People referring to covid as a cold

[ellie09]

On Monday I tested positive for covid. Felt horrible and took a test (even though you dont need to anymore), as I work in an office.

I have had covid a few times, as I have a really crap immune system. Ive also had several colds over the years which I tested negative for covid.

My DS came down with the sniffles last night and a cough. I rang his dad as he was meant to be staying at his dads, and he lives with his elderly mum. I told him the situation and that DS would be better staying home for a few days isolating with me (we dont know if its covid as he wont let me test him, but we can assume)

Ive felt utterly awful and like each time i've had it, my chest is in pain and it feels like someone's standing on my chest 24/7. There is a big difference between the times I had a cold, and covid (but I cant speak for others)

DS's dad brushes it off, tells me covids made up and its "just a cold" and that DS should still go round. I rang DS grandmother seeing as its her house and explained, she basically said to me, "yeah, you just have a cold, thats not real".

Is this a normal reaction now? People have covid and its just brushed off as a cold, therefore people are out spreading knowingly?

Wow edgy 😂

It kind of is now though. I wouldn’t know the difference between covid and a cold and I certainly wouldn’t buy a test when one of us has a sniffle! Did test positive for it twice when testing was a mainstream thing and I didn’t feel any different to when I’ve had a mild cold.

I test for anti virals. My dad has tested before when he felt "off" as he was visiting me
It's not too much of an issue as people know not to visit me anyway if they've got a cold etc let alone covid but if anyone wants to be sure then I've given them a test if they've wanted one

I test mainly because I got long Covid at the end of 2020 and ended up with some worrying cardiac symptoms. Only now has my cardiologist mentioned coming off b blockers. I want to know if I’ve got it so I can rest if necessary.
2nd time I’d just had the 4th jab a few weeks earlier which I suspect minimised my symptoms. Knew immediately that it was Covid. Was left with a wheezy chest for weeks after.

The point is, you’ve given them both the heads up and they are fine with it.

Personally I don’t even want a cold. So if anyone is coming to visit I would want to know if they were ill and then I would make the call.

Covid is a funny one and always has been. Some people suffer badly and for others it’s not even as bad as a cold.

If they are ok with it I’d send him. Not sure if that was what you were asking. But they don’t seem to care about being ill.

All any of us can do now with Covid is be courteous as we would be with any other infectious illness.

OP, just stop testing and isolating and carry on as normal. Nobody cares about Covid, it's not a big deal and we definitely don't need anyone to make a drama about it.

Exactly this. My DH is a bonehead and will just quietly put up with it. The hospital took forever to get back to him so he ended up getting delirious. I had enough at this point and threatened to take him to A&E and sit him in reception. They soon got him in, he could barely walk. I remember leaving him there for 3-4 hours whilst they kept an eye on his sats like you mentioned. Somehow though he has been in prolonged close contact with two people with it recently he hasn't gone on to have it. I'm not convinced he has much immunity from all the vaccines he's had but who knows.

You are obviously lucky enough to have good health. You must know perfectly well that not everyone can so easily shake off covid (or flu or other viruses).
We test because we can and because the vulnerable can get antiviruls which are time critical.

To be honest, what you're describing does sound like "just a cold". I've got a bit of a cold this week, kids back to school, it was inevitable. Haven't the foggiest if it's covid or not, because I don't test. Get on with your life, it's too short to shut down every time you have the sniffles. Flu can be mild too, nobody tests for that just in case do they.

Comparing Covid to a common cold would be an unfair comparison with Covid causing significantly more deaths.

A much fairer comparison is with the flu.

For example Covid caused 7 million deaths out worldwide population of 7.95 billion or 88 people per 100 million.

The Hong Kong flu pandemic in 1968 caused up to 4 million deaths out of a worldwide population of 3.5 billion or 114 people per 100 million.

So on that basis the Hong Kong flu virus was more deadly than Covid but interestingly there were no massive government restrictions and it caused minimal economic damage.

You can’t possibly tell me that you’d risk losing your job for taking time off when you’re not supposed to, so that others might not lose theirs?

You've informed them and they're not bothered, OP, that's the best you can do.
As others have said, the scary thing about Covid is that people react so differently. My DS tested positive a while back and literally had no symptoms except feeling sleepy, whereas some people are floored by it.

I work casually. I can’t take time off unless I am sick. If someone comes to work while they are sick, and refuses to take time off, they are knowingly risking my life and that of the other cardiac patient in my office. When any of us miss work, we miss pay though. In Australia there are fewer and fewer permanent part time positions available. (And when you have a health condition, good luck getting one!)

I have it now chest is tight, I am out of breath, stomach issues, high temp, I ache everywhere, I can’t stop coughing and feel dizzy and sick. Meant to be flying abroad tomorrow but luckily the travel
company have put rearranged the dates! I am really struggling to drag myself out of bed! This isn’t a cold I feel awful!!

My my niece's DH has Long Covid. From a whirlwind of energy to bedbound for days at a time. Early 30s when he got Covid. He is slowly recovering after 3 years but lives in terror of a relapse.
In short : there's a world of idiots out there.

People are not idiots dor having to get on with life, I'm sure loads of people would love to self isolate, but unfortunately people can't thees days it doesnt make them an idiot

Well yeah, more fool her. I guess if she gets really sick or hospital she won't complain or blame you so that's good.
What about vulnerable people outside the family? Do they not matter?

@ellie09 I think you did the right thing asking/warning your DC's Grandmother. You gave her the option to decide what risk she was prepared to run. The problem is, that long before Covid, some people would struggle into work regardless of how ill they felt and pass on what they had to others - and some would stay home if they felt really unwell. These attitudes haven't changed post - covid. The current advice online with Covid is:
Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you or your child have symptoms and either:

• have a high temperature
• do not feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare, or do your normal activities

You can go back to your normal activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature.

But most people focus on the fact that there are no longer any (legal) restrictions on what you can and can't do and do what they have always done. So if they struggled on with feverish colds etc, they will do the same thing now, whether or not they actually have a cold or Covid.

People being surprised that others are still testing for Covid seem to have not understood that Covid is still a danger to very vulnerable groups of people even if for most people it is only a nasty cold. You can still buy tests too.

First time I had Covid, I wouldn't have known I had it at all, if I hadn't been advised to test by a friend who had done so that she was positive. Second time ( this summer) I had a temperature, sore throat and a headache and felt too unwell for 3 or 4 days to go out of the house at all - and we were on holiday. Was also very tired for a couple of weeks. So you can't tell how badly you may be affected each time you catch it

I haven't tested since the free ones stopped being given out.

I work for myself so it wouldn't affect my work, but my husband would still be expected in work, my kids still need to go to school, shopping still needs to be done. I'd keep my distance from anyone in the playground as I would if I had a normal cold but I'd still have to get on with life as usual.

Technically many colds are coronaviruses (same way the virus works) so yes for some people it is just like having a cold. I've had covid 4 times and they were all like colds except the original strain.

Interesting fact, if you have a cold you probably wouldn't get coronavirus at the same time. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56483445

I only had it once and it slayed me. I don't often get colds or flu type illnesses and when I do it it's always what I'd consider very mild and I'm over it very quickly. When I got covid the first 2 days were amongst the sickest I've ever felt and I didn't get fully over it for months. I had a cough forever, I had low energy, I tired quickly and had no stamina and really struggled getting back into my sport.

I'm in the same boat what symptoms do you still have?

Do you remember how long it took you to full feel back to normal? It's been 4 weeks for me.

Coughing (although less than before), tiredness, muscle aches and my sense of taste and smell haven’t returned completely. I have an underlying condition so I always knew that covid could cause further problems for me.

I’ve been doing breathing exercises and smell training to try and help myself. Any other helpful suggestions will be gratefully received!

Well it does make them an idiot if they can’t accept that many people are badly affected by it. There’s this weird trend for people to dismiss Covid as nothing, just a mere cold, so because they were ok everyone else is obviously just exaggerating symptoms for some bizarre reason.
Equally would you turn up at work with norovirus symptoms ?