For those of you that had breakthrough covid

The weird thing about Covid is that there are no rules. It affects everybody differently. And some people can test negative multiple times and then test positive. I was a breakthrough case - had it in January after being vaxxed and boosted, right during the huge Omicron spike. I had the hacking cough and my nose ran like a faucet that wouldn't shut off. My daughter had it a week later and her main symptom was burning sinuses. Neither of us had a fever or lost our sense of taste/smell (except that our nose was so plugged we couldn't smell anyways LOL).

Maybe wait a day or two and then try another home test, if you can. What you describe does sound like it could be Covid. Its definitely not fun, that's for sure. My case was mild to moderate, but I've had Long Covid ever since, which has definitely messed with all aspects of my life

I think I had it last Thanksgiving. Never tested since I thought it was a cold.

My experience: Some of our leftovers tasted horrible and we had a wax warmer where the smell hurt my nose. I had a scratchy throat one day. But the nasal drip- I have never blown my nose as much as I did during those 5 days of feeling bad. The reason I thought it was a cold was that I would feel really good after eating. So I thought it was feed a cold wisdom. I was pretty tired by the end of the day.

I only put it all together once everyone with Omicron started talking of their symptoms. So thankful I didn’t leave the house during all that time.

Oh no! I had breakthrough COVID in January. Didn’t test positive until I had started feeling better. Had many of the symptoms you described. When I was tired, my whole body hurt. Horrible experience.

I unfortunately know 5 families who have it now. One husband who has asthma had to go to urgent care because he couldn't breath and is currently on Paxlovid since he's high risk. He's been in bed for 4 days now and is very congested.

2nd family: the 2nd grader got it at school and she was over it in 6 days (testing negative after day 6), the mom got it and just started testing negative 10 days after (she tested positive 2 days after symptoms started) and she's still not feeling well - lost sense of taste/smell, malaise, congestion and swelling, dad was testing positive but was mostly asymptomatic, 2nd child never got it (never tested positive).

3rd family: dad tested positive (tests every day so he can go into work), started having symptoms 2 days later, now is on Paxlovid since he's high risk as well. 11 year old boy tested positive 4 days after dad did, he's doing okay so far, just stuffy nose and cough.

4th family: mom got it at school, spread it to the rest of her family (2 kids and husband). They were all very sick (adults vaxxed, kids were not). They were out of commission for over 2 weeks and are still not 100%.

5th family: mom got it at work, spread it to vaxxed 6 year old who was asymptomatic for 10 days but testing positive. Mom had malaise, congestion for 5 days then started feeling better, then started feeling worse again 10 days later.

It's all over the place here in the SF Bay Area. My husband and I got our 2nd booster and hopefully it will protect us from getting it. Until then we're wearing KN95's everywhere and staying away from large crowds.

I believe home testing 5 days after exposure is supposed to be the right timing.

I'm pretty sure I have it too. I had a weird cough yesterday and today I just don't feel good. Hard to tease out what symptoms are perimenopause, what's from doing a hard workout yesterday, what might just be allergies...

but my strategy is to assume I have it. I tested today but I think that's too soon since I'm boosted. I'm going to stay home tomorrow and test again on Monday even if I feel better - that would be 5 days since I think I must've been exposed.

I don't feel like I do when I have a cold but with you being around littles it definitely could just be a cold.

Hope you are all feeling better soon!

I was exposed Monday (I’m a healthcare provider) and despite being masked, vaxxed and boosted and the patient being masked and vaxxed I tested positive Thursday with a rapid at home test. I’ve consistently run a fever between 100.4-101, super congested, headache, fatigue, and this weird cough that I would describe as coming more from my throat than my chest (but different than post-nasal drip if that makes sense). The cough is intense enough at times to make me pee my pants. I’m pretty miserable and the timing could not be worse with what my family has going on right now. Fingers crossed it’s just a cold and you recover quickly!

Had to laugh at this one. I had to wear incontinence pads for like 2 months after having Covid because of this.

This was 100% me and DH too. Two awful days. The fatigue and body aches, followed by that cough. I too was glad that I was forced to stay home and felt I could almost recover. Even after 10 days, I didn't feel tip top. It took another week.

Being triple vaxed: Yes, I was truly sick, BUT I have been far sicker with strep and influenza and sinus infections.

Word on the news is that the omicron variant does NOT cause loss of smell/taste like the older versions did. We certainly had no issues with it.

I started out with a weird cough too. I just thought I had breathed in some dust when I took apart an old quilt. It just felt different from a cold. As I expected I tested positive for the 'rona this morning (at home rapid test)

Much love to you both, Skellinton joblackford! 

I haven't had breakthrough Covid-19 just yet but we were away this weekend and ate at restaurants (too crowded, honestly, but we didn't really have any other options) so eh, I'm monitoring myself while doing daily at-home tests and wearing an FFP2/N95 mask in warm summer weather whenever leaving the apartment these next few days to keep any person that crosses my path extra safe. 

I'm glad that your first test came back negative, but I do think that you were tested too soon. If you were exposed last Monday and tested on Wednesday, that was only Day 2. The recommendation here (military base in Belgium) is to be tested on Day 5 after exposure, and to continue wearing a mask if your results are negative. A second negative test on Day 10 means you are in the clear.

My Covid symptoms were the same as yours--fatigue and congestion, with symptoms that came and went (as soon as I sat up, my sinuses would start running. I went through an entire big box of Kleenex in a day--both from blowing my nose and the stuff I would gack up from my throat. Several days after my symptoms started (day 5 after exposure for me), I developed a cough because my throat was so sore from all the crud running down it. Those symptoms lasted several more days. Then about 10 days after my first symptoms, the fatigue hit. DH and I both slept most of that weekend that we should have been over it all. We probably weren't contagious at that point, but I was more tired than when I was contagious.

Our clinic said that congestion wasn't a symptom of Covid, but the CDC site says it is. I went with the CDC and got tested and was positive. (DH had tested positive 5 days earlier.) I never had a fever, lost my taste/smell, or body aches. The cough was very intermittent (once or twice a day for about 5 minutes) and began about 10 days after my symptoms appeared.

I hope that you are back to yourself soon.