To think people may have already had coronavirus?

[minniebo]

I had pneumonia recently, pretty severe, hospitalised. Everyone I've told has said, 'it's weird how many people have said they've had pneumonia in the last month or two.' Yes I know it's the season for these things but it's a bit unusual that so many young and fit people have had pneumonia.

Just out of interest, has anyone you know had pneumonia in the last month or so (in the UK)?

I had flu in December and ended up being hospitalised with pneumonia - I'd say its the most ill I've felt as an adult (I'm 41). I was off work for 3 weeks.

It was definitely actual flu as my tests came back positive.

If so would when could it have first been around? As far back as December or early January or not until the last few weeks where the media hype has begun? I know lots of people who had horrible bugs over Xmas period

Us too. We all had fever and cough over Christmas hols into January. DD’s developed into tonsillitis afterwards. We never get ill!

If so would when could it have first been around?

Second half of January.

It is odd. I had a horrendous virus during half term that really affected my chest. I was puffing away on my inhaler constantly. Colds and viruses never normally affect my asthma much, but this one was horrendous. The kids were on half term and I could barely get off the sofa for the whole week or most of the week before. Despite being in very close contact with me fore the entire time, neither of the DC caught it. But DH did and has only just recovered.

If so would when could it have first been around? Pretty sure I was reading about the outbreak in China in the broadsheets in very early January (if not the end of December)?

Yes. In China... It started early December, probably end of November. In very few people...

I’ve posted a similar thing OP think it could have been circulating a while - much longer than we think anyway. But also posted re something we’ve all had.

So early mid Jan DC (toddler) poorly, horrible cough, gungey eyes and when we got him to GP really sore throat, temp spiking to 40.5, but coming down with calpol on an off for over a week. 2 weeks after he started my Dad comes down with it, says he feels fluey (shivers/achey) sore throat and a cough, cough ramps up over the course of a week, really dry, barking - not chesty. My Dad is one those that just gets on but said he felt so miserable for 2 weeks in bed for a lot of days, still crap 3rd wk. 5 weeks on better but still the occasional cough. Same time DH starts with a dry cough, feels like he’s going to come down with something but comes and goes for 10 days then feels better.

3 weeks after DC started I started. Bit of a cough - tickly, headache, day 2 Achey/fluey 38.2 temp - horrendously shit, cough progressed massively, never had a cough like it, and in my 20’s I smoked and always got a bad cough with a cold but this was dry, not at all productive and was relentless.

I wouldn’t say I was quite as bad as when I had flu ache wise, but for a full 7 days couldn’t get out of bed really, also the sore throat seemed to last for ages, wk 2 v weak and had to request to work from home - couldn’t have gone in. Week 3 knackered from it and still coughing but a bit better, 4th wk coughing still but less, but now could feel it on my chest front and back - that crackly feeling. I’m in the 5th wk now and coughing less again but chest still bad went to GP and they said there is a bit of crackling - asked travel history but didn’t want to swab because no recent travel. Have given me antibiotics. To go back after biotics.,Never had anything like it.

DB also got it, same symptoms as me Dad and my DC but just not quite as bad or for as long. DM fine.

I will say that apart from feeling it round my sinuses none of us had sneezing or a runny nose.

To me they’re basically the symptoms that are on NHS Choices. And the fact I’m fit and a none smoker in my late 30’s and my chest is still uncomfortable makes me wonder.

My son had flu over the whole Christmas/new year period. Laid flat on his back on the sofa for weeks. Was then knocked out again at half term. Has never been ill like that before.

I had the whole December thing everyone mentioning, only just able to breathe properly as of Feb.

However this last 10 days both DS and I have been really ill, he’s been off school all week (yr 11) he even attempted to go in on Thursday but lasted 30 mins before school sent him home saying they thought he needed a doctor. I’ve had every symptom on the WHO list even down to the crusty eyes one day, which ive never ever had during a virus. DS had every symptom bar the chest pain or cough. I’m a long term asthmatic (42 years) and have never had a dry cough until this. In fact everything was very dry. We live in an area with few locals, mostly tourists, mostly international. I work in a gallery and have been in contact 2 up to weeks ago with Chinese. On balance, taking everything into consideration I think the chances are pretty strong we’ve had it this week. If it wasn’t that then there’s something else virtually identical going around.

I read something earlier (can't remember where) that there are two strains and they think the milder one had been in circulation longer

I had the worst case of flu/bronchitis in November/December ive ever had, it lasted for seven weeks in total and literally wiped me off my feet, Christmas was cancelled as were all our prebooked shows and events. I went three times to the Doctors, each one seeing a different one, each one saying different things. The second one was a junior doctor, she said it had gone onto my chest and prescribed penicillin which gave me an allergic reaction and nothing to get rid of the flu. I have said all along since day one that Ive had it. I started a new job back in October last year and there was a Chinese lady who was full of cold working with a scarf round her face shed just come back from China, so ive wondered if this was the reason. Anyway, thank goodness im over it, but I genuinely thought I was going to not wake up I couldn't breathe properly, my chest was so tight, ive never been asthmatic but had to use an inhaler; I couldn't sleep without sitting up as I was coughing non stop. Even the junior doctor said I looked dreadful, so God knows.

Oh for gods sake.

You didn’t have it in November. Nobody had it then. Let alone in a country different to origin.

A random Chinese lady you worked with who had a cold didn’t give it to you.

A doctor wouldn’t prescribe you penicillin to get rid of the flu as the flu is a virus.

No point ridiculing someone

Even China says its been around longer than December. They can’t give any definite timescale

They wouldn't give penicillin for flu but they would if the patient has signs of a chest infection caused by the flu, its not uncommon for a viral infection to lead to secondary bacterial infection(s).

Even China says its been around longer than December. They can’t give any definite timescale

And its beyond the capabilities of anyone to retrospectively test people at this time but, if it was possible, I'd be interested to see the results as I think they would show it has been around several months prior to December.

We had the weird cough thing too. It was me and then my daughter. I travel a lot for work and I reckon I picked it up in this way. Very weird cough with a temperature then signs of chest infection. My daughter had it and had to have an inhaler for a few weeks..

If it had been in general transmission in UK in November there would have been an epidemic long before now. There’s still under 300 people in the whole country with it and it’s mid-March. It’s just common sense.

I had a bad cough for weeks and weeks which needed an inhaler. Even got sent to hospital for chest x-ray. However, this was in 2018. Viruses are always around. If you were ill in 2019 you didn’t have Corona

Sadly my lovely mum died of pneumonia in December, just before Christmas. However, DSis, DB, me, my DD and my Dad (who is 90) all visited her in hospital.

If this virus is as contagious as they are saying then surely at least one of us would have caught it if it had been Coronavirus.

If it had been in general transmission in UK in November there would have been an epidemic long before now. There’s still under 300 people in the whole country with it and it’s mid-March. It’s just common sense

No.

Common sense would dictate that if it has been in circulation for a lot longer than the Chinese government has admitted, then plenty of people could already have had it and recovered and we’d never know because they weren’t tested and won’t ever be.

The numbers that “have” it does not represent everyone that has it. Only those who’ve been tested.

I guess it seems irrelevant but me and my friend were both really Ill with coughs and mild flu symptoms after we got back from rome in december.

I don't know why people are so keen to say it can't have been in circulation longer than we think it has been. It's entirely possible.

But we'll only know if people are tested and show up antibodies for it, and don't remember having it, but do remember having something before mid Jan 2020. And even then it won't be evidence, just circumstantial.

I have had all the symptoms, but it started before there were symptoms outside of china. I wouldn't be surprised if it has been around longer than people believe.

I 100% believe the virus has been circulating unchecked for around 6 weeks. It’s such a contagious virus and can live on surfaces for days.

It will either die out naturally or just be another flu virus we vaccinate our elderly and young yearly.

We have as a family given our retired parents the option to not do childcare at the minute, they do one night a week, as the elderly seem most impacted.

I have in recent weeks had the most severe cold I have ever had, could look at a screen for more than 10 minutes without a migraine and needing to go lie down, no cough here though and fingers crossed we don’t get it xx