My dad has covid

[FightingWithTheWind]

My dad messaged me to tell me he has tested positive and feels awful, he never gets ill so when he says he feels awful he must feel really, really bad. I am terrified, the last time I remember my dad complaining of being ill was 20 years ago when he was hospitalized with pneumonia that nearly killed him. He has high blood pressure that he takes medication for, he is only 56 but I am so scared. We also saw him on saturday, so I am assuming we will have to isolate as well, he was completley fine on Saturday so for him to be this ill this fast is also worrying me.

I'm sorry to hear your dad is poorly :-(

Tell him to keep an eye on his oxygen levels if he has an oximeter at home. I know many elderly people with health problems, including 1 who had heart failure and was hospitalised but he is absolutely fine now.

Wishing your dad a speedy recovery. Does he know where he may of contracted covid?

Thank you thats reassuring to hear, hopefully he can fight this off, he's an electrician so he goes to loads of homes for work, and he has to do his shopping so it really could have been anywhere

So sorry for you and your dad. However, many, many oldies have got Covid and survived, and your dad is only 56, so not actually elderly at all.

Step Dad is 86, has had a quadruple heart bypass, has high blood pressure, prostate cancer, dementia, and has had sepsis three times. He caught Covid whilst in hospital for an infection, not picked up until he was back in his care home. He felt a bit off, but was absolutely fine. We see so many frightening stories and death statistics, but the odds are definitely in your dads favour. Wishing him well.

Good wishes for as fast and straightforward a recovery as feasible for your father.

I can’t understand your worry, but he is a young man - yes honestly- and obviously a healthy one if he is never ill. I’m sure he will be fine and starting to feel better by Christmas. 💐

My auntie and uncle both early seventies recently had Covid and were fine. Admittedly they felt rough but coped at home like any other virus. Uncle has diabetes and is overweight but still was fine.

Of course you are worried. Can you drop an oximeter around to keep an eye on his oxygen levels, you can get Amazon to deliver them cheaply. If he's monitoring this and keeping lots of fluids down hopefully he will start feeling better soon.

Covid can make you truly awful without coming anywhere near killing you - I've never felt do I'll in my life as I did with COVID and I've had a fair few nasty things before.

Really what your dad needs is to keep a sharp eye on his blood oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter or a pulse oximeter app on his smartphone. That will give the earliest possible warning between just feeling terrible and needing urgent medical attention.

My mum works for the NHS and has looked after covid patients so I'm terrified she'll get it. I hope your dad is better soon.

Handhold OP. It’s scary but chances are he will be fine.

Someone close to me had it and is fine now, was only really ill for a week, but when they had it, it did make them feel pretty dire so that may just be the nature of it.

Treatments and understanding is so much better now and hospital capacity hasn’t crashed at this point so that should all be in his favour too, if he does need extra medical support.

I was in your position a couple of months ago, it is terrifying. My dad, couple years older than yours, was very poorly but didn't need hospital treatment, although paramedics were called. 3 months later and he is fine and back at work.
Handhold op

I know a couple that had it, he is 82 & she is 80, both a bit tough for a few days but fighting for now. It is a massive worry but there are lots of good news stories too

in your position I'd be worried sick too (my own df nearly died from pneumonia too) but he is not old, and the overwhelming chance is that he's going to be fine, even if he has a rough few days. Is somebody looking after him? If not in your shoes I would not hesitate to go over (and isolate myself so that I could do so as often as possible)

You need to know when he does thad symptoms and/or the test. If you saw him Saturday but he was fine until Monday eve then you don’t need to isolate yourself, which might mean you can drop things off for him off needed

Can I ask how your dad is doing now? I found this thread because my dad has covid too he also has high blood pressure and asthma and he also never complains of being ill. He’s on about day 8 and I’m totally terrified. I hope your dad is much better now!