I’m COVID positive (provided proof to MN) - AMA!

[RightYesButNo]

Hello! I’ve been diagnosed COVID positive. I had my first symptoms March 14th, was tested March 17th, and my doctor called my 12 hours later to tell me the news. My results were quick, as I have underlying conditions. I asked MN Headquarters if they thought this would be helpful. I’ve provided private medical proof to them and they’ll be along shortly to verify me.

Please feel free to ask me anything about: my symptoms, their progression, the testing, my symptoms post-positive result, how others around me are doing, how quarantine is going, how I expect quarantine to go, and anything else you’d like.

I’m living abroad in Switzerland, so I’m afraid I can’t answer specific questions about what the NHS is doing, and a doctor would be MUCH better qualified anyway, but MN Headquarters still thought this would be helpful, maybe.

Thanks for the info, I wish you a speedy recovery

Very helpful and (sort of) reassuring, OP! Thanks for posting, and a speedy full recovery to you

Once you feel recovered, what will your life be like, ie will you still need to isolate or can you return to a more normal life as you are unlikely to get it twice?

@kitk (I apologize that this is long because it’s an answer from my own fears.) I hate hearing that and I’m so sorry. I think it’s incredibly hard not to be scared of something when they’re constantly showing" it with, or talking about, the death toll. Numbers like these are so tough because they’re multitudes bigger than the amount of people you could possibly know personally. In fact, 16,314 might be bigger than the town you live in. But...

There’s another number that’s much bigger than 16,314 and it’s 101,383. That’s the number of people who have recovered from this disease. The first number is going stop climbing at the rate it has, as you’re going to see that second number keep flying and flying as more people (me included!) recover.

Anytime something new comes around, something we don’t understand and can’t control, you’re not wrong or crazy or immature for being scared. Yes, it can kill people, even if the statistics show it’s a small percentage, every person’s life matters. Yes, it can be very unpleasant to go through; we have lots of articles on the symptoms (... and this AMA). And yes, it may disrupt the nation’s way of life for a bit, but it will pass.

We will, as trite as all the no talent arse clowns in marketing have made it, keep calm and carry on. Because we have a queen who used her purse for social distancing before it was cool (I just read the other day she uses it to fend of cheeky buggers!). Because the world will die of hangovers without English breakfasts (this is true - they even serve them at the pub here in Switzerland). Because tea will get us through. It is totally okay to feel scared and anxious about this. Ten days ago, I was terrified. But here I am. And I hope in ten days, you’ll feel maybe a bit better, too.

Get well soon! How very scary for you.

@DentalPatient - I’m not actually sure yet. I don’t know if they’ve officially determined for sure that you can’t catch it twice (while it is completely different than the flu, I don’t know if they’re similar in this one regard - I know COVID has a few strains, so I might be able toas that’s what she did before now). If they feel I’m safe, I may still be living quietly for a while because my lungs will need time to recover; again, no idea how long so maybe it will be a pretty normal amount of time and no big deal. Ha. Perhaps you can tell I haven’t exactly counted anything about the future as set in stone, so I won’t be disappointed.

Hi op, I’m also in Switzerland.

Did you go to hospital at all? Just wondering what the mood was like there.

I feel overall that it’s been taken more seriously and for a bit longer here, than in the UK. When I told a friend back home a couple of weeks ago that the schools were closing, small gatherings permitted only, the response “that’s a bit drastic”...... and watching all the Mother’s Day outings last Sunday made me a bit . I think Brits are a bit unrulier compared to the Swiss and the size of the populations aren’t comparable really I guess. But in your opinion do you feel The Confederation and your canton are taking a pragmatic approach here?

Oh and get well soon op!

Can't tell you how much I appreciate your thread RightYesButNo.

Thank you and I hope you feel much better very soon.

Thank you OP and I hope you make a full recovery soon

Have any friends of yours that you’ve been in contact with since likely being infectious got it?

How are you OP

Yes, how are you OP? @MNHQ have you heard from OP? Is she OK?

Have you still got a fever? Wondering how long fevers should last. Mine has lasted 16 days!

Hope you're doing OK, OP.

@MNHQ How is the OP?

Really hoping OP is ok.

Nothing? :(

Is OP okay

At any point did you have an unpleasant metallic taste in your mouth?

Thank you for doing the AMA, OP. I spotted the thread in trending so wanted to pop on and ask you this before I go to sleep.

Wishing you a comfortable recovery and hope you feel much better soon

I've just seen that the OP hasn't returned

I hope she's ok

Oh God, this is not the sort of thread where you want the OP to disappear on you!

@RightYesButNo Wishing you all the very best. I do hope you're on the mend. Please update us when you can.

Started reading this to see if how I'm feeling compared and I'm actually stunned to get to the end and realise the OP hasn't answered for a week. I really hope your doing ok OP

Can @HebeMumsnet email @RightYesButNo, touch base so to speak. Check in to see if she is ok. Please.

@TheRealHousewife @Pickles89 @wonkhtonkwoman @YetAnotherSpartacus @PurpleBlueAnemone Hey! Sorry, everyone. My symptoms got a little more severe than I was anticiptating. I did manage to avoid hospital, which absolutely shocked my doctors (har, humor - was hilarious when I called my GP and he goes, “I didn’t expect to hear from you!!!”)

Wanted to give everyone a proper update, which I especially owe you after disappearing for a week. My symptoms got worse, I had some very sleepless nights, but they were always JUST short of needing hospital (Cant remember if I mentioned I have an SpO2 reader at home so I know pretty close to what my oxygen is at home - do not play this game if you’re not me! If you feel breathless, go to the bloody hospital!)

Finally, this past Thursday (so almost three complete weeks since the beginning of my symptoms, Saturday would be three weeks), I called my GP and said, “I’m still awful. I’m not in the hospital but I’m pretty awful.” And for the first time in ever, he decided to try an antibiotic. I’ve never taken an antibiotic without having a blood test or throat that’s shown I need one, but as he pointed out, if you’re still having the fevers and breathlessness at three weeks, it might just be safer to assume I have the bacteria, and I’ve tried to never take an antibiotic when I don’t need it so... of course, if anyone has myasthenia gravis, they might realize the problem, because antibiotics can cause problems. So for some reason, we’re not sure, because the COVID reeeeeeally should be gone, something interacted with my myasthenia gravis treatment, and I had a big interaction Apr 5-7 (huge 10/10 headache, stiff neck and back, couldn’t eat, talk, really function). I had one of these right when the COVID begins so now my neurologist is wondering if it’s a sign maybe the COVID is officially over... or I’ve caught a second one???? (I’ve been in my house this entire time; it would have had to hitched a ride in on my husband or roommate this time).

My GP went, “right, no one can live with the stress of thinking they might be getting COVID a second time, so we’ll do the blood test.” I’m not sure what the “blood test” means yet; if it’s an antibody test, or if it can show if I’m positive still/again OR if I have antibodies. That’s tomorrow at 11am. I promise this time I’ll come back and update!

But really, it has been the strangest disease. Please, PLEASE follow social distancing and everything they say. I feel like complete bollocks and I’m one of the lucky ones. It’s been over THREE weeks and I still slept today until 7pm. I’m not sure if I mentioned a close friend who just barely turned 50 and had it worse than me and had to go into hospital, but he’s now out of hospital - he JUST got out - 20 lbs lighter, with lung and liver damage. We’re all gutted for him. It’s unbelievable. And he sort of caught it at the beginning before we knew much. But, I hate to say this: he waited way too long to go to the hospital. He was off the thermometer on his temperature (over 104) and still didn’t go to hospital until he turned purple, so yes. I love him and he’s SUCH a brilliant man (a financial genius, in fact) but don’t fuck about like he did. In fact, we’re probably both terrible COVID role models.

So! Blood test tomorrow at 11am. I’ll update when I know more and I will probably just lose my everliving shit if I have COVID again, but what can you do. I guess except make everyone walk through a bleach bath, like that small Spanish town does with cars, when they walk in?

Also. @Passwordz about Switzerland. I definitely agree with what my canton is doing. You really have to think about how small these cantons are and the death rate. Right now, for Switzerland, it’s killed something like one in 11,000. It’s completely impossible not to know someone who’s had it where I am, and it’s going to get impossible to not hear about someone who’s died from it (at least in the bigger cities, like where I am - I know there are some cantons that are much different). And that’s with the lockdown. Without it, I can’t imagine what the statistics would be. So I have to agree with the measures, even if I know they’re driving healthy people crazy. But this disease kills healthy people. It’s just awful. So yes, it’s wild to live like this, but I’m willing if it saves lives.