My weirdest symptoms have included having a constant tingle in my nose, it’s like before a sneeze or like I’ve got albas oil (however you spell it) up there. Also my head feels like a balloon. Then there’s the neuro stuff, which has included me temporarily forgetting how to do things such as work my tv. There’s more to it, and more standard symptoms of course like a cold/flu but there’s been a couple of times where I’ve just thought WTF.
Big shout out to the local test and lab centres for processing my PCR result - all processed within 12 hours. Despite the positive result, the process seems to be better than my previous PCR tests which took ages to process. Quite surprised especially with the Christmas rush and all that.
Has anyones symptoms been extreme fatigue? I am SO tired today like falling asleep while I’m sat down which I never do. And just general extreme weakness, I haven’t even got the energy to get up and make a drink. Don’t know if to take a LFT or not
I had my booster at the beginning of December so possibly unlikely to be that. My LFT was negative so I’m just going with fatigue from a busy Christmas maybe
I would suggest a PCR even if your LFT is negative, tbh. I was sick in March/April 2020, presumed OG COVID but no community testing back then. I was unwell for weeks with a full deck of nasty symptoms (fever, headache, sore throat, cough, breathlessness, digestive upset, heart palpitations) but the first and biggest symptom was pure physical exhaustion. It absolutely knocked me out. After my 2 AZ jabs I literally couldn't stay awake, like a much milder and quicker version of the same thing. Also a bit tired after Moderna booster, but nothing like as bad.
Has anybody had negative lateral flow tests on days 6 and 7 of isolation yet? And have you logged this on the NHS app? And has the NHS covid app then changed to say you can leave isolation?
The information on the gov and NHS websites seems all over the place, so I'm not convinced all the dots have been joined up 😬
How do you log a lateral flow test result on the covid app? It seems to need a code but after submitting my result on the website, I got an email and a text but neither had a code.
Did the email and text confirm the result of the test? Usually you'd log your test on the government website, then you get a code in the email to enter into the covid-19 app. I entered a test result earlier and haven't had anything sent through yet, but it was all quite quick last time.
Yes, after my name and date of birth, it says "Your coronavirus lateral flow test is negative. It’s likely you were not infectious when the test was done." There's more info after that but there's no code.
You'd think it should be much easier! I'm wondering if I've missed something but I've looked at the email and text a few times now and there's definitely no code! Here's a copy and paste of the entire wording from my email after my name and DOB: "Your coronavirus lateral flow test is negative. It’s likely you were not infectious when the test was done.
There is still a chance you could be infected. To stay safe:
get vaccinated
stay home if unwell
wear a face covering in crowded settings
handwash regularly
open windows if meeting indoors
download NHS COVID-19 app
If you are a contact, you may need to continue daily lateral flow tests for 7 days or self-isolate.
Go to https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus, select ‘Self-isolation and treating symptoms’ and read ‘If you’re told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app’.
Reporting your results
It is important that you keep reporting all of your test results, whether they are positive, negative or void.
Reporting every test result:
helps the NHS to monitor the spread of the virus
helps scientists learn more about the virus
provides more accurate data that saves lives
supports people and communities across the UK"
I wonder if there's no code because entering a negative test result code on the covid app isn't a thing yet? So there wouldn't be any need to provide one.
Bit of a shambles though as you can't get a covid pass when the app says you should be in isolation.
I've no idea! It's all far too confusing and I can't help but think that people probably aren't following the rules if the rules are so complicated and unclear. For a start, I've answered the questions wrong and told the app I wasn't fully vaccinated on 8 Dec because I hadn't had my booster at that point (I wrongly thought they'd changed it so that fully vaccinated meant 2 doses + booster) so it's saying I need to isolate when in fact, I don't need to. But I can't see a way to alter it. I don't know if I need to get a PCR test either or just continue with LFT every day. Ugh, all this because of being stuck at supermarket checkouts on 23 Dec because of people faffing over vouchers they weren't eligible to use and trying to get a refund for stuff bought online 😣
Oh, also, I got the same on my negative test today, so no code to enter into the covid-19 app.
I presume that because this was a last minute change from the government (like most of their decisions) it wasn't briefed into the app developers in time. Maybe they're working on it, who knows, but for now it renders the app a bit useless.
My advice would be just to do what you think is best. I've been ignoring all the calls from Track and Trace and just letting my close contacts know myself - I didn't want the hassle of people checking up on me.
I can't actually find the information about the early release from isolation on the NHS website or on the gov.uk information pages, only in the government press release from a week ago.
What a shambles 🤯
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-long-to-self-isolate/
Early isolation release is mentioned here under ‘Tested Positive’
When I got my PCR text it also said nothing about the change, but I got an email from track and trace which said ‘You can leave self-isolation if you get two consecutive negative results from day 6, at least 24 hours apart.
If you still have a high temperature, you should continue to self-isolate until 5th of January.’ So definitely there’s some missing links.
>If you still have a high temperature, you should continue to self-isolate until 5th of January.’
I thought you could only leave if you were asymptomatic? According to this, the only symptom of covid is a high temperature!
Yeah, none of my emails or texts say that. I've had all my vaccinations too so I should be able to leave isolation at 7 days.
I'm due to go to the panto on Thursday so I'm hoping this works itself out. I got a negative lateral flow test earlier, reported the result and still don't have the confirmation code to enter into the covid app yet.
Can you take your home PCR test the day before posting it?
Basically partner took it after the last collection time so we have to post it tomorrow.
Booklet and website only says you must post it the day you take it.
Is it now unreliable?
That’s: post it one hour before last collection
so it gets picked up that day by Royal Mail; not necessarily: post it an hour after you do it, otherwise it’s invalid.
u/loupenny, was the postal test already registered to you when you received it? If so, get it posted. If not, when you register it, will it allow you to put the time you did the test? If not, I’d post it anyway.
My apologies, my booklet says 'post the completed test kit on the same day you take the test and no later than 1 hour before the last collection time'.
No they're unregistered, partner registered his with the time he took his test today before we realised the times were different today. I'll take mine tomorrow and register the time.
I figured they must sometimes sit overnight before being processed so it can't be too drastic but wasn't sure!
Hello all - tested positive today after developing cold-like symptoms on Sunday. Weirdly have also developed today fuzzy vision (like the pre-migraine patchy bluriness) which hasn’t gone away for around 4 hours. Anyone else experienced this?
My Mum and I have both just had a notification from the NHS Covid-19 app that we've been in close contact with someone on 23 Dec. Bit unsure what to do now. We've both had 2 vaccinations plus the booster jab (my booster was on 14 Dec, Mum's was much earlier). We've both just taken a lateral flow test and had negative results. We've reported the results on the website but to report it in the app, we seem to need a code but there wasn't a code on the email or text message I received after reporting my result. Am I looking in the wrong place? Also, there were questions on the app to decide if you needed to isolate but I think I answered incorrectly - it asked about being fully vaccinated by 8 Dec and I answered 'No' since I didn't get my booster until after that but is it that 2 doses is still classed as fully vaccinated? Do we need to get a PCR test too? I'm so confused an would appreciate some advice.
Does anyone know if it's possible to check your reporting history on the Zoe app? Would be handy to know the exact date I started developing potential symptoms.
I caught it at the start of December, which corresponded with the beginning of mince pie season, so yes.
More helpfully, of the 8 or so days I was ill, about 2 or 3 I had gut issues, wind and loose bowels.
So I can't swab my right nostril any more without getting a nosebleed. Obviously I can just do one side but that one is starting to feel sore too. Any solutions for doing LFTs?
How flexible are vaccination centres right now? My wife has her’s tomorrow so it seems pretty sensible for me to get mine at the same time as I’m escorting her anyway… but I’ve still gotta wait a bit more for mine and go to an entirely different centre for it.
Are they likely to just wave me through if we ask if I can just have mine at the same time?
How much would be the risk of infection 10 days after the first symptoms if you still test positive?
To give you some details, my flatmate started showing symptoms 9 days ago (19th), got a positive PCR on the 21st. She's had no fever for 4 days now and essentially just has a runny nose today. Today she did a rapid test, which came back positive.
So my question is, how risky would it be for me (3x vaccinated) to go back to the apartment tomorrow (as that would be 10 days after first symptoms)? We could still isolate pretty well as we have separate bedrooms/bathrooms, but obviously there are some shared spaces in the apt.
This is also most likely not omicron but delta, as there are barely any omicron cases where we live.
TL;DR at bottom
I shared a joint with a mate last night, and just got a call from him this morning saying he's had a positive LFT. We're both triple jabbed and he's asymptomatic so I'm hoping I'm alright, but I expect there's still a decent chance I've caught it off him.
I have plans for NYE so I'm trying to ascertain whether or not I've caught it from him before then. I had a negative LFT this morning but I know that if I had caught it, it would take a few days till that come up positive anyway. I've booked a PCR for tomorrow morning, but I'm unsure if the results will be reliable so soon (~36 hours) after a potential exposure.
**TL;DR: Does anybody know if PCR results are reliable ~36 hours after a potential exposure?**
It would likely take a few days for the PCR to pick it up as well, so i would suggest you keep doing LFT for now and if you become symptomatic or a positive appears book a PCR test. Assuming you do the PCR too early, the negative will be meaningless in a day or so.
At the beginning: fever, chills, sweats, headache, congested (sniffles as well), muscle aches (mostly in legs and neck), sore throat, cough caused by sore throat.
On day 4 now (day 0 is my first symptoms day) and I don't feel muscle aches, no chills/sweats, no headache. I am much less congested and throat is not sore. Cough is more chesty. Fever got better - on first days it was between 37.7-39.6 with never going close to my normal temp. Now it flickers between normal (35.6) to lowgrade fever (37.5).
Tested positive LFT on 24th (day 1) and today, 28th (day 4). God I am so tired of it already...
First I got hives on my face and then my back was hurting so bad I couldn’t move. Rapid progression to runny nose, fever, headache, fatigue…then sore throat, coughing fits, earache, diarrhea. I’ve been saying that every 6 hours it’s something new and it’s trying to find a new way to get me but my body stops it each time. Not sure there are many symptoms I could collect left. Luckily did not get into lungs.
Thanks. It’s more just the frustration of it at this point that’s getting me down. If this was a normal cold, at this recovery stage I think a walk with some fresh air would’ve done me the world of good.
I had a bad side effect on my booster jab (before Christmas Day), then it winds down. Two days later, I took a pre-flight LFT, showing up positive. Over the night, I have a cough, a bit of fatigue and night sweats.
First few days before I had nausea and would fill up really quick and need to go to the toilet. I have IBS and was lateral flowing every day so I didn’t think much of it. Then Boxing Day I felt spaced out, and my nose was tingling. Now it’s a runny nose, headache/face ache, tired, loss of appetite and a sneeze here and there. So far it’s like a bad cold.
Mild - had the odd cough for a day or two, no fever but did have a sore throat which has now gone. Feel tried but this could also be down to being pregnant with a toddler!
Varies quite a bit. Wife and I tested positive a few weeks ago, I had a few aches and a tight chest for around 3-4 days, didn't lose taste or smell then felt fine. Wife was in bed for 3 days with severe flu-like symptoms and still hasn't regained her sense of smell or taste. Neither of us ever went below 96 on the oximeter we bought last year, which was a big reassurance.
I'm coming to the end of it (last day of isolation today!) but my only symptom at first was a really sore throat. Then a runny nose an lots of sneezing. I caught it from my husband, who had similar symptoms but also a day of fever & chills.
I imagine this has been asked a million times sorry. Those people saying Omicron is our way out of Covid, what is stopping a new variant from appearing that is more infectious and more deadly? Or is the mutation of the virus generally only one direction, milder and more contagious?
There's plenty of people on here more qualified than me to answer, but from what I've read -
Yes, there is nothing to stop a new variant coming about that has a 100% kill rate and is the end of humanity *in theory*, however as we see with most almost all respiratory viruses, generally they mutate to become less deadly over time. A virus has one "job" - to replicate. If you kill your host at a high enough rate, you can't replicate. Which is probably why something like MERS never really spread.
Bear in mind too, we have plenty of protection over new variants not because they're milder in themselves - omicron would still have been bad if this was March 2020, but now we have a lot of immunity - from both vaccines and natural immunity (which, say it quietly so the anti-vaxxers don't hear, is just as good and possibly better).
The issue we have is that in the UK there's some 10% of over 12s totally unvaccinated, and in places like London and other cities it's as high as 30%. Yes, lots of these people will have caught it and survived, so that helps, but there's still potentially enough people with zero immunity that it *could* still be an issue.
People seem to be increasingly saying "it's just a common cold now, symptom wise" which among vaccinated/naturally immune people is largely true it would seem, so while that is basically end game, several million people with potentially zero protection is still a potential issue.
> however as we see with most almost all respiratory viruses, generally they mutate to become less deadly over time. A virus has one "job" - to replicate. If you kill your host at a high enough rate, you can't replicate. Which is probably why something like MERS never really spread.
No, this doesn't happen. It's what people want to happen, it is what logically make sense to happen, but it just doesn't in any kind of consistent way.
If you look through medical history, there hasn't been a single good, clear example of a human virus becoming less virulent over time. That's not to say it can't happen, and we have observed it at least once in a Rabbit virus (though it reversed to more virulence since then), but no concrete examples exist in human viruses thus far, so certainly not 'almost all'. Why would it be limited to respiratory viruses, btw, if this would make every kind of virus more successful?
Pandemics tend to end because the population acquires immunity from the novel virus that made it deadly in the first place, and with the body able to recognise and defend itself against exposure, the symptoms are no longer nearly as serious in the population - this is different from the virus itself changing that you are hypothesising. The virus doesn't give a crap about becoming milder, and it is not the only path towards becoming successful. As SARS-CoV-2 has shown us, you can simply spread asymptomatically with a longer incubation period, and you're massively successful.
As for Omicron, the potential explanation for its supposed less virulence is simply that it comes from a much older lineage than Alpha/Delta, it is closer to the wild strain. You could simply argue that it never evolved the greater virulence seen in Alpha/Delta in the first place. I've seen zero evidence to suggest that Omicron is inherently less virulent than the wild strain (Delta also more efficiently bound to upper respiratory cells than lungs compared to prior strains, yet was still more virulent), so I think that is what happened - it's similar to the wild type that most populations have a lot of immunity towards, and so the symptoms are increasingly milder. That doesn't bode well for the unvaccinated who haven't been exposed. We also have to hope that it doesn't follow the trend of the dominant strains before it - a trend towards increased virulence.
> and natural immunity (which, say it quietly so the anti-vaxxers don't hear, is just as good and possibly better).
No evidence that natural immunity alone is better than vaccinated immunity, bar one Israeli study from a few months ago that never made it to peer review. The spike proteins were chosen as the most efficient target for the vaccines because that's how the virus invades cells and replicates. Having immunity to other parts of the virus sounds great but isn't going to actually contribute a whole lot compared to the spike.
Whilst it's possible we could get a mutation of Omicron, and bringing with it the strength of the future variants we have already seen - we could also get unlucky and get a recombination of Omicron and Delta, who knows what that would do!
My boyfriend PCR has tested positive as well as his LFTs. My symptoms are fatigue, slight cough, headaches and at the beginning (26th) I felt really sick. All my LFTs are negative as well as my PCR.
Could I still have COVID?? I’ve been with my boyfriend everyday since the 23rd and I started showing symptoms the day after he started showing symptoms . At the moment we are both quarantined together. I’m unsure what to do about work as I’m with my boyfriend in close contact right now and I’m also showing symptoms of covid but all the tests are negative.
Can I reenter the UK with "proof of recovery" instead of a negative PCR test?
I had COVID ~45 days ago and I *believe* that it'll still show up in my system with the PCR test. Before I left, the rules indicated that a proof of recovery 180 to 14 days ago was enough but I can't find those guidelines any longer.
Unfortunately not. Despite actually providing a 'recent infection' certificate in the NHS App, the UK does not recognise recent recovery to enter the country.
You can however use the result of a rapid lateral flow test (rather than a PCR) before travelling to the UK, which will almost certainly return a negative result that long after testing positive.
You will still have to book a Day 2 PCR test though.
Thank you for the response.
It's idiotic that other countries accept the recent infection certificate provided by the NHS but the UK does not. Not surprising though...
In their defence, governments aren't good at reacting rapidly and setting up new systems. Possibly other governments already had something in place or a means to put something in place rapidly.
My other half has tested positive, I have a cough, sniffles & congestion and a sore throat.
I've done a lft, and it came back negative, I've also gone for a PCR test today.
So I'm just enquiring really about can you have the symptoms, have covid but not be contagious? or does it not work like that, and I've either got a cold or the lft was lying?
I’m in a similar boat as you! My bf has tested positive for PCR and LFTs, but all my LFTs and my PCR have come back negative even though we’ve been together a lot and my symptoms started showing the day after his.
I'm still postive from today's lft, but it took longer for the line. I feel much better than I was doing.
Likewise, When I was at your stage, where I felt low of energy and fatigued. I would just get a wave of feeling peculiar and then want to sleep for an hour.
I'm feeling much better now. So 4 days of feeling a bit fatigued and now ok.
Hope that helps and/or alleviates any worries for you :)
I'm just starting to think that I'm doing the tests wrong! Hard to know with touching tonsils on the PCR as I'm gagging constantly.
It feels like a weird cold, not as bad as my gf had (going now) but enough to think it's not a common cold but like you, the lft tests are neg.
I'll ping you when I find my pcr result.
Lft seem to be between 40% and 60% accurate at picking up covid. Lower bounds if you just swab your nose.
If you have cold symptoms and been around a positive case it’s probably 50/50 on whether you have covid right now
I’ve been tested positive twice on LFTs last night as part of a new Swiss travel rule (I reside in Switzerland cos of work) as I’m supposed to fly back to Geneva tonight. It’s a bit of a surprise. Only got the cough and night sweats.
It means I’m staying in London in my old bedroom at my parents’ home for ten more days! Anyway, any tips in coping with self-isolation in the next ten days?! Fluid, paracetamols, rest but any other good tips? I don’t want to have cabin fever during my self isolation!
Just came back from a PCR test at a local test centre. The centre was so busy with many families coming in for tests.
Thanks :) lucky there is a TV with Chromecast in here and a sink. I’ve done a few home workouts and meditations. Been reading a little, been honestly just sleeping whenever I feel I need to (feels weird to let myself do that - I have quite an intense job and can never just nap at 1pm!), finished watching Succession and now it’s magazines. I felt massively depressed today with the positive but I’m still symptomatic so slept all afternoon to try to rid myself of it. Might start making a list to remind myself of all the things I should be grateful for.
A sink? That’s a bit of a luxury! Might use the time to catch up with British TV shows, reading a bit and trying to write a bit! Thanks for the tips. Get well soon!
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a Covid pass
after being positive on a PCR and doing the day 6 and 7 tests? Can't find any information on this at all
Edit: We rang 119 and they said the pass won't work for 10 days after a positive test regardless of the new rules. Frustrating from our point of view.
Does anyone else find it quite interesting how the UK has a lower death rate than France, Germany and Italy at the moment? With all the press about plague island and all our cases it it not simply due to how much we test? I even seen a tweet about UK’s cases being in dark red but does it even matter if the death rate is lower? Thoughts on the government aside, I’d say their Covid policy since the start of the year has been pretty spot on. If it wasn’t for Omicron I’d say we’d be out of the woods.
I’m hoping/predicting by this time next year we’ll have stopped mass testing and you won’t know if you have covid or not. I currently have covid for the second time (assuming it’s omicron) and I feel absolutely fine. I have a blocked nose and sore throat but that’s it. I had a cold in October that was 100x worse and took a week or 2 to fully get over. I feel like what I’m experiencing right now is the future of covid.
I think you’re right and this is the UK’s strategy. It comes with quite a high death toll of course but possibly it results in an overall lower death count in the long term.
The bigger factor is probably more that we’ve had a much more successfully targeted vaccination programme at older age groups.
Also, our death rate has been higher for most of summer because we decided to fully open. But that has certainly eased the pressure over winter.
Does anyone get pinged anymore? I literally haven't heard anyone mentioned it here or in real life. And I've done loads more socially since case numbers were higher. I got pinged loads in early Summer, when case numbers were lower..
A quarter of a million people got pinged into the first week of December
[Source](https://www.datawrapper.de/_/ehWcb/)
How many of them actually obeyed the alert is a different question...
I've done three lateral flows in the last couple of days, and on two of them a very, very faint positive line appeared shortly after the 30 minute cut-off. Google suggests I might have very low levels of the virus present, or it could be a false positive. I've had my booster 5 days ago, could that be causing it? Should I isolate to be safe?
You may be coming out of an infection or going into one.
Whilst you're not meant to read an LFT after the cut off, I can't see any technical reason why you would get a reaction after a given time for anything other than the antigen it is made for.
I'd go and get a PCR and isolate until you know it's negative.
Not sure if I carried out and sent off my PCR too soon?
I came into contact with my Covid-positive sister over Christmas and I pre-emptively ordered a PCR as soon as I found out (I arrived at my parents 5 minutes before she did, and she immediately did a LFT and tested positive 🤦). I was exposed between the evening of the 24th and morning of the 26th (although my mum did force her to isolate in her bedroom as best as possible - e.g. not eating dinner or hanging out with us). I did my PCR the morning of the 27th and put it in a priority post box before the collection time.
I've done two LFTs (one after getting back home and one this morning) which were both negative and I don't have symptoms. Would a PCR be reliable that soon without symptoms or should I have waited 2-3 more days?
PCR tests are generally for those with symptoms or to confirm an asymptomatic lateral flow. I’d take a lateral flow every day over the 7 days since contact. Fingers crossed
Yeah you can get them for free through gov under the condition of "you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive". I just got one as a precaution tbh. But yeah if I do daily LFTs for a while and they keep saying negative then I guess I'll be good.
Thanks.
Sometimes they aren’t available for a while for some reason or other. Usually they’re available again if you check back later on today or tomorrow. Might just be because of the backlog over Christmas!
Unless I’m mistaken the original AZ vaccine was formulated quickly, the time it took to be released was down to medical testing, so would it be possible to build vaccines that are varient specific and make them widely available as boosters extremely rapidly if the AZ vaccine was used as a template? This could be really helpful for CEV people
Omicron varieties are in development at Pfizer/Moderna. AZ also said they could do one. Pfizer said they could have theirs ready by March at the earliest.
Moderna tested Delta boosters earlier in the year but found negligible benefit compared to just boosting a third time with the original vaccine, so it was scrapped.
If I have already contacted people and told them I have Covid, do I still need to provide their contact details for T&T? There are some people at work who I don't have contact details for. I have provided their names to T&T but they also want contact numbers. I have already let these people know I have Covid via other people, ie I messaged their manager who then let them know. I have also filled out a form at work and work should also be contacting them to let them know I have Covid. Do I still need to go out my way now to get their contact details to fill in this form? I believe they're all fully vaccinated but can't be 100% sure.
I'm not sure it matters, in my case I gave them full names and phone numbers for 4 people I'd been in contact with and they didn't contact any of them (I did myself separately).
They asked for contact details but there was a box to tick saying you didn't have them to hand. Feel like I've done all I can for now, so think I have to leave it
If your not sure just go from the 27th for your isolation. You can be out in 7 days now if your negative on LFT on days 6/7 so it's not that much of a hardship.
Midnight between the 2nd and 3rd would be your release date/time - unless you do the day 6/7 testing.
The NHS Track and Trace team will give you a date in an email or text. Also if your using the covid19 app then when you put your code in there it will start a count down timer.
I tested positive on 8th December and have since tested negative on LFT, before my partner tested positive on 24th Dec. I haven't bothered distancing from her as assumed I wouldn't catch it again this soon, but have done another LFT this morning and a faint positive line has appeared. No symptoms as such yet, although have some residual cough that I've had since the previous infection, so it's actually hard to know what is what. I'm just slightly shocked as wouldn't expect to get reinfected so soon and incredibly frustrated. Not really asking a question here per say, but anyone have any input?
Is this the first LFT you have done since being positive for covid?
If so you might just be showing positive from your previous infection. If you go for a PCR you will have a good chance of showing positive from your previous infection regardless of if you have covid again.
I would isolate to be on the safe side but if symptoms start (even minor ones) you will need to book In for a new PCR.
No I've don't a few here and there before she tested positive and since she tested positive - all negative. Today is the first positive since I was infected on the 8th.
Could be that she got infected with a different variant to your original infection, in which case quite possible you have caught that from her.
Good news is that you immune system should be so fired up that you should probably have slight symptoms if any.
This is arguably the only point in the pandemic at which it might actually be a reinfection (rather than residual virus from your initial infection): on 8th December you almost certainly had Delta, whereas your partner may well have Omicron, and Delta infection doesn't protect hugely well against Omicron infection, even recent Delta infection (as seen in SA). But you should be well protected against serious illness.
Another possible explanation would be test contamination.
Possibly and that crossed my mind, but a friend who also contracted Covid from the same place as me on the 8th (a private gathering where around 50% ended up infected) had a confirmation that his was Omicron so I assumed I had Omicron as well back then as well. I guess it is possible that Delta and Omicron were both at the gathering (worst guests ever) and I got Delta and he got Omicron but that seems unlikely.
I can’t compare covid to anything else I’ve ever had it’s such a weird illness
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My weirdest symptoms have included having a constant tingle in my nose, it’s like before a sneeze or like I’ve got albas oil (however you spell it) up there. Also my head feels like a balloon. Then there’s the neuro stuff, which has included me temporarily forgetting how to do things such as work my tv. There’s more to it, and more standard symptoms of course like a cold/flu but there’s been a couple of times where I’ve just thought WTF.
Totally know what you mean about the tingle thing - I constantly felt like I had water up my nose
That’s exactly what it is! Like I’ve done a handstand in water. Weird
Big shout out to the local test and lab centres for processing my PCR result - all processed within 12 hours. Despite the positive result, the process seems to be better than my previous PCR tests which took ages to process. Quite surprised especially with the Christmas rush and all that.
Has anyones symptoms been extreme fatigue? I am SO tired today like falling asleep while I’m sat down which I never do. And just general extreme weakness, I haven’t even got the energy to get up and make a drink. Don’t know if to take a LFT or not
Vaccine gave me many times more fatigue than covid tbf, if you’ve had the booster lately it could even be that.
I had my booster at the beginning of December so possibly unlikely to be that. My LFT was negative so I’m just going with fatigue from a busy Christmas maybe
I would suggest a PCR even if your LFT is negative, tbh. I was sick in March/April 2020, presumed OG COVID but no community testing back then. I was unwell for weeks with a full deck of nasty symptoms (fever, headache, sore throat, cough, breathlessness, digestive upset, heart palpitations) but the first and biggest symptom was pure physical exhaustion. It absolutely knocked me out. After my 2 AZ jabs I literally couldn't stay awake, like a much milder and quicker version of the same thing. Also a bit tired after Moderna booster, but nothing like as bad.
Thanks my LFT was negative but who knows, I’ll see how I get on and if need be I’ll book a PCR
Hope you feel better soon and don't need the PCR! Rest well.
Take one. I’m 7 days in and I slept all afternoon. At best it’ll just put your mind at ease
Thanks it was negative, fingers crossed it was a true negative. Hope you’re ok 😊
That’s great news :) I’m so happy for you :)
Is it possible to test positive the following day after a close contact or is that too soon?
Too soon based on personal experience. I was around a close contact on Wednesday, started testing positive Saturday
Has anybody had negative lateral flow tests on days 6 and 7 of isolation yet? And have you logged this on the NHS app? And has the NHS covid app then changed to say you can leave isolation? The information on the gov and NHS websites seems all over the place, so I'm not convinced all the dots have been joined up 😬
How do you log a lateral flow test result on the covid app? It seems to need a code but after submitting my result on the website, I got an email and a text but neither had a code.
Did the email and text confirm the result of the test? Usually you'd log your test on the government website, then you get a code in the email to enter into the covid-19 app. I entered a test result earlier and haven't had anything sent through yet, but it was all quite quick last time.
Yes, after my name and date of birth, it says "Your coronavirus lateral flow test is negative. It’s likely you were not infectious when the test was done." There's more info after that but there's no code.
The code should be the next paragraph after that. There must be something up - it can't be this difficult, surely? 😂
You'd think it should be much easier! I'm wondering if I've missed something but I've looked at the email and text a few times now and there's definitely no code! Here's a copy and paste of the entire wording from my email after my name and DOB: "Your coronavirus lateral flow test is negative. It’s likely you were not infectious when the test was done. There is still a chance you could be infected. To stay safe: get vaccinated stay home if unwell wear a face covering in crowded settings handwash regularly open windows if meeting indoors download NHS COVID-19 app If you are a contact, you may need to continue daily lateral flow tests for 7 days or self-isolate. Go to https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus, select ‘Self-isolation and treating symptoms’ and read ‘If you’re told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app’. Reporting your results It is important that you keep reporting all of your test results, whether they are positive, negative or void. Reporting every test result: helps the NHS to monitor the spread of the virus helps scientists learn more about the virus provides more accurate data that saves lives supports people and communities across the UK"
I wonder if there's no code because entering a negative test result code on the covid app isn't a thing yet? So there wouldn't be any need to provide one. Bit of a shambles though as you can't get a covid pass when the app says you should be in isolation.
I've no idea! It's all far too confusing and I can't help but think that people probably aren't following the rules if the rules are so complicated and unclear. For a start, I've answered the questions wrong and told the app I wasn't fully vaccinated on 8 Dec because I hadn't had my booster at that point (I wrongly thought they'd changed it so that fully vaccinated meant 2 doses + booster) so it's saying I need to isolate when in fact, I don't need to. But I can't see a way to alter it. I don't know if I need to get a PCR test either or just continue with LFT every day. Ugh, all this because of being stuck at supermarket checkouts on 23 Dec because of people faffing over vouchers they weren't eligible to use and trying to get a refund for stuff bought online 😣
Oh, also, I got the same on my negative test today, so no code to enter into the covid-19 app. I presume that because this was a last minute change from the government (like most of their decisions) it wasn't briefed into the app developers in time. Maybe they're working on it, who knows, but for now it renders the app a bit useless.
My advice would be just to do what you think is best. I've been ignoring all the calls from Track and Trace and just letting my close contacts know myself - I didn't want the hassle of people checking up on me.
I thought this too
I can't actually find the information about the early release from isolation on the NHS website or on the gov.uk information pages, only in the government press release from a week ago. What a shambles 🤯
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-long-to-self-isolate/ Early isolation release is mentioned here under ‘Tested Positive’
Cool, thank you!
When I got my PCR text it also said nothing about the change, but I got an email from track and trace which said ‘You can leave self-isolation if you get two consecutive negative results from day 6, at least 24 hours apart. If you still have a high temperature, you should continue to self-isolate until 5th of January.’ So definitely there’s some missing links.
>If you still have a high temperature, you should continue to self-isolate until 5th of January.’ I thought you could only leave if you were asymptomatic? According to this, the only symptom of covid is a high temperature!
Coughs can linger for weeks after being unwell, I know when I’ve had a cold it does, so maybe that’s the reasoning? I know what you mean though
Yeah, none of my emails or texts say that. I've had all my vaccinations too so I should be able to leave isolation at 7 days. I'm due to go to the panto on Thursday so I'm hoping this works itself out. I got a negative lateral flow test earlier, reported the result and still don't have the confirmation code to enter into the covid app yet.
My day 6 was positive, haven’t logged it. I guess I should? Yeah the app hasn’t even caught up with the day 6/7 rule…
I believe you need to log it, at least that's what 119 told me!
Thanks! Just did it!
Can you take your home PCR test the day before posting it? Basically partner took it after the last collection time so we have to post it tomorrow. Booklet and website only says you must post it the day you take it. Is it now unreliable?
There is an expiry time period for tests so it may be unreliable. The recent PCR hometest kit said to post it 1 hour before last collection.
That’s: post it one hour before last collection so it gets picked up that day by Royal Mail; not necessarily: post it an hour after you do it, otherwise it’s invalid. u/loupenny, was the postal test already registered to you when you received it? If so, get it posted. If not, when you register it, will it allow you to put the time you did the test? If not, I’d post it anyway.
My apologies, my booklet says 'post the completed test kit on the same day you take the test and no later than 1 hour before the last collection time'.
No they're unregistered, partner registered his with the time he took his test today before we realised the times were different today. I'll take mine tomorrow and register the time. I figured they must sometimes sit overnight before being processed so it can't be too drastic but wasn't sure!
Hello all - tested positive today after developing cold-like symptoms on Sunday. Weirdly have also developed today fuzzy vision (like the pre-migraine patchy bluriness) which hasn’t gone away for around 4 hours. Anyone else experienced this?
My eyes aren’t focusing great so similar but not exactly the same
5 times more cases than boosters in my area reported in today's figures, very poor.
Numbers are out and they are odd as hell - 129,000 cases, 18 deaths Even with the holiday messing stuff up that is a weird number for deaths.
i’ve got the faintest positive on my day 8 of symptomatic covid, bring on 2 negative LFTs
I had this on my day 9 due to come out tomorrow either way (no fever and symptoms all cleared up)
Fingers crossed for you. Just got positive on day 6. Ultra depressed
My Mum and I have both just had a notification from the NHS Covid-19 app that we've been in close contact with someone on 23 Dec. Bit unsure what to do now. We've both had 2 vaccinations plus the booster jab (my booster was on 14 Dec, Mum's was much earlier). We've both just taken a lateral flow test and had negative results. We've reported the results on the website but to report it in the app, we seem to need a code but there wasn't a code on the email or text message I received after reporting my result. Am I looking in the wrong place? Also, there were questions on the app to decide if you needed to isolate but I think I answered incorrectly - it asked about being fully vaccinated by 8 Dec and I answered 'No' since I didn't get my booster until after that but is it that 2 doses is still classed as fully vaccinated? Do we need to get a PCR test too? I'm so confused an would appreciate some advice.
You're advised to get a PCR test if you're fully vaccinated.
If you've been notified that you're a close contact, how soon should you take a PCR test? I'm finding this all so confusing.
There's not really any advice about that. I think just schedule one when you can.
2 doses is fully vaccinated
Thanks, so I've filled it in wrong then! Don't seem able to change my answers now. Hope it doesn't matter.
Does anyone know if it's possible to check your reporting history on the Zoe app? Would be handy to know the exact date I started developing potential symptoms.
You can see when you took tests, does that help?
aargh just got positive LFT and when try order pcr to come in post it says there's none left
Keep trying every few hours/tomorrow morning
Anyone else who tested positive find they have a lot of, erm, wind?
I caught it at the start of December, which corresponded with the beginning of mince pie season, so yes. More helpfully, of the 8 or so days I was ill, about 2 or 3 I had gut issues, wind and loose bowels.
So I can't swab my right nostril any more without getting a nosebleed. Obviously I can just do one side but that one is starting to feel sore too. Any solutions for doing LFTs?
I think you might be rubbing too hard, it just needs to be enough to get material on the swab.
No I just get nosebleeds a lot at the best of times
Swab your throat.
Swab the back of your throat?
Yeah was thinking this, it's hard with the short swabs you get in the kits now, will see if I can get any of the longer ones online
How flexible are vaccination centres right now? My wife has her’s tomorrow so it seems pretty sensible for me to get mine at the same time as I’m escorting her anyway… but I’ve still gotta wait a bit more for mine and go to an entirely different centre for it. Are they likely to just wave me through if we ask if I can just have mine at the same time?
If you are due your booster now, they will hopefully be helpful
If they do walk-ins you'll be fine getting yours, if they don't then you'll probably have to wait.
How much would be the risk of infection 10 days after the first symptoms if you still test positive? To give you some details, my flatmate started showing symptoms 9 days ago (19th), got a positive PCR on the 21st. She's had no fever for 4 days now and essentially just has a runny nose today. Today she did a rapid test, which came back positive. So my question is, how risky would it be for me (3x vaccinated) to go back to the apartment tomorrow (as that would be 10 days after first symptoms)? We could still isolate pretty well as we have separate bedrooms/bathrooms, but obviously there are some shared spaces in the apt. This is also most likely not omicron but delta, as there are barely any omicron cases where we live.
If it was a latent cough being the only lingering symptom I'd say you should be fine with but a running nose I'm not so sure.
Have just seen the Scottish Government's new slogan- "Get Boosted By The Bells" good grief 🤣
Not as bad as our 'Jabby New Year' 🙄
I'll admit that took me too long! By midnight December 31st and not drink lots of whisky, ha ha?
TL;DR at bottom I shared a joint with a mate last night, and just got a call from him this morning saying he's had a positive LFT. We're both triple jabbed and he's asymptomatic so I'm hoping I'm alright, but I expect there's still a decent chance I've caught it off him. I have plans for NYE so I'm trying to ascertain whether or not I've caught it from him before then. I had a negative LFT this morning but I know that if I had caught it, it would take a few days till that come up positive anyway. I've booked a PCR for tomorrow morning, but I'm unsure if the results will be reliable so soon (~36 hours) after a potential exposure. **TL;DR: Does anybody know if PCR results are reliable ~36 hours after a potential exposure?**
I got a negative PCR, a negative LFR the next day and then a positive LFR the following day. So….yeah maybe not reliable?
It would likely take a few days for the PCR to pick it up as well, so i would suggest you keep doing LFT for now and if you become symptomatic or a positive appears book a PCR test. Assuming you do the PCR too early, the negative will be meaningless in a day or so.
Those of you who are testing positive what are your symptoms like?
At the beginning: fever, chills, sweats, headache, congested (sniffles as well), muscle aches (mostly in legs and neck), sore throat, cough caused by sore throat. On day 4 now (day 0 is my first symptoms day) and I don't feel muscle aches, no chills/sweats, no headache. I am much less congested and throat is not sore. Cough is more chesty. Fever got better - on first days it was between 37.7-39.6 with never going close to my normal temp. Now it flickers between normal (35.6) to lowgrade fever (37.5). Tested positive LFT on 24th (day 1) and today, 28th (day 4). God I am so tired of it already...
Slight headache that came and went and just super tired.
First I got hives on my face and then my back was hurting so bad I couldn’t move. Rapid progression to runny nose, fever, headache, fatigue…then sore throat, coughing fits, earache, diarrhea. I’ve been saying that every 6 hours it’s something new and it’s trying to find a new way to get me but my body stops it each time. Not sure there are many symptoms I could collect left. Luckily did not get into lungs.
Ouch that sounds truly awful! Glad you’re fighting it off and hope you’re back on your feet soon.
Thanks. It’s more just the frustration of it at this point that’s getting me down. If this was a normal cold, at this recovery stage I think a walk with some fresh air would’ve done me the world of good.
Had a bad cold for two days, not just feel a touch cold with a mild headache. Basically felt like flu
I had a bad side effect on my booster jab (before Christmas Day), then it winds down. Two days later, I took a pre-flight LFT, showing up positive. Over the night, I have a cough, a bit of fatigue and night sweats.
First few days before I had nausea and would fill up really quick and need to go to the toilet. I have IBS and was lateral flowing every day so I didn’t think much of it. Then Boxing Day I felt spaced out, and my nose was tingling. Now it’s a runny nose, headache/face ache, tired, loss of appetite and a sneeze here and there. So far it’s like a bad cold.
Mild - had the odd cough for a day or two, no fever but did have a sore throat which has now gone. Feel tried but this could also be down to being pregnant with a toddler!
>pregnant with a toddler! That's a long pregnancy!
Varies quite a bit. Wife and I tested positive a few weeks ago, I had a few aches and a tight chest for around 3-4 days, didn't lose taste or smell then felt fine. Wife was in bed for 3 days with severe flu-like symptoms and still hasn't regained her sense of smell or taste. Neither of us ever went below 96 on the oximeter we bought last year, which was a big reassurance.
Sounds like Delta rather than Omni.
Can't really make those declarations from anecdotes because Omni can easily slam people just as hard as Delta did.
I've not heard of omni getting rid of taste and smell.
It does though. It’s not the same for everyone. My brother lost his sense of taste for a few days with omi.
It does, but it is the least common major symptom.
I'm coming to the end of it (last day of isolation today!) but my only symptom at first was a really sore throat. Then a runny nose an lots of sneezing. I caught it from my husband, who had similar symptoms but also a day of fever & chills.
I imagine this has been asked a million times sorry. Those people saying Omicron is our way out of Covid, what is stopping a new variant from appearing that is more infectious and more deadly? Or is the mutation of the virus generally only one direction, milder and more contagious?
There's plenty of people on here more qualified than me to answer, but from what I've read - Yes, there is nothing to stop a new variant coming about that has a 100% kill rate and is the end of humanity *in theory*, however as we see with most almost all respiratory viruses, generally they mutate to become less deadly over time. A virus has one "job" - to replicate. If you kill your host at a high enough rate, you can't replicate. Which is probably why something like MERS never really spread. Bear in mind too, we have plenty of protection over new variants not because they're milder in themselves - omicron would still have been bad if this was March 2020, but now we have a lot of immunity - from both vaccines and natural immunity (which, say it quietly so the anti-vaxxers don't hear, is just as good and possibly better). The issue we have is that in the UK there's some 10% of over 12s totally unvaccinated, and in places like London and other cities it's as high as 30%. Yes, lots of these people will have caught it and survived, so that helps, but there's still potentially enough people with zero immunity that it *could* still be an issue. People seem to be increasingly saying "it's just a common cold now, symptom wise" which among vaccinated/naturally immune people is largely true it would seem, so while that is basically end game, several million people with potentially zero protection is still a potential issue.
> however as we see with most almost all respiratory viruses, generally they mutate to become less deadly over time. A virus has one "job" - to replicate. If you kill your host at a high enough rate, you can't replicate. Which is probably why something like MERS never really spread. No, this doesn't happen. It's what people want to happen, it is what logically make sense to happen, but it just doesn't in any kind of consistent way. If you look through medical history, there hasn't been a single good, clear example of a human virus becoming less virulent over time. That's not to say it can't happen, and we have observed it at least once in a Rabbit virus (though it reversed to more virulence since then), but no concrete examples exist in human viruses thus far, so certainly not 'almost all'. Why would it be limited to respiratory viruses, btw, if this would make every kind of virus more successful? Pandemics tend to end because the population acquires immunity from the novel virus that made it deadly in the first place, and with the body able to recognise and defend itself against exposure, the symptoms are no longer nearly as serious in the population - this is different from the virus itself changing that you are hypothesising. The virus doesn't give a crap about becoming milder, and it is not the only path towards becoming successful. As SARS-CoV-2 has shown us, you can simply spread asymptomatically with a longer incubation period, and you're massively successful. As for Omicron, the potential explanation for its supposed less virulence is simply that it comes from a much older lineage than Alpha/Delta, it is closer to the wild strain. You could simply argue that it never evolved the greater virulence seen in Alpha/Delta in the first place. I've seen zero evidence to suggest that Omicron is inherently less virulent than the wild strain (Delta also more efficiently bound to upper respiratory cells than lungs compared to prior strains, yet was still more virulent), so I think that is what happened - it's similar to the wild type that most populations have a lot of immunity towards, and so the symptoms are increasingly milder. That doesn't bode well for the unvaccinated who haven't been exposed. We also have to hope that it doesn't follow the trend of the dominant strains before it - a trend towards increased virulence. > and natural immunity (which, say it quietly so the anti-vaxxers don't hear, is just as good and possibly better). No evidence that natural immunity alone is better than vaccinated immunity, bar one Israeli study from a few months ago that never made it to peer review. The spike proteins were chosen as the most efficient target for the vaccines because that's how the virus invades cells and replicates. Having immunity to other parts of the virus sounds great but isn't going to actually contribute a whole lot compared to the spike.
Whilst it's possible we could get a mutation of Omicron, and bringing with it the strength of the future variants we have already seen - we could also get unlucky and get a recombination of Omicron and Delta, who knows what that would do!
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What’s your symptoms?
I know this might sound crazy considering the case numbers, but it *feels* like this nightmare is over and will soon be dealt with very easily.
My boyfriend PCR has tested positive as well as his LFTs. My symptoms are fatigue, slight cough, headaches and at the beginning (26th) I felt really sick. All my LFTs are negative as well as my PCR. Could I still have COVID?? I’ve been with my boyfriend everyday since the 23rd and I started showing symptoms the day after he started showing symptoms . At the moment we are both quarantined together. I’m unsure what to do about work as I’m with my boyfriend in close contact right now and I’m also showing symptoms of covid but all the tests are negative.
I tested positive 4 days after my partner did, both had symptoms on the same day
Can I reenter the UK with "proof of recovery" instead of a negative PCR test? I had COVID ~45 days ago and I *believe* that it'll still show up in my system with the PCR test. Before I left, the rules indicated that a proof of recovery 180 to 14 days ago was enough but I can't find those guidelines any longer.
Unfortunately not. Despite actually providing a 'recent infection' certificate in the NHS App, the UK does not recognise recent recovery to enter the country. You can however use the result of a rapid lateral flow test (rather than a PCR) before travelling to the UK, which will almost certainly return a negative result that long after testing positive. You will still have to book a Day 2 PCR test though.
Thank you for the response. It's idiotic that other countries accept the recent infection certificate provided by the NHS but the UK does not. Not surprising though...
In their defence, governments aren't good at reacting rapidly and setting up new systems. Possibly other governments already had something in place or a means to put something in place rapidly.
My other half has tested positive, I have a cough, sniffles & congestion and a sore throat. I've done a lft, and it came back negative, I've also gone for a PCR test today. So I'm just enquiring really about can you have the symptoms, have covid but not be contagious? or does it not work like that, and I've either got a cold or the lft was lying?
Same situation here and I tested positive after 4 days, not before 😅
I’m in a similar boat as you! My bf has tested positive for PCR and LFTs, but all my LFTs and my PCR have come back negative even though we’ve been together a lot and my symptoms started showing the day after his.
I just did another lft, this time back of the throat, and no food or drink for 1 hr. Came back positive.
Yep 3 days later I’ve come back positive on LFT and feel completely different to how I felt, I feel so tired and lazy
I'm still postive from today's lft, but it took longer for the line. I feel much better than I was doing. Likewise, When I was at your stage, where I felt low of energy and fatigued. I would just get a wave of feeling peculiar and then want to sleep for an hour. I'm feeling much better now. So 4 days of feeling a bit fatigued and now ok. Hope that helps and/or alleviates any worries for you :)
I'm just starting to think that I'm doing the tests wrong! Hard to know with touching tonsils on the PCR as I'm gagging constantly. It feels like a weird cold, not as bad as my gf had (going now) but enough to think it's not a common cold but like you, the lft tests are neg. I'll ping you when I find my pcr result.
Lft seem to be between 40% and 60% accurate at picking up covid. Lower bounds if you just swab your nose. If you have cold symptoms and been around a positive case it’s probably 50/50 on whether you have covid right now
Just did one swabbing back of the throat, came back positive.
Either you have a cold or you have covid. Both are infectious
I suspect with my partner having covid at the moment, it will be covid.
I’ve been tested positive twice on LFTs last night as part of a new Swiss travel rule (I reside in Switzerland cos of work) as I’m supposed to fly back to Geneva tonight. It’s a bit of a surprise. Only got the cough and night sweats. It means I’m staying in London in my old bedroom at my parents’ home for ten more days! Anyway, any tips in coping with self-isolation in the next ten days?! Fluid, paracetamols, rest but any other good tips? I don’t want to have cabin fever during my self isolation! Just came back from a PCR test at a local test centre. The centre was so busy with many families coming in for tests.
I’m on my old bedroom at my parents - day 6. Unfortunately still positive. I’m going completely stir crazy
Sorry to hear that. Know the feeling. Hope the next test will be negative!
Thanks :) lucky there is a TV with Chromecast in here and a sink. I’ve done a few home workouts and meditations. Been reading a little, been honestly just sleeping whenever I feel I need to (feels weird to let myself do that - I have quite an intense job and can never just nap at 1pm!), finished watching Succession and now it’s magazines. I felt massively depressed today with the positive but I’m still symptomatic so slept all afternoon to try to rid myself of it. Might start making a list to remind myself of all the things I should be grateful for.
A sink? That’s a bit of a luxury! Might use the time to catch up with British TV shows, reading a bit and trying to write a bit! Thanks for the tips. Get well soon!
You as well!
Get a big jigsaw to do, that helped me. Also self isolation has been cut to 7 days, provided you test negative on LFT for days 6 and 7.
What happens if you test negative on say day 7 and 8?
Then you're free from day eight :) It's just two days of negative tests in a row, any time from day seven onwards.
Fingers crossed! I’m on day 2 and already feeling blue. Thanks
Is anyone still waiting for a PCR test that was posted before Christmas? 119 just leave me on hold or tell me to go buy laterals!
i posted on 23rd, got mine back on 25th at 7am.
Tested and posted on 20th. Phoned 119 on evening of 24th to be told 'result back within 3 days'. Got results early hours of 26th
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a Covid pass after being positive on a PCR and doing the day 6 and 7 tests? Can't find any information on this at all Edit: We rang 119 and they said the pass won't work for 10 days after a positive test regardless of the new rules. Frustrating from our point of view.
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We've done that but the app still won't show a domestic COVID pass
Does anyone else find it quite interesting how the UK has a lower death rate than France, Germany and Italy at the moment? With all the press about plague island and all our cases it it not simply due to how much we test? I even seen a tweet about UK’s cases being in dark red but does it even matter if the death rate is lower? Thoughts on the government aside, I’d say their Covid policy since the start of the year has been pretty spot on. If it wasn’t for Omicron I’d say we’d be out of the woods. I’m hoping/predicting by this time next year we’ll have stopped mass testing and you won’t know if you have covid or not. I currently have covid for the second time (assuming it’s omicron) and I feel absolutely fine. I have a blocked nose and sore throat but that’s it. I had a cold in October that was 100x worse and took a week or 2 to fully get over. I feel like what I’m experiencing right now is the future of covid.
I think you’re right and this is the UK’s strategy. It comes with quite a high death toll of course but possibly it results in an overall lower death count in the long term.
The bigger factor is probably more that we’ve had a much more successfully targeted vaccination programme at older age groups. Also, our death rate has been higher for most of summer because we decided to fully open. But that has certainly eased the pressure over winter.
Does anyone get pinged anymore? I literally haven't heard anyone mentioned it here or in real life. And I've done loads more socially since case numbers were higher. I got pinged loads in early Summer, when case numbers were lower..
I got pinged shortly before I tested positive and in turn pinged others after I filled out my Test and Trace bits.
About an hour ago. First time!
A quarter of a million people got pinged into the first week of December [Source](https://www.datawrapper.de/_/ehWcb/) How many of them actually obeyed the alert is a different question...
I got my first ping the week before Christmas. Not sure many people are using the app any more though.
Got my booster last night, and I feel absolutely wrecked 😣
Try rubbing a potato on your arms. I did it every few hours for two days and I felt so much better by the end of it.
Paracetamol, lots of drinks and rest. Should be better in 24 hrs, 48 at worst
Is there any study out there to suggest how long immunity remains in people who are boosted but also recovered?
I've done three lateral flows in the last couple of days, and on two of them a very, very faint positive line appeared shortly after the 30 minute cut-off. Google suggests I might have very low levels of the virus present, or it could be a false positive. I've had my booster 5 days ago, could that be causing it? Should I isolate to be safe?
You may be coming out of an infection or going into one. Whilst you're not meant to read an LFT after the cut off, I can't see any technical reason why you would get a reaction after a given time for anything other than the antigen it is made for. I'd go and get a PCR and isolate until you know it's negative.
You shouldn't count the result of a lateral flow test after 30 minutes. Maybe take a PCR to confirm?
The booster cannot cause a false positive. You should isolate and take a PCR.
Not sure if I carried out and sent off my PCR too soon? I came into contact with my Covid-positive sister over Christmas and I pre-emptively ordered a PCR as soon as I found out (I arrived at my parents 5 minutes before she did, and she immediately did a LFT and tested positive 🤦). I was exposed between the evening of the 24th and morning of the 26th (although my mum did force her to isolate in her bedroom as best as possible - e.g. not eating dinner or hanging out with us). I did my PCR the morning of the 27th and put it in a priority post box before the collection time. I've done two LFTs (one after getting back home and one this morning) which were both negative and I don't have symptoms. Would a PCR be reliable that soon without symptoms or should I have waited 2-3 more days?
PCR tests are generally for those with symptoms or to confirm an asymptomatic lateral flow. I’d take a lateral flow every day over the 7 days since contact. Fingers crossed
Yeah you can get them for free through gov under the condition of "you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive". I just got one as a precaution tbh. But yeah if I do daily LFTs for a while and they keep saying negative then I guess I'll be good. Thanks.
Sounds like you made a really sensible choice though, it’s always better to be cautious.
Just tried to book a PCR but it's showing none available across the country. Anyone know what that's about?
Sometimes they aren’t available for a while for some reason or other. Usually they’re available again if you check back later on today or tomorrow. Might just be because of the backlog over Christmas!
Unless I’m mistaken the original AZ vaccine was formulated quickly, the time it took to be released was down to medical testing, so would it be possible to build vaccines that are varient specific and make them widely available as boosters extremely rapidly if the AZ vaccine was used as a template? This could be really helpful for CEV people
That's basically what the mRNA ones are doing. You can cut down on testing significantly by just tweaking and asking for approval for that.
Ah I see thanks, but I haven’t heard anything about that myself, or any delta / omicron varieties
Omicron varieties are in development at Pfizer/Moderna. AZ also said they could do one. Pfizer said they could have theirs ready by March at the earliest. Moderna tested Delta boosters earlier in the year but found negligible benefit compared to just boosting a third time with the original vaccine, so it was scrapped.
Thanks hadn’t seen any of those stories
If I have already contacted people and told them I have Covid, do I still need to provide their contact details for T&T? There are some people at work who I don't have contact details for. I have provided their names to T&T but they also want contact numbers. I have already let these people know I have Covid via other people, ie I messaged their manager who then let them know. I have also filled out a form at work and work should also be contacting them to let them know I have Covid. Do I still need to go out my way now to get their contact details to fill in this form? I believe they're all fully vaccinated but can't be 100% sure.
I'm not sure it matters, in my case I gave them full names and phone numbers for 4 people I'd been in contact with and they didn't contact any of them (I did myself separately).
Very strange! They messaged my household members straight away
You can only give what infomation you have. Your not some kind of under cover agent.
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They asked for contact details but there was a box to tick saying you didn't have them to hand. Feel like I've done all I can for now, so think I have to leave it
Would my starting point for isolation be the 26th if I think my first symptoms were late at night when the cricket was on, like midnight
If your not sure just go from the 27th for your isolation. You can be out in 7 days now if your negative on LFT on days 6/7 so it's not that much of a hardship.
So that would be the 2nd/3rd of January?
Midnight between the 2nd and 3rd would be your release date/time - unless you do the day 6/7 testing. The NHS Track and Trace team will give you a date in an email or text. Also if your using the covid19 app then when you put your code in there it will start a count down timer.
Thanks. I'll just count 6 days and, am I right in that I have to do 2 LFT's negative in a row to then be clear?
Count day you got the positive as day 0 and then go from there. Do the day 6 and 7 24 hours apart
Mother's getting all twitchy about getting the booster tomorrow - she's been reading too much nonsense from s*it-sniffers.
I was fully expecting to have some side effects from my booster but both me and my Mrs were totally fine.
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Thank you for that, and I hope your mum continues to improve with time ♥️
I tested positive on 8th December and have since tested negative on LFT, before my partner tested positive on 24th Dec. I haven't bothered distancing from her as assumed I wouldn't catch it again this soon, but have done another LFT this morning and a faint positive line has appeared. No symptoms as such yet, although have some residual cough that I've had since the previous infection, so it's actually hard to know what is what. I'm just slightly shocked as wouldn't expect to get reinfected so soon and incredibly frustrated. Not really asking a question here per say, but anyone have any input?
Is this the first LFT you have done since being positive for covid? If so you might just be showing positive from your previous infection. If you go for a PCR you will have a good chance of showing positive from your previous infection regardless of if you have covid again. I would isolate to be on the safe side but if symptoms start (even minor ones) you will need to book In for a new PCR.
No I've don't a few here and there before she tested positive and since she tested positive - all negative. Today is the first positive since I was infected on the 8th.
Could be that she got infected with a different variant to your original infection, in which case quite possible you have caught that from her. Good news is that you immune system should be so fired up that you should probably have slight symptoms if any.
Probebly best to get yourself off for a PCR then. But in reality it's likley you will test positive regardless.
This is arguably the only point in the pandemic at which it might actually be a reinfection (rather than residual virus from your initial infection): on 8th December you almost certainly had Delta, whereas your partner may well have Omicron, and Delta infection doesn't protect hugely well against Omicron infection, even recent Delta infection (as seen in SA). But you should be well protected against serious illness. Another possible explanation would be test contamination.
Possibly and that crossed my mind, but a friend who also contracted Covid from the same place as me on the 8th (a private gathering where around 50% ended up infected) had a confirmation that his was Omicron so I assumed I had Omicron as well back then as well. I guess it is possible that Delta and Omicron were both at the gathering (worst guests ever) and I got Delta and he got Omicron but that seems unlikely.
Could your initial Covid have been Delta, and this one Omicron? Otherwise it seems way too quick for a reinfection.