COVID for Sixth Time?

I've been feeling very lousy since late last week and I can't help but wonder if it is yet another bout of COVID for the sixth time.  We saw all the grandkids earlier in the week last week and went on a cruise on Lake Champlain with our group so I was exposed to the general public and a lot of tourists during a period when COVID spread is "high".  I feel so consistently lousy that I really can't help but wonder if I have COVID again.

Here is a quick list of my current problems:

- consistent breathing problems most often when lying in bed
- thick-as-paste mucus...  although, this is much less severe than in the past...  so far
- I have a little bit of a dry cough...  sometimes producing this thick-as-paste mucus
- sore throat
- swollen glands
- a relentless sinus headache

- ear aches, coming and going

- my joints ache more than usual
- I'm exhausted

- I haven't had a fever but I'm experiencing chills occasionally
- I just generally feel like poop

- the worse I feel, the more cognitive problems I have...  I can't think straight and whatever Sheila says to me seems to go in one ear and out the other if the sentence if longer than about five words.  Overall, however, my comprehension ability is poor.
- this is affecting my mast cells (my primary illness) so I've been pumping some extra medications every day.

I've tested for COVID twice in the past five days or so and I tested negative both times but I have little faith in these over-the-counter tests.  A false negative result is far too common and my doctors say the same.  

I wonder about having COVID again even though my two tests have been negative for a few reasons beyond me not trusting the accuracy of the tests.  I've had COVID five times before and this is very reminiscent of those times.  The thick-as-paste mucus is unique to COVID as I've never experienced this before COVID.  The breathing problems are very COVID-like.  I swear I must still have scarring in my lungs from multiple bouts of this virus which also is not good news for how my breathing will be in the future if I keep getting infected with COVID.  The rest of the symptoms could be due to anything and some of the symptoms are due to whatever illness I am fighting off triggering my primary illness.  I am leaning toward this being a relatively mild case of COVID again.  

The alarming thing is that I keep getting infected with COVID before my lingering long-COVID symptoms resolve themselves so it seems like the long-COVID stuff continues to worsen and linger.  

So, I've been feeling quite lousy for almost a week now and it is getting old.  My tolerance for these symptoms and pain is being put to the test...