Have you had it? If so I want to ask you, as I think I have it.

[ItchyScratch]

For the last 5 days I’ve been ill through the night with a bunged up nose alternating with a runny nose and a sore throat.
Then a Head ache through the day (but perhaps through lack of sleep)

So obviously assumed it was just a cold.
But now for the last 18 hours I’ve had a cough. It’s quite constant. It’s dry and tickly.

If you have had it, does that sound like it could be it?

If I have it am I supposed to let someone know? Am I supposed to go and get tested somewhere?

What’s next?!

It sounds more like hayfever to me. People are getting it at the moment who have never had it. My sons is worse than ever before and his cough is awful but it’s definitely hayfever. Can you try some anti histamines and see if it helps?

No it doesn’t sound like you have it OP- the runny nose is not a symptom

My 7yo DS has these symptoms but it can't be covid as we are isolated.

DH thinks hay fever as he was about 7 when it started with him.

The runny nose isn’t one of the recognised symptoms. I am very confident I’ve had it (even GP and 111 flagged me on their systems as having it despite not being tested as didn’t go to hospital) and my main symptom was a fever of 39 that came and went for 3 days and then around day 9/10 I developed a tight chest and dry cough. That went on for 2.5 weeks and I needed to use my blue reliever inhaler a lot more than normal just to feel I could get a deep enough breath (I have moderate asthma).

Ah I see.
I’ve never had hay fever before.

Do you get a cough with hay fever?

My GP says I've had it and I had no nose symptoms at all. Neither did my son.

It sounds like hayfever to me. I have been really suffering with it this week. Runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, sore ears, itchy eyes also feeling very tired. I think it's tree pollen.

I get a horrendous cough when my hayfever is at its worst.

For me the cough isn’t like a normal cough it is constant. You cough so much you throw up what ever you have eaten or drunk and you can’t breath as you need to cough.

Instead of a stuffy nose you are fighting to breathe

I am 98% sure I had it and I didn’t have a runny nose. Mine was sore throat, body aches, chills, a mild fever on and off, then a cough developed. Which I’ve still got 4 weeks later. Also extreme tiredness.

The German govt website mentions a runny nose as a symptom.

www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/en/press/2020/coronavirus.html

ofwarren how did you find out you have had it.

I would like confirmation that we all have had it. I thought they hadnt got the antibody test yet

I think I’ve had it. No snotty nose, tight band around chest feeling, high temp and utter utter exhaustion along with a complete and profound loss of my sense of smell. All lasted 14 days apart from sense of smell which took three weeks to return. If I go by my symptoms then I don’t think you have it but who knows!? It’s a very broad range of symptoms and I wasn’t tested.

Do you have a temperature? It does sound more like allergies, which can begin at any time. I got seasonal allergies for the first time last year at the age of 44. I really thought I had something really sinister wrong with me. It is weird.

It sounds like a cold or hay fever OP.

No you don't need to tell anyone
No you won't get tested unless you're unwell enough to be admitted or you're in a household with an nhs/ some public sector workers

I'm not tested but GP is as sure as you can be that I've had it. My symptoms:

🦠 headache
🦠 fever (not huge - 38.1 at peak)
🦠 dry cough - not severe though
🦠 struggling to breathe
🦠 Nausea, no appetite
🦠 severe diarrhoea
🦠 utter fatigue
🦠 sense of smell flicked off like a switch on day 2

Day 1-5 was dominated by the respiratory stuff and fever.
Days 5-14 were dominated by the diarrhoea and gastric stuff and I had to take Imodium at the max dose for a week.
Days 14 - 22 were dominated by intermittent gastric stuff and totally and utter fatigue.

I'm on day 25 and would say I'm at 75-80% normal, tired after I've done something but I will never use the word 'fatigue' lightly now!

My sense of taste is nearly back (smell came back gradually after a week) I have a weird sweet taste in my mouth and I have developed a weird pain and redness in my fingertips if I touch anything cold.

There is a part of me that thinks I could have had another 'weird' virus though.

It's so hard not knowing for sure. I think I've had it.

Day 25 and still feeling dreadful much of the time.

Was like rather bad flu for about ten days - achy, headachy, fever, tiredness, couldn't really get out of bed. Heavy chest, a little dry cough.

And since then, totally exhausted, debilitated, one day a little better, and the next, awful again.

Wasn't admitted to hosp so obvs no testing and can't be 100% sure this was even it - but I'm assuming so.

Over the last few days chest has got worse again, I feel awful, and I think this is hay fever on top of the end of the virus.

But no runny nose at any time.

I've had it (tested) and my symptoms were a temperature for about 5 days, with a very bad headache and sinus pain for first three days. Extreme tiredness before, during and after. Also aching muscles. I thought it was just a cold until my smell and taste completely disappeared on day 4, and then confirmed when test came back positive.

@ItchyScratch I think it could well be it. I had a really bunged up nose - also a low grade fever 38 degrees and no sneezing but just needed to blow my nose every few hours. Dry cough and lethargic and horrible sweats. I don’t know for certain it was CV. I’m pretty sure it is. The thing about this is that everyone’s symptoms are slightly different.

womanvsfood Did you have to go to a test centre?

Ernieshere I'm NHS - we have a staff testing centre at my hospital.

Thanks all. It’s a mystery.

I do ageee it could be hay fever, although I don’t normally get hay fever so that’s why I couldn’t recognise the symptoms as easy as you have.

It’s the cough that’s making me worry.

I have been diagnosed by GP via 111. Testing is only taking place in hospitals in my area, so only if you are ill enough to need to go there (you don’t get sent just for a test if you are managing okay at home). My key symptoms have been fatigue, breathlessness on moving and speaking and a cough unlike any I’ve had before - it very much comes from deep in my chest with no tickly throat or anything, and it’s quite a small, quiet cough. I initially lost my sense of taste and smell, but this has returned now. I’ve not been able to do much more than lie on the sofa, which is very unusual for me - even when I’m not well.

I think the cough is the biggest pointer to allergies.