Longer term Covid? Medical input & advice received?

[MummyPop00]

I’ve not been tested, but 99.9% sure symptoms started March 30th. So 7 weeks tomorrow.

Just wondered specifically what advice people are/have been receiving out there regarding ongoing symptoms? In my case, ongoing SOB episodes & some suspected pleurisy.

Apart from the phone all to 111 after developing symptoms & also having a brief phone Consultation with a GP a couple of weeks back in which he advised ‘rest & take paracetamol for pleuritic pain’ that’s been it.

At what point would they be advocating chest x ray etc?

What are other people’s experiences re: medical advice?

111are crap I ended up so I'll 999job and ambulance in ICU if u struggle with breathing that's when it's got u bad otherwise Ur ok

What is an SOB episode?

DH had pneumonia in Jan-Feb 2001 (HiB) and then got an xray in June 2001 so they could check for permanent damage to his lungs. So I think it's still early for you to get a chest xray (even if NHS wasn't mostly shut down).

They said DH's lungs are fine & he still has a high VO2 max but he is prone to chest infections since, maybe once every 5 yrs he gets one.

I'm the same, got ill mid Marc. Had fever, chest pain, felt achey and flu like symptoms. Lost sense of smell and appetite. 111 said no cough no Coronavirus. So I didn't self isolate. It was only the second week when I couldn't breath that doctor assumed over the phone it maybe Coronavirus. 9 weeks on I am improving but stll cannot exercise as lungs burn and I have no lung capacity. I would love a chest xray at some point. My ONLY comfort has been sites like this that show me I am not a alone.

You need to engage with your GP more. Get them a more recent update than the info they have on you from 2 weeks ago and they can help you.

GP just told me nasty virus's can take upto 12 weeks to improve. Thought I would hang on and ring again if not improved at 12 weeks.

I have spoken to my GP six times over the last ten weeks. They refuse to see me for tests or refer me for an x-ray etc. They are absolutely not interested and keep saying "sorry, there's no cure so you just have to ride it out at home".

SOB is shortness of breath

I’m in a similar position. I’m asthmatic. Got ill mid March with what seemed like a viral chest infection. Breathing was awful, I was having asthma attacks every day, even had to call out a paramedic for a nebuliser. That was 9 weeks ago. I’ve had to talk to my GP practice at least weekly because I’m still lethargic and short of breath on exertion. I’ve had to add in new drugs and move to a stronger inhaler. I’m fortunate that I’ve been advised to shield or I would be off sick. My GP has taken bloods to check there’s nothing underlying causing my breathing problems.

I've had a similar experience- GP just saying rest, rest, rest. I attended A and E reluctantly and got a chest X-ray and bloods. Chest X-ray was clear and no blood clots but that was three weeks ago and I'm still in the same situation at two months now. I'm going to phone the GP at the end of this week to say 'what now'? I'm on sick pay luckily but am a key worker. I keep thinking that if there was more of a proactive approach ie; try steroids or something then I could at least look at returning part time if the breathlessness could be managed better.

I feel very unlucky to have this illness during a pandemic when all other medical referral services have effectively shut down.

My GP referred me for a chest X-ray after 6 weeks of symptoms as I was still getting low grade fever. The X-ray showed ongoing infection in one lung so I’ve been booked for a follow up after a month to check whether it’s cleared. I was prescribed antibiotics in case secondary but they didn’t help symptoms and temp still raised so unlikely bacterial.

We have a small community hospital that was able to do the X-ray so that probably helped as I didn’t have to go to the main hospital.

Hi, I was very ill for around 8 weeks, then gradually better. Now I am at just over 11 weeks and I am mostly fine but still feeling very sleepy all the time and generally not great, which I think is probably post viral.

Are you getting better at all? If you aren’t improving at all as a general trend (even if you do have individual worse days or episodes) then I think you definitely need medical attention.