The people who’ve Had It but been actually TESTED

[Bimbleboo]

Can we hear from those who’ve actually had it but as TESTED and confirmed cases? There’s a whole lot of ‘might have’ ‘think i have’ ‘potentially’ ‘sure I have’ and the only absolutely confirmed cases we hear are terrifying news stories and death counts which I expect is really impacting people’s fear of it. I don’t really think there’s much in the accounts of people who ‘think’ they’ve had it because so many symptoms are possibly explained by colds, tonsillitis, hay fever, migraines and.... anxiety (SO many symptoms people are having that they are completely convinced are Covid are very very similar to pure anxiety, understandably) I even think a lot of doctors and 111 calls are diagnosing based on symptoms , when it can so easily be something more mundane.

. It’s making me so fearful that maybe there is no ‘mild’ or ‘asymptotic’ to this at all. Just the horror stories. Although I am aware that’s completely irrational and incorrect.

I understand that it’s because so little testing is happening but I would so love to hear accounts from those who have actually been TESTED and know they’ve had it. Would anyone who knows they’ve had it (and by knows, I mean diagnosed with an actual test) care to share?

@Bimbleboo yes definitely appears so. Like a bad cold really. Never had flu so can't compare. The chest tightness and short of breath bothers me the most but in the 7 days I've had it it's not not worse it actually feels slightly better so I assume it's OK and shouldn't hopefully get worse

@klouise777 I’m just really happy for anyone at all that’s able to be certain they’ve had it now. It must be such a weight off to not have to participate in the collective anxiety?

@policeandthieves can I ask how long in are you now and still have the sob? NHS here too and wondering whether I should go back, still some slight sob tiredness but no temp and I have a sit down job?

@Bimbleboo - I totally understand your need to only hear about "confirmed" cases but we do need to assume that there are lots of cases of Covid around and that people aren't complaining of symptoms (which I agree could be something else) to be attention-seeking or that it's often "just" down to anxiety. We need to be understanding of everyone who's feeling poorly atm. Some will have Covid and never know, others will be unlucky enough to be suffering from something else.
My DH was taken into hospital last week with symptoms- given a chest X-Ray and antibiotics. We don't know what he's had but it's been rough. I think the hospital staff were right not to say they suspect CV as they don't know. However, the paramedic said she thinks there's a lot of Covid in the community and people not being able to access medical help is frightening for them. I'm not saying you're doing it but there's a lot of criticism on here of people who are ill and struggling at home. They'd normally been seen and reassured. They don't know they have CV but some definitely will have. People's anxiety shouldn't be discounted or minimised atm. Take care and stay well.

My sister is a doctor. They test alll the patients on their ward (elderly). Some test positive but have no symptoms at all despite their age. So there are mild cases for sure.

@GinJeanie I totally understand that to be the case and my issue is with the testing failures, not with individual people who have no way of knowing.
There will be thousands of people who’ve had it and haven’t been confirmed. But there will also be equal numbers who’ve had a cold, a nasty viral infection, asthma , allergies etc and are assuming it’s covid. I never at any point used the phrase ‘attention seeking’ nor do I feel I implied it?
My post was simply looking to hear accounts from people who we CAN be sure have had it. Out of personal interest. Because as dreadful as I feel for anyone who’s ‘sure’ they had it but can’t be tested, I don’t think it’s quite as helpful personally to hear those accounts because there’s just no certainty that it’s not something else.
The lack of testing is causing huge anxiety and a big divide of people who have it and can’t get reassurance or treatment, and other people who are understandably on edge and reading into every sensation their body feels.
Just to clarify again, I posted asking for people to share their experience if they’d actually been tested. I didn’t post saying those who haven’t are attention seekers or make any individual judgement on whether they have or haven’t had it. Because I don’t know that any better than they do. Because there’s no testing.

@Bimbleboo of course all you say is right. People are entitled to post and talk about their worries though - other don't have to read the accounts if it's going to raise their anxiety levels. They're posting for support. I recognise you're not meaning or implying people are being attention- seeking and I'm sorry. However, a lot of threads where people are sharing their worries have been trolled by folk telling them the only reason they can't breathe is likely to be due to anxiety or there's no way they can have Covid because there are lots of other illnesses/allergies about. That may be the case but there's been a lot of "shutting down" and minimising of people and what they are going through, ill or not. Sorry to suggest you were in that camp - I understand you're not now.

@klouise777 4 weeks tomorrow. Went back after 2 - still bit SOB and mild cough even now but the infectious diseases Drs said I was fine to be back
I have been doing phone clinics etc but on the wards from Monday.
Very much seems to be if you feel Ok and its after a week then they are happy with that. Maybe see if you could do some half days to start?
Good luck

@policeandthieves thank you reassuring to know it's perhaps normal and not a sign to be worried I guess. Yeah feel fine otherwise. Managed a short walk today. Good idea about reduced hours, will definitely call them and ask

I tested positive.
Felt lethargic and achey with a sore throat and headache for around 4-5 days and had an ongoing cough aswell that lasted around 2 weeks. Cough has pretty much gone now and feeling fine.
Both my children had a high temp for a day and felt a bit off then fine the same week as me being unwell (although they weren't tested).
A colleague has also tested positive, I believe she has been more unwell than me but at home. There are definitely mild cases.

@Klouise777 have they offered any kind of ongoing support to see how you are faring since testing positive? I’d have thought with your job they’d be wanting to keep in touch and make sure you are recovering well. I hope you are feeling better soon.

61 year old neighbour with advanced MS tested positive. Was on oxygen in hospital and is now recovered.

I’ve had a positive test.
If it hadn’t been for a complete lack of smell and taste I’d have thought it was a bad cold. I had headache, blocked runny nose, aches in my joints. I haven’t had a cough.
It’ll be two weeks tomorrow and other than a lingering temperature I’m much better.

How is everyone getting these tests?

We're self isolating based on suspected symptoms in our household. I didn't think that we could get a test? Am I wrong? If so, how do I go about getting one arranged?

I’m a nurse, I tested positive. Caught it from DH (we both commute on crowded tube). He had a fever and myalgia for a day. A week later I had fever (38c), myalgia and fatigue for 2 days, didn’t feel too bad but needed to lie down at times. Then nasal congestion and mild shortness of breath when walking (have never had this in my life) which lasted about a week. Lost some taste and sense of smell. Felt like I was breathing through a filter. Left me with a slight cough but nothing noticeable. Am fine now.

Pollypocketlucylocket got tested through work (NHS) as I was symptomatic

I got tested because I’m a nurse in Scotland who is off with symptoms.

my cousin and his wife (both nhs) have had it. Yes, they were tested. Both said it was no worse than a cold.

@pollypocketlucylocket I think (happy to be corrected obviously) from a lot of the responses, it seems a lot of these posters are frontline staff. Which is reassuring because at least those working in healthcare settings etc are starting to have testing made available to them, where it’s most vital. But I think for the rest of us it’s still pretty impossible unless hospitalised.

Not sure that I’m definitely right but that’s my thinking anyway. They’ve been tested due to their work being frontline in healthcare.

@EC22 are you being offered the antibody test after? I saw some HCPs in England are and just wondered if you guys here are being offered that yet. Am so glad to know scottish nurses are able to access testing. Sorry you’ve had it be positive but hope you are managing ok x

No, as far as I was aware there isn’t a reliable antibody test!?
I had the antigen throat and nose swab.

I haven't been tested, but I don't think it's fair to distrust those with symptoms. Some are a bit tenuous, but I have a temp, persistent cough, breathlessness, chest pain, hoarse voice and extreme fatigue. I haven't been this ill since I last had flu approx 15 years ago. NHS 111 agree it's most likely. It's not like tonsillitis (had many times), laryngitis (had a few times), any virus I've had.

The scientists and medics have said that most people will have it and be like flu and recover. It's not been a bundle of laughs, but I've not feared for my life. Why would people be worried if they've read the science and have no underlying conditions?

@EC22 I thought that too but there are definitely NhS staff being offered it. I think it’s discussed up thread by @Sienna9522 Who really kindly shared her experience. I wonder if they are using tested and confirmed HCPs to start off, as a way of trialling it? All sounds a bit promising if it goes ahead.

@BreathlessCommotion again, I at no point have said those with symptoms are to be distrusted.
I’ve personally just taken huge comfort in hearing from people who can say with absolute scientific certainty that their symptoms are from Covid.
There’s lots of extremely busy MN threads to discuss symptoms that are undiagnosed or assumed to be Covid without testing. I wasn’t finding them helpful personally so didn’t spend time in them (but have at no point attacked those people or told them they are untrustworthy or wrong to think they have it) and really wished I could hear from those confirmed, so I started a thread asking for those experiences.
I agree that there will be undoubtably thousands of people who HAVE it but aren’t tested. But since it’s impossible to separate those experiences from those who are absolutely convinced they have it, but don’t.. I just don’t find those threads helpful.

The anxiety comes from the same place. Because our country has massively dropped the ball on testing, we are being told most people will have mild symptoms, but the only confirmed and tested people we are hearing about are in really awful and heartbreaking death counts, or footage of field hospitals in Italy. I’m not sure about others but for me it created a huge dissonance where I couldn’t be reassured by the ‘most will be mild’ advice because I wasn’t hearing many mild accounts that I knew could absolutely not be something else. When I’m anxious I look for certainty and that just wasn’t what I was finding.
Coughs, colds, allergies and anxiety all cause very similar symptoms, are extremely common, and will still be circulating around communities. That’s not intended to be dismissive, it’s just factual and makes it hard to be certain when there’s no testing.

I've been wondering this too OP, so many people that I know (or their relatives) state they have it, but then when I ask if they've been tested they say "no, just 111 told me I likely have it". It confuses me that why do some people get tested when they've got no symptoms, do they pay for it or what/or who offers them the test?

Also, when those who've tested positive, then after 7 days feel better, do they get tested again to be told it's gone and if so, are they then immune from getting it again? Or, is the fact that you've recovered from it mean automatically you're immune and you don't need another test to make sure it's gone?

Lastly, the fact that Boris is out of hospital and is now recouperating at Chequers with his fiancee, that seems very quick to me. He was apparently closer to death than we'd been led to believe but now is out and cosy-ing up with her just about a week since he was at deaths door....I'm happy obviously that he is better, but it seems too soon that he or anyone else who's been in intensive care is sent home.