Have you witnessed Covid first hand?

[HforHavana]

At the start, I was very much with the crowd of 'this is all too much and too far for a virus with such a high survival rate' 'let people live their lives and take their own risks'.
I thought the numbers were inflated (they still well may be), and everything in the news was exaggerated. In the first wave, I didn't hear of one person even having Covid. Never denied its existence, but definitely questioned the hype.

Last month, a fit and healthy family member tested positive and was dead within 3 weeks. The reality of the whole thing hit and now I see the risks and worry for the rest of my family who are vulnerable.

For 8/9 months, I didn't take the whole thing too seriously. I hate the fact it's taken this for it to hit home. When I see people's comments about going back to normality and stopping lockdowns etc, I wonder what their experience of Covid is.

Have you experienced Covid first hand and has your opinion changed since March on any of it?

Back in March we had a lot of cases (& probable cases) so I’ve always been wary. Lost a relative in April but there’s been a few higher profile deaths locally so it made me more aware. There’s good awareness locally and I wonder if this is why.

I have Covid currently. I am so sorry about your family member. It must be so hard. I am absolutely fine and have had worse colds. It varies so much. I am much less in favour of lockdowns now then I was at the start. I feel like people who are lonely, have mental illness, live in abusive relations, have lost their livelihoods, can't pay their rent etc etc etc have been sacrificed. Maybe that was the right choice, but it was a choice and it's not one I'm happy about.

I struggle with it all to be honest because I don't know anyone. Yesterday I heard of the first person that I know (actually know, not somebody's aunties neighbour) who tested posted, and they had absolutely no symptoms. They tested positive through the track and trace contact, they had zero symptoms.

So although I follow the guidance etc, it requires a fair amount of mental effort to keep going. I'm seriously weary with it today facing down another month ++++ of working with small children at home and no childcare. I don't know how I'm going to cope again, the first time was horrendous.

for those who have lost loved ones.

I'm currently recovering from it and know a few people who've had it . Also have a year 7 DD so hear lots about it via school

My grandmother had it she’s 93 and had no symptoms at all they only tested as she is in a care home. She’s had a negative test and is fine now.

My mums best friend currently has it. She’s in her 60s and diabetic and is much iller than my grandmother was, but still like flu as opposed to breathing problems et

But in the first lockdown I heard an ex colleague died from it. She was in her 30s and healthy no underlying conditions known or found.

This is what scares me about it so much

I did two funerals in April. A man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s. Since then two friends have had long covid and were ill for months and an elderly chap was in hospital for 9 weeks with it. He recovered. A friend's son has just tested positive and I'm worried for her and her husband. Both are in their seventies. It feels very real at the moment.

I always knew it was a serious illness. Most people will be fine, me and my children got a mild dose. It took DH down and he is currently recovering in hospital. I'll never forgot how poorly he was when the ambulance came.

Roll on the vaccine for everybody. No one should have to suffer this vile virus.

@TheDrsDocMartens so sorry about your loss

@ValancyRedfern hope you make a quick recovery as I am currently suffering from a cold and I think you always underestimate them! Ha!

It's such a hard thing as my DF is vulnerable so it gives me the fear every time he leaves the house or goes to work. I just want to wrap him in cotton wool.
But at the same time, people losing jobs, businesses and livelihoods is also absolutely horrendous and my heart goes out to every single person who has been affected in this way.

I want the economy to stay open but also want to keep all my vulnerable family safe, which I assume would be the same thought process for everyone!
I feel like my opinion is stuck between a rock and a hard place and I don't know which is best!

I know 5 now but all had no or mild cold symptoms. Age range 40’s - 90’s.

I know people on my course at uni who've had it mildly. Then I know of at least two lecturers who had it, ended up in ICU for a bit but survived.

The closest physically I have been to it was to stay with an elderly lady while she died of it (on the hospital ward where I was working). Her family were unable to be there so I just held her hand and talked to her until after she had passed away.

I’ve witnessed it in that I’ve had it. I was ill for about 16 weeks and am still losing my hair.
I still think a balance needs to be struck, because Covid isn’t the only killer.
A close family member died recently... cancer that wasn’t diagnosed quickly enough as the GP wouldn’t give her a face to face appointment back in March. It took 6 weeks for someone to see her.
I don’t think we should ‘open everything up’, that would be madness. There needs to be a balance.

Hugs to everyone who has lost someone

Have any of your opinions changed since March in restrictions or the seriousness of the whole thing?

Well yes because I work in the NHS, it ranges from those admitted who aren't too ill and are just on oxygen to people bloated out of all recognition of medication and on ventilators. You never can tell which one you will be.

Only one person I know has had it and it was mild. It's hard to take it as seriously as we are expected to.

@MistletoeandGin

I’ve witnessed it in that I’ve had it. I was ill for about 16 weeks and am still losing my hair. I still think a balance needs to be struck, because Covid isn’t the only killer. A close family member died recently... cancer that wasn’t diagnosed quickly enough as the GP wouldn’t give her a face to face appointment back in March. It took 6 weeks for someone to see her. I don’t think we should ‘open everything up’, that would be madness. There needs to be a balance.

Hugs to you! Sounds like you haven't had a break I completely agree that balance needs to be struck as there are other killers. The lockdowns shouldn't affect other health services. So sorry to hear about your friend, that is absolutely awful and should never have happened

@roarfeckingroarr

Only one person I know has had it and it was mild. It's hard to take it as seriously as we are expected to.

I can completely relate to this as this was me for so long. How can you reason with something you have no experience of!

I feel as if I can relate to those on both ends as I have been on both sides and both sides are so difficult to comprehend.

I’ve not had it myself but yes, have lost a relative to it v recently. I’ve got two close friends who currently have it, one is coping okay, the other is very ill (both in their late 20s). Another friends relative (late 40s early 50s) has been v ill with it for the past three weeks. Within the workplace we’ve had around 40 confirmed cases since september. If it didn’t feel real in March, it bldy does now! I’ve also been forced out of my job as a result of the impact of covid. Earlier this year it was mostly the older generation I knew of who were catching it, and mostly surviving it. Now its teens and young adults too, without underlying health conditions, some of whom are really quite ill. I’m not trying to scare anyone but I WISH people would take it seriously (and I’m looking at you t* of a removal crew who refused to wear masks because I asked ‘rudely’ “do you have your own masks or would you like me to provide disposable ones?” Quite how that is rude is beyond me, but maybe I did ask shirtily due to the stress I am under).

I can count on one hand the number of people I know who’ve had Covid-like symptoms this year, so it’s always felt like a very distant thing happening to others.

I’ve always held Covid in the perspective of having had scarlet fever very badly a couple of years ago. I spent a week in hospital, another few weeks to feel properly myself again, and still have recurring endocarditis as a side effect - “long-Covid” isn’t unique to Covid. Yet I don’t know anyone who worries themselves sick about catching scarlet fever. It’s the same with sepsis - there are on average 45,000 sepsis-related deaths in the U.K. each year, many of them younger people who were healthy and well just days previously - more under-40s will die of sepsis than Covid. Why aren’t we all as terrified of sepsis as we are Covid?

The reality is that occasionally, fit, healthy, young people do suffer badly or die from infections which go on to be mild in others. But we can’t live our lives wrapping ourselves away from all potential harm.

Yes. We've all had it in this household, as have many colleagues.

I am still too ill to work 3 months later and I was fairly fit and well. DC had it mildly - but are still (teens) very easily tired and a day at school wipes them out. DH was quite poorly but has recovered well, although again - tires easily.

Those people who find it hard to take 'seriously' need to realise that they are playing Russian Roulette. It appears to be a lottery as to when, where and how poorly you will be or what long term effects you will have if you catch it.

I've always taken it seriously. I have had two people die. My grandmother being one. She was in her 90s though. My husband had COVID, to be fair he was absolutely fine, but we have been super careful and it's frustrating how easily spread this is.

Most of us have the mentality that it will never happen to us. Look at the amount of people who smoke or who use a mobile phone when driving. I think with the virus most of us aren't in the high risk group so we even more think it's ok to take risks.

What people don't get it the social responsibility to not take the risk because it's not all about you (not you but as in a collective you).

My opinion hasn't changed since the very start of March which was when I was last in another person's house. We (department, friends and family who are either in education or the medical field) had a horrible feeling about what was coming. Since September we have only been to work and to a shop if needed, with some socially distanced walks to see people if the weather behaved. We are both secondary science teachers in different schools in Greater Manchester so we have always had restrictions. We had a trip return from Paris in Feb and so many were ill. I have lost a family member and 2 are now still very ill. I teach children who have lost a parent, we have had over 100 student cases and I have a colleague still on oxygen at home. One of my 6th formers has been very seriously ill in hospital. This last half term has been carnage for us, the first was worst for my partner teaching in Bolton.

To say I've been dismayed by the behaviour of some members of my community is a massive understatement. I am disgusted. I've sat in with my head as he has cried, as he has been on the phone to PHE explaining once again we have had siblings in schools whilst waiting for a test result the turned positive and therefore shutting down so many groups of students. I've sat with staff whilst they panicked because a now positive child had thrown up on their desk, again because parents sent them in because "it's only a cold". I've also sat with my DP and worked out how many years until we can afford to leave; we can both leave in 9 years and survive. That's the loss of 2 highly experienced science teachers, him bring the only physics teacher the school has.

We love our job and our communities deeply (in fact he spent Friday delivering food parcels for Christmas) but I swear I've aged a decade in 3 months trying to hold it together.

I knew 10 people who had had it until recently, two of whom sadly died.

Last week all 20 of my husband's colleagues including him tested positive despite major and costly 'Covid safe' measures being in place. We think maybe the lack of natural ventilation was an issue.

DH is poorly but ok, and we are isolating until Boxing Day providing no one else catches it.

Some of his colleagues feel ok, others are really unwell and two are in hospital- one of whom you might expect to struggle, and one who is young and otherwise fit and healthy.

My dad has had a pacemaker battery change and a malignant melanoma excision cancelled for this week. So we are experiencing the knock on effects also.

Before we even went into lockdown I knew of one death in my friends family. Then around May a relative died, she was a healthy 70 year old so it was a huge shock.

Numerous people in 30s who had it and felt shitty, one was hospitalized.

My dad is in his 70s. He had test as routine hospital appointment and was shocked to be told he was positive. He felt fine. However now, weeks later, he has no sense of smell and lacking energy.

I've taken it seriously from day one, and my experiences since then havent changed that.

I don't personally know anyone who's died from it (only a friend of a friend type of thing), and the one person I know who was in hospital with it had a serious underlying condition. I've been obeying the rules but I agree with pp that it's hard to take it seriously when you have no experience of it.

I know many people who have had it really badly. Varying ages, genders and races.
Two have died, both were under fifty
I have just tested positive for the virus. I have a headache, pain in my back and loss of taste and smell . My symptoms are mild atm