I'm in hospital with Covid

[Hellofayearsofar]

I've been here for six days now and starting to feel better. I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding my experience as I was initially terrified. The NHS are completely understaffed due to colleagues with Covid or isolating but are absolutely life savers and brilliant. Stay safe and please respect the restrictions. I would not wish what I have gone through on anyone.

@LittleSpyintheSky

Op 💐💐 and Iamsodobewiththis2020 💐💐

I was in hospital for 9 nights and was on CPAP - I came out last Saturday. I know how frightening it is and my heart goes out to you. Stay strong and fight it with everything you have.

My husband has been very ill with it too. A man in his mid 50s, a big guy, someone who runs and exercises to the extent that he is in better shape than when I met him decades ago. He’s been unable to move for about 10 days and has been in so much pain, but thankfully he started to show improvement yesterday.

At least two of our three young adult kids have it now, although their symptoms are, thankfully, like a bad dose of flu. I have been so afraid for them.

Listen carefully everyone - there are NO standard symptoms, whatever it says on the NHS website. I was told this by the docs in hospital. No-one in this house has had a cough or has lost their sense of taste or smell. My sense of smell became more acute. Some of us had a fever, but it was very short with the DC.

Please, please follow the rules. We had been very careful and we don’t know how I caught it and brought it into the house. It is extremely contagious so don’t let it into your house. Once it has you in its claws, you have no way of knowing how hard it will hit you.

For those of you who have to go out to work, please take every step to protect yourselves and your loved ones. Thank you for all that you do.

The vaccine will save us all, but we need to take care in the meantime.

What were your symptoms?

@FanGurrl we had the windows opened. It was a short journey and we didn't wear masks as we both naively felt absolutely fine. Turns out she had probably caught it from her boss.

Get well soon @Hellofayearsofar

I hope your recovered enough to go home soon @Hellofayearsofar

"If they start to fall towards 85, as they did in my case, you are in need of URGENT medical attention. If that happens to you, call 999"

You need urgent medical attention way before this. Please be careful writing things like this online.

@LittleSpyintheSky

Just to echo what Calmandmeasured1 has said.

I knew I was in trouble because my temperature was so high (just under 40) and my oxygen levels were tumbling. If they start to fall towards 85, as they did in my case, you are in need of URGENT medical attention. If that happens to you, call 999.

That's incorrect information. You need urgent medical attention well before 85.

Thank you for answering @Hellofayearsofar - I'm finding it quite scary how transmissible this new strain is
Take care

Sorry if I wasn’t clear - if your oxygen levels are falling below 90 towards 85, that’s when you need urgent medical attention.

In my experience, they aren’t going to treat you as urgent if your levels are around 90. Not at the moment anyway. But don’t take any chances.

My symptoms were a very high temperature and low oxygen levels. Initially, they thought I had a UTI (I couldn’t pee, but didn’t have any pain). The next day I was diagnosed with a kidney infection. When I was initially taken into A&E and later, when I was visited at home by an ambulance crew, no-one believed I had COVID. They did this test where they got me on my feet and walked me around the room. My body did not react in the way one would expect with COVID. My oxygen levels should have crashed, but I maintained them. I was, even then, fighting with everything I had. I didn’t want to go into hospital - I didn’t want to acknowledge I had COVID.

When the positive test result came through, everything changed. I was blue lighted into hospital and a young female doctor was the first person to tell me I was very ill and they were going to take good care of me. It was something of a relief, as I felt so very ill and frightened at that point.

@Hellofayearsofar there seems to be conflicting advice about pulse odometers. I’ve read that ones you buy online aren’t reliable and can give a false sense of security (or conversely, a false sense of alarm.)
Was the oximeter recommended to you by the medics?
TIA

That should be oximeter of course!

I hope you feel better soon op. I had clinically diagnosed covid in March, a tummy upset was my first symptom actually, followed by headaches, sore throat, metallic tasting food and delirium like you, so those symptoms have been around for a while, it’s just our government that have decided to only name 3 main symptoms.

I was discharged from a and e with an oximeter from the hospital and I had follow up video calls with respiratory doctors from the hospital. I had to show them my sats on every call. The oximeter was available on Amazon (I checked) for £30. I returned mine to the hospital once I recovered and bought one for myself.

Glad you feel better honey

@BettyCarver I got the one attached from Amazon with very good reviews. The paramedics put theirs on one finger and mine on another and they showed exactly the same readings.
The one thing which I will buy a new one of is a thermometer. I have a forehead one which is apparently useless as it can pick up a gust of air and read a different temp. The best one is an ear one. I'd love to hear of any good recommendations.

Re the car - this is the difference in the strains - @Hellofayearsofar caught it after only a few minutes in a car with windows open. I know of someone else that spent 90 mins in a car with someone asymptomatic with no masks or windows open and they didn't catch it.

Glad you're feeling on the mend OP.

Also, many NHS workers caught the first strain back in the spring and are now catching the second one so there is clearly something slightly different. Not sure what that means in terms of the vaccine?