Anyone feeling they may have Covid but testing negative?

[UnUdderOne]

I hope there hasn't been another lab mix up.

My daughter is testing negative (PCR and LFT) despite having symptoms and living in a house with two other people with it. We’re assuming she has sit (coughing, food doesn’t taste right, lots of snottiness).

I felt “off” for three days before I tested positive, and then only a faint line.

That's what I thought. I always do throat and nose.
And to confirm partner with negative LFT tested positive with PCR. Dad tested positive with LFT only advice was to not get PCR.
You can see why people get confused.

For those that are in a house with others who have confirmed covid and you have the same symptoms but are testing negative - you have covid too!
2+2=4
Just because a test gives you a negative result doesn't mean you don't have it. It just means the test either didn't work or didn't pick up exactly what it needed to give a positive at that particular moment.

Yes twice!

Ds got it in December. I came down with flu like symptoms the following day. Ltfs all neg. Pcr neg.

Then last week, had mild sore throat, ltf neg. Went out. Friend we were with tested positive two days later. His wife continually tested neg but she also got omicron symptoms. I also came down with more symptoms - textbook omicron symptoms. Again all my tests completely neg. But DH then tested positive on Monday and has the exact same symptoms as I did last week.

I am genuinely starting to think I'm going nuts and that I can't test positive even when I have covid!

Once when someone else in the household had it, and you might have a cold at the same time is a coincidence. For the same thing to happen AGAIN when there's a confirmed household case and you know you have been a close contact just seems too much of a stretch.

I am baffled. I've done so many bloody tests in the last two weeks and nothing. Not a sausage.

I am sure it was omicron i had last week. Absolutely convinced. I don't get whats going on.

And yes, in my abject desparation to prove its covid, ive swabbed throat as well as nose on some ltfs. Pcrs are also neg too.

The fact my friend had the same problem last week is even weirder.

www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/immune-covid-19-why-some-people-test-negative-when-everyone-around-them-testing

It seems there are a few explanations other than faulty tests, doing tests wrong or taking a test at the wrong time: rapid clearance or other parts of body other than upper respiratory tract infected

If you have done multiple tests and are still neg these might explain it.

Oh, interesting RedToothBrush I'm not on day 6 yet, after symptoms, so maybe that's why. I'll try a quick test on Monday just for shits and giggles. Luckily we live quite remotely and I don't need to mix with people. The kids are now on half term so we'll just continue to keep ourselves to ourselves - but I am going out for a walk today...

@lambchop81

GP told me there is confusion over testing. LFT is for asymptomatic and if you have symptoms you should book a PCR. He said virus won't show on LFT if you have symptoms?! I now believe my son has had Covid in the last week but not showing on LFT. F knows!

Your gp is wrong and I'm surprised they said something like that.

Of course symptomatic positive cases will test positive on LFT. That has never been said it been the case.

It's just that you shod have a pcr with symptoms, as pcr is more accurate, especially at the tail ends of the virus when it's just starting/going.

I was symptomatic and tested positive on LFT and PCR. I know many people who did.

Dd had similar symptoms and was poorly. LFT and pcr weee negative, as was an antibody test later. She simply had another virus with similar systems.

@whatnumber

For those that are in a house with others who have confirmed covid and you have the same symptoms but are testing negative - you have covid too! 2+2=4 Just because a test gives you a negative result doesn't mean you don't have it. It just means the test either didn't work or didn't pick up exactly what it needed to give a positive at that particular moment.

Definitely not always the case.

As said before older Dd tested negative on LFT and PCR tests. A vaccine acquired antibody test was also negative a little while after.

Other viruses can stroke, even at the same time as covid being in the house.

GP told me there is confusion over testing. LFT is for asymptomatic and if you have symptoms you should book a PCR. He said virus won't show on LFT if you have symptoms?! I now believe my son has had Covid in the last week but not showing on LFT. F knows!

A qualified GP said that? He is the one that is confused.

Of course symptomatic cases show on LFTs, but if you have symptoms, the guidance is to get a PCR as it’s more accurate. LFTs are meant for weeding out some asymptomatic cases you’d otherwise miss. The guidance “if you have symptoms, get a PCR, not an LFT” absolutely does not mean that LFTs don’t work for symptomatic cases.
But if your son had symptoms, he should have had a PCR.

I had a positive lft on Thursday. Had sore throat and DD was positive and had been since Sunday. I still feel absolutely dreadful but have tested negative today. No idea how that works but due to how dreadful I feel I'm not going out anytime soon anyway.

@Abraxan ofcourse other viruses can strike at the same time.
But if you are in a house with others having covid and you have THE SAME symptoms it's highly likely you have covid too. It doesn't matter what the tests say. They are not infallible. We don't know how different people react and deal with the virus.
People need to use their common sense. This is a highly contagious disease so it's more than likely you have caught it!
Your daughter wasn't testing positive on the original tests for whatever reason so it's not surprising she hasn't got a positive antibody test now. Maybe her body suppressed/dealt with it a different way. So many things we don't understand.
Either way it's all very fascinating.
Are people testing negative on all tests even though they have it or have they caught a different bug with similar symptoms and not this highly contagious illness.
Shame it haven't been studied more.

They have begun to test some healthy younger adults to look,at why some people just don't seem to catch it despite exposure. Iirr a group of people have been deliberate exposed to covid, with nose swabs containing the virus itself. Not all appeared to catch covid despite this extremely close exposure.

I know you think differently, but we still don't believe dd has had covid. I can't see how daily LFT, two PCRs and two antibody tests are all inaccurate. She does have vaccine acquired antibodies apparently.

Mind, I had vaccine and virus acquired antibodies at the point of catching covid for the second time, so who knows.

@Abraxan

They have begun to test some healthy younger adults to look,at why some people just don't seem to catch it despite exposure. Iirr a group of people have been deliberate exposed to covid, with nose swabs containing the virus itself. Not all appeared to catch covid despite this extremely close exposure.

I know you think differently, but we still don't believe dd has had covid. I can't see how daily LFT, two PCRs and two antibody tests are all inaccurate. She does have vaccine acquired antibodies apparently.

Mind, I had vaccine and virus acquired antibodies at the point of catching covid for the second time, so who knows.

It's quite a mystery isn't it? Ds2 hasn't caught it when exposed to myself getting it in 2020 and dh recently. Ds2 is an adult. Neither myself nor dh caught it from each other?