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?

@Peapod29 I'd be interested to know what it did to the baby? Also how did the parents cope looking after him or her? Off topic I know, but my fear.

@TheCatsBlanket I think testing is starting to pick up but as far as I can see, mostly in healthcare settings in order to get staff back at work. I don’t THINK people are being retested after seven days or anything but perhaps they have to stay off for a set amount of time in order to be non contagious? Not entirely sure. I think we are assuming immunity after a positive test, once the virus has run its course in a person.

I also think it’s strange about Boris. So many people said he must be gravely ill to be in ICU so it’s strange to have had him speaking etc as if he’s fine now. Maybe a brave face? Not sure!

@Bimbleboo I dont know if you are familiar with the work of Zoe Global. In light of the fact we are only testing critical cases in hospital, they are tracking Covid symptoms (or lack of) across the country. They have held a few webinars which are interesting which explained how they took the symptoms of those who had had a positive Covid result and formed a pattern of typical symptoms rather than the allergies/colds/etc. From that pattern of symptoms they were then able tomuse machine data to work out the proportion of app users who (in the absence of testing) WOULD likely test positive in accordance with their symptoms should a test have been available. They can then extrapolate this data to work out the percentage of symptomatic Covid where people are managing at home. You can view their findings including your own area here:

covid.joinzoe.com/

@GinJeanie just to say thankyou for advocating for people experiencing symptoms. I can see that the OP isnt questioning the validity of peoples illnesses but is trying to extract the experiences of those with confirmed cases. But it is heartening to see how you voiced for those of us who are struggling significantly at home. I may well have a chest infection? Anxiety? Flu? All I know is that I have felt extremely poorly for three weeks now. And whether or not its Covid, I wont know without testing and I cant access the routine blood tests or GP investigations whilst im presenting with Covid typical symptoms. It was so nice to read of a poster saying please dont be dismissive of our experiences. Whatever i have been ill with, being ill in a global pandemic has been frightening.

@thedrswife46 ohhh I didn’t. That’s interesting and il check it out :)

And yes, as you said, this thread wasn’t intended to be offensive to anyone with symptoms. There just already seem to be lots and lots of threads where those voices are able to discuss that (I wasn’t aware of any trolling as I don’t frequent them) so I think there ARE threads where that conversation is being had, presumably not dismissed as the threads are lengthy and busy, and people can be heard etc but it wasn’t something that I personally was finding alleviated my anxiety or gave me the reassurance I was hoping to find by hearing about mild cases.

Because like you say, until the testing situation improves, there’s always that voice saying...but is it really THAT or is it one of the many other similarly symptomatic things going round.

and I was looking to start a thread that heard people who’ve been tested, perhaps selfishly because THOSE accounts are what I was struggling to find.

I think if we heard more from those with mild symptoms, but tested and confirmed, then perhaps every time someone has a headache, a scratchy throat, fatigue or feels their chest is tight, they may not find their mind immediately rushes to images of Italian field hospitals and mass graves in New York and all the other absolutely terrifying stuff we are seeing on 24 hour news associated with Covid. Maybe, if we heard from those people , our minds could feel a little comforted by the fact that there ARE people who are absolutely fine and have had it (and the anxiety gremlin in your mind couldn’t say ‘she could just have hay fever tho. Maybe there’s no mild cases afterall’.

@Bimbleboo you’re asking all the questions that those of us with symptoms are wracking our brains with too. Take a look at the tracker, and if you arent a user, please consider using it because the more of the population on there, the more accurate their figures. Im sure their webinars are available maybe on youtube or look up @tim.spector their scientific findings are based through the initial positive results secured when we were routinely testing in the UK. I hope it helps you get a better picture. It also shows WHAT the real cluster if symptoms are for positive cases such as loss of smell and fatigue is more prevalent than the fever and cough we have been told to look for. You might lose yourself down a research rabbit hole though

My DH and daughter (4) both tested positive. My son (1.5) and I both considered presumed positive though not tested, because we weren’t symptomatic at the time. Husband had a bit of a cough and a low grade fever, and lost sense of taste/smell for about a week - but he said not any worse than a chest infection. Daughter had a bad cough, but she is prone anyway - suspected asthma. Temp never went above 38, and she was generally fine - she’s definitely had worse sicknesses. She still has the cough a bit but again, suspected asthma.

I never really had much by way of symptoms - no temp, very slight cough that was more like an annoying tickle in my throat. I did have a strange tightness in my chest for about a week, but not severe, and felt like nothing more than the start of a chest infection when you feel like you can’t get a deep enough breath. The baby had the worst of it I think - higher temp (up to 39), and a cough, though it passed quickly and he’s fine now. We weren’t tested because my symptoms had passed by the time DH got his result, and DS’s hadn’t started.

We were all extremely lucky. Husband was tested as part of contact tracing, not because of symptoms. So far, anybody in contact with us has tested negative, and that process was started three weeks ago now so hopefully everyone is ok.

@medb22 that must be really really frightening when it’s the little ones especially. I’m so glad for you all that it’s been mild. Thank you for contributing! I really hope you are all back on the mend completely as soon as possible. Xx

@TheDrsWife46 absolutely! I did have a quick peek and I think it looks like a great piece of work. Particularly if it is being used to guide high risk areas for scientists.

For me on a personal level , I don’t think it would be helpful because I found it a little bit like the symptoms threads of MN in that my brain just can not compute it unless there’s that scientific certainty.

It seems to make me a bit more anxious when I see so many people convinced they’ve had it without testing. And I can’t really figure out why I feel that way. I do think it’s just that I seek certainty when I’m afraid, and all the maybes and possiblys leave me feeling like there is even less certainty because so many of those will not be covid.

Maybe it’s just me who’s found it a struggle! I didn’t realise other people might not be affected that way but got some reason my anxiety is just unshifted by all the ‘probably’ experiences and only seems to be taking comfort in the certain ones. Of which there are SO few in comparison to how many people will be positive but not counted of course! Ahhhhhhhhhhgg. Roll on the antibody tests PLEASE.

DH has had it for over 3 weeks now. Was hospitalised after about 10 days for 4 days (tested on day 12). Let out too soon & readmitted for another 4 days, came home on Friday. His discharge notes make grim reading. All his organs were literally packing up. I'm petrified now that he'll deteriorate again, because that's how this nasty virus seems to work! I also had it myself, although untested because my symptoms were mild. All these cases count though. If people show symptoms I would be 95% sure its Covid 19. The published figures, which are horrific in themselves are nowhere near the actual figure. Also the death figures only account for those who died in hospital & were tested there, not those who died in care homes or at home. Terrifying stuff!

@TheDrsWife46 - the truth is, my heart goes out to anybody who's ill at the moment. It's a terrifying prospect when you can't access medical help/treatment easily. We're obviously so lucky usually and are used to being able to do so.
I hope you feel much better soon - you will feel well again but I know you won't forget this awful time 🌼🌻🌷.
I think the reality is we're ALL anxious and looking for answers. This situation is scary and our fears completely understandable. @Bimbleboo - sending a hug to you too .

I just wanted to say this has been a reassuring thread to read and I'm glad people have shared their experiences - thank you

Dsis has it - NHS testing. High temp and flu like symptoms. Briefly admitted to hospital on day 12 but back home the next day. Is still recovering. Partner has no symptoms and is self isolating but has not been tested.

My cousin and her husband both had positive tests (doctors so needing testing in order to know when they could go back to work). One was I'll for 3 days and the other for 5. Said it was very unpleasant but manageable and they were able to continue to care for their toddler.

@IDSNeighbour this is probably my biggest fear. I have a baby under one, still fully breastfed and has never not been fed to sleep. I am scared of becoming so ill I couldn’t care for her. It’s partly why these mildER accounts are comforting. It’s hard not to be swept up into thinking covid means deteriorating rapidly until I turn blue and then no ambulance comes.
We just are only hearing the absolute worst case scenario but it’s got nothing counteracting it so no matter how many times you hear most will be mild...Most we HEAR are not. So thank you to you and everyone else for sharing

Where are you not hearing mild cases? On twitter plenty of reasonably well known/famous people have been reporting their symptoms. I know someone through work that had it and posted about it in Facebook?

Honestly your anxiety is the issue here. Nothing Iver read or seen has been made me panic that I might die from this, or any of my dc (one has asthma). I'd rather they didn't get it because it isn't much fun, but I don't think any of us will die from it. Even when I was struggling to breathe, had chest pain. I thought we might need to consider seeking help, but didn't think I'd die.

Anxiety is a bastard, and it isn't rational. But you are more likely to die on your commute to work (before lockdown obvs) than you are from coronavirus (assuming no underlying issues).

@breathleascommotion I think I’ve been quite forthcoming about the fact my anxiety is the issue. But I don’t think I’m alone in being anxious, and I don’t think I’m alone in that being because there is a lot of very grave news and frightening statistics which are lot higher in volume than people who’ve had a bit of a cold/flu that’s confirmed to be covid. (Who are meant to be the vast majority of cases but aren’t being testing so aren’t as apparent...)

Personally I think it’s an understandable anxiety. I’ve felt a lot,lot better hearing from those who responded to the thread with the accounts I was so keen to hear. A lot more so than I have by looking at any social media posts from those who might have it but actually might not.

I’m not sure if that makes me hysterical or ridiculous but it’s what I wanted to hear about so I asked the question and took huge comfort in it being answered

@BreathlessCommotion aware you didn’t call me hysterical or ridiculous. Didn’t mean to imply so. Pure projection there!

My husband had it and tested positive. He is an A&E nurse. There is an issue with the test in that if it isn't timed just right it can show negative even if they have had it. X-rays can show the damage to lungs, my DH described it as looking at shattered glass. The test isn't 100% helpful for all. We were ’fortunate’ he got a positive because he at least knows he has had it.

I'm glad the thread's made you feel a bit better.

I agree it's scary and miserable listening to the news.

I think it's also worth bearing in mind that the majority of people who haven't been tested due to not being ill enough to go to hospital but have exactly the right symptoms very probably do have the milder version of the virus too.

I know someone who tested positive on his return from a skiing trip to Italy. I think it’s when they did test everyone with symptoms or not sure why he was tested. He described it as a bad cold, but not as bad a flu for him.

Bimbleboo, if you think about the news media, of course we mostly hear about the worst cases! "Man has symptoms of mild cold, gets over them" is hardly exciting enough to be on the news.

This page might help. Or at least, I am finding it a comfort as giving me actual data rather than anything less concrete.

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

As far as I can make out, this country is only reporting tested cases as being cases at all.

Yesterday there had been 84,279 cases reported, of which 5,288 were new. There had been a total of 10,612 deaths, 73,323 cases were still active, and 1,559 were critical.

So it stands to reason that of the 73,323 cases still active yesterday, 71,764 were NOT critical. All of these would come into your category "people who have been tested and actually have it", and they ain't dead yet.... Even people who have been in critical care may get over it, as Boris Johnson has -- though I suspect he was only taken into critical care because he is the Prime Minister. But Prince Charles has had it without being taken into critical care so that may not follow.

Thank you for this thread Bimbleboo, I have a generalised anxiety disorder and anxiety is sky high at the moment. It's positive to know that confirmed cases can be mild.

I fit into the category of possibly had it based on mild symptoms but not been tested. Hopefully antibody testing will come out soon and give us all a clearer picture.

@StillDumDeDumming Hope your dp continues to recover well 🤞🏻

This thread is reassuring. I posted a similar one the other day when i had a moment wondering if there are actually any mild cases!

@jrobhatch29 found it!!! Also so reassuring! Xx