Day 1 : Noted on ZOE app that chest felt a bit tight; have had a ‘bit of a cold’ on and off since returning to school last month. Throat sounded hoarse but not sore.
Day 3: chest much tighter; started to wonder if cold had ‘gone to my chest’ and to be aware incase of a chest infection. Voice still a bit hoarse
Day 5/6: some pains in my legs - wondered if might be getting a flare up of arthritis; Throat no longer sounds hoarse; chest still tight and a little bit breathless
Day 7: chest was feeling much tighter, out of breath on moving around, especially on the stairs. Concerned I might be getting a chest infection so went to walk in centre in the morning. Heart rate was 150+ and blood pressure dangerously high (stage 3 hypertension crisis level) Temperature normal at around 37.0c Nurse practitioner called Cat 2 ambulance to go to A&E. A&E started investigations for pneumonia and blood clot on lungs. Took bloods and chest x ray - all clear/normal. Temperature normal. ECG was normal. After a few hours sent home with instructions to call own GP tomorrow to investigate blood pressure, which was still stage 3. Heart rate had come down to 120ish.
Day 8: called Gp as instructed for a phone appointment; GP asked me to go in for BP test. went straight away. He’s not happy as BP still stage 3 level. Heart rate around 100 bpm so slowed down a bit. Temperature normal and chest sounds clear. He got second opinion from another doctor. Neither happy. Sent straight to hospital; he’d arranged for day admission on the Same Day Emergency Clinic. Various tests - blood, ECG, BP checks, etc inc routine swabs for Covid and MRSA. On open day ward for investigations. BP still sky high, all other tests are normal. Given beta blockers and then an under tongue spray but no effect. Eventually given anti BP medication. Chest really tight, but breathing not too bad as not moving much! By early evening BP started to drop but not enough - top number still over 180, so have to be admitted overnight. Moved to open ward on AMU.
Day 9: but BP now below 180 but still very high; about 9:30/10am over hear a phone call from ward with my name - have tested positive for Covid! Currently on an open ward with 7 other patients of varying ages and illness!! Not one medic at walk in centre, A&E, GPs or hospital wards have suspected this; all actions to get me into a side room, away from others. For first time temperature is raised - 37.8c. In next hour drops to 37.1c; during the afternoon start to develop a cough; chest still tight and breathless if I walk about
BP come down to stage 2 hypertension (top number is below 180) so can go home in evening, with new BP meds, with instructions to SI, call GP for a follow up of BP in a fortnight; coughing increases over evening, and really breathless when have to climb two flights of stairs to bedroom! Temperature now down to 36.6c again.
Day 10: Coughing more today. Temperature is still low - 37.1 this morning, but mid 36c later on. Chest feels really tight. Breathing is fine when resting but walking around makes it worse. Going up stairs makes it really struggle. Chest and breathing is by far the worse symptom!
No other symptoms from the long list T&T sent. BP is lower (low stage 2). It’s still a bit on the high side.
Day 11: No real change today and feel much the same; Same symptoms plus have some aches and pains in my arms and legs
Spent the day moving very little due to the breathlessness and chest;
Day 12: Seem to have developed a weird taste thing - can smell and taste but everything has a metallic after taste at the moment.
Day 13: Still no real change. Although still feeling somewhat grim, I don’t feel any worse so hopefully it’s reached it’s peak. It’s not so bad if I don’t move. Cough, tight chest, breathlessness, some aches and pains in limbs, ectopic heart beats, heart rate slightly raised. No raised temperature. Oximeter says 95-97% Blood pressure stabilised at ‘hypertension stage 1’ with medication.
Day 14: Still coughing, chest tight and breathless if doing anything but no worse again. Coughing lots if I talk much. Ribs feel sore. Spent almost all day laid in bed, though propped up working on iPad as feeling really tired today and have achy legs and arms today. Seem to be able to taste fine today. Blood pressure much the same as yesterday - stage 1 hypertension, so seems to have stabilised now. Heart rate is mid 90s with a few ectopic beats still. Temperature is fine.
Day 15-19: - didn’t do much; spent time in and out of bed - still breathless on the stairs but cough subsiding; very tired at times
Day 19: first day out of house to take DD back to university by car; very tired and still a bit breathless if I do much Ribs still hurt. BP bordering stage 1/2 hypertension.
Day 20: - very tired today; heart went up to 150+ and very breathless after getting over stressed about something; went for a walk and lunch out - very tired, breathless walking vaguely uphill
Day 21 (today; 72 hour heart heart monitor attached until Thursday am (part of the hospital referral as heart rate was high, though its no where near what it used to be like when I had SVT - had ablation for that a year ago) GP called re follow up. Now signed off work until after I see him on 5 November (will be Day 31) as he needs to be sure BP medication is working well enough first