What are your experiences with covid

[MerinoFroggie]

I never got covid. My family never got covid and I don't know anyone who got covid.

I don't have first hand experience of covid. I think some people online, I don't know about real life, are quick to dismiss covid as fake. I am not like that. I believe its very real and I follow guidelines to avoid an infection and avoid passing it on. Trying to keep myself and my family as healthy as possible.

I think from reading online - the virus is different for everybody.

I think maybe it's mild for children and younger adults.

I think maybe it's hitting middle aged adults harder and perhaps more middle aged people are experiencing flu type of illness.

It's killing more older people.

Would I be right or wrong in these observations?

In my work circle, we are beginning to see more people (younger adults, students), being tested and diagnosed positive and they have little to no symptoms. It's now giving more people are carte blanche to ignore the restrictions thinking covid is mild for everybody.

I'm always amazed when I hear people say they don't know anyone whose had it- my parents don't for example, meanwhile I know dozens if not more. Possibly this is because I live near and work in London. Overall everyone I know has recovered and felt similar to the flu, but I do know one long covid sufferer through work (late 40s) and a very good friend of mine (early 30s) spent 8 weeks in a coma in spring and remains on a long road to recovery. Overall I think it sounds pretty awful and just because you're young doesn't mean you'll be fine

My hating the attitude from my employers. They have no first hand experiences of covid themselves but they are willing to write covid off as a mild infection, and by extention they are putting me at risk if they pick up covid even though I am willing to follow the guidelines to keep myself and my family safe. This is very hard for me to stomach right now. The idea that my only covid exposure risks will be coming from my work.

I know no one in my area who had had it but lots of family in other areas who have had it as a minor illness through to bad flu like type symptoms. DH’s auntie is 70 and had to have antibiotics and steroids however was able to stay at home.

A colleagues DF sadly died last week after a short time with the illness, early 60s, still working and no known health conditions. Incredibly sad news.

ICU nurse in my early 50s who caught covid off my dp ironically Normal bmi, probably above average physical fitness, never smoked. Well controlled asthma and hereditary high bp.
Sickest I've been tbh. In bed for 3 weeks with occasional trip downstairs.
Tight chest, racing heart, didn't eat properly for 2-3 weeks, waves of breathlessness. Called 111 at one point due to wheeziness but as my sats were ok was just referred to my gp. Industrial level anxiety, not sure whether a neuro effect of the virus or just because of what I've seen on a professional level. I am (touch wood) slowly recovering just over 5 weeks in, made tea last night for example, but not been outside since symptoms started at end of nov.
I watch with interest those who minimise the virus although I appreciate some are only mildly affected if at all. My workplace is now filling up, 5 critically ill admissions with covid yesterday. Dreading going back to work as I'm really not sure I could go tbrough it again. Wouldn't wish it on anybody tbh.

Prior to last week, I’d have told you that I personally know 10 people who have had it, one of whom died, and that I know of (i.e. known to someone who is known to me) about half a dozen more, of whom two have died. Most were mild and recovered in a week or two, several were bedridden for a week or more, a couple took quite a few weeks to recover, one still has symptoms 6 months later and has been referred to the Long Covid clinic. These people range from mid twenties/fit and well to elderly, but most are 40’s/50’s.

I can now tell you that DH and I (aged 60 and 57, both overweight, me obese and with diabetes) currently have Covid. For us, so far, it has been like a cold with an annoying cough and a bit more fatigue than you might expect from an ordinary cold. At no point have we been ill in bed. Our appetites have been a bit suppressed, but mine at least is recovering.

It may or may not be relevant, but we have been taking vitamin D supplements since February. Started out on 25 mcg, then after I got a blood test and my levels were still on the low side, upped it to 100 mcg. Low levels of vitamin D are very common and are associated with more severe Covid -19 disease. Supplements are cheap and easily available - take them.

Myself, partner and children have all had it. Children were fine was like a cold for them. Husband and myself not too bad, headaches, body aches, fever and mild cough. However I have a friend who is currently in hospital and ventilated. I’m so worried for her and it’s all I can think about, her poor children and family. Certainly puts things into perspective!

See I get the low vit d issue, but I was outside 5 days a week on very long dog walks (6 - 7 miles) and ate a really healthy diet, presumably levels were ok ?
I think it's a genetic issue tbh that determines the severity. At work a few months ago most of our covid patients were asian, not sure at the moment if that's the case. When I spoke to the covid help line the nurse told me there are 6 different strains which cause different symptoms which explains why only some get respiratory ones maybe...

I know loads of people who had it, from age 28-65

They had a bug, they were fine, stayed in bed a couple of days

Two 70+ in hospital a few days but fully recovered

Mum had two friends 85+ who died "with" it.

My sister who is in her late twenties, healthy teacher etc caught it from another member of staff and it was hell for her. Breathing difficulties, migraines, blocked nose, coughing etc etc she thought death was approaching her. We thought we caught something because me and my daughter also felt like death was at our door for one whole day (spent in bed). Our results never came back and we self isolated. That experience has made me appreciate this lockdown. I don't want to experience what we did again. I know others have had it much worse but my experience was enough to scare me.

In hospitals, whilst we do have slightly more older adults needing strong treatments (eg mechanical ventilation), we are seeing people as young as in their 20's being admitted and needing heavy treatment (eg CPAP), and have had people in their 30's on mechanical ventilation too. We're seeing middle aged adults with teenage kids ending up with permanent lung damage and going home with an oxygen tank due to this. Hospitals have been seeing 2 or 3 generations from the same family being admitted for covid, some of them passing away and having to say goodbye to their family in the hospital.

Up to a third of the medical colleagues have ended up with covid despite PPE. Some now have long covid. Some with severe illness. One who needed hospitalisation.

It's horrendous.

@AcornAutumn ah that's ok then.... I nursed many people in their 40 - 60s who were critically ill. EOL care for a mum in her 30s with children. Loads on the wards who needed hospitalsation for O2 therapy, fluids or iv antibiotics/steroids. Yes most experience it as a trivial illness, it's not ebola obviously, but a considerable minority are badly effected. Even people with mild cases are reporting relapses months later with myocarditis, auto immunine issues etc

At least 25 people I know or know of (family, friends, friends or friends, colleagues family etc.) have had it. All the young & middle aged have ranged from asymptotic to bad flu-like symptoms. The only elderly person (over 80) I know, who was already quite ill, sadly died.

Haven't known anyone to have it personally, have heard anecdotally of others having it but so far it's all been mild - or mostly asymptomatic. However in my area, until recently anyhow, rates haven't been that high so maybe that will all change.

See I get the low vit d issue, but I was outside 5 days a week on very long dog walks (6 - 7 miles) and ate a really healthy diet, presumably levels were ok ?

It depends on how much skin was exposed, time of year and your skin tone, among other things. The only way to be sure is to get a blood test. Certainly at this time of year you can’t make enough vitamin D from the sun in the UK, your levels will be decreasing.

On the genetic susceptibility - almost certainly, and I’m sure someone is or will be researching it. But until that is proved and there is a way of testing who is vulnerable, we can only use the measures available to us.

[quote NancyDrew1966]@AcornAutumn ah that's ok then.... I nursed many people in their 40 - 60s who were critically ill. EOL care for a mum in her 30s with children. Loads on the wards who needed hospitalsation for O2 therapy, fluids or iv antibiotics/steroids. Yes most experience it as a trivial illness, it's not ebola obviously, but a considerable minority are badly effected. Even people with mild cases are reporting relapses months later with myocarditis, auto immunine issues etc[/quote]
The OP asked a question about what we had seen in our circle

I answered it

What's the "that's okay then" about it?

I didn't enjoy being hospitalised with pneumonia in my 20s. I have long term lung damage as does my mother. Shit happens at all ages. My post did not suggest in any way that it doesn't.

I'm sure most people can give a long list of who they have seen with various illnesses and what happened. The OP asked about this one so I answered it.

@NancyDrew1966

Are you going to have a go at posters who don't know anyone who had it?

Got it at work school along with about half of staff last term.

For me mid 40's overweight asthma it was pretty mild at the time. No fever etc but a weird hot feeling in chest worried me.

Have suffered with fatigue ever since (going on 3 months now . Asthma is also a lot worse. Seems very common amongst my colleagues. Some had a tougher time during initial infection though.

No-one I see or talk to has had it, two acquaintances that I don't really know know have had it (and acquaintance at the pub, his wife and girl on my access course last year). I have seen some others online and in groups, 4 of my mums colleagues have got it but they don't really work together as such. They are pretty much lone workers. One child in my daughter's nursery was positive (in a totally different room with no sibling contamination).

So I know of 4 cases that haven't affected me directly. No one, I know know if you know what I mean.

The people I know who've had it have had a range of different experiences really... For example:

Someone in her early 40s, previously very fit and healthy, now has permanent kidney damage and major fatigue a few months after she tested positive
Someone in her 60s, also previously very fit and healthy, had very mild symptoms apart from losing her smell and taste completely in March and they took until late summer to come back
Partner of the above is late 60s and had symptoms for about 2 days and no after effects, barely knew he was ill
A couple of people in their 30s (no underlying conditions) had fairly severe symptoms and felt very ill for 3-6 weeks but recovered, another one in her late 30s still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms two months after her positive test
A friend lost both her DM and DGM, both had underlying health conditions but were not in any way at death's door prior to covid - went downhill very, very quickly from positive test to hospitalisation

Oh and no one in the area I live in.

Cheeselets,

Your post is gut wrenching.

I don't understand why some people are writing this off as a mild illness. OK, it is for some but for others it's not.

It's a draw I don't want to enter into and I am following the guidelines but unfortunately some people are going to push me into that draw and force me into spinning that wheel that I don't want to spin.

@AcornAutumn Nope definitely not. If I wasn't a hcp I wouldn't know anyone who'd had it.
Was curious why you'd put apostrophies around the word died as if there was scepticism about it....
Appreciate if you've not seen someone very ill with it at firsthand there's a degree of unreality about it but it's happening and hospitals haven't been
inundated with an infectious disease like this in many years.

My 4yo DD brought it back from school, gave it to her sister straight away. Little one still got a cough and still tired 3 weeks on but 7yo batted it off in 2 days and never even got a cough. Both had BAD stomach pains with it as main symptom (weirdly normal stool though).

I had a few tummy pains, aches and woke up two nights in a row with numb fingertips then got out of bed with vertigo so don’t know if I had it or was sympathising with my girls and tired. Hubby was fine but now has shingles which we’ve read people can get after silent covid.

So basically fuck knows, it affected our household mildly although still worried about 4yo’s tiredness. Affected every one of us differently so I can see how it’s doing a number on the general population.

While we had it in the house we all wore masks and visors, drank multiple bottles of Dentyl, consumed several boxes of vit C and D and CLEANED more than I have in my life, windows open etc. The house was a ball of freezing cold disinfectant... the little fucker had no where to run.

One acquaintance and her family back in Feb/Mar last year, her partner tested positive at work (NHS) and she and kids had similar symptoms but weren't tested. Fairly mild symptoms all round although partner had some longer term breathing issues afterwards, mostly resolved now I think. Other than that I know nobody who's had it despite being in a tier 4 area with high infection rates, although my family/social circle is admittedly small and we're all following guidelines.

My brother and his partner had it a couple of months ago. His partner works in the labs processing covid tests and my brother has severe asthma so they were both careful, still got it. My brother was told to shield so we were worried about him, he was fine. Had a cough but aside from that, fine. He is 21 though tbf.

DH’s Grandad had it last month. He’s 86 so we were seriously worried. He caught it at a funeral. He said it was just a sore throat and he’s fine.

My mum and her partner had it back in April. Her partner was pretty ill for about 10 days, he was stuck in bed and he said it was like the worst flu ever. Mum was asymptomatic. Mum’s friend had it, she was also shielded during the first lockdown but she was also asymptomatic (in her 50s with a multitude of ‘underlying conditions’).

I’m not a covid denier or anything of the sort but nobody I know has been hospitalised. Most recovered within a few days.