I'm losing friends because I have coronavirus

[Yellowc]

I'm not sure what I want from this thread, a hand hold I guess.

This morning I received my test results and I'm positive. I put a post on Facebook set to just family and friends, warning people who've had contact with me to get tested and highlighting the need to watch out for symptoms other than the textbook ones.

I'm worried about my elderly mum who has hypertension who I've had direct contact with so my anxiety is through the roof and I'm scared.

Somebody I've known for thirteen years jumped on the post taking the mick saying if I get run over by a lorry in the next few weeks they'll put me down as a covid death as it's not a real virus but a government ploy. I told him now wasn't the time for conspiracy theories and to leave me be, he said he was removing me because I "believe the government" and he blocked me.

Somebody else I've known for a long time came on saying how the virus isn't real and "they" have given me a positive result to keep the numbers up.

Both people I've been friendly with for a long time and had no idea they held these types of views. The last thing I needed today was to deal with this. I thought I was doing the right thing by warning people to look out for symptoms other than the textbook ones (because I had none of them)

AIBU to think these people were never friends in the first place.

I made a thread (under another name change) sharing only positive news as I knew people were struggling. I should probably go and read it again

No need for the embarrassed emoji and glad you feel calmer.
You did a great thing calming others when they were panicking

Awful responses on here. Go through you FB list and delete the weirdos. My daughter had a covid test this morning. It's quite normal to want a hand hold. X

You absolutely did the right thing OP. The more people are aware that covid isn't just fever and cough then the more people will be likely to get tested and that will help stop the spread. A lot of people testing is better than too few.
I know a couple of people testing positive and none of them had coughs or fever. Mostly the infection stayed in the upper respiratory system. Loss of smell, sore head, throat/sinus pain, congestion, muscle pain and diarrhea seems to be common. Just like a bad head cold.The only reason that my friends got tested was because of the loss of smell. Going by their symptoms our house probably had it early to mid March.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-six-types-of-covid-19-identified-by-scientists-in-major-breakthrough-for-treatment-12030652

I see... to be honest the thing about tests results for Covid they can be very inaccurate. So even though it came back positive I wouldn’t over worry if you have no symptoms and you are not feeling terrible. I wouldn’t of announced things like that on Fb either I’m sure you meant well. You don’t know weather your at the end of the Covid of the start as the result with just show neg or pos.

You may well be ok, Yellowc.

My son came back from France with colleagues in February (they stayed in a hotel for a couple of days and then sent home), and a few had caught the virus. He did feel pretty rough for a while but got over it and is absolutely fine now. However he is much older than you at 40; many young people have little or no illness. Your immune system may be alright as it was last year you had sepsis; that must have been horrible.

Good for you resolving to give up the weed! I gave up smoking years ago and stopped having upper respiratory problems almost immediately, it was amazing. Before that I was always coughing.

Given that I felt crap from Wednesday to Saturday but then much better apart from a runny nose and sneezes, I would like to hope I'm at the end of it and recovering.

I know you can get better then worse but I'm trying not to think about that. I'm hoping I've had just a mild case that's on its way out.

If I hadn't woke up to those results I would have felt fine today as I did last night, now I'm just jittery and feel a bit spaced out which I often get when anxious.

Yellowc I'm sorry you've had such shitty responses both in real life an on here.

Please don't doubt yourself! Your actions e.g. posting on Facebook and here, are of a kind and responsible person.

The science-denialists conspiracy nuts on Facebook and the ignorant flock of AIBU arseholes on here who get a kick out of putting others down are just embarrassing themselves.

Please, pay them no attention. Just be thankful you're not them! I'd rather have covid than live with such poor empathy for others. I have no idea how that can think treating another person like that is OK - particularly when you're not well and anxious about someone you care about.

I'd suggest steering clear of AIBU. I've been here over a decade and love the witty, intelligent, supportive posters you get here (mostly outside of AIBU). But I don't start posts in AIBU anymore as it's just so full of fucking idiots who like kicking people when they're down. Can't even be arsed to argue with them anymore.

You've attracted people who think they're above Facebook, @Yellowc so you were never going to get decent responses from that sort.

This thread is highlighting to me just why the UK has well and truly ballsed up how you've handled it.

It's like a mini USA there at the minute.

Sadly the virus doesn't take requests...

Good for you resolving to give up the weed! I gave up smoking years ago and stopped having upper respiratory problems almost immediately, it was amazing. Before that I was always coughing.

Oh it's not weed I smoke just normal cigarettes nothing against anybody who does partake though!

I'm really pleased your son made a full recovery

"That would mean close contact of less than 2m for over 15 minutes with all 16."

That's the requirement for being contacted by track and trace, but people are obviously catching it with more fleeting contact than that so better to know and be vigilant I think. A friend caught it in the supermarket, which I know because he put it on Facebook so it's obviously possible to get it without sustained contact.

"I do find it suspicious that some people can have it and apparently have no symptoms and know nothing about it until they have a test."

Suspicious? Really? There are lots of illnesses that you can carry without knowing.

You were right to tell others as the test and trace system isnt any good. Also, people tell others all sorts on FB which is irrellevant so i think protecting other peoples health is a good reason to share your (not so good) news. I hope you recover quickly. Rest and eat heathily and i hope your f&f in RL can support you remotely.

Lots of bullies on this thread. Perhaps the pandemic is making people cranky.
I think posting on FB was a good idea. I have friends who did the same just to make sure everyone who had been in contact with them were aware they'd had the diagnosis and could look out for symptoms.
As for the larger list of symptoms, the Kings College app has a much longer list of symptoms than the NHS too.
I hope you feel better and that your DM stays well

I have no idea why you have been piled on here OP.

I think it is very useful, and important, for people to share when they test positive with symptoms like yours. It might encourage others who wouldn't be be getting tested to do so, and reduce the number of infected people not testing or isolating. Cases are on the rise in Lewisham and people should be on the alert, as they should everywhere.

So I think you did a really good thing and don't at all see it as a plea for attention, even though it is ok to want attention!

The 'friends' who said these ridiculous things...well, be glad they have shown their true colours and ignore them. Some people don't wear their tin hats on a daily basis so it can be hard to spot them....now you know.

It's also understandable to feel a bit anxious about being diagnosed, especially if you have anxiety to begin with. I hope you continue to feel better and that your mum is fine too.

Sorry agian about the pile on....this place is very odd sometimes. It's not you.

@Valleydad99

Bloody hell - it's not Aids in the 80's is it? In 2 weeks you'll be fine. Let the track & trace team do their job to contact people you've been in contact with and let the virus run its course.

You'll tell that to those whose family member has died or those who months later are still suffering from breathung issues, tiredness, kidney problem and the like...

I agree that for most people the illness is mild. And I am pretty sure that's what the OP wanted to hear n the first place. But that sort of comment has no place o this thread (or anywhere really )

"Plus it's likely if you have it then other people in the area may have it, so it's a good notification for people to take social distancing and hygiene measures seriously."

Yes, this is why it's good to put it on FB. If I got it I would put on my personal FB and probably also on my community group. Someone might even volunteer to go shopping for me if I do that.

You were right to tell people. FB is the easiest way to reach everyone sometimes.

You are also right to be annoyed with the idiot friends you seem to have acquired.
Good riddance.

I just remembered seeing a screenshot on Facebook a few weeks ago which looked official at first glance, it said that the covid19 test may detect other forms of coronavirus (ie the common cold) and you could get a positive result for that reason, even if it's not covid19.

I've just had a look on the government sites and nowhere does it say that, so I'm guessing that was bollocks and something to do with the covid deniers/anti government conspiracies.

I will admit I was secretly hoping it was true.

Wow! What idiotic responses - both here and on FB.

There was someone on another thread telling people they had blood on their hands for self-isolating.

Really can't understand the mindset.

You haven't done anything wrong OP. Be glad the idiots have blocked you.

I wouldn't have announced it on Facebook, but I don't think it's a big issue that you did. These people are not friends and you're better off without them. I don't believe the responses you're getting on here. I hope you feel better and less anxious soon.

@Joebloggsss

I see... to be honest the thing about tests results for Covid they can be very inaccurate. So even though it came back positive I wouldn’t over worry if you have no symptoms and you are not feeling terrible. I wouldn’t of announced things like that on Fb either I’m sure you meant well. You don’t know weather your at the end of the Covid of the start as the result with just show neg or pos.

There’s a difference between a false positive and a false negative though. The false negative rate is high the false positive rate is low.

OP, I’d work on the assumption that if you’ve had what sound like some fairly typical covid symptoms and have a +ve test you’ve got covid. But it sounds like you are being very sensible.

'How can you have it and not feel slightly ill?'

Over half the people who get coronavirus don't feel ill with it.

OP I find your post interesting, I have seen in lots of posts that sneezing isn’t a symptom and discounting it as a symptom of the common cold. I think we will see the list of mild symptoms increase as we begin testing more people who don’t have typical covid symptoms.

I find your post helpful. It is useful to raise awareness of other symptoms. Feel better soon

Yes I was certain it wouldn't be covid when I developed the runny nose and sneezing, I was extremely surprised when the result came back positive.

I wish I didn't know in a way, I mean I'm glad I've been able to protect others by isolating and warning my DM but I was feeling fine yesterday and now I've gone into high alert mode, have a headache and will be a nervous wreck for the next few days.

I have PTSD from when I had sepsis and I was only just getting past that after having EMDR therapy. I'm one of the worst people who could get something like this because all rationality goes out the window and I'll be panicking about going back to hospital and being in the ICU again.