How long did your test take to show positive?

[HangingOver]

I went to a gig in London on Tues and came down with some virus yesterday evening. I feel absolutely lousy (cough, temp, sore throat, joint pain) but testing negative. But I think on the radio they said it takes a few days to show positive now?

Currently staying away from DP as both times he had COVID he had a bad chest for months and months afterwards.

When I came down with Covid, I think I was exposed on the Monday and tested positive on the Saturday. I felt awful the day before however. X

Yes, I suspected I had it for a couple of days before I tested positive.

I felt unwell on the Friday and tested positive on the Monday.

Thanks all. I've been negative three times since Friday so hopefully it's just a some other revolting bug.

Earlier this year I was convinced I had Covid as it was so different from any cold or flu I'd experienced before. I tested myself several times but it was never positive. I was chatting about it to our pharmacist and she said she was 99.9% sure it was Covid. She told me that with the latest strain the home tests are a little less accurate and that also so many people, retailers, etc, have tests that have now been hanging around for years now the reliability reduces. The tests I had were from when they were giving them out free everywhere. They were still in date but only just. So, long story short, check out the use by on your tests.

I hope you just don't have Covid and are on the mend very soon.

Anecdotally, some people don't test positive till day 4 or 5.

As ForPearViper says, the tests have not been updated to reflect the changes in the prevalent Covid virus.
The best chance of getting an accurate result (& this will never be 100%) is to swab 5 areas -

1. inside right cheek between both upper and lower teeth/cheek
2. inside left cheek (as above)
3. throat
4. left nostril
5. right nostril

As the post infection consequences can be serious, best to err on the safe side and act as if you are infectious. That’s the responsible way to behave. Hope you feel better very soon.

Felt like I had a bad head cold on the Monday and tested positive a couple of days later. Think I caught it from a work colleague the week before.

Ah crap ok, thanks everyone. I'll think I'll stay away from DP another 24 hours just to make sure, especially as he has interviews coming up.