Immunosuppressed and caught Covid?

[pinkfluffybunny]

Hi, I hear a lot about people who have caught Covid with no underlying health issues, and they've said it was nothing more than a cold, or it didn't affect them that much. Likewise, I've heard people say it floored them.

However, I've not really heard stories of people who are immunosuppressed, or other underlying issues, who have caught Covid.

I am immunosuppressed, and am wondering does that automatically mean I am going to get the worst symptoms if I catch Covid, or is that not necessarily the case?

My uncle has had a kidney transplant and caught covid in LA, (lives there not travelled) he says he aches and can’t taste anything he was given medication as his sinuses got really bad and now he’s fine he is 60, he was told to shield as he would most likely be very poorly if he caught covid.

My friends grandmother is in the CEV group. She is in a nursing home and told if she got it, it would very likely hospitalise her. She was incredibly lucky only lost her taste. Only found out she had it because the home got infected and she was routinely tested.

Thank you for the replies. It's reassuring that it doesn't necessarily mean worst case scenario for the vulnerable we catch Covid.

I think I have been scared a bit from things I have read, and needed a balance of real life accounts of what is actually happening to some people.

I am on day 17 of Covid. I am 50 and have health issues: cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery spasm/microvascular angina, IBS, fibromyalgia, arthritis and I am BMI 28

Hoping that I am on the mend now, my main symptoms were terrible headache, temp for one day, dizziness, ringing in ears, nausea and complete lack of taste and smell and tiredness. No cough at all. Seem to be doing better this week so fingers crossed I am getting over it.

Dh got it, he has no health issues and is not overweight but is 54, he just had a sniffly head cold for a week and his taste went a bit dullened but that was it.

I have been so terrified of getting it and really hoping that there is some immunity now until I get my vaccine.

You are more likely to get more severe symptoms if you have underlying issues - but the odds are very, very much still in your favour!

My grandad is 80 with enough conditions to write a book about, and he spent 2 weeks in hospital back in April. We were told to prepare for the worst, and he was told he wouldn't be ventilated as it'd cause more harm than good for him.

He's now fine, at home, living a completely independent life with my gran :).

Thank you oddperson. I hope you are feeling back to your normal very soon. Did you feel like you were at death's door when you were at your worst? This is what I'm led to believe will happen if I catch it.

I'm just trying to get some perspective. I think my husband will be interested in reply's too, as he is very much of the thinking that it's going to be worst case scenario if either of us catch it. He has no health issues, but is overweight.

I am immunosuppressed and shielding. Unfortunately I caught covid at the beginning of March/end of Feb through my husband having to go into work for essential reasons and being infected from a colleague.

I was very ill for around 3 months and had a few emergency trips to hospital, but was able to be treated at home. I took steroids and a bunch of other medicines.
For me it was the dragging on that made it bad as my immune system couldn’t beat it. I was only really scary I’ll for the first month, then it was a bit like having flu or a regular chest infection for the next couple of months.

Unfortunately it does some to have left some lasting damage and I am waiting to be assessed by a long covid clinic.

I take azathioprine which is an immunosuppressant. I’m currently on day 8 of covid. I feel a bit rubbish but it’s definitely a mild case. Just feel a bit flu like. I’m hoping I’m over the worst of it.

LindaEllen that great news about your grandad. Very reassuring. Thank you.

Yes, I think the odds are in our favour too. It's good to hear the other side of the scaremongering stories.

But I'm also not stupid enough to know that is in the vulnerable group are more at risk.

Just wanted to add, my post wasn’t intended to be scaremongering. just because I was quite ill doesnt mean that anyone else will be.

NotAnotherUserNumber - thank you for your account of your experience. It's good to hear from your side too. I hope you have no lasting affects. And I definitely didn't think you were scaremongering. I was referring to the media's scaremongering of 'death after being horrifically ventilated in hospital if a vulnerable person stepped out of their home' kind of stories.

Thanks, pinkfluffybunny

No I never felt that bad but I was very worried it was going to progress to my lungs. My worst symptom was the terrible headache. It was so bad I couldnt even get up in the morning until I had taken some strong co-codamol and rested for about an hour until it kicked in and I was really dizzy and just had to lie down after doing anything. I didnt really do any housework, just the bare essentials. I have been sleeping a lot more too, at least 10 hours at night. I am still tired. Still have a headache but it is not as bad. I am starting to get my smell and taste back faintly too.

I thought being mildly immuno-suppressed was an advantage because you won't get cytokine storm from covid.

I also take Azathioprine. I caught it back in March. I was already shielding but DH is a dentist and was going to work just before lockdown & came down with fever etc. I didn’t get tested but had all the symptoms- except fever, instead I had chills. Anyway, DH (never ill) seemed much sicker than I was at the time. My worst symptom was terrible headaches and total loss of smell taste. Where other people seemed to shake that off after a few weeks, I didn’t regain mine properly until October (it did come back a little after about 2-3 months though). DH now looks back and says “it wasn’t that bad for us”- he’s totally recovered, whereas I really felt the effects for a long while. I was petrified when we first got ill, I count myself lucky that it was “mild”.

MIL, in her eighties with secondary cancer, contracted it in hospital and had a nasty cough but seems to be doing OK now.

My DM also contracted it in hospital during wave one and did less well but was much frailer than MIL.

I think I had it back in March. I was bad for about 3 weeks in all. My GP wanted me to go in to hospital. He said he could try some antibiotics first. My hair fell out for months afterwards. I am immunosuppressed.

I'm on immunospressants and within 12 months of a bone marrow transplant.
I caught covid in hospital but was asymptomatic.
I only knew I had it was because we were routinely swabbed on the ward

Thank you for all of your replies, and sharing your experiences. It's reassuring to hear.