Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

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Beiruty
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Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#1

Post by Beiruty »

I am on self-imposed home arrest save my range trips.
A week ago, I felt like I have sore throat with no fever. The next day, I had stuffed nose.
By Friday, I had cold/flu symptoms with loss of taste and smell but no fever.
I checked in the nearest COVID-19 testing facility (PrimaCare Clinic) and after 4hrs in-line, I tested negative for both flu and COVID-19. The swab was taken from the frontal lobe of the nose. Diagnosis was Common cold.
I stayed home and took Theraflu day/nigh pills. The cold symptoms are subsiding but the taste and smell is not back.

Should I do another COVID test?
Last edited by Beiruty on Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mike S
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#2

Post by Mike S »

First off, good call on your self-imposed isolation just in case. My understanding is a negative result with the nasal swab is around 80% accurate (ie, if Negative, it's 80% (+/- ) sure that you don't have COVID).

I'd recommend speaking with your primary care Dr & let them know about the loss of taste/smell, & see what they say.
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ScottDLS
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#3

Post by ScottDLS »

Beiruty wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:32 pm I am on self-imposed home arrest save my range trips.
A week ago, I felt like I have sore throat with no fever. The next day, I had stuffed nose.
By Friday, I had cold/flu symptoms with lose of taste and smell but no fever.
I checked in the nearest COVID-19 testing facility (PrimaCare Clinic) and after 4hrs in-line, I tested negative for both flu and COVID-19. The swab was taken from the frontal lobe of the nose. Diagnosis was Common cold.
I stayed home and took Theraflu day/nigh pills. The cold symptoms are subsiding but the taste and smell is not back.

Should I do another COVID test?
Problem is you may already be over it. You might consider getting a blood test for antibodies just to see if you had it. If so it’s highly likely you’re immune at least for a while. Then you could wait longer with less worry for a vaccine if you choose to get one.
4/13/1996 Completed CHL Class, 4/16/1996 Fingerprints, Affidavits, and Application Mailed, 10/4/1996 Received CHL, renewed 1998, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2016...). "ATF... Uhhh...heh...heh....Alcohol, tobacco, and GUNS!! Cool!!!!"
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Beiruty
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

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Post by Beiruty »

ScottDLS wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:55 pm
Beiruty wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:32 pm I am on self-imposed home arrest save my range trips.
A week ago, I felt like I have sore throat with no fever. The next day, I had stuffed nose.
By Friday, I had cold/flu symptoms with lose of taste and smell but no fever.
I checked in the nearest COVID-19 testing facility (PrimaCare Clinic) and after 4hrs in-line, I tested negative for both flu and COVID-19. The swab was taken from the frontal lobe of the nose. Diagnosis was Common cold.
I stayed home and took Theraflu day/nigh pills. The cold symptoms are subsiding but the taste and smell is not back.

Should I do another COVID test?
Problem is you may already be over it. You might consider getting a blood test for antibodies just to see if you had it. If so it’s highly likely you’re immune at least for a while. Then you could wait longer with less worry for a vaccine if you choose to get one.
Good adivse
Beiruty,
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Soccerdad1995
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#5

Post by Soccerdad1995 »

I would advise exploring the pros and cons of getting another test (either for active infection or for antibodies).

My personal experience is that my wife was diagnosed COVID positive in March (one of the first confirmed cases in Houston). I had been in very close contact with her right before she got sick as we were returning from a week long road trip. I got very sick with COVID like symptoms but was not tested. The ER doc basically said that my symptoms weren't life threatening and they would prescribe the same course of treatment whether I had COVID or something else. I recovered after a couple weeks, and my sense of smell and taste eventually returned.

I decided against getting a COVID test, or an antibody test, because I see very little upside to a positive test result. Yes it would satisfy my curiosity, but I'm not sure what else it might accomplish. On the other hand, I am paranoid enough that I do see some potential downside with having a government record of me having had the disease. Yes it's unlikely that anything bad would come of that but I don't see a reason to give the government information about my health unless there is a good reason for it.

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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#6

Post by parabelum »

Are you 100% sure that you were not in a too close proximity to a commie Lib when you lost the sense of smell?
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Paladin
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

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Post by Paladin »

As others have said, the test is not 100% accurate. Your symptoms of loosing taste and smell etc are a more reliable indicator than the test. I'd recommend acting accordingly.
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Grayling813
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#8

Post by Grayling813 »

A doctor friend had his two sons and his daughter all sick and tested positive. He was sick with same symptoms as his children- tested negative twice.
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Beiruty
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

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Post by Beiruty »

parabelum wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:21 pm Are you 100% sure that you were not in a too close proximity to a commie Lib when you lost the sense of smell?
I cannot rule it out. Those suckers are like master spies they blend very well with our folks.
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jerry_r60
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#10

Post by jerry_r60 »

Beiruty wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:32 pm I am on self-imposed home arrest save my range trips.
A week ago, I felt like I have sore throat with no fever. The next day, I had stuffed nose.
By Friday, I had cold/flu symptoms with lose of taste and smell but no fever.
I checked in the nearest COVID-19 testing facility (PrimaCare Clinic) and after 4hrs in-line, I tested negative for both flu and COVID-19. The swab was taken from the frontal lobe of the nose. Diagnosis was Common cold.
I stayed home and took Theraflu day/nigh pills. The cold symptoms are subsiding but the taste and smell is not back.

Should I do another COVID test?
I find this interesting. My Son In Law out in Ga had symptoms just as you described. He went into the Dr assuming that with loss of taste & smell and other cold symptoms it was covid (no fever). They did the quick test and it came negative. After the Dr exam, they were sure he had it and did the test that takes a couple days to get results back. To everyone's surprise, that one also came back negative.

He has gone on to self quarantine anyway, take extra Vitamin D, C and Zink (doesn't hurt at worst). Within a couple days he was feeling better, doing fine now, still self-quarantined.

Flu or cold could certainly have the other symptoms but the taste & smell thing???

I hope you feel better quickly.
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Re: Tested COVID-19 Negative but I lost taste and smell

#11

Post by Keith B »

Rapid (antigen) tests have a very high rate of false negative results. These are the 15-20 minute result tests. PCR tests, which take 24-48 hours plus are the gold standard for testing. However, they can also have false negative reports.

My daughter had the classic symptoms, and tested negative twice on a rapid test. She took a PCR test and it came back inconclusive. She was sure she had it, so had another test done. This time the sample was taken way deeper into her sinus cavity and it came back positive. Prior tests had been done just in the nasal area of the nose.

So, just because you get a negative test does not mean you don’t have it, but a positive test says 99% that you do.
Keith
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