Who has this virus? Like a bad cold on steroids

[yohohoCrimbo]

I think this is Day 8 and it's never ending. I usually pick up after day 3 of a head cold but this just seems to be gathering momentum. Sneezing, nose either congested or running like a tap even at 2 am.

I teach and had a rubbish week last week but I think I will have to phone in sick if I'm not feeling better by this time tomorrow.

Oh and soooo annoying that I was getting fit, doing exercise I enjoyed which boosted my mental health and meant I was losing weight easily in Sept and Oct and then in Nov I feel like I have been given the lungs of a 96 year old who smoked 80 a day since age 12

Get some night nurse down you. Fabulous stuff!

(might give you the bright green shits though, it does me 😂 but I sleep like the dead)

Yep, same virus here, finally clearing after 3 weeks. It was a slow starter then a few really rough days, followed by a day when I felt a lot better, before going into a cough/ snotty nose phase for another few days...rubbish!
Hope everyone who has it manages to shift it before Christmas x

Same here. I had Covid two months ago and it was just two days of feeling rough and a couple of days either side of feeling a bit wobbly. This one is a monster in comparison.

This is how I feel (apart from the losing weight) I’ve stopped wearing my fitness watch as it’s just pointless.

I walked every day religiously and now can’t seem to summon up the energy. I’ve not been to the gym for a fortnight.

I came across a face lymphatic drainage massage video. Gave it a go and oh my yuckity yuck, the gunk that deposited into my throat!

I am mostly better (week 6). But fun new symptom is sores at the very back of my tongue.

I take vitamin D3, it is on prescription as I have osteopenia and as I burn badly in the sun I need it to protect my bones. I've had this virus for 8 or 9 weeks. If it is working for you that is great but it isn't working for me, well it is for my bones as I recently had a scan and all good, but it is doing nothing for me with regards to heavy colds and chest infections. I only wish it was a magic bullet.

I see several people have mentioned the sores/mouth ulcers. I've had that for weeks as well, as soon as one lot goes another starts. So the snottiest nose I've ever had, chest infection with 3 lots of antibiotics, sores in mouth, pain in joints, tiredness. Christmas is going to be great isn't it.

I’ve “only” had this virus since last Monday but wondered how people decide what is likely to be a chest infection vs. Just normal viral cough?

I’m coughing a lot. Sometimes green phlegm. Yuck.

however I just assumed the stuff is coming out, so good, however a friend asked me yesterday whether I was taking antibiotics for my chest It hadn’t even occurred to me to try to speak to a doctor about something which seems viral?

Still got mouth sores too. I've just tried a sinus massage thing from YouTube and I can breathe a bit better.

The waves of nausea are horrendous 😫 Haven’t eaten a meal since Monday lunchtime.

The tests aren't necessarily confirmation that you don't have COVID. If you've been ill a long time, you might no longer have the virus present in the sample.

I'm missing my Xmas lunch out today. I was soooo looking fwd to it after years of being in teams that did nothing. So that's me at home with my bug and a cheese sandwich. I would've been very unpopular had I passed it on.
Utterly fed up

I haven’t had a cup of coffee since last Wednesday morning. I have never not drunk coffee for this long as an adult. Underneath the virus I must have gone through a huge caffeine withdrawal. I just don’t want it. Drinking loads of tea though.

Day 16 and the cough has subsided by 80%! hurrah! still nasally congested on and off but feeling heaps better, I also took a few covid tests, all negative but I have never had a cold/cough that has lasted nigh on 2.5 weeks, where you think you're getting better one day then boom you're worse the next, very weird!

I did somewhere in the middle take a 5 day course of antibiotics, the health professional I spoke to on the phone agreed that I could have them, so I did.

I take vitamin D3 everyday for the last ten years, so didn't help me in this instance.

Wishing everyone well who has this godawful whatever it is!

Are you getting better @yohohoCrimbo? I'm on day 4 and have improved significantly but not great.

Sinus massage has really helped. Definitely give it a go if you're suffering. If nothing else, it feels nice as you're doing it.

Significant improvements but not 100%. I look awful and feel weak as a kitten. I'm still blowing my nose and have a phlegmy chest (sorry) - My scalp hurts and even my hair feels thin and straggly.

Tons better than what I was though. Hope everyone is getting through this and improving slowly.

I've got horrid sores on the roof of my mouth, I'd assumed it was the doxycyline but perhaps it's the virus....

Thanks for the sinus massage tips, that's really helped my headache this evening. I've felt horribly stuffy headed all day.

I'm feeling so low. My husband isn't well either and being grumpy and I am sitting here crying. I just want to feel OK. I've spent the afternoon writing Christmas cards so at least that is done. I desperately need ideas for some little gifts for son in law, I have his main present but he has been so good looking after GS and my daughter and I want some extra bits for him to open on Christmas day but my brain just won't focus.

Added joy today is earache so that's nice. I hope everyone is improving, I think I'm giving up hope.

@TheignT ah that's rubbish. Sending you a hug. What about something like fancy cheeses and crackers for your son in law?

Oh that's brilliant, he loves cheese.

I'm in my second week off work with it. My job involves commuting and speaking. I don't feel up to any significant drive and I've lost my voice. It's a barely audible croak. The cough is driving me mad, especially at night and the mucous is the most extreme I've had. I feel like I'm choking there's so much of it. And I ache all over and have very little energy, just a tiny bit of pottering about making a cup of tea and a sandwich or something is enough for me. I don't usually get that ill so it's unusual for me to be properly laid up. I need to get better for Christmas 🤞🏻

Does anyone know how long this is infectious for? My mum has compromised immunity and I'm avoiding her at the moment for fear of infecting her.

The muscle aches are unlike anything I've ever had. I hoovered the living room earlier and needed painkillers afterwards because my arms hurt so much. Everyone's still coughing like mad too.i