Covid symptoms for 4 days but LFT all negative

[FarangGirl]

My (triple vaccinated) DD has been unwell since Monday. Fever, body aches, cough, nausea. I was pretty sure that after 2 years of avoiding it, that now Covid had finally hit us. But we've been testing her twice a day - alternating between saliva and nose - and nothing. All negative.

She's starting to feel better and talking about going to school tomorrow. Can we safely assume that she hasn't got Covid after nine negative LFTs? Where we live, we need to pay for PCRs and take her out to get one so not really an option unless totally necessary.

I would think she has some other virus after that many negative LFTs.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking now. Because I know LFTs are less sensitive than PCRs but after four days of being symptomatic we surely would have a faint trace of a line on at least one!

Most people I know got a positive within 2-3 days of symptoms starting (even doing nose only) so I'd say you're ok. I don't know about saliva tests but if you can maybe add a throat swab to the nose one.

We'll try the throat this evening before we send her back to school to make sure.

It took 4 days after symptoms for me to get a positive LFT result, I presumed I had it as I live with 3 others who were positive.

I'm pretty sure that the new advice coming in tomorrow for England will be only to stay home if you are ill/have a fever/think you have Covid for 5 days or until feeling better, and your DD is almost out of that.

However, I had symptoms for a whole week before finally testing positive. My DD and DP both had it so I'm pretty sure my immune system was trying (and eventually failing) to fight it off. My symptoms were vague/mild though and it sounds as though your DD has been quite unwell.

It's probably another virus, but even if it is Covid she can return to normal after 5 days/if feeling well.

Which tests are you using? I have been ill since Monday and only had those old style nose and throat ones, all have been negative. Got some flow flex ones and immediately came up positive this morning! Old style one is still negative...I know I have it as DC has it and I have looked after them all week. Oh and I feel crap.

@popsickle555

Which tests are you using? I have been ill since Monday and only had those old style nose and throat ones, all have been negative. Got some flow flex ones and immediately came up positive this morning! Old style one is still negative...I know I have it as DC has it and I have looked after them all week. Oh and I feel crap.

Same. I'd been feeling vaguely rough and old style ones all showed negative. Flowflex then came up positive straight away. Old style one showed positive next day. I guess going forwards they'll all be flowflex.. not sure?

We all had symptoms for over a week before LFTs went positive.

I only tested negative today, three weeks later!

Probably the flu. It does still exist. Not everything is COVID.

I was 7 day testing as a close contact (Scotland). DD was positive on Day 1 using a nose only test. DH tested positive on Day 7 (throat & nose) of the testing and triggered a second week of testing for me as I was still negative.

That same day, I had a splitting sore head that just didn't fully shift with paracetamol and, at times over the next few days, my throat would alsp feel scratchy, but testing negative. I finally got to the point, 4 full days later, where my throat was noticeably sorer and I developed a bit of a cough and it was only then that I tested positive on LFT (nose and throat one).

We avoided it for two years but it's absolutely rife now, so many of our friends, family and acquaintances confirmed positive over the last couple of weeks.