Have you actually had covid, if so how bad was it?

[Closingtime94]

Hello,

Sorry about the weird title, I'm just a bit I guess confused - I live in the NW and we're a really high risk area but I don't know anyone personally who has had covid and out of our joint 800+ friends on Facebook no one has mentioned having covid (I know they may not put it on fb but people do tend to haha) and I just thought if our area was so high risk then you'd think you'd know someone who had it (don't get me wrong completely thankful I haven't had it or anyone I know has had it but it just seems odd) I'm still taking the risk very seriously and following guidance but I was wondering if you've had covid19 and what your experience was? (Or someone in the immediate family) you don't have to live in the NW or anything.

Please can we keep it to you personally having covid (or someone in immediate family) as I think these threads can very easily turn into "my grandmas best friends dogs previous owner had covid"

I'm from the North west originally but have lived in London for years. I personally know of 3 people who have sadly died from covid, at least 20 people who have tested positive and over 50 who think they have had it back in March when no one was tested unless hospitalised including my youngest daughter who was seriously ill in March with pneumonia.

I am near Manchester and had covid in May

No cough, no temp. I just felt fatigued and a bit "off" for a couple of days.

I had it in march. Spent four months in bed feeling acutley ill and still suffering from the reprecussions. Am mid 30s, previously cycling, swimming and running daily.

I know roughly 20 people who had it including me (asymptomatic and only confirmed by antibody test). They span the whole range of no symptoms, mild illness lasting a few days, a nasty illness lasting a couple of weeks and 2 hospitalised now with long tail Covid. No apparent rhyme or reason.

@AnyFucker - did you have a positive test?

You need to get on the other NW thread that I've just posted on where the OP's whole family have had it who says it's rife there

I live in London and know loads of people who had it, including myself:

• I had mild flu like illness, not bed ridden at any point but still suffering fatigue 6 months on

• my partner had even milder symptoms than me, no on-going issues

-kids had mild fever and a cough

-lots of other people I know had something, in range from barely any symptoms to a few days in bed ridden and felt a bit scary. Only one ‘friend of friend’ in hospital but fine now. I only know one other person with extended symptoms. Most people pretty mild though

@luckylavender I never had a swab test as they wete only testing for a cough/temp back then

I did have an antibody test in June (I work on covid ICU) which was positive and that episode where I felt a bit off was the only thing I could relate it to. I didn't even take any time off work !

I’m another Londoner and it was definitely doing the rounds here in Feb/March. I was completely bedridden for 2 weeks, had 2 months off work and ongoing fatigue and breathlessness until late August. My DH and DC had mild coughs and one kid had a temp. One colleague was off for a month and 4 others had very mild forms. 2 friends tested positive for antibodies without realising they’d been ill, another friend was hospitalised and on a ventilator. My aunt, uncle and cousins all had it and my aunt still hasn’t fully regained her smell or taste since March. It’s SUCH a lottery. I still have to use an inhaler even though I’m largely recovered and I’ve fared pretty well compared to my fellow long-Covid sufferers.

Relative had it on the first round. She felt a bit off and went off her food. Had to be off work 7 days but said she could have physically worked when she had it, it wasn’t that bad. She’s had worse colds.

I'm in London, I had it early on. For me it was like a bad, if very odd, cold. One day of fever and feeling weak, headaches, a cough for a couple of weeks. I felt broadly fine in myself, I was just coughing a lot. I lost my sense of taste and smell -- smell took weeks to come back.

Interestingly, my husband was at home and up close with me the whole time, including sleeping in the same bed, giving me kisses and stuff, and he didn't get it. We actually think he had it and was asymptomatic, and he gave it to me (his job used to involve lots of meeting people, hand-shaking etc, whereas I have always worked from home and see very few people).

Other family -- one of my DB plus SIL and their kids all tested positive recently. They did the full iso but none of them showed any symptoms whatsoever throughout.

Outside of family I know lots of people who've had it. 30 people, maybe more, I lost count. Almost all mild symptoms, or none at all. Including one 90-something with several pre-existing conditions.

@nancypineapple how did you get a test if you weren't hospitalised?

Tested positive mid September. Had a headache, sore throat and ears, blocked nose, diarrhoea and stomach cramps, then lost taste / smell. I was isolating from 2.5 weeks in total, and worked from home throughout. Back at work now, symptoms still present but passing slowly.

None of DH or the DCs caught it from me.

I'm in Hampshire. Ex DH hospitalised for 5 weeks, on cpap machine. One friend and 4 of her colleagues in hospital from 1 week to 4 weeks. The care home they work in lost 7 elderly residents to Covid.

Had it end of July. Apart from I couldn’t smell anything. I wouldn’t have known: only tested as couldn’t smell. No temp, no cough.

I’m in NE and have it now, as do 7 others from my work. I’m fit and healthy, late 30’s and it’s floored me. I got out of bed today for first time - went downstairs to set my sons desk up for his home schooling and was drenched in sweat, had to be sick and thought I was going to faint. I would say I probably have it mildly. Someone else from my work is in ICU.

My mother in law had a persistent cough in February which she described as the worst chest infection she'd ever had, her GP said she'd have to be hospitalised if it got any worse. We didn't see her for 6 months in the end, because she kept cancelling plans saying she wasn't well enough, and then lockdown happened. If that wasn't COVID I'd be amazed.

My mother then had classic symptoms in late March early April, but it was very mild and passed quickly, nothing like as bad as when she got flu a couple of years ago. Her sense of taste and smell took a long time to come back properly though.

(Obviously neither had a positive test due to the timings.)

I’m in London and had it in March. I was ill for 2-3 days with body aches, runny nose, upset stomach and loss of taste. It was very mild really - I only knew for sure it was Covid when I got an antibody test in July (I work in a hospital).

18 year old dd has is currently. It has been like a bad cold but with worse malaise. One night of fever.

I believe I’ve had a false negative the week before dd tested positive. I’ve had something between a cold and flu but with no fever but taste issues for a week or so. Very obvious cough and persistent tickly sore throat initially. Nasal symptoms from day 6.

None in my immediate family but that's only 2 people
My colleague ( senior paramedic) has been v v unwell with it

Yes and I was a 'mild' case.

It was horrific for me, coughing constantly for approx 6 weeks and unable to speak for more than 15secs without a coughing fit at its peak and that peak lasted and only decreased slowly. It culminated in coughing of significant amounts of blood (not spotting) for 5 straight nights which is how I got officially diagnosed at the hospital.

I'm not an ordinarily anxious person and don't suffer with any mental health problems etc and this was one of the first times in my life I was actually scared I was going to die and leave my children.

I know about twenty who have had it, one has long lasting lung damage but is alive thank goodness. He was in ICU for a month.
I know six people who have died from it. Possibly seven, we are awaiting information. He had no underlying health issues and was 30. He had a heart attack and very mild Covid.
My in laws all have it now. I haven’t been near them or anyone else apart from the school for a long time.
I wish people who say ‘it’s just a cold/flu’ and/or don’t isolate when necessary are ignorant, arrogant and stupid.

Yes, like a bad cold for me with all the classic symptoms. Felt rough for about a week. Have had much worse illnesses in past. Cough took ages to go though but I felt fine.

DD currently at uni building where I would say about 50% have caught it in last 4 weeks. Ranging from asymptomatic to nasty cold type symptoms. No one has needed medical attention which is good.