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Original poster

Welp, it's finally happened. I'm positive

113 replies

Gingernaut · 01/03/2023 01:05

I tested positive, by LFT, on Sunday for the very first time. Ever.

I've been shambling round the house like the walking dead since then. 💀

My boss WhatsApped me and told me to enjoy the rest. 😂

When's the earliest someone has tested negative?

OP posts:
Original poster
Gingernaut · 03/03/2023 11:29

I'm exhausted

I did the laundry yesterday

I went upstairs twice, brought down dirty laundry in bags, washed it all and had to sit and rest between bringing each bag up separately.

It took hours to put it all out to dry

Still positive, six day after the first positive test

OP posts:
Cherrymix · 03/03/2023 13:22

I'm ok this morning. Just runny nose. Have put washing in machine but not attempted unloading yet so might feel tired later.

I'm ravenously hungry. Not sure if that's because I have not been eating properly as trying to keep out of the kitchen (plus maybe less fridge snacking).

garlictwist · 03/03/2023 13:48

When I had it I was snotty like I had a cold and that was it. Oh and ketchup tasted really weird. But I felt otherwise totally fine. It took about ten days to test negative.

holierthanthou73 · 03/03/2023 14:06

Gingernaut · 01/03/2023 01:05

I tested positive, by LFT, on Sunday for the very first time. Ever.

I've been shambling round the house like the walking dead since then. 💀

My boss WhatsApped me and told me to enjoy the rest. 😂

When's the earliest someone has tested negative?

Congratulations on avoiding it for so long lol I managed to avoid it until late last year felt pretty rough mainly tiredness though. I will say it took a while for my lungs to feel a bit better (asthmatic).
Rest up hope you feel better soon

Jules912 · 03/03/2023 15:07

Agree with rest, I had it 2 weeks ago and had to take a nap today!
First time it took me about 3 weeks to test negative, second time 5 days ( though my symptoms were so mild I may have had it a few days before I tested), 3rd time 10 days.

KnittedCardi · 03/03/2023 15:25

I'm ravenously hungry @Cherrymix

Same. I was really off my food last week, however since then I am always hungry, and craving lots of sweet and calorie heavy foods. Assuming that comes under the "feed a cold" analogy.

Hihosilver123 · 03/03/2023 15:30

I’ve just tested positive for the third time 🙄 hoping to recover over the weekend. Won’t test again as there’s no need to wait for a negative test. Last time I had it I was positive for weeks, but no longer unwell.

WMH · 03/03/2023 15:36

How long you test positive for has little bearing on how long you'll have symptoms. Some people test positive for weeks but they're not infectious l, it's just "dead" virus cells being picked up.
I've had it twice but because I work in healthcare I had to keep testing. I didn't test negative until days 8 and 10 but each time I felt ok after 3 or 4 days.

Hihosilver123 · 03/03/2023 15:55

WMH · 03/03/2023 15:36

How long you test positive for has little bearing on how long you'll have symptoms. Some people test positive for weeks but they're not infectious l, it's just "dead" virus cells being picked up.
I've had it twice but because I work in healthcare I had to keep testing. I didn't test negative until days 8 and 10 but each time I felt ok after 3 or 4 days.

Yes, that’s right. No need to wait for a negative test unless your work requires it.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 03/03/2023 16:30

My first time was March last year, just had a scratchy throat and a bit sniffly, but I've honestly had worse hayfever. I was positive for thirteen days which got REALLY wearing though!!

Cherrymix · 03/03/2023 19:39

Hope you are ok @Gingernaut

Feeling ok here. Have used "being ill" as excuse for binge watching a bit of TV. Washing put away.

TBH it's less bad now than a cold (haven't had one for about 3 years) which in my memory used to linger on with snottiness for ages.

Hoping that it doesn't come back to bite in a few days time

nevertakeadvicefromsomeonewhosfallingapart · 03/03/2023 19:57

I've tested positive today. Had a cough and sniffles for two days, but just thought it was a cold, only treated because I'm meant to visit my elderly mum tomorrow, couldn't believe it when it was positive. At the moment it's just like a cold, bit of a cough, no more so 🤞

Original poster
Gingernaut · 04/03/2023 18:37

I've only just realised that we are supposed to report tests to the NHS

Just reported today's and the instruction is to isolate for the next 5 days

It also won't accept results before the previous 24 hours and I've been testing positive since 26th Feb.

I'll have to call 119 on Monday.....

Feel very fatigued, have a splitting sinus headache and I'm wheezing when I cough.

OP posts:
JimnJoyce · 04/03/2023 18:40

im on day 10 and still so exhausted

seratoninmoonbeams · 04/03/2023 18:43

Mine just felt like a cold, paracetamol and ibuprofen, as I was wfh didn't have any time off. You still testing for any reason?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 04/03/2023 18:56

This thread is like being in a parallel universe, I had to check the dates of the posts as thought I'd found some old ones by mistake. I didn't think anyone was testing now? Unless they are eg caring for someone who is vulnerable? How come you are all testing? I work in a primary school and all the staff are constantly ill, we suspect many of us have a form of long COVID from previous/multiple infections but none of us have tested for a year or so (or whenever we were all advised to just get on with it and stop testing children etc, can't remember when that was now)

Children obviously don't get vaccinated so will be contracting COVID and spreading it but as they don't test they never test positive. It just presents as yet another respiratory virus, although often we as staff suspect it's probably COVID. It will be circulating undetected round our school for sure. And all schools. I don't think any of our staff are testing when they get sick now, unless they are eg visiting a relative with cancer or a breathing issue etc.

Rebel2 · 04/03/2023 19:11

CurlyhairedAssassin · 04/03/2023 18:56

This thread is like being in a parallel universe, I had to check the dates of the posts as thought I'd found some old ones by mistake. I didn't think anyone was testing now? Unless they are eg caring for someone who is vulnerable? How come you are all testing? I work in a primary school and all the staff are constantly ill, we suspect many of us have a form of long COVID from previous/multiple infections but none of us have tested for a year or so (or whenever we were all advised to just get on with it and stop testing children etc, can't remember when that was now)

Children obviously don't get vaccinated so will be contracting COVID and spreading it but as they don't test they never test positive. It just presents as yet another respiratory virus, although often we as staff suspect it's probably COVID. It will be circulating undetected round our school for sure. And all schools. I don't think any of our staff are testing when they get sick now, unless they are eg visiting a relative with cancer or a breathing issue etc.

Because I'm CEV and need antivirals
Because some workplaces still don't want people in with covid (mine doesn't)
Because some people work with CEV
Because they might have a hospital appointment
Because they don't want to spread it - to avoid vulnerable you really have to stay in because we don't come with giant vulnerable signs
Because they don't want to visit people and give them covid (CEV, elderly, newborns)

I mean there's a hundred reasons

eatdrinkandbemerry · 04/03/2023 20:20

3 days for my young daughter but she only had an headache for an hour that's why we tested.

dudsville · 04/03/2023 20:25

Firstly, i love "welp"! Secondly, i also had not caught it until recently. I had only the mildest of symptoms, so much so that i didn't test. It wasn't until my partner developed symptoms and he tested, and got the positive that i tested. I must say my work has a rule about the conditions under which we can work with covid so I thoroughly enjoyed the break.

Original poster
Gingernaut · 04/03/2023 21:07

CurlyhairedAssassin · 04/03/2023 18:56

This thread is like being in a parallel universe, I had to check the dates of the posts as thought I'd found some old ones by mistake. I didn't think anyone was testing now? Unless they are eg caring for someone who is vulnerable? How come you are all testing? I work in a primary school and all the staff are constantly ill, we suspect many of us have a form of long COVID from previous/multiple infections but none of us have tested for a year or so (or whenever we were all advised to just get on with it and stop testing children etc, can't remember when that was now)

Children obviously don't get vaccinated so will be contracting COVID and spreading it but as they don't test they never test positive. It just presents as yet another respiratory virus, although often we as staff suspect it's probably COVID. It will be circulating undetected round our school for sure. And all schools. I don't think any of our staff are testing when they get sick now, unless they are eg visiting a relative with cancer or a breathing issue etc.

I work in a large, open plan office for an acute hospital trust.

We are required to test twice a week

I've always been negative, never paid attention to the bloody report to the NHS instructions and have always WhatsApped the result, by photo, to my boss.

Before that, we had lamp testing, which involved spitting into a test tube up to a 2cm line

That was as disgusting as it sounds, btw

Just because it's not headline news and isolation isn't a legal requirement, doesn't mean it's still not a life or death thing for tens of thousands of people.

OP posts:
Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 05/03/2023 09:21

DP and I both have it right now. He’s lost his smell and taste and is fairly fatigued, I’m just scratchy throat and slight headache. We tested because we both had a fever and wanted to know if it was covid or not. Both our workplaces don’t want you in for the first 5 days which is still guidance on the NHS website.

WMH · 05/03/2023 09:33

*I work in a large, open plan office for an acute hospital trust.

We are required to test twice a week*

Crikey what Trust is this? Im NhS clinical staff and our trust stopped the twice weekly testing months ago unless you work in oncology. We do have to wear face masks though, that's never stopped.
I didn't know places were still doing this. Was this reintroduced as there's been a surge in cases or has the testing never stopped?

Hihosilver123 · 05/03/2023 09:33

In terms of whether or not to test, I think the temptation is there to test because we became so conditioned to it. I still have a few free tests left and, when I got symptoms at the end of last week, I was curious so tested. It was positive. I will be in work tomorrow, however, as I’m well enough (day 3 today), but will try to lie low and not, eg go into the crowded Staffroom at playtime.

RamsayBoltonsConscience · 05/03/2023 09:47

I've also got it at the moment for the second time. Much worse than the first time, which was a year ago. Then I just had a scratchy throat, this time I've had a horrible headache, cough, running nose and I'm sooooo tired! I had all of my boosters in October.
I'm on day 5 today but have to go back to work tomorrow, I work in a primary school and I'm not supposed to be testing, the head wasn't impressed that I did test as you automatically have to stay home for 5 days regardless of whether you are ill or not.

Shinyandnew1 · 05/03/2023 09:56

I have it at the moment-feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Everything hurts. DH had it too, but apart from a sore throat and brain fog, he doesn’t seem anywhere as bad-possibly because he had his booster before Christmas??