Super cold? Melbourne GP says that’s not what’s behind increase in non-COVID symptoms

There’s talk of a ‘super cold’ in Victoria, with anecdotal suggestions there are an increasing number of people experiencing COVID-like symptoms, but testing negative to the virus.

But Rosebud GP, Dr Sally Shaw, doesn’t think there’s a superbug around.

She says we’re all just hyper-alert.

“We’re all very, very sensitive to the slightest sore throat or a bit of a cough, and we’re thinking ‘Oh my goodness I’ve got COVID’,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“We’re also mingling with each other, which we weren’t doing in the last couple of years, so we will have more cases of rhinovirus or influenza.”

Dr Shaw says people who would usually stay home with a cold are now presenting to their doctor due to concerns it could be COVID-19, driving up the number of reports of people with COVID-like symptoms who test negative.

But the Rosebud GP says analysis from thousands of patients though her clinic – all of whom were given both RATs and PCR tests, found negative RAT results were wrong 42 per cent of the time.

“A lot of people are reporting that they’ve got cold-like symptoms and their tests are negative, but really, if it’s a rapid test you cannot rely on it, not at all,” she said.

Press PLAY below to hear what Dr Shaw thinks explains the increase in COVID-like symptoms but negative test results