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)?

@NemophilistRebel not sure whether you mean DD’s friend?

We’re not in the UK but as a child she has super-mild symptoms and slightly different to what 111 are suggesting self-isolation for. It’s just a hunch of mine and I’m no medic. I just know my own body. But even in the UK she wouldn’t be tested.

For the same money she could have picked up a bog standard winter bug on holiday and shared that with us.

Horse bolted I’m afraid a couple of months ago.

totally, I know it’s easy for me to say but please try not to worry. The reason being that worry in itself won’t help. Take precautions, be careful of course, but you’ve got to live your life (even when self-isolating!). We’re having a pyjama day today, well we’re all sick after all, and all snuggled up in bed together enjoying screen time and lots of cuddles. Thankfully we’re not so sick that we can’t enjoy ourselves. I had that on Sunday and it was miserable

I was really ill after Christmas, lasted weeks, awful cough and sore throat, completely floored me. Worst part was that it affected my chest so I felt like I couldn’t breathe properly. I never get chest infections. I didn’t go to the doctors. I agree, the amount of people who have been ill for weeks with a bad chest and cough since Christmas is crazy. And not one of them went to the doctors as they thought it was just viral.

My immediate and extended family had a horrible virus over new year that went on for a couple of weeks. Totally floored me but I don't think it was flu. I wouldn't be surprised if it had been spreading long before China had to admit to the outside world.

I also think there's so many many more people who have had a mild case and not been tested so the numbers really only highlight the more severe cases in the beginning.

@BiscuitTin3 should have read your post first - exactly that!

As this article suggests, for the US, it's likely that in the US, and there are strong suspicions for Italy too, COVID-19 was in circulation before it was detected. Possibly weeks, but still not before January.

Both countries show a comparatively high mortality rate, which means that almost certainly they are detecting only the more serious cases and missing contacts that may only have mild disease. Unfortunately, public health is not very efficient in Italy and in the US, for different reasons, but largely to do with fragmentation and private health services.

www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/health/coronavirus-washington-spread.html

But there is no credible evidence that it has been circulating worldwide from December or before.

A timeline for reference, to avoid the "I'm sure I heard a scientist say on the BBC..."
www.devex.com/news/covid-19-a-timeline-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak-96396

The Wuhan market has now been identified as a factor for increased spreading rather than the source. Before that identification, there were very few cases and went undetected.
China has been the source of a few new variants of flu and other respiratory diseases, such as SARS, and has a good surveillance in place.
The WHO itself has praised how fast China has reported this outbreak, compared to previous instances, in particular SARS. Despite their known reluctance to disseminate information, this is a case where they have been reasonably open and in time.
Even if the actual number of cases were likely to be at least 10x as many as those reported at the beginning (as presented in a paper).

The Lancet paper with analysis of the diagnosed cases, including the first identified one.
www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930183-5

Rather rude response there considering I'm not the only one who feels they've already had it.

Frankly, I think it's pretty bloody insulting for anyone to speculate that it's been floating around the UK doing nothing except making a lot of people feel rough on Italy's worst day so far

There are (at least) two different strains.

I had a dry cough and felt crappy for a couple of weeks,achy etc
That was a month ago

Surly it’s more reassuring to think that it has been around for longer than we are being told?

So you think it's been around since December 2018

No, December 2019.

Although my DH had something last February (2019) and had he had that this year he would have been 100% certain it was COVID 19. But no, it was obviously a nasty virus of another type that caused a chest infection.

Surly it’s more reassuring to think that it has been around for longer than we are being told?

It depends. Do you want to be falsely reassured, or do you want reality?

Purple that's interesting. I had an illness a few weeks ago and ended up with very red and sore eyes.

I had a horrible flu type thing just before February half-term which I caught from dd. Her temperature one day was 39.6. Started with just a bit of a dry throat, which caused just a little dry cough, but nothing that would make you say "Oh goodness, she's got a cough". I was shivering with a temperature and then an awful headache and took the next day off work and really couldn't get up off the sofa. Dragged myself back into work the next day but really really could have done with another few days off.

And I had a flu jab back in early November.

A young women (mid 30's), and a young man (30), died in my area from pneumonia, (as well as a few elderly people), at the end of December. It was quite a shock at the time, as it's not something you usually think of people that age dying from.

My aunt and cousins had a bad "bug" at the time too, that she said started with a sore throat, tiredness and feeling really thirsty, and ended in an awful cough.

I wonder if there is something in this. DH had an horrendous virus a few weeks ago - constant dry cough, pain in his ribs and said he felt as if he had fluid on his lungs. After 3 weeks it subsided, but of course I caught it. On and off sore throat for a few days with a bit of a runny nose, but not stuffy like a cold, then developed a very bad cough which kept me awake at night. Also felt shivery and grotty. Has cleared up now after 2 1/2 weeks to leave a bit of a cough.

In November my DD was ill. So ill she needed to use a preventative inhaler.

She was the first one in her class off, but gradually 17+ children in her class were off. Same with other classes in the school.

A school near us made the news because so many children were off ill!

Don't think it was Covid19 though. Just something really awful for kids.

I also had horrendous flu at Christmas. days away from Pneumonia, acute bronchitis and pleurisy. I've been wondering if it was early Coronavirus, certainly similar symptoms.

Based on this thread, the virus must have originated in the UK sometime between November and December. More cases than in China back then.

Trouble is we're never going to know.

It was a joke.

But it would be in the virus genetic signature, if it did originate first in the UK.

Lweji just read your reply. I get the joke. I meant those of us who are/have been ill are never going to know if we have it already or not. I don't think it originated in the UK, we do know that.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear!

Don't think it was Covid19 though. Just something really awful for kids.

I think there probably was. In the run up to the December election, Leeds General got so overwhelmed with children with respiratory issues that they had children on the floor. One mother went to the press about and got accused of faking it, as I'm sure we all remember, but she didn't. And nor did the other parents who were in that situation at Leeds those nights.

Selfisolating
I say we can clear it all up, for once and for all. Just ask the virus which it feels most strongly about: Brexit or Megxit. That'll identify its most likely date of entry to the UK like psychological carbon-dating!