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Covid

Has anyone with a high BMI (40+) had coronavirus?

15 replies

SpunBodgeSquarepants · 03/05/2020 21:28

I've been experiencing anxiety over my weight and whether I would survive covid-19, exacerbated by the fact I am a single parent.

Does anyone have any positive stories for me, re. not suffering too badly with it, while at the same time being morbidly obese? My bmi is around 44 😔

And yes, I am working on getting that down now.

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HoyaFlower · 03/05/2020 21:37

Isn't it usually only people in hospital that get tested? So obese people who've had Corona but didn't need to go to hospital with it may not have been tested, so not know for sure they've had corona?

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0Muggle0 · 03/05/2020 21:49

I was ill for 3 weeks with Covid-19. The first week was not too bad, I had a dry cough and a temperature but under normal circumstances I would have just carried on as normal, I was only slightly under the weather.

In the second and third weeks I was feverishly hot in the day and had violent shaking chills at night and breathlessness. Then finishing off with a severe headache lasting 10 days and diarrhea.

I'd rate the illness as 6/10 awful. My BMI is the same as yours.

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lesbihonest · 03/05/2020 22:04

My friend did, she’s a staff nurse - she said she’s fine, bit breathless but not too bad at all . She’s got a BMI of 44/45 - very big ie her boobs sit under her chin almost .

I have a BMI of 42ish - I’m bloody terrified so very strictly distancing .

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HoyaFlower · 03/05/2020 22:06

I know someone who's a nurse and obese but probably in the 30-35 range who had it mildly.

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thewheelsonthebus23 · 03/05/2020 22:08

My friend tested positive. I’m not sure if her BMI is over 40 but she is overweight. She’s a nurse and her only symptom was loss of smell.
I don’t know my BMI either but I needed extra scans during my pregnancy due to weight.
I think I’ve had it, although not been tested. It wasn’t pleasant and I had a cough for quite some time, it’s still there on and off now, 6 weeks on. But I was never hospitalised.

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SpunBodgeSquarepants · 03/05/2020 22:09

Thank you so much everyone - you've helped my anxiety massively!

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ChittyChittyBoomBoom · 03/05/2020 23:07

Thank you, this has helped me too.

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Hairyhat · 03/05/2020 23:48

My friend had it. His BMI is probably about the same. He was breathless but not hospitalised. Slowly got better. He also has mild COPD and was a smoker for lots of years. In his 50s

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TheDinnerWitch · 04/05/2020 00:35

My BMI is 41 and although I never tested, I'm pretty sure I had it. I felt completely whacked out for almost two weeks, I was very breathless but never felt like I needed to ring 111, I just couldn't have worked, had to stay in bed all the time.

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Hippywannabe · 04/05/2020 07:41

I wasn't tested but am sure I had it in February, I have never ever felt so ill in my life. The headache was the worst, fever, chills, uncontrollable shaking and one night, horrible hallucinations. DH called an ambulance and they wouldn't come because I didn't have breathing difficulties, it was horrible.
At the worst point of delirium, I honestly thought I was at the end and i remember thinking my grandson wouldn't remember me. Fortunately, that was the worst night, OOH reluctantly agreed to a home visit by a doctor and 12 hours later , he arrived. Strong antibiotics (can't remember which ones) for 2 weeks, rest and I did start to feel better. On my first visit out after 2 weeks, I visited family and within 24 hours was ill witha projectile vomiting /diarrhoea bug.
In all, I would say I was ill for almost 4 weeks and it took a couple more weeks before I felt like myself. Then lockdown happened and apart from few days at work, I have been home since.
Has it changed my eating habits. Yes! I lost 21 lbs in 20 days at first and have gone on to lose another 9 so 30 lbs down since early February.
The idea that I could have a better chance of survival with a lower bmi has changed me finally.

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Bakewell79 · 04/05/2020 08:40

This thread has also helped me too, thank you for starting it.

Similar BMI to the OP at the moment but started a month ago at nearly 49, it’s certainly given me the push to work towards getting my weight in check.

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pintsizeprincess · 04/05/2020 08:53

I wasn't tested but fairly sure I had it in March. Very short of breath, awful migraines which I never normally get. These lasted for 5 nights in a row. I had awful body aches all over and a weird uncomfortable constant pressure at the top of my back in the lung area. I had one night of constant dry cough and upset stomach. My bmi is 41. I'm trying to do something about this but unfortunately I am a bad stress eater and so the current situation isn't helping matters. It's a work in progress. I hope I did have it then as I am very prone to chest infections and was in hospital with pneumonia last summer. So it would be nice to know that I had it and it was a mild case.

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SpunBodgeSquarepants · 12/05/2020 00:00

Anxiety is back with a vengeance today, probably due to the news about schools opening for year 1 in a few weeks, meaning my son will be going back. Is there any one else with a positive story of overcoming the virus with a high bmi...?

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AtlantaGinandTonic · 18/05/2020 18:08

I didn't want to read this thread and leave (as I'm also looking for positives). However, it's been announced in the news that the government have expanded testing to everybody over the age of 5 who are showing symptoms.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52713127

So, we may get more people who have a relatively mild case who have a high BMI. Another announcement was that if you'd lost your sense of taste and/or smell, those are symptoms would prompt needing a test.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52704417

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bathsh3ba · 18/05/2020 19:12

I've found this thread really reassuring. My BMI is bang on 40 and I'm trying to get it down.

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