Infections are much higher than we think?

[Baullocks]

So, I know a few people who’ve tested positive -

My colleague and his wife had it so mild it was basically a cold but the wife insisted on getting checked.

A friend only got checked because her daughter was positive, all she had was a headache.

Then there are my daughters who’s symptoms are a runny nose and stomach pain, I only tested them as I had a weird hunch. I’ve since spoken to one of my youngests teachers (also a friend) who said she’s concerned as several children complained of stomach pain last week and loads had runny noses, you just wouldn’t think to test them.

Basically none of these warranted a test, none of them had any of the 3 main symptoms.

Having seen this first hand it’s nothing like what they’re saying, for my kids this has been a bad stomach bug, not a respiratory infection at all.

I can’t help thinking that there are thousands if not millions more with this in the uk and that the numbers are completely wrong.

They really need to change the testing requirements urgently to get a better idea of who is and isn’t infected, I just don’t think anyone’s bothering because they think it’s something else.

And no I’m not scare mongering I don’t care for all that rubbish, I’m just shocked how much the symptoms are veering from the guidelines.

OP...have you and other members of your family been tested, given that your daughters have tested positive?

Quite frightening

Or reassuring that people over 90 can contract it and stay well. To be fair, that is the case for the majority of even over 80 year olds. We just focus on the hospitalisations and deaths.

I suspect it is the case and it’s a positive (or should be viewed as such).

A disease so mild, many barely know they have it.

It also suggests government policies are arse about tit. Surely, rather than lockdowns and testing the masses (who may not may not have symptoms, of no fixed nature) we should be supporting those who are vulnerable to shield as far as possible.

Definitely. I think the numbers of positives are much higher. The amt of people who say they had a (insert symptom here) but it's not covid, or but I wouldn't use up a test, I definitely don't have covid

Oh, it's far, far higher than we know. For all the people that have a random symptom and test positive, never suspecting they have COVID, there are 100s who test negative when they are actually positive because the tests are so inaccurate when someone is asymptomatic. As much as a 20% false negative rate in asymptomatic people.

The ONS has been doing a systematic programme of random testing for months for just this reason. They do know what’s happening.

@bumbleymummy

Quite frightening

Or reassuring that people over 90 can contract it and stay well. To be fair, that is the case for the majority of even over 80 year olds. We just focus on the hospitalisations and deaths.

Yes, it is a good thing that older people can contract it and not be seriously ill. What is worrying the number that can be asymptomatic and potentially infect others in the same age group (if they live in a care home or similar) who might not have such a good outcome.

I agree the figures are much higher. I also think it’s reassuring that symptoms are so mild in many.
People still go to work with heavy colds and flu so I can’t imagine undiagnosed Covid is any different. I think it’s good that a mild dose means you get mild symptoms.

Yes of course it’s higher

Hence the ONS survey as already mentioned
And hence the mass lateral flow testing. Not perfect at catching cases but a good start

Can I urge everyone to complete the zoe COVID app daiky. It tracks symptoms around the uk and also estimates cases and collates data. It was because of this app that loss of taste / smell were added to the symptoms. The more users the better

Back in March a friend went down with. Covid. Same time I developed severe stomach pain and headache. Was ill for a week. I was asleep for hours. Starting to think that might have Covid. Did t fit the picture at the time.

I think it's reassuring that so many people have it with no or very mild symptoms.

Does anyone else get the feeling it’s a Trojan horse?

What if it’s intention wasn’t to necessarily cause immediate harm but to seed itself into our cellular composition and await further instruction or factors that could be problematic down the line?

Having seen this first hand it’s nothing like what they’re saying, for my kids this has been a bad stomach bug, not a respiratory infection at all.

I often wonder if my (now) 18 year old had Covid in June as he randomly had quite severe diarrhoea for 2 full weeks and lost over a stone in weight.

Couldn't get a doctors appointment for love nor money (not even a telephone one) and didn't really think to get him tested. Plus tests at the time were still quite hard to come by.

I guess we'll never know.

Hysteria

I guess all those barely symptomatic people means the fatality & hospitalisation rate is very much lower than we thought. So that's a good thing.

www.news-medical.net/news/20201009/86-percent-of-the-UKs-COVID-19-patients-have-no-symptoms.aspx#:~:text=Now%2C%20a%20new%20study%20by,loss%20of%20taste%20or%20smell.

A study by University College London revealed that 86% of people who tested positive for Covid were either asymptomatic or were not displaying the three 'classic' symptoms at the time of their positive result.

I think we should take comfort in this. Yes it means that people are spreading it without realising it - but we knew that already - and it seems that there may be far more of us with at least some antibodies than previously thought. Not quite herd immunity but the beginnings of some resilience maybe.

On this basis, our priority should absolutely be shielding the vulnerable rather than treating the whole nation in the same way.

Oh the link broke. Copy and paste as the click doesn't work.

It's odd for me that so many people find this reassuring. This has always been the case from the beginning that many people are asymptomatic and that most cases will be mild. This doesn't change the fact that many cases are severe and the death rate is much higher than the regular flu. There are also many reports of people who have long covid. These are young, healthy people getting very sick and some dying or being ill for a long time. It's still something to be very concerned about! Just remember that just because a person doesn't look or feel sick, that doesn't mean that they aren't sick. This is why it is important to maintain social distancing and avoid close contact with others as much as possible. Wear face-masks and wash your hands frequently.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Does anyone else get the feeling it’s a Trojan horse?

What if it’s intention wasn’t to necessarily cause immediate harm but to seed itself into our cellular composition and await further instruction or factors that could be problematic down the line?

Very fanciful.

@BlackCatShadow

It's odd for me that so many people find this reassuring. This has always been the case from the beginning that many people are asymptomatic and that most cases will be mild. This doesn't change the fact that many cases are severe and the death rate is much higher than the regular flu. There are also many reports of people who have long covid. These are young, healthy people getting very sick and some dying or being ill for a long time. It's still something to be very concerned about! Just remember that just because a person doesn't look or feel sick, that doesn't mean that they aren't sick. This is why it is important to maintain social distancing and avoid close contact with others as much as possible. Wear face-masks and wash your hands frequently.

I agree. The more people that are asymptomatic the more it will spread and the greater the chance of more people getting seriously ill, dying or suffering with long Covid.

I also wonder if this is going to have long term consequences along the lines of asbestosis. We know that the virus attacks the lung, it's going to take decades for scientists to see if asymptomatic people go on to develop lung condidions such as emphysema/copd with no other environmental reason than Covid 2019.

3 separate children in my sons class had stomach bug symptoms but with a high temp they had no throat or respiratory symptoms at all and where all positive

@PinkPiranha11 that's exactly our situation, my son who's never sick came home from Austria with a bad stomach bug really tired he was good a week later.

I was then the most poorly ive ever been in my life, burning lungs, UTI, body aches the works.. we called 999 at one point as I couldn't even focus, they came in were amazing but removed all masks saying "nah it's not covid" and took me to a&e again zero PPE for staff all in and out casually diagnosed a UTI and sent me home.

I was positive for covid, and this was early March they couldn't of been less safe and I dread to think of how many I infected that night.

@PinkPiranha11

We were skiing in Austria in Feb 2020 (when it was pretty much still only a “thing” in China - apparently) and I swear the hotel was bloody rife with it. All sorts of guests saying they just felt off, had a cough, a tummy bug, a temperature. Looking back now, I think many of them were possibly covid.

Dh and I went to France mid feb. I didn’t want to go but could see what was coming. The trip was to see family so now or never. It definitely wasn’t just a thing in China for those actually watching what was going on.... unlike the government.

@Ilovemypantry

OP...have you and other members of your family been tested, given that your daughters have tested positive?

Both daughters are positive, we haven’t been tested yet but I’ve literally just been woken up by severe stomach cramps, haven’t had them this bad in years. Feeling worried now.