more than mild. The fatigue is dreadful.

I'm on day 5, did have sneezes and itchy nose (similar to when I have hayfever) previously. Absolutely fine, very faint positive today.
Had a far worse cold in October (negative pcr)

Op you're totally right.

On Sunday night I had a headache and felt like a cold was coming on so I had an early night. I was due to meet friends on Monday, so did an lft. A strong positive result within seconds. I completely expected it to be negative.

@OVO1410

Either covid has become so mild that the viral load is often too low to trigger a positive result or (as is said on here a lot) other viruses are still available

Agreed. My DD7 has woken up with sore throat, cough and snotty nose. Omicron is rife in her class at the moment, so much so we have been warned class might be closed down, but she tested negative on lft. As she is symptomatic though she's had to go for a pcr. I do wonder whether low viral load has something to do with it as by rights (considering the numbers she's had contact with) she should have been an immediate positive 🤷‍♀️

I have Covid currently - tested positive on LFT on Sunday. It feels like flu, bad cold and sinusitis all rolled into one and I feel pretty bad.

I’m a teacher, so I guess it was inevitable that I’d get it at some point. My manager is refusing to accept the LFT, so I’m waiting for PCR result now. I can’t see it being negative though!

My ds and all his friends currently have covid. He says it's not as bad as a cold. 3 days of tiredness, sore throat and occasional cough. Tested negative on all 3 days, only tested positive on day4 when his symptoms had gone! Some of his friends with exact same symptoms are still testing negative!