My SIL, in NM, had covid in October and has her second case now. She has gotten all the boosters.
3 close friends and numerous of their family members just had Covid in the last few weeks. All had the first rounds of vaccines and boosters back in 2020\2021. One of the group has had multiple boosters since then because of a cancer diagnosis. None of the others have. All have had at least one other bout of Covid that I know of. All had mild symptomsâŠ.slight sore throat, congestion, and fatigue with this last infection. None had fevers which one of my friends found odd because she gets them with almost every illness. All are under 60.
For reference, Iâm in So Cal.
I am fortunate to have 26 extended family members that live locally. We are in nine different households and have not gathered this month. No one has been on a plane this month. Of the 26, six had not had COVID as of June 1. Four of those six got it for the first time this month.
Two, in separate households, had COVID multiple times and became sick with COVID like symptoms. They felt bad enough that they went to the doctor. They tested negative both at home and at the doctorâs office. The doctorâs office tests were immediate, so I assume they were antigen as opposed to PCR. Within a few days, someone else in their household tested positive for COVID.
Not including the two that tested negative, eight of the 26 extended family members have had COVID this month. Half had never had it before.
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Interesting about the 2 that tested negative. My H tested positive a few weeks ago. Two days later I started with a sore throat and fever, and then progressed to cold symptoms exactly as he had. I tested negative for 6 days in a row, at which point I stopped testing because all my symptoms had resolved except a lingering cough, which is typical for me. Iâm convinced I had Covid despite the negative tests, as it is just too coincidental that I would get another respiratory virus exactly two days after Hâs symptoms started, especially in the summer and not having been around kids or seniors. But - 
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This was exactly the same as a close friendâs experience. When she told me she wasnât feeling well and relayed her symptoms I suggested she test for Covid which she did. Her test was negative, but then when another friend probably three or four days later tested positive. She tested again and it was negative. And then two days later, she tested one more time and it came out positive. Iâm wondering if the tests are not as sensitive to these strains of Covid.
I was wondering if it was because both of the people previously had it multiple (at least 3) times.
Possibly? I just wonder how effective/sensitive the Covid tests produced back in 2021 and 2022 are for the current strains? Do these companies update their tests to account for new mutations?
This was the second time for both H and I. We have both had all vaxx and boosters. We tested from the same batch of tests (the free tests through USPS.) His positive result came back within seconds and dark red, so this older test definitely recognized the virus. I just think I had a smaller viral load. Also read that itâs possible the virus was replicating in the throat for me rather than nose - and maybe if I had throat swab tests they would have come back positive. My throat was pretty sore for 3 days, so this theory seems plausible.
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A friend is a nurse for a university hospital -and just got covid for the first time. She tested negative 3x before finally testing positive. Would assume the hospital has non-expired tests. But they just donât seem to do well with the new strains.
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Another thing I read is that for subsequent cases, people are having symptoms much sooner after exposure than with first case (or numerous vaxx), because our body now recognizes the virus and initiates its defense to it immediately. So we should not be relying on a day 1 or 2 negative test. This is probably why it took 3 days for her positive - and what I surely thought would happen for me. But 6 days negative and symptoms resolved doesnât seem to necessarily fit this scenario.
So thatâs interesting to know. I havenât heard of anyone with it here, but my coworker came back from Pigeon Forge obviously sick with congestion. Next day the cough was worse, so she went to the doctor who tested for everything. Positive for strep but negative for flu/covid. But the strep antibiotics did nothing and her cough just got worse. She had to go back to the doc for breathing treatments and codeine cough meds, but they didnât test again. Before the negative test, I would have guessed it was COVID. It would have been her 3rd time. The first time she had a bad cough for several months.
So I wonder if it is COVID. Glad she stayed mostly home with it after that first day.
My brother had covid again recently. As far as I know, he didnât give it to his wife or Ds. Heâs the only person in our extended family of about 40 who has tested +. My niece & her household were all quite ill but they all tested negative. The extended clan has been doing extensive travel, including international.
You Have Covid Again. Why Does It Feel So Different From Last Time?
Cases are rising across the United States. Hereâs what to know about how symptoms of an infection can shift.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/well/covid-symptoms-change.html
Maybe someone has an extra gift link?
It could have been RSV. Thatâs what our family had after the youngest member caught it at the daycare! She was tested for everything with a multiplex PCR test,
and RSV was confirmed by it. It was NASTY!!!
That is true. I always think of that as a January-March thing but covid messed that timing all up. And I suppose it could have been any respiratory virus. Just seemed to progress like covid used to
Serious question. Why are people testing 4 and 5 times if the test came up negative. If you are sick and are staying home and away from people why does it matter if it comes up positive on the 4th test.
Iâm asking sincerely because I donât understand the logic behind this.
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Seems like it would make more sense only to test for COVID-19 if (a) you believe that you may have COVID-19, and (b) you are considering doing something soon where you may expose other people if you are contagious for COVID-19. If you are just staying away from other people due to obvious symptoms (because you do not want to give them anything, whether COVID-19, cold, flu, RSV, etc.), then it may not make sense to use a COVID-19 test unless you have a large stockpile* of them that would otherwise not get used before they go bad.
Unlike in the early days, when COVID-19 was contagious for 2-4 days before symptoms showed up (the reason for it spreading easily without being noticed until it was too late), it is now sometimes the case that people with prior vaccination and infection show symptoms quickly due to a fast immune reaction, but do not have a high enough viral load to be significantly contagious or test positive until a few days afterward (sometimes result in a negative test at the onset of symptoms, but becoming contagious a few days later).
*A vendor in the EU sells COVID-19/flu/RSV combo tests for 2.39⏠each and COVID-19-only tests for 0.64⏠each, much less than what they cost in the US. But shipping to the US starts at 49,90⏠from that vendor.
Itâs also worth testing if youâre planning on a vaccine because there is a recommended wait time between infections and receiving the vaccine.
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Yes, that can also be a consideration for checking whether the COVID-19-like illness is actually COVID-19.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine soon after recovery from COVID-19 is not harmful, but could mean that the vaccine is âwastedâ since your antibodies are already high for some months after recovery from COVID-19.