Does anyone actually have it yet?!

[Fatted]

Just curious really. Everyone is in a panic, stockpiling etc. Lots of people self isolating for various reasons. But I don't know one single person in 'real life' who has it. Same for everyone I know. Lots of people appear to be 'ill' or 'self isolating', but who genuinely has the virus?!

Lots and lots of people, probably.

But for the first week or so, it just seems like a nasty bug.

Then you either get better, or it goes to your chest, and you get pneumonia. Then you either recover over the next several days, or get worse and have to go to hospital.

It takes a while to notice all the cases there are because for the first week or so it is manageable at home. We are now starting to see the cases pop up (and sometimes sadly die) in hospital; these people probably caught the virus about 3 - 4 weeks ago.

This is what I mean, based on timescales, I would have expected to have seen more cases popping up.

I very much believe for every reported case, there's more that are unreported as well.

This is a really interesting read.

I can’t vouch for the reporter, but the data is sound - I have seen it in other places, academic papers etc
medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

Well obvs, only a few hundred people officially have it and they're diluted by the other 70 million other folk so its unlikely that you'll know anyone with it yet ... but you will.

And when you do, please don't turn into a raving thundercunt and shun them or abuse them, yeah?

I dunno if I've got it or not they won't test me.

That article is a very interesting read.

I'm in touch with someone who thinks they have it after contact with a recent returnee from Italy. One of the newest cases in my part of the UK has links to the area where I work.

I think community spreading is highly likely to be already happening.

I think I may have it, but the NHS aren't testing people unless they've had known contact with someone else who has tested positive. So there could easily be huge swathes of people with it where this isn't confirmed, and no way of finding out

And when you do, please don't turn into a raving thundercunt and shun them or abuse them, yeah?

Has that happened to someone?

I know of one person who has been diagnosed positive. There's been a lot of interaction between her kids and friends. Some are self-isolating, others are confused about what to do. I don't think she's experienced any negativity though - just sympathy!

One of my in laws has it. They were skiing in northern Italy a few weeks ago and have tested positive

Considering this was doing the rounds in China as far back as November, I think it's naive in the extreme to think that the 460 or soe detected cases are the first examples in the UK.

My partner works with people who globe-trot constantly, including people who spend time in China. She was extremely unwell in January, and displayed every symptom of Covid-19, including the supposed sequence of flare-ups and remissions. I've been feeling low-level run down and not quite right myself for about 6 weeks, and I'm also experiencing it in a way that I have mild symptoms consistent with Covid, which then relent only to reappear as a mild form of the supposed symptoms of the next stage of the virus.

Neither of us have been tested, but I wouldn't be remotely surprised to find we're both positive, and as I said, this has it's roots far further back than a week or so ago when we were told it first 'arrived' in the UK.

I suspect that thousands, if not tens of thousands of people in the UK have already been through Covid and either not realised, or just put it down to Flu, really bad colds etc. Not everyone ends up critically ill or requiring treatment.

@NeckPainChairSearch "Has that happened to someone?"

Yep! Here in lovely, friendly New Zealand.

www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/120049083/coronavirus-mum-with-virus-says-her-husband-is-nzs-fourth-diagnosed-case

It'll start to feel more real as celebrities come down with it.
Tom Hanks and his wife have been infected. Juventus player Daniele Rugani. In America the NBA season has been cancelled after a player contracted it.

I saw someone having a go at someone for being in work and feeling unwell yesterday (in my office) 😕

And I bet the celebrities and MPs get special treatment and medical care, so that when they emerge unscathed Matt Hancock can say: "see, it's not so bad. Stop fussing and just keep washing those hands."

I think I might have it. Started with dry cough, then fever the next day. It's odd - I don't feel that bad but my temperature is properly up.. It's unlike any cold I've had but I suppose it could be a coincidence. I'm self isolating. I haven't been abroad or had contact with anyone who has.

I do wonder how many people have had it, fought it off and are now back to normal. Without knowing it was Covid-19.

XDownwiththissortofthingX totally agree with your post.

Sparkling room I wonder this too. I wonder if maybe they know this so it's why they aren't bothering with much.

They being the government.

I know of 3 people (family) who have tested positive. Only one has been ill and is now recovering.

I meant they are a family, not that it's my family!

I've just been phoned by PHE. They won't test me as I haven't been to Italy nor had direct contact with a confirmed case. I have had the text book symptoms of this. Cough, followed by fever, now tightness of breath. I keep thinking maybe I am making up the tightness but it is tricky to breathe enough if I am eating.

I am a fit middle-aged woman. I am almost definitely going to be ok. But I think it is hugely, hugely irresponsible of the UK to take this approach and not be open about the fact they are massively under-reporting cases.

I got a lot of guff about 'a lot going round this time of year'. I'm not an idiot, I know that. But I don't have cold symptoms, no sniffing, no sinus problems. I'm not even ill enough for flu. I don't feel that ill. Temp down now and just odd tightness.

The PHE person confirmed it would be fine for me to go to work (In fact it's fairly easy for me to self-isolate.)

So just to clarify, I'm not particularly concerned for myself, just that they are letting it spread unchecked, and are not acknowledging that and not taking preventative measures for the more vulnerable.

Ditto to the PP who said they reckon it’s been going around unchecked for months. My DS came down with something remarkably similar at the start of Feb - just when it was beginning to hit the news here. He was properly ill - have never seen him so unwell before and he is the kind of child/teen who never gets ill. Really high fever, dry cough, bad headache, absolutely wiped out, short of breath - no sinus/nose symptoms, no sore throat, no earache. He was off school for a week. (to put that in context he’s probably only had a week off sick in total his entire school career before this and he’s 15.)

A few friends of his/kids in the same year then came down with something very similar. Then a few pupils and teachers in the school I work at came down ill and reported the same symptoms. No-one has been checked, even the ones who had contact with people who had been on half term trips to N.Italy because the travellers returned earlier than the cut off date the government gave so it couldn’t possibly be Covid-19!

I total agree about it being here for ages. There must have been quite a number of infected people over from China, in London especially, for Christmas and the new year. My DD was very ill mid jan with a temp of 104 she’d had the flu jab. Was wiped out for a week then had the cough. I felt ill for a few days but not as bad since then though we’ve both had episodes of head aches, 4 days of really bad aching legs, generally not feeling right. Wish they could test to see if you had already had it as I wouldn’t need to worry so much then.

I would say your definitely right that many hAve had it and just continued as normal after all its something we have to do, I don't think it's wrong of the NHS not to test everyone, mass panic would not help and the cost is huge, plus the number of people who will catch and recover is enormous helping with future herd immunity, they will likely test those who are vulnerable but I reckon the reason we are not in the state that Italy is, is that we have a much younger average population, more likely to recover. Locking down won't help in the long run sadly due to its long incubation period and we can't lock down forever! Someone in another country will bring it straight back in as soon as flights resumed. Sadly I don't think there is much to be done bar take sensible precautions, dont shake hands and wash them often. It will all be forgotten about before you know it. Always is! (speaking as someone with Ill /elderly relatives,) it's another virus to add to the list (bird, swine, Sars))