Confirmed cases without fever?

[Notsureaboutsymptoms]

Hi, I’ve been sick with all the symptoms, including shortness of breath, terrible dry cough, headache, tingling hands and feet, painful chest, pain in my back, enlarged lymph nodes, loss of appetite, diarrhea and million other things for the past three weeks. I’ve never felt so sick before and it was quite scary at times too. My chest went very tight and I could not breathe at times. Sometimes I feel like I am getting better, however it all comes back after a few hours of false hope.

I was wondering if anyone had a confirmed case without getting fever? It’s the only symptom I did not get, and according to WHO website 99% of cases get it. Does it mean I am having another nasty virus in my body? Or could it still be corona?

@pocketem several of those are coronavirus symptoms

It mostly dry, but I have coughing fits until I shift the phlegm deep inside, then it stops for a while. But every time I breathe I get this weird tickly sensation deep inside my lungs. I am getting a bit better, but this cough is not going away.

There are more and more atypical cases even without cough. In New York they are confirming incidentally on chest CT people who came in for trauma or stroke but are positive. Download the covid app to report your symptoms daily as these cases will help guide research and policy

Antibiotic will not harm you and your family!
Unless allergic obviously. The issue of antibiotic resistance is a population issue not individual. Ie stop working for everyone.

I have similar symptoms with no fever either and I know a few people who are in the same boat atm.

But I rarely get fevers. I was hospitalised with pneumonia a few years ago and still no fever, I just don't get them.

So it could be corona but it could be a bad chest infection?! So hard to know right now but I think that if you can't shift this and it's affecting your breathing, then antibiotics might be a good idea.

I was offered antibiotics by the GP. They are taking every precaution because this virus can kill very quickly and one potential complication is bacterial infection/pneumonia.

Plus preventing cases getting worse eases the burden on the hospitals.

The cough is horrendous - I have asthma and struggling to control it so was offered oral steroids too. I’m currently stopping myself from coughing as it’s frightening and hard to stop, plus it doesn’t achieve anything except give me a saw throat and windpipe. It’s dry and almost barking now. I also find after a while I cough up mucus, but it’s tiny amounts unlike a chesty cough.

I’m day 16 from the first symptoms, 13 days since the first cough and chest tightness and burning. Still weak and tired but chest feels better but cough is worse. Length of illness is also a sign, 25 days for many, which is much longer than average flu and cold illness.

HI OP. I don't know that the 'without fever' stats can be considered very reliable given that the vast majority of people with mild symptoms have not been tested. I can tell you that I, and a number of my colleagues have been isolating for a couple of weeks (not all starting at the same time). Most of us have not have a fever. Yesterday one of the patients in the ward (longer-term stay ward) tested positive. I think it likely that we also have Covid though can't be 100% due to the lack of testing currently available.

Oh and my normal body temp is around 36 on our thermometer at home and for a day is was 37. Not officially a fever clearly but interesting perhaps.

I have no idea myself but this week I have had an annoying cough, feel slightly tired but no fever and have felt fine. Generally I would say no I haven’t had it as no fever and felt fine.. but..

A family member has been told they likely had it (don’t live with me but I seen them a few days before their symptoms started and my cough developed just over a week after seeing them. Also had a real bad throat for a few days before the cough.

Makes me wonder if I’ve had a very very mild case!

Wow this sounds exactly like what I have had last couple of weeks, although I have not been really I'll with it. I have not had a fever but would be interested to know if it was Covid19
Hope you are feeling better soon

@shastabeast

can you share a bit more info about the disease progression for you? I am also asthmatic and wondering what might be coming next. I had headache which may, or may not have been the start of things on 12th March (it was an unusual headache for me). Then started coughing on the 17th (and isolated then). I would say that the breathlessness and impact on my breathing has been worse since around Monday this week (23rd). I can't get my peak flow over 80%. It's around 65% in the mornings and 75% at nights. I am noticing that I get better as the day goes on and I think this is because laying down is causing me problems (so tonight I will prop myself high and see if that helps). I have been in contact with my respiratory team and am not taking ventolin every 4 hours in addition to the steroids and long-acting ventolin I take all the time. I have pain in my chest pretty much all the time (but only like 3-4/10, not excruciating) and the kind of burning pain on breathing that I think most asthmatics are pretty familiar with. How does this compare with your experience thus far?

Thank you! And I hope everyone will get well soon!

73Sunglasslover, I am on day 17 of actual cough, but I think I got sick around 21 days ago, when my body aches started. The worse was between day 10 and 14 of coughing, I was very close to calling an ambulance. The things that really helped me - breathing in some vapour rub diluted in hot water, hand powered fan, staying on my front and not back, coughing in upside down position, so gravity helps a bit with the cough. Also codeine helped a bit too. I would sometimes feel like it’s getting better only to get another bout of shivering and uncontrollable coughing. Today I am feeling a bit better, that’s why I am writing here, I could not do it even a few days ago, it was that bad.

I had terrible pain in my ribs too, I had a hairline crack in my rib before, and the pain was similar. I really hope you will get well soon!

@73Sunglasslover
I think my symptoms started around 12th too. Just stuffy nose, sore throat, headache and tiredness with aching muscles and sore eyes. 15th chest burning, heartburn and tightness with occasional cough. It got worse on 19th.

My asthma is fairly mild so maybe not comparable. I was taking Fostair 200mcg 1 puff and stopped when my chest got worse. The cough really set my asthma off, taking loads of ventolin to ease it. I spoke to the GP on 24th and went back on Fostair but 2 puffs. It’s a bit better but I still have ventolin a few times a day when I get wheezy.

The chest pain and tightness slowly got better this past week. But I’m coughing more. I’m hoping it will ease over the next week.

I think asthmatics are at risk due to the effect of the virus on the asthma, rather than them being vulnerable to the virus itself. With higher risk if on oral steroids etc.

I am thinking about ordering a private antibodies test.. there is a lab in London that sends them out and then you send the swabs back to them. Just not sure how accurate the test is..

@Notsureaboutsymptoms do you know how much the test is

It’s £150.

Thanks @shastabeast. It sounds like you have it much worse. I hope you feel better. My asthma is quite severe. I was hospitalised a couple of years ago when I got flu which developed into pneumonia and then sepsis. Thus far this is way less severe. I was in a really bad state then. At least I know what to look out for! For me not wanting diet coke (which I am pretty much addicted to though only let myself have one can a day) was a sign I should have taken really seriously. I've had my diet coke today and all is well. I hope you feel better soon.

I am just trying to research how accurate this test is, might be a false result anyway.

Well I was given antibiotics because sinus and chest infection. GP was very quick to suggest they were needed. She thought covid due to fix of symptoms. Antibiotics have certainly helped.

@73Sunglasslover I don’t think it’s that bad, but I’m not use to my asthma being bad as it’s mild, I’m just out of action and fed up. But even when better I won’t be able to do much more thanks to the lockdown. Although nice to start helping with the home schooling.

I found the Kings College tracker app data and fever isn’t universal there. Albeit untested. covid.joinzoe.com/post/symptoms

pocketem if she has a bacterial chest infection, then antibiotics are perfectly valid!

I feel strongly about the misuse of antibiotics, buy if someone is very unwell with a bacterial infection then that is exactly what they are for. Secondary bacterial chest infections can also follow a viral infection.

I had pneumonia before, was in a tremendous amount of pain... 18 hours into a 3 day course of antibiotics and the pain was all gone. Would not have worked had it been viral of course.

Why are you asking us if your GP already told you that??

Hope you feel better soon OP