PCR positivity doesn't mean anything because the test is detecting viral fragments, not live virus. In fact it starts with a lysis stage that destroys whatever

PCR positivity doesn't mean anything because the test is detecting viral fragments, not live virus. In fact it starts with a lysis stage that destroys whatever virus is in the sample so it can be detected. So there's actually no contradiction between testing positive and never having had COVID, even if you use an invalid definition of COVID (viral presence) rather than a symptom based definition.