Does anyone know why you contact 111 if you’re still ill after 7 days..

[musicposy]

...and what can they do anyway if you don’t have breathing difficulties?

I’m confused and scared. I’ve been ill for 11 days now with coronavirus type symptoms. My temperature is better than it was but my cough probably worse. However, I’m still breathing fine.

Everything I read online from other countries talks about survival being linked to “early treatment”. But as I understand it there is no treatment unless you need oxygen. What is this early treatment?

I’m so worried that the length of time I’ve been ill means it isn’t going to get better easily on its own. But everyone I know working in hospital is saying stay away, it’s a nightmare. And I don’t think they’d want to see me at the moment in hospital anyway.

Can anyone unravel all this?

You can call 111 for advice but as you say I don’t think they can really do anything for you at the moment.

If you go to hospital and it’s not covid 19, there’s a risk you’d catch it there.

I’d stay home honestly.

That’s what I was thinking. If I go there and this isn’t Covid 19, I’ve been ill for so long already that to catch something else on top would probably finish me off.

I’m just puzzled by all the stories of the more successful countries talking about early treatment and wondering what that entails. Those I know are working in hospital are saying stay well away unless you can’t breathe.

Yeah it’s confusing - I wonder if by “early treatment” they just mean treatment ASAP once somebody has trouble breathing? There isn’t any treatment other than help with breathing as far as I can see.

So they can tell you to stay in quarantine another 7 days. I was told some people take longer to shake it and are contagious longer.

But yes I worried too about 'early treatment'. I'm on day 9.

I think 'early treatment' means help to breathe if/once you're struggling. If you're not struggling to breathe but have a cough then it's fine to phone 111 but you might still start to get better in the next few days.

SchrodingersUnicorn being told some people take longer to shake it is actually quite reassurring. I was panicking that the length of time meant I wasn’t going to!

I’m also finding it hard to work out what day I’m actually on. I had a mild temperature Tuesday last week and a slight cough started (so 11 days). Felt rough that evening but then fine until Sunday. Then since Sunday (so only 6 days) it’s hit me like a brick, apart from Wednesday just gone when I felt better, made soup, did some video tutoring and then suddenly crashed feeling appalling that evening and Thursday could barely walk to the bathroom unaided. It was so mild until Sunday that I didn’t know if I should start counting from then, but I definitely had some symptoms earlier.

Daughter’s boyfriend suggested if you phone 111 they’ll have you noted down as being unwell so long in case it gets worse and you have to phone back but I’m sure the service isn’t that joined up! I’m very keen not to waste resources unnecessarily.