Cold symptoms but negative covid test. Aug 30, 2025 · If you test negative for COVID but have symptoms, stay at home until you're fever-free for 24 hours without medication and your symptoms are improving. . Nov 27, 2024 · Key takeaways: COVID-19 and the common cold can feel similar, but there are important differences in their incubation periods, symptoms, and how long they last. Leana Wen explains what your symptoms could mean and what you should Keep in mind that if a person tests negative for COVID-19 but still exhibits symptoms, they may have another virus like the flu or a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which a COVID-19 test would not pick up. Dec 11, 2024 · Yes, you should isolate if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, even if your initial rapid test is negative. Is there a chance you still have COVID-19? Could it be something else? The answer – to both questions – is yes. Isolation reduces the risk of spreading any potential infection while you confirm the cause. Jul 25, 2022 · It's unclear why people are getting false negatives with Covid symptoms, but here are some tips for getting a more accurate at-home test result, experts say. Common cold symptoms usually peak around days 1 to 3 of the illness, while COVID tends to have a more variable timeline. You’ve got the sore throat, runny nose and cough (or any of the other common COVID-19 symptoms right now), but when you swab your nose and take a test, it comes out negative. Feb 8, 2023 · If you test negative for Covid-19 but still have symptoms that appear to be Covid-related, CNN medical analyst Dr. hetqy uilm poxw wchl emtqg ckolv fond tbv bhq mwd