AIBU to ask those who have definitely got/had Coronavirus how symptoms started!?

[keepingfingerscrossed]

My two year old daughter is presenting with symptoms. We are currently self isolating but I’m trying to steel myself for how this will play out and how poorly she may get. How did the symptoms start for you and how did the illness progress? TIA and hope everyone is coping and coming through the other side as unscathed as possible x

Didn’t they say kids don’t get affected ??!

No, they said kids tend to get it more mildly when they do get it. Not that they are immune @1ForAllnAllFor1

I know someone who picked it up in northern Italy. She said it began with headaches, moved into a brief period of the shits, then came the coughing which was ragged and the worst part of it, then it tailed off slowly for over a week lasting at least ten days in total. She is fine and healthy and so is a family member she'd passed it onto.

The vast majority of people who get this will experience it as no worse than a bad flu. The social disruption and ensuing chaos and panic will be the worst part of it for most of us. I'm sure you're little girl will be fine. Make sure you have plenty of throat soothing medication in the house because she will likely experience a sore throat from the coughing. The best of luck.

WHO guidelines, OP:

I thought this was obvious until I saw the post by 1ForAllFor1 that showed a common erroneous perception:

www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

OP, people can have different symptoms, especially children. A child's symptoms will (thankfully) be much more mild and can seem like a mild cold. For a lot of people there will be a fever and coughing, but not everyone. Some people don't get a fever, some people feel fine and can't believe they have the virus, and a few lucky people have no symptoms at all! Please self-isolate just incase.

LouiseCollina This worries me as for last 34 hours I’ve had a cRacking headache (which I thought was stress from work) and then the shits with painful bloating. Now thinking might not be random stress symptoms.

Are you sure she has it? Like really sure? Children haven’t really been affected by it so far and I think too many people are getting hysterical when they actually just have a cold...

I really wish people would stop assuming that children will not be as effected as older people. Children also can have health concerns, ie asthma, lung disease, heart problems, weakened immune systems and many children can have underlying health conditions that haven’t been discovered or diagnosed yet. It’s nit just grown ups who have medical problems.

Op stay isolated and vigilant. You’re doing everything right. Lots of people will have this virus and not realise and lots will think they do but don’t. You know your dd so trust yourself and your instincts ( easier said than done I know) I’ve lollies for her throat and paracetamol but if you get worried called 111.

Of course she’s not sure Isthistrueor, but she is acting with integrity and a moral compass. Thanks god for people like OP? Children do get it. Mildly. But they are the vector for transmission. Please read the guidance.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#use-of-shared-spaces-if-you-live-with-others

aaaaand here you see why so many people think closing schools is hysterical.

There really actually seems to be a large number of people who believe children don't get the virus.

Where have people got 'children aren't affected' from?? C-19 is ALL OVER THE NEWS and they've been saying since day one that children 'get milder symptoms'. This makes children more risky, as they're more likely to be carrying it without anyone knowing.

Good news for OP is that children get milder symptoms, and the main issue is to make sure they don't pass it on.

Thanks everybody - some really good tips here. I am sure she has it as she has got worse overnight (although she had three hours awake from 1am). Shes had a persistent cough starting yesterday and getting progressively worse.. She has had a high temperature overnight and woke up this morning really miserable and her breathing just isn’t as per normal - sounds crackly and her throat is sore as croaky. There is a fountain of snot. I’ve moved into the top floor of our house which has the study, guest room and guest bathroom. Trying to keep away from my other two boys aged 4 and 6 and my husband is looking after them. All 5 of us are self isolating. My boys won’t be going to nursery or school next week and my husband won’t be going to work. I’m a manager with a team of 20 and one of my team (and therefore the rest of the team) had to be sent home yesterday due to a direct exposure to someone with a positive test for Coronavirus. I am having to try and lead them remotely and do my day job whilst sole caring for my poorly child with an inevitable infection myself. Trying to prepare and work out how we all get through this. I will have to muddle through somehow.

And just realised she had one terrible nappy on Wednesday. And was looked after by my elderly parents who are in their 70s on Thursday. Petrified for them

OP you can't be sure she has it. It's quite likely to be something other than Covid-19.

I know the advice is different in the UK than Ireland (where I am) as NHS advice is to treat as if you have Covid-19 and isolate. (In Ireland, you would seek advice and be tested, and we are in a period of self-isolation with different advice, thanks to Ireland proactively managing the situation, unlike, unfortunately, the UK)

So you are doing everything correctly but it can be any number of other viral illness, it's likely to be mild and self-limiting, take all reasonable precautions while not panicking.

It's awful to see the level of fear in the UK which I feel is directly linked to the poor leadership on the issue. The reality is still that for the majority it's a mild illness that self-resolves. The reason for concern is because it's new, we've no natural immunity, and for those with underlying conditions, it represents a threat.

I hope your little girl is well soon 💐

I think CV is meant to be quite a 'dry' virus, so if she has lots of snot, I'd think it's unlikely. Lots of other viruses around!

OP there are so many colds and viruses around which could give her those symptoms. You cannot be sure at all that she has it. It’s is infinitely more likely to be the common cold or flu.

However the advice now is to isolate with those symptoms so you are doing the right thing.

You won’t ever know if she had it unless she ends up being hospitalised (very unlikely) as they are only testing people in hospital now.

As a previous poster said, if there is a lot of snot then it's unlikely to be Coronavirus. But you're definitely right to isolate her away from others to be on the safe side.

Yes I know I can’t be sure sure but this seems very unlike her. Really re snot? I thought I’d read the opposite - that there was lots of phlegm and snot. That’s partly why I was checking symptoms. x

If her breathing is particularly crackly, don’t rule out bronchiolitis or croup. Check her chest for strider. Usually these conditions have passed by now but it’s been a mild winter.

No it is very much a dry virus-lots of snot suggests it is something else.

I would like to know too regarding the snot, my DS had had a runny nose and cold like symptoms, with a chesty cough. But the cough is not persistent or hacking as they have described, to me it seems like a cold and cough.

But do I now keep him off for a week with a cold??? It's this grey area which is so annoying!

It does sound like a chest infection op! You really need to ring 111 and take their advice.

No. Usually no cold-like symptoms, cough usually dry, no snot / phlegm.

That doesn't mean that's always the case though as it's an evolving situation.

You're doing everything right OP. Unless your parents have underlying health conditions (respiratory illness, asthma, diabetes etc), is immunocompromised, or is a smoker, their age alone doesn't pose an excessive risk.

This will most likely self-resolve without complications for you, your DD or any extended family.

Last week I was ill Wednesday - Saturday, I'm never ill so I half thought I had it but can it be so short and not include a cough?

It started with nausea, then a migraine, then chills when I went to bed mid afternoon, chills returned Thursday then Friday & Saturday I just felt exhausted and rotten. Temperature throughout, not super high and no cough though

DH takes drugs which affect his immune system though so I'm very surprised he didn't catch ( or hasn't yet caught ) it whatever it was

I'm assuming it wasn't it 🤷🏼‍♀️ but I haven't a clue ?

Thank you everyone. That makes me feel a lot better yet according to all the advice we all still need to self isolate. I will monitor my daughter and if worried I will call 111. My parents have thankfully been in good health save my mum has sky high blood pressure and have read overnight that this is classed as an underlying health issue. Just praying they are going to be okay whether exposed already or not x