Covid Testing Whilst on Antibiotics?

[Desanthony]

Good Afternoon All,

Here we both are sitting inside on quite a nice but breezy day when we could be working in the garden as both have chest infections and on antibiotics. We can manage to do a few things a day but need to rest up in between activities. Just had to go out shopping so that’s why we are sat here now.

While this infection went from cold to sore throat last week we tested every day and always negative now that it has become a chest infection and we have been put on antibiotics I wonder is it worth continuing to test? Would the antibiotics skew the test? We have taken a test every other day this last week whilst my wife has been on antibiotics since Tuesday and I have been on them since Thursday. I thought I would, as usual manage to stay free but didn’t. One good thing is that when I took BP and Kardia yesterday I was not in AF. Don’t know how that happened as been in permanent low rate AF for a year now?

At the moment watching a 1975 Dr Who 4 parter from 1975 - wow those old special effects are really awful - do you think they always were but we didn’t expect better or our new TV’s show them up?

[mjames1]

I don't think antibiotics would skew either the rapid antigen or PCR test. Given the escalation of your symptons, don't know if I'd test every day again, but maybe another rapid antigen test once or twice spaced a few days apart. There's still a lot they don't know about Covid and testing, but it's not uncommon to test negative via antigen one day when symptomatic and then test positive a few days later.

Jim

[Desanthony in reply to mjames1]

Thanks for that. We were not thinking of testing so regularly as we have been because it really is awkward coughing and sneezing and taking a test 🤣

[mjames1 in reply to Desanthony]

Hopefully, you don't have to go out to do it. I have about eight antigen 15 minute tests at home now, courtesy of the US government. The pharmacies are also well stocked both in the stores and online. We also have many clinics, fixed and pop ups, in various neighborhoods that offer free testing, however I prefer to do the antigen test at home and from a practical point of view, many think they are more useful than the PCR tests because since they may be more accurate in terms of whether you are contagious or not. That said, the PCR's are more sensitive, so if not too much of a bother, might not be a bad idea to get at least one PCR test given your symptoms.

Jim

[mjames1]

Also great the infection put you back into normal sinus rhythm! Or maybe it was the awful side effects of Dr. No lol Hard to tell with afib but on the infection side, what often puts you in afib gets you out of afib. Just give extra attention to keeping up with fluids both because of the infection and being on antibiotics. Keeping hydrated will give you the best chance of staying out of afib. If not already discussed, you might also want to contact your cardiologist and ask about a daily antiparticle like Flecainide to further help keep you in sinus rhythm.

Jim

[Desanthony in reply to mjames1]

Jim I don’t think I will do a Kardia test again incase it shows me back in AF 🤣. To be honest I’d rather AF than this darn coughing and sneezing.

[mjames1 in reply to Desanthony]

Well, that's one approach lol.

[Jalia]

Is there a reason why you are doing so much covid testing? I had covid 4 weeks ago and I knew it! A LFT confirmed it. I was quite ill but my husband was unaffected, tested negative.I hope you both feel better soon and able to get out in the sunshine !

[mjames1 in reply to Jalia]

Several reasons. First, Covid can mimic other conditions -- flu, seasonal allegies, cold, gastritis, etc -- so testing is the only way to know. Also, it may require several tests for Covid to show up. But more to the point, the earlier you identify you have Covid, not only can you isolate to avoid spreading it to others, but you can also take actions to prevent it from getting worse. Not sure what is available in the UK, but in the US, we have an anti-viral series of pills (paxlovid) which should be administered within the first five days of symptons. Same thing with monoclonal antibody therapy. You want to administer it within the first five days, so testing early and sometimes frequently gives you the best chance of fitting into that window.

Jim

[Desanthony in reply to Jalia]

We tested to make sure that our sneezing - high temp and sore throats were not Covid - also we were staying away from home and visiting a couple of friends so needed to make sure we didn’t take Covid to them or they gave it to us - all of us of an age and with various co-morbidities which would make Covid worse for them and us. Also Covid incidence above national average where we were and still rising so wanted to be certain that as we had already managed to avoid it we would continue to do so. We both suffer from a few lung complaints so had it been Covid at any time would have had to get special treatment - we were told by the pharmacist to test every other day and if symptoms got worse - which they did to test every day as it is so easy to miss.

Thankfully we have got a lot of the free NHS Tests to tide us over before we have to pay for testing.

[Jalia in reply to Desanthony]

Oh you poor things! I can see why now! Its strange though how others who have been close to me never caught it but you can't be too careful with lung conditions. We had been mixing with a group of ' elderlies' the previous week and I appeared to be the only one who succumbed.

[Desanthony]

Yes a dentist friend of mine were discussing this on the phone just last evening - how one can get it and then sometimes the partner doesn’t. Fed up with being I’ll though - not used to it this is the first time in decades I have had something like this just fed the tubs and now resting and coughing and thinking when we will have enough energy to clean the car - may take it into town to get done but holiday traffic goes through the middle of town and it could take me a long time to get through from about now until 2 ish! 🙀🤣