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"

Auntie had it in March - thought loss of smell was down to hay fever. Was her only symptom before it was recognised as a symptom. Antibody test in July confirmed it. She’s late 50s and would be classed as obese so definitely would be classed as higher risk?
She works for the NHS was practically sneered at at work when she asked if it could be Covid

Ds and I had it in March we think (tested positive for antibodies last month). DS was very unwell for 2 weeks, high temperature, horrible cough, tiredness, rash. I felt a bit tired for a couple of days and experienced changes to my taste, (no cough).

Both me and DH had something last December. It was very similar to flu, but we lost taste and smell, and felt waaaay worse than flu had ever made us feel. Kids, oddly, seemed to not catch it, which seems even more like it was covid as geerally they catch everything we have. We were 'very ill' for less time than with regular flu though. It was more intense than flu for the time it lasted, but we were able to kind of live life 5 days after it started, though still felt quite shitty but could actually get out of bed/chair at that stage and move about without feeling like collapsing.

We since paid for an antibody test and apparently have the antibodies to covid, which would say it likely was covid. Unfortunately at the time it was not possible to get a covid test (and I think, its claimed it wasn't even in the country til the month after?!) so cannot be sure thats whe it was. Of course its possible that it was not covid, but we both got covid afterwards but showed no symptoms of it so didn't know or something, but seems more likely that was it. All symptoms matched though, and we both commented at the time at the odd smell/taste thing. My taste is still not 100% now.

IF that was covid, it was bloody horrendous. But, loads I know have had positive tests recently and say its just like a cold. But, its possible they are asymptomatic cases who have a cold ontop of course.

[quote jollybobs89]@lifesalongsong what's the other thread for Covid NW love? Just want to jump on it [/quote]
This one @jollybobs89 but it may have moved onto other areas by now

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4042348-Anyone-else-think-this-seems-far-far-worse-than-the-first-wave

I've had it. Positive test. Mild cold. Went to my sinuses for a couple of days but was all gone within 9 days. Didn't have a temperature, or cough. I was a bit worried at the start as I am asthmatic but didn't have to use my inhaler at all.

I'm sure I had it, started the week before lockdown although nobody could get tested then. Work in central London, half a dozen of my colleagues were ill with it in the following days.

Weirdest illness I've ever had, tickly dry cough was only short lived, 3 days of spontaneous nosebleeds followed by headaches in the days after. Temperature all over the place with a strange sensation like something zipping round my body before a wave of heat, breathing shallow at times and the now well known loss of smell/taste for about 10 days.
My adult DCs caught it from me but were similarly affected, DD had a couple of days in bed.

I will say in all honesty, I've had flu 3 times and I'd rather redo COVID if it was the same again.

Have a read of this for some good stories!

Tell me your positive recovery stories www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4041479-tell-me-your-positive-recovery-stories

I had it.

Day 1 - blinding headache all day. Fever that lasted for 2 hours at the most.
Day 2 - no symptoms
Day 3 - no symptoms
Day 4 and 5 slight tightness in chest and very mild breathlessness
Day 6- 9 loss of taste and smell

Never felt really unwell but was absolutely exhausted for a 4 weeks afterwards.

I know two people who have had it - one man in his 80s who had no symtoms (he was tested when in hospital for something else) and one man in his 40s who was really unwell for about 6 weeks. It really does seem to be a lottery,.

Fluey - achy and knackered for 2 weeks, still worked from home (god knows why I made myself do that) but couldn’t have looked after dc so they went to xh.

No test, it was in late March. Smell/taste didn’t return for a few weeks afterwards, quite worrying! No long term effects at all.

Make sure you have paracetamol in as the all-over ache was the worst thing

Oh I’m 44

Confirmed case at end of March - I live in London. No tests at the time but since had antibodies test which was positive.
Banging headache, chest pain like one of kids were sitting on it, breathlessness on climbing stairs, sore throat, tired. Fever for about six hours. No cough
Husband similar but no fever - children v mildly.
Weird thing was on day 5 both me and my husband felt like our body was 'fighting hard'. We both went to bed (thankfully on different days) and it honestly felt like we could have got really ill but for whatever reason we could respond and both felt much better after a few hours. I have since learnt that day 5 is often the tipping point.

I am very well generally my DH has underlying health issues

High school girl I know’s only symptom was a continuous headache.

Ps worked throughout - Covid critical role

Both my daughters have had it. DD2 works in a care home for memory impaired. She had headache, slight cough, loss of appetite and no energy. She recovered and got a negative test in three weeks.
Her live-in boyfriend got it and had NO symptoms. He only got tested because she tested positive. It took him three weeks to get a negative test too.
DD1 is a school nurse in a school that has been open since August. She also has health issues that make it more dangerous for her. She had fever, serious headaches (think migraine), no energy, loss of taste and smell therefore no appetite either. She is still testing positive and has had to quarantine at home. It seems she has also passed it to her husband and teenage daughter, who also have health issues.

Did anyone else have a specific weird taste in their mouth the day or so before losing smell/taste? I describe it as sort of chloriney, like breathing in pool water

Lots of people are asymptomatic, many have 'cold and flu' symptoms, some are so ill they need to go to hospital, a small percentage die. Take your pick.

My husband had it back in April. At least, we assume so because people were only being tested if they were ill enough to need hospital treatment back then. Our GP was markedly uninterested when I contacted them.
He had muscle aches in his hands for two days, then felt fatigued and on the third day had breathlessness. He was fine if he was laying in bed so that's what he did for a week.
He now has the odd instance (once a fortnight-ish) of breathlessness creep up on him but he's otherwise fully recovered.

Cousins husband spent 5 weeks on a ventilator now suffering from long Covid. Previously fighting fit runner, late 40’s. My cousin didn’t have it.
Their DS, early 20’s & doesn’t live with them, antibody test through work (nhs) confirmed he had it. No symptoms whatsoever.

I’d recognise it again.

It felt like a different thing to other illnesses I’ve had, though a mixture of some, like flu, cold and pneumonia. That taste I mentioned was very specific.

So I think it’s worth people sharing their experiences, is what I’m trying to say

I was on a non-Covid ward in hospital when one of the other patients tested positive.
Was sent home to self-isolate for 14 days.

I knew I'd been in the next bed on a ward to someone with it for 48 hours so kept a weather eye out for symptoms. Had a tickly feeling in the middle of my chest (I could have pointed to the exact small spot) which meant I coughed occasionally.
And that was it.
DH didn't have any symptoms (believe me, I'd have heard all about it ).
I slept in the spare room, we sat on different sofas, didn't kiss/cuddle, used separate toilets etc but otherwise were living normally in the same house.

The tickle eventually went away and I felt fine.

I only knew I'd had it for definite when I was included in the current trial and was positive for antibodies.

I was living in London and commuting on the tube every day right up until lockdown, then worked from home. First week of working from home I cam down with something. Fever, fatigue, slight cough, loss of taste/smell, stomach pains. I had to call in sick from working from home which was embarrassing but I didn't have the strength to get out of bed and sit at my desk. It only lasted a couple of days though so no idea if it was Covid, bit of a coincidence if it wasn't as I usually only get ill like that once every few years.

I tested positive in July.

I was one of the lucky ones who had it mildly, whereas I was sure I wouldn't survive if I did get it (smoker, slightly higher BMI, weak immune system)

Swollen glands, sore throat, feeling a bit fatigued, went off my food and couldn't taste anything apart from metal. Had I not needed to isolate then I could have gone about my business, going to work etc.

Toddler DS caught it from me and had a high fever for 12 hours, a bit grotty then fine again.

DP and DD either didn't catch it or were asymptomatic.

@ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes me! Except I described it as metallic-like. Chlorine seems close enough. It was ghastly. I had it for 8-9 days straight then it went away and kept coming back for weeks.

I had an excruciating headache, was freezing cold and ached, could barely get out of bed. But only for 4 days. However 6 months on and I still get out of breath doing the slightest thing, my sense of taste and smell are screwed up like you wouldn’t believe, I’m exhausted every day by 3pm and I have heart palpitations. Now I can’t say for certain these are all because of Covid but I do know I didn’t have these issues before I had it!!