Why do so many people seem to have Covid (and it’s summer?)

[Weightedvest]

I’m taken aback how many people I know who have Covid. Why is that? I assumed it was typically a winter illness.

also, I’m going away on a course next week and I’m worried about getting it and not being able to go.

if you have had it recently, what were your symptoms?

I’m a week in but didn’t bother doing a test I know it’s covid. I’ve lost my sense of smell and taste and feel sick eyes burning etc. feels much worse than when I had it a couple of years ago.

For people who cannot think outside of their own lives and circumstances:

Many employers still have a COVID exemption in their attendance at work policies, meaning employees can isolate for a certain time and not have it count towards their attendance record. I can imagine people test for this reason.

Many people care for vulnerable people, who they would avoid contact with if they knew they had COVID. I can imagine people test for this reason.

Just because you don't think it's necessary to test, doesn't make it true.

Cretins.

Because unlike flu/RSV covid isn’t seasonal. We get waves every couple of months or so. This variant does seem to be causing fairly large waves everywhere though. Be interesting to see what happens as the schools go back.

I had it recently. Started like a cold with a sore throat but then a variety of other symptoms inc stomach upset, dizzy, sore eyes, headache. I tested to protect vulnerable relatives. Pretty sure I caught it on a plane.

Do the old tests still work? Or is it a different strand/test.

I am wondering this as well. I feel exactly like I have done when I have had it before, but testing negative. I test to avoid spreading anything round but also so I can wfh for longer!

Fly in summer is incredibly rare. There is very little circulating flu at this time of year. Last time it happened it was a novel flu virus.

Mostly what’s doing the rounds at the moment is rhinovirus and Covid.

I have quite a lot of the old tests (I was then vulnerable) so it would be helpful if they did! I'm quite nervous around it still although live normally.

So if you had a streaming cold, but it wasn’t covid, you’d still visit? Now THAT’S foolish

False negatives are common on LFTs. The test being negative doesn’t necessarily rule out covid. If you are ill at the moment I think it’s most likely Covid.

I have Covid atm for the first time ever (that I'm aware of) and feel absolutely horrendous. Took a test as we had family visiting and tbh I've never felt a cold like this before so I guess it's more out of curiosity. I'll be off work tomorrow and then wfh for a few days. Does seem to be a lot of it around atm.

My husband, MILand I tested positive for Covid last week. MIL had been in hospital for a week, & someone in her ward had Covid. I got ill first, tested negative on Fri, & then positive last Saturday. We tested as we are having two community care nurses at a time visiting twice a day, plus regular district nurse and Doctor visits, due to my MIL’s worsening terminal cancer. We reported straight away to our nursing team, and they have all been wearing masks when visiting. Lots of people could have got ill if we had not bothered to test, & then take precautions like wearing masks, good hand hygiene etc.

I felt really bad for the first two days, headache, fever/chills, achy limbs, burning eyes etc. Still got a bad cough, but generally feel better now. Husband felt really rough for a couple of days, & MIL had a cough.

Why is it foolish to test?
My SIL has it and is feeling really, really unwell.

Because people are travelling more than usual.
I caught it recently on a flight back from hols and some of my colleagues also did, then spread it around the office. It happens every summer.

I've just had a pre operative assessment and was told if I'd had covid within the last 2 months I wouldn't be allowed rh anesthetic so it's definitely more than just a cold. My mother was in hospital recently with it and all the side rooms were full of people with it and isolated.

DH and I both thought we had caught summer colds. Never had covid before to our knowledge, but this 'cold' felt so much more than an average cold, my whole body ached and energy levels zero, along with sneezing, coughing, headache. Then my sense of smell went. Dug out a couple of tests found in the back of the medicine cupboard and both came up positive.

Sorry forgot to add, definitely tested just out of curiosity due to the way this cold seemed to be going.

I haven't had covid for years. I had it pre vaccine and felt fine with it. Second time I felt a bit off. I wonder if lots of people are still symptomless? I very really get colds now but I used to have at least 4 awful colds a year pre lockdown.

Tests are widely available - on Amazon, in supermarkets, most pharmacies, and online pharmacies. My husband had Covid a few weeks ago and in the 49 years I've known him, he's never been so ill. He was unable to get out of bed for a week. He had a very high temperature, extreme muscle and joint pains, headache and pains in his head, a very sore throat, and bad cough. It was the first time he had knowingly had covid, and he was fully vaccinated. he had been testing regularly until the end of last year because his mum was in a care home and then hospital and visitors were still being asked to test.

I caught it the weekend before the one just been. I'm CEV. It's the second worst I've had it. I know where it came from and how I got it. I don't usually go anywhere or see anyone. But I went to an indoor thing and ended up being pawed and danced with and breathed on by many drunken women. If I was going to catch something, this was gonna be it. I only tested because I got sicker and sicker and needed to know if my asthma was needing checking etc. It's been like when I had flu, but a notch lower because I've been able to watch some telly or read a book for a little. When I have flu, I'm crying while experiencing mild hallucinations and extreme emotional distress and can't converse, engage with TV or gaming etc.

I ended up in hospital a few weeks ago with a chest infection, had started with a cold, I had 2 negative COVID tests and the hospital did a combined flu and COVID test and it was still negative.
The nurse said there was a big wave at the moment and the hospital had 30 COVID patients which was the highest number for a long time.
I bought new tests in Boots as my old ones had expired. I tested because I wanted to know, also my mum is 86 so wouldn't visit her if I had it.
I went to London on a day trip on the train last week, 2 hour journey on packed trains, I wore a mask and was the only person doing so. I now take taxis in London as I don't want to use the tube because of the risks of catching COVID, flu or any other illness easily transmitted in a very crowded airless environment.
I know several people who have caught it this summer on a plane, sitting next to coughing sneezing people.

I had it recently. Felt really bad for a few days - I literally couldn't get out of bed. This was in contrast to the first time I had it a couple of years ago when it was more like a heavy cold.

Been travelling to busy places
H & I came home starting and gradually became increasingly more ill over past few days.

Had tests in house.

Was going to mix with many people when got back, people with jobs, kids returning to school soon, grandparents and a almost due pregnant friend

Would have been rude now to test.

2 +ves.
Told others.

Surprise surprise they all would rather avoid it right now.

What's wrong with information?

Because people are going on holidays and mixing with others.
Everytime I've caught it it's always been around August.

Covid isn't really seasonal.

People are getting it because those around them are incredibly careless about coughing and sneezing, they are traveling without masks, don't use hand sanitiser, and haven't had a booster.