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.

You didn't need to say on FB that you've got coronavirus.

Nevertheless I hope you recover and get well ASAP x

I do regret posting on Facebook now. It was a knee jerk reaction in panic but my heart was in the right place.

Baffling responses on this thread, suggesting that OP is "attention-seeking"! You can almost hear the uppity sniffing. The one word that's been on everybody's lips for months now, and caused mayhem around the world, and OP isn't allowed to actually discuss her own experiences of it on FB, a medium which has enabled people to stay in touch with groups of friends through the whole thing? Absolutely bizarre reaction from some of you, although, as OP's experience has highlighted, there has been some bizarre behaviour since this whole thing started.

OP, if I had been in your group, I would have been grateful for the heads up. Hope you don't get it too badly. I know lots of people who've had it and all had very mixed responses to the virus (which is why it helps to share experiences!!)

OP you got some very bitchy responses on here - ignore them. I understand why you posted on Facebook - not for attention but to warn people that Covid may not present in the way the literature says. And given how inept the Track and Trace has been thus far you can be forgiven for deciding to do their job for them! I'm sorry you've been feeling ill, and that people you thought of as friends have turned out to be unpleasant, but at least now you know.

One thing that strikes me - you thought you had corona symptoms in March. A friend of mine recently stayed several days in hospital accompanying a DC who was having surgery. She had routine covid swaps and while she was there one of them came back positive. Subsequent covid tests were negative but the hospital eventually said she was showing antibodies and that may have triggered a faint covid positive. She now thinks her entire family had a mild version back in March. I wonder if what you have now is just a common cold but you DID have Covid in March and the test has somehow picked up on your antibodies?

I hope you continue to feel better.

@yarncakes

You didn't need to say on FB that you've got coronavirus.

Nevertheless I hope you recover and get well ASAP x

Why shouldn't she post it on Facebook? We're in a pandemic and this could be useful info for people.

Who made you the Facebook police?

Hope you feel better soon OP
I don’t think it’s that strange to post it on social media either, I know many of my Facebook friends would, and I’m about 50/50 as to whether I would or not. I guess we all use SM differently 🤷‍♀️

yellow

I just want to send you a hug. It must feel horrid being stuck at home with your DC worrying about your mum and feeling unsupported by friends.

If you want to share your experience in a more positive way (as opposed to getting flamed on here) have a look at the Zoe app and any studies your local hospital is doing into asymptomatic/ unusual symptoms, also antibodies/T-cell studies. There are far fewer cases around at the moment so you may be able to make a truly valuable contribution.

Perhaps on a new thread on the co-vid board you could also share your experiences of track and trace (good and bad) plus any tips on how you remembered all the people you had been in contact with. (The zoo is going to be an interesting one?)

I genuinely believe you were well intentioned (if misguided) in sharing your experience, don’t let unkind or uninformed comments upset you. I hope your mum is ok xx

You did nothing wrong OP.

They were not real good friends so don't give them a second thought.

I do think that a dose of Covid would make people who don't believe in it think again.
Itis sadly very real

My DH works in a busy shop so I suspect perhaps there.

I hope he's now at home self isolating with you rather than spreading it to his coworkers and customers.

@Biscuitsneeded

OP you got some very bitchy responses on here - ignore them. I understand why you posted on Facebook - not for attention but to warn people that Covid may not present in the way the literature says. And given how inept the Track and Trace has been thus far you can be forgiven for deciding to do their job for them! I'm sorry you've been feeling ill, and that people you thought of as friends have turned out to be unpleasant, but at least now you know.

One thing that strikes me - you thought you had corona symptoms in March. A friend of mine recently stayed several days in hospital accompanying a DC who was having surgery. She had routine covid swaps and while she was there one of them came back positive. Subsequent covid tests were negative but the hospital eventually said she was showing antibodies and that may have triggered a faint covid positive. She now thinks her entire family had a mild version back in March. I wonder if what you have now is just a common cold but you DID have Covid in March and the test has somehow picked up on your antibodies?

I hope you continue to feel better.

Thank you for this post. You raise a very good question. My DH has said the same thing.

Yes at the end of March I was considerably more ill than I have been this past week. I (and medical professionals I've since discussed it with) agree it does sound like what I had in March was covid.

On 19th March I had the sudden gastrointestinal problems that came out of nowhere, with nausea. That turned into extreme fatigue, my limbs ached, I lost my appetite completely and lost my sense of taste. All I could taste was metal and I thought it was oral thrush. The metal taste lingered for over 5 weeks and would come and go but for the 8 days from the onset it was a very prominent feature. I recall the fatigue being that overwhelming during that week I was scared to get up off the sofa as I felt like I might pass out.

Two weeks later my 2 year old had a very high fever and wouldn't eat. NHS 111 diagnosed him over the phone with covid as a precaution and when I mentioned my earlier symptoms they said yes it sounds like you had it too.

I did alot of reading and discovered the metallic taste was a common thing, then the altered/loss of taste and smell were added to the main symptoms list.

It took 8-10 days for me to feel better and once I did I was hopeful that I had a degree of immunity. I wasn't able to get tested at the time as the tests were like gold dust.

I would be interested in being tested again so I will be calling the information line in a few days and asking for a re test providing I don't get any worse or develop new symptoms.

I really wanted the antibody test and have been eagerly awaiting the roll out.

Ignore people trying to police what you can put on FB. It's your page. Put what you like on it. Even if you were posting it for sympathy - what's wrong with that?! You're ill and it's nice to have friends offering support - even if it's virtual. MN can be so judgemental, especially for a group of people that joined specifically to share/read about other people's lives!

OP in the kindest way - if you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, it may be best to minimise your use of social media like Facebook and Mumsnet even, there are lots of people on MN who just like to put peole down and many have appeared on your thread.

Ive was contributing to the zoe app when i had what I thought was covid before.

Thank you for the reminder, I totally forgot about that. I will log my symptoms and positive result with them.

Thanks so much for the nice comments. I do like mumsnet, there are many decent and kind folk here. I'm not deterred by the earlier nastiness.

I can’t believe the hard time you’ve been given. Get well soon OP xx and try and put all the mean responses out of your mind, you know your intentions, there can’t be any good intentions in nasty comments. Rest up! Xx

DH is home now yes and will be isolating.

He wasn't here when I got my results unfortunately, but will be from now until the end of 14 days.

Your right arm could have fell off and it would just come across as a attention seeking post.

FB is so old now and people post them so often that you actually get annoyed with them now, even if they are totally genuine.

Attention seeking FB posts are the reason I haven’t been in it for years- I can’t stand people

There was no need to announce on FB. Its not really a big deal. Majority of people have probably had coronavirus by now - most people have few if any symptoms.

@redbushtea

There was no need to announce on FB. Its not really a big deal. Majority of people have probably had coronavirus by now - most people have few if any symptoms.

Don’t be silly, for many people it is a big deal, those who are vulnerable, and her friends may have been in contact with someone who is, and be symptomless and carrying it.

In addition most people haven’t had it, I can’t recall the stat but it’s less than ten percent of the population, so approx ninety percent haven’t had it,

I appreciate posting to Facebook looks like attention seeking, but it wasn't how it was intended. My heart was in the right place.

My automatic response was to panic for the people I've been in contact with. I wasn't in the right mindset to make numerous phone calls and just wanted people to know, and be aware, that what I had was manifesting differently to what we're told to expect.

My friends list is very small as it were (approx 50 people) and I limited the post audience to just 16 of those. It was people in my family, people I considered good friends and those I've had direct contact with.

That being said I'm not too bothered if folk on there think I'm daft for posting it. The amount of shite I see on my newsfeed on a daily basis ranges from pictures of people's breakfast to chain mail statuses, I would rather be aware of a relative/friends diagnosis of covid19 than I'm interested in what people are having for lunch.

Maye you did have it in march and with some allrrgy hayfever symptoms are now shedding virus.
Well done for not waiting for t&t. They often cant get hold of people.
Telling the nursery is good too so they can send out a reminder to watvh for symptoms

@redbushtea

There was no need to announce on FB. Its not really a big deal. Majority of people have probably had coronavirus by now - most people have few if any symptoms.

What a load of crap. There's no way "the majority" of people have had Covid. It's a minority. All the tests show very low numbers of infected people, meaning very numbers of people who don't yet have it. It's stupid comments like that which cause people to do stupid things that spread it.

A lot of the comments here are a bit unkind re: attention. What is Facebook and MN for if not to connect and share with other people? People can take or leave it but no need to send nasty comments.

OP I guess you know now that these people are were not really your friends. And that's probably for the best as they sound a touch unhinged.

Hope you get through isolation okay and recover soon.

I hope you've also informed people directly who may not be constantly on Facebook and may not have seen your post.

@Nicknacky

I don’t think they need warned. I think they might have heard of coronavirus already.

It's people who may have had contact with the OP that are being warned to look out for symptoms that they may otherwise not necessarily think were Covid straight away.

I have informed everyone I've been in direct contact with yes, not just those on Facebook.

I've contacted my osteopath, my son's nursery and another relative who came to visit the week I came down with this who isn't on Facebook.

Track and trace have already gotten in touch with two of the people I declared on the form, as confirmed by those contacted, so they are being quite efficient from what I can tell.