Oh crap I think I've got it???

[whatareyoucooking]

I work in a large secondary school where hygiene practices are... questionable

Started this weekend with a sore throat which gradually got worse (but not terrible) but I've been unable to sleep tonight due to a cough. It's a weird cough, there's mucus there (sorry TMI) but it's not being coughed up and I feel like I'm swallowing it a lot instead. Bleugh. No temperature/fever though.

DH is very blasé "ah it's just a cough" but it's the dreaded Corona isn't it?!

Have just emailed work anyway. At least fridge is stocked up and I've got a couple of loo rolls.

Fatgirlrunning- I'm so sorry you went through that, sounds horrendous. So pleased you're coming out the other side

Thereisfreedomwithin- however well meaning he may be i get so tired hearing men (I assume Phil is a man but usernames don't mean much) telling women to calm down

@whatareyoucooking
That's inaccurate, loads of people who were tested positive said it started with a headache.
That box claims that you don't have a headache with it.

Hello, Newbie here 👋 been reading the Corona forum with interest for about a week. It's been very informative so thank you all. I didn't go to my temping job today, feel very guilty about not going! Kept saying to DH last week I felt like I was sickening for a sore throat in the afternoons, then the feeling abated. Thursday I felt dreadful at work from about 10am onwards. Had lingering sore throat all over the weekend. No temp. I have a residual cough from a previous chest infection which comes and goes but most of the time hardly noticeable. DH thinks it's got a lot worse over the last couple of days... He woke up Sat night with a pounding headache, and has been complaining of aches in his upper back and neck...He is WFH pretty much exclusively so he's busy cracking on this afternoon. Does this sound like we have the start of it? I'm not sure... I would normally take some paracetamol and go to work under normal circumstances. Have to call my agent soon and say whether I'll be in tomorrow. I was pretty wiped out after a quick walk around our estate at lunchtime... Am I being over cautious? 🤔

I just dont know how were meant to know if its a normal cold or something else

I'm thinking I might have it, although it could be something else. Horrible tickly cough that kind of feels like it's located a bit lower down my throat than usual if that makes sense...

I think the 'dry cough' criteria is misleading as I've read it described as when it gets bad you feel like you are drowning, I've experienced that with normal flu in the past. Also wouldn't call that a dry cough. It perhaps just means not a phlegmy cough with lots of productive mucous.

Sorry to hear you’ve been poorly fatgirlrunning but glad you’re getting better. Are you asthmatic?

I’ve been told to self isolate for seven days. I have had a high temp and chills since Friday. I’m aching all over and really tired but no cough.
I’ve been looking online to see if I could find people going through the same thing as these are very scary times and feel pretty crappy. I’ve had to distance myself from my kids too.
I can’t believe we can’t just get a test.

@willow83 what would a test change?
Your still have to Self isolate and practice higher hygiene regimes.
The NHS just can't test everyone unfortunately.

Thank you. Not asthmatic. Had pneumonia two years ago though.

A PP said about feeling like you're drowning. That's what my dry cough developed into. It's worse at night.

I wish they'd tested me as just distancing myself didn't feel right.

I have my DS(8) home from school as he now has a cough and has asthma. School are very understanding and will see how the week plays out.

@Daffie19 If they had tested me and it was positive my whole family would have isolated due to vulnerable family members and the risk of spreading it via my children at school and clubs.

I also would have isolated for 14 days and not 7.

If THEY are vulnerable shouldn't they be isolating too anyway... And avoiding contact unless absolutely necessary?

Looks like we are all isolating for 14 now.

My DD 2 weeks ago came down with a raging sore throat headache and grossly snotty. She hadn’t been anywhere or near anyone who had it and there was a lot of snot (and a cough) so GP said viral but don’t worry not COVID so she didn’t isolate.

I had a terrible 3 day headache last week that made me feel sick, which then my boss also had. DD has recovered and I now have a tight chest and throat with a croaky voice. Problem is no one can tell you what is what really. I am asthmatic so I am a bit worried about how my asthma will cope. I am WFH and trying to social distance

The advice at the time was that I socially distance myself from the public but my family I could have contact with. The vulnerable members are extended family that my DH visited whilst I was unwell. The doctor knew all about my DS with asthma and vulnerable parents and he said to carry on as normal.

If I'd tested positive I think the advice may have been different

I honestly wished I'd kept us all at home but last week feels like a lifetime ago and it's all changed very quickly

I never get headaches. Not even little headaches. I had a niggling headache 10 days ago, on and off for 3 days. Then a bit of a sore throat, and one morning I sneezed up a portion of clear gunk from my lungs. Never happened to me before with a sneeze . All a bit weird. Not taking anything for this.

I work in healthcare, we have no protective equipment. My dh has quite severe asthma so has been told to self isolate, does he need to isolate from me?

This is a good visual summary of symptoms

There been some reasuring people on tv recently who have had it and out the other side.

@Shiraznowplease as a nurse I would say yes. You are going to be coming into contact with many more cases than most. There is govt guidance on how to isolate in your home.

@Casino218 can you advise how we can tell if we are likely to have CV or just normal seasonal flu? The symptoms seem so similar. It won't affect me in terms of isolation (too ill to do anything anyway). Would my family members have it by now if it was CV ? (as it's so easily spread). I often get flu (every winter almost) but family members don't usually catch it. Thanks for any advice

It's difficult but this virus really affects the lungs so common effects high temp and cough, difficulty breathing. I think the quoted difference is the lack of sneezing and snotty nose with CV. I had flu in Jan and I was using multiple tissues. You wouldn't with CV.

I'm not even slightly snotty, no tissues, thought that was more a cold symptom?, just on and off cough, tight chest, occasional headache, dizzy, occasional chills, night sweats and exhausted. Sorry don't mean to put you on the spot, it's just we're all told not to contact docs, which leaves everyone wondering.

Thanks casino x