What was the exact timeline of your symptoms?

[Mnuchkin]

If you know you’ve definitely had it, or have it, can you give the exact order of symptoms? The information out there is so conflicting - understandably - but it would be helpful to see some actual timelines, and all in the same place so they’re easier to compare. I desperately need to understand the timeline and how it progresses.

[SunshineCake]

I got psyched up and got up. Took a couple of attempts as in had to go back to bed for a bit but I got dressed and went downstairs. Loaded dishwasher and put guinea pig out to play. Then had to sit. Fell out with dh and so with that and the breathlessness I am back in bed.

[lolaflores]

This is putting my own situation in context. I keep "relapsing'. I was told I had a chest infection around end of february. Temperature. Cough. Aches etc. So before total lockdown. I was signed off work then work closed a few days later. I have asthma so was taking precautions. Anyway. Since then iv had episodes of fatigue, cough, chest pain, breathless, wheeze but no temperature. Yesterday was the worst. Felt like concrete. Sore throat. GP has prescribed antibiotics and steroids.
My own conclusion is that I have had it but I am struggling to get fully recovered bit I dont really know if it is the virus or my asthma being a bastard. The chest pain though is very unique. Intense pain but it calms down, appears to have resolved itself before coming back.

[Tonyaster]

Oh and missed out awful indigestion. Sent dh to get gaviscon and drank whole bottle over a week. Lemsip helped a bit and the only thing I could face eating was toast and marmite. Lost half a stone.

[Tonyaster]

GP said very likely but I wasn't tested
Day 1-3 dizziness particularly when laying down
4-8 fatigue, muscle aches, AWFUL constant cough, so so tired. No sore throat, no sneezing.
8 - felt mildly better. Went to see my horses and by the time I'd walked to the stables had a weird, raw feeling in lungs, like I was breathing in freezing cold, burning air. Had to sit down.
Day 8,9,10 - felt terrible. All other symptoms plus breathlessness. Glimpsed myself in bathroom mirror. Looked grey. Thought I am going to have to ring 111.
Day 11. Felt less hideous. Absolutely no sense of smell, like literally none. Rang gp who said sounded as though on mend.
Day 12, 13, 14 - slowly improved but realised improvement massively improved by rest so did nothing.
Day 15 - was pottering about.
Three weeks later, still have mild cough and smell improved.

[ifonly4]

I know someone who had sickness and nausea for a week (thought they'd got a sickness bug off their DP). Collapsed about a week after start, admitted to hospital. If was only then breathlessness started, so tested and confirmed positive. Not the typical early symptoms, so makes you think.

[FrangipaniBlue]

The paramedics who attended my Dad said the majority of cases they've attended were all very similar to my Dad, she even commented about how a lot have had diarrhoea but not a cough yet they're not listing this in the symptoms to look out for.

They initially didn't attend my Dad for suspected Covid, the doctor who saw him first called it in as something else, but the paramedics fast changed their minds within a few minutes of being the room with him.

[SunshineCake]

Thank you. So frustrating not to be tested, especially when the nurse said we all present in different ways and I still might have it even with a clear lung X-ray. So what is the point of any of it.

[Musseswoofles]

@blueskys72 my GP said this is probably a secondary ear infection (though I had no ear pain or anything else to suggest I had one). Everything I am experiencing now is secondary infection I suspect. Very irritating.

I would say my mental health and outlook is now better because I'm less worried about catching it and the unknown.

[FrangipaniBlue]

My Dad is in hospital currently - confirmed Covid.

What I can categorically tell you is that by the time he got the cough he was already a very very sick man and infection had already taken hold and started pneumonia in his lungs. In fact he only really "coughed" and started gasping for breath when he exerted himself ie got up and walked about. Sitting/lying he didn't cough at all and his breathing was just quiet, albeit shallow, breaths.

Initially it was a general feeling of being "unwell" that he couldn't quite articulate, that progressed to headaches and diarrhoea. From there extreme fatigue, and fever. He said he felt cold and shivery but the paramedics measured his temperature at well over 38.

We also believe DS had it several weeks ago (not had any contact with my Dad though) and his timeline of symptoms was almost identical just milder versions - general feeling of "unwell", upset stomach with loose stools but not proper diarrhoea, headache, body aches and then lastly, the cough when he walked around but non-existed sitting still!!

Someone asked about people having a cough/tight chest but nothing else - yes I did for around 3/4 days at the same time DS had symptoms, again made worse by walking around etc. I felt a bit tired at the sane time but that's it.

So, Dad confirmed, DS not but sane symptoms so probably, me - who knows!!

[Tangledyarn]

@sunshinecake Yeah I've just been told to carry on isolating and I've already isolated for 4 weeks. I think there is some concern that as long as you carry on being symptomatic you can still be contagious. I read something yesterday that said up to 37 days was possible, although contagiousness decreases as days pass.

[SunshineCake]

I've also had a lot of chest pain, a metallic taste in my mouth, I feel sense of smell and taste was reduced, conjunctivitis once but sore eyes a lot, can't tell if I'm hungry and for the last ten days only eaten because dh made me and not because I wanted to. Fear of leaving the bedroom but I suspect that's my MH being shit and not the virus.

[blueskys72]

Musseswoofles interesting you should say about dizziness. I've not seen that mentioned before; DS and I both woke up with spinning heads this morning

There seems to be no rhyme, reason or order to people's symptoms, does there?!

[SunshineCake]

I've been coughing for three weeks, felt hot but no thermometer agreed temperature. Been so tired I've been in bed for two weeks, lots of headaches. Been to hospital twice and x-rayed once but told lungs are clear. Had a lot of trouble with my breathing. Told to self isolate on Sunday but not sure why tbh having been in the house for three weeks already.

[Musseswoofles]

Day 25 here
First couple of days v tired and muscle aches. Didn’t pay much attention put it down to 2yo being home!
48 hours of fever and migraines
Nothing for 4/5 days
Developed dry cough
Turned into chesty cough no sleep waking up having coughing fits for about 5 days
Lessened to dry cough
Developed cold like symptoms
Then 3 days of dizzy spells world spinning moments
Developed chest infection
Now sinus infection for at least 5 days and today I can’t taste anything
GP said they’re confident it’s corona but no test
My face hurts from the sinus infection but otherwise sure I’m on the mend. I’ve felt ‘better’ for about a week

[LucheroTena]

Fever 38c, aches, pains, fatigue, nausea and a one off episode loose stool. Fever lasted a couple of days. I wasn’t particularly unwell but had to go to bed a few times during the day for a nap because of the aches and pains. Then that went and I was left feeling slightly breathless with any exertion. All in all lasted a week. Am fine now back to normal. Was a bit worse than a cold but I personally felt MUCH sicker when I had flu.

[Tangledyarn]

1-3 Started with a couple of days of feeling fluey, high temp, sore throat and cough.
4-7 Then felt better ish for a few days..just had chest tightness. Thought it was an asthma flare.
Then had had high temp, cough returned developed chest pain, burning in chest, wheezing, fast pulse and breathlessness which was really bad between days 10-20. Extreme fatigue, sore throat, cough, no appetite, intermittent diarrhoea, shaky, extremely pale, cognitively not right, basically trapped in bed.
Days 20-33 symptoms still there apart from temp, but more up and down, better and worse days but pretty incapacitated by it all still at times, but getting out of bed more, breathlessness generally better at rest although still bad when walking around. Just feel generally not well still but gradually getting better. Have been told it's very normal to have good and bad days and for it to take a long time too feel ok.

Not tested but have been told by 3 gps that they are certain its a moderate case of covid19 +secondary infection. Certainly never felt like this before in my life, very different to flu.

[NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite]

@Mnuchkin

Sneezed a fair bit and am allergic to dust and I’ve been panicking which makes me feel hot and tends to affect my breathing, so am completely at a loss.
According to symptom charts I have seen, sneezing is definitely not a symptom of Coronavirus. There is a chart of symptoms in this article comparing symptons of CV, colds and flu.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1237402/coronavirus-symptoms-list-cold-flu-symptoms-different-coronavirus-uk-latest/amp

[ShastaBeast]

My suspected symptoms started with a sore throat at night which felt like my throat was closing up, slightly snotty nose, headache I dismissed as usual occasional migraine, feeling very tired and sleeping more than usual and body aching more than usual (chronic pain). Initially dismissed as minor cold and recovering from the stress of an exam - possibly caught the day of the exam.

The feeling of it travelling to my chest with a burning sensation started three days later with an occasional cough but more like clearing my throat. No fever or loss of smell. Sore eyes, heartburn and less appetite.

I’m day 28 and still suffering with chest symptoms - bad asthma, slight burning sensation and occasional productive cough. Worst bit was day 15-18 with uncontrollable coughing. DH and 10yr old started coughing a week after my sore throat and are still wheezing and coughing occasionally too, worse at night and both had diarrhoea. Their symptoms were more mild thankfully and asthmatic 8yr old just had watery eyes and nausea.

It’s nothing like flu (and a snotty nose isn’t a symptom of flu). It was very focussed on the chest which is very uncomfortable. However I felt more well overall and more able to potter, go for a walk and engage with the family. With flu I barely moved for two weeks.

[MummyPop00]

Not been tested, but because of the ‘peculiarity’ of symptoms and also the fact that it’s currently going round and is primarily a respiratory disease, I’d be amazed if it was anything else.

Day 1/2: Bearly perceptible tickle in throat noticeable after I had finished cardio exercise, single dry coughs to clear.

Day 3: More noticeable dry cough, slight wheezing on lungs

Day 4/5/6: definite dry cough, noticeable wheezing on lungs.

Day 7: Cough & wheezing begins to ease

Day 8: Cough/Chest eases a little more.

That’s where I’m at now. Not quite over it, but on the home stretch now hopefully!

[Petiolaris]

I haven’t been tested. Started with a dry cough on day 1, on day 2 I developed a 38.4 temperature and nausea, I was literally shaking. Day 3 I developed the worst sore throat I’ve ever had, it literally felt like someone had their hand around my throat squeezing and cutting off my air. The temperature only lasted for one day but the cough, sore throat and nausea lasted for a week, and towards the end of the week I started coughing up phlegm and developed diarrhoea too. Around day 12 I lost my hearing and sense of taste for a couple of days. The doctors checked me out but wouldn’t test or diagnose me because I hadn’t travelled.

I coughed really badly for the first two weeks, I couldn’t lie flat to sleep and sometimes I had to lie on my front otherwise I couldn’t breathe. A month after the onset I’m still coughing occasionally with a mild sore throat. My lungs are broken - even a strong smell like deodorant or paint makes me choke and have chest pains for hours. I can’t exercise - even mild exercise sets off a coughing fit and breathing difficulties. I was previously fit but now even carrying heavy stuff upstairs makes me cough and my chest hurts.

I’m convinced it was COVID19 because I had none of the normal flu symptoms like runny nose or headache - this was all in my throat and chest. The fact that I still haven’t recovered also leads me to think it wasn’t flu.

[Mnuchkin]

Notcool1984 I’m on day 11 since an emergency dentist visited who coughed some. About 5 days ago I developed an urge to cough, but been able not to actually cough. Had an uncomfortable feeling in my chest off and on. No temperature or loss of appetite, either. Sneezed a fair bit and am allergic to dust and I’ve been panicking which makes me feel hot and tends to affect my breathing, so am completely at a loss.

[Porcupineinwaiting]

I didn't start coughing til day 6, and honestly haven't actually coughed that much. I got steadily worse days 1-6, then 7-16 alternated bw 1 day better, 1 day really ill, until day 17 when I turned a corner, since when (touch wood) I am now in recovery.

[Bigearringsbigsmile]

I started with the fever and chills. Lasted for 48hours. Felt dreadful and very very tired. Sense of taste and smell went at that point.
Cough started on day 8.
I am in day 10 now. Feel ok but a bit of a cough and still no taste or smell.

[Mnuchkin]

Porcupineinwaiting how long did it take to go from diarrhoea to the cough, etc?

I really hope you’re past the worst of it.