Glandular fever following Covid?

[Scarby9]

I know someone who had Covid over Christmas - pretty ill in a flu-like way but better within 10 days.

He now has glandular fever, according to doctors and is on medication for it. He had it previously when a teenager and says it feels very similar. He is much iller with it now than he was with the Covid.

GP has told him there is no point retesting for Covid as he is likely to test positive so soon after anyway and they are sure it is glandular fever.

Does anyone know if glandular fever is a known follow on from Covid?

Or is it more likely that it is just an example of post-viral illness taking hold when the person is run down?

And how would medics know the difference between glandular fever and long Covid?

I have heard that having coronavirus can trigger dormant viruses in the body like Epstein Barr but I've no idea if the virus that causes glandular fever lies dormant.

Your poor friend.

I had glandular fever back in March, was AWFUL. Not sure if COVID would of been a factor, quite possibly. I was advised not to take any medication other than co-coda lol though!

Co-codamol lol, sorry

Completely different virus.

Although when DH had his stem cell transplant they had to keep testing for EBV as it often rears its ugly head post Tx.

I guess it's possible that covid messes with the immune system to such an extent that other things come to the fore, but I am guessing.

My friend had measles and covid at the same time back in september and was hospitalised. A few weeks after she got glandular fever and broke her wrist at the same time. Shes had a rough few months but shes ok now.

also, they do a blood test to determine whether it's glandular fever or not and this will give you an answer between long covid and GF..

Glandular fever's caused by the Epstein Barr virus.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9358477/amp/Why-struck-Long-Covid-really-suffering-glandular-fever.html

Hi late to see this but there is some evidence. I had covid in December. A month later turned yellow and have been having extreme body aches since. Its come back I have high antibodies for the EBV (750). Exactly the same has happened to my auntie (who I only have contact with over the phone by the way). Definitely seems to be a link! I dont leave the house as my partner is extremely vunerable and I have a baby so if and when I do I am very careful. Would be strange for me to catch this second virus...

Not medical, however I had glandular fever as a student, now around 25 years ago.
I still, every time I am ill, my glands are inflamed and some fairly specific symptoms which I never had before glandular fever.

I had a blood test to test glandular fever.

The trouble is GPs are rather in the dark when it comes to long covid. Some are dismissing it entirely. Others will snatch at anything that's NOT long covid.

It could be GF, but seems more likely to be long covid. No point in testing for covid, long covid is a condition not an ongoing infection.

creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/coronavirus/patient-perspectives/covid-19-long-hauler-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

@bookworm1632 - there is a simple blood test for glandular fever. I assume it’s been done and that’s why diagnosed.

[quote HolmeH]@bookworm1632 - there is a simple blood test for glandular fever. I assume it’s been done and that’s why diagnosed.[/quote]
The OP made no mention of any tests and GP's will often diagnose it clinically.

I know someone, 23, whohad Covid over Christmas sndthen went down with Glandular Fever 3 weeks later. She recognised it, as she had had it as a teenager, and it was confirmed with a blood test.
However, shehas not really recovered and has ongoing symptoms which are currently loosely categorized as Long Covid, although she has also had multiple blood tests and scans to rule out more serious and imminently life threatening conditions.

Whether the Covid triggered the return of the Glandular Fever, or whether it found its entry because she was generally run down post-Covid, or whether the two were coincidental, noone has said.

@Scarby9

I know someone, 23, whohad Covid over Christmas sndthen went down with Glandular Fever 3 weeks later. She recognised it, as she had had it as a teenager, and it was confirmed with a blood test. However, shehas not really recovered and has ongoing symptoms which are currently loosely categorized as Long Covid, although she has also had multiple blood tests and scans to rule out more serious and imminently life threatening conditions.

Whether the Covid triggered the return of the Glandular Fever, or whether it found its entry because she was generally run down post-Covid, or whether the two were coincidental, noone has said.

Out of curiosity do you know what the cause of the GF was found to be - if diagnosed via the blood test? Was it EBV?

I'm afraid I don't know. Tbh I don't understand what you are asking, so it isn't something I would have asked her.

They can do a blood test for glandular fever, or if they have had it previously there are specific symptoms that are quite recognisable. It can be surprisingly savage as an illness, my DB had it when we were younger and he was extremely poorly, he also gets similar to a PP in terms of swollen glands etc when he is ill with anything else now, and sometimes after having a rough cold can be ill with glandular fever type symptoms. It could be long covid, although it doesn't seem to be more likely than it being GF related.

I had a severe case of glandular fever back in the 90s and the post viral fatigue from that had me bed bound for 5 months.

20 years later if I get a cold it goes straight to my glands and I get raging fevers.

Weirdly my covid was nothing, a sore throat and tiredness.

But knowing what my PVS after glandular fever was like, I could well believe that many lung covid cases are in fact glandular fever.

*long

The EBV stays in your body once you have had it. A lot of people are exposed to EBV in childhood without knowing or even getting ill. This means that the blood tests alone are not conclusive.

Would have thought pretty much impossible to distinguish between post viral / long Covid / glandular fever recurrence.

@SempreSuiGeneris they can tell if it's a recent antibody or a old one by bloods. I had covid in Late December. Turned yellow and as the months went on I've been riddled with body aches and fatigue. Private doctor done a specific blood test which has come back 'igg antibodies are at 750 for the epstein barr virus... he said igg indicates it's very recently happened as do the extremely high numbers to it. From the article I shared above it seems common for covid to somehow reactivate this virus in peoples bodys but unsure why

Interesting thread. I suspected I had Covid last March. Had the classic symptoms and it was rife where I live. It was before mass testing though.

I completely recovered from Covid, then about 2 months later became unwell - just tired, low energy and achey. I ploughed on, just presuming it was stress from lockdown, no childcare, WFH, job and life being much harder. Over the summer I suddenly became really ill. Cut a long story short I was diagnosed with EBV following several blood tests. The results showed I’d had it several months which linked in with when I suddenly started feeling tired.

I don’t think the suspected Covid triggered it for me. I think it was the impact of the extreme stress brought on by lockdown.

I suffered with PVF for 5ish months after I was diagnosed. Completely well again now.

I discovered that 90 - 95% carry the EBV in our bodies, for most it lies dormant. But extreme stress or illness can cause it to re-activate.