having covid twice?

[sunshineandshowers21]

i had covid in october and got over it pretty quickly without any long lasting effects. for the past week or so though food just tastes off, and my smell has completely disappeared. i’m also exhausted all the time, i’m sleeping from around 7/8 at night until around 11 in the morning and i’m still shattered. and i’m getting headaches all the time too. this is how i felt the first time around but i’m not sure i could catch covid again so soon. is it worth having a test or would i still test positive from last time?

I would test again.

I think it's unlikely but I would test again just to be sure

You need to test and isolate if positive, so that you do not spread it to others. Did you have a positive test in October or just presume the diagnosis, as it may have been flu or some other infection. Repeat infection with covid is not common but it has been reported in several countries.

You need to wait 90 days after a positive PCR test to test again. If it was October you must be there or thereabouts.

So test.

No idea could it be long COViD?

Yes, it's possible. My dd's flatmate tested positive in Oct and now has all symptoms again including loss of smell and taste (was fine in the middle so not long Covid).

Likewise, my dh almost certainly had Covid back in March (no tests available then) and has had long Covid symptoms since eg shortness of breath and chest pain. Ten days ago he went down with what looks like Covid again, in that he's got the daily temperatures rising towards evening (not had this symptom for many months), cough, shortness of breath. Though his test came back negative, they're not 100% reliable.

So that's 2 examples I know personally who seem to have had it twice. On the positive front, I'd say my dh has had it a bit more mildly this time round, so hopefully the immunity from last time is helping a bit.

If you have symptoms, you need to test again or else isolate on the basis that you have it.

Entirely possible, my friend currently has it for the second time.
Positive test in March, positive test last week, negative tests in between.

@bdaygal

Yes, it's possible. My dd's flatmate tested positive in Oct and now has all symptoms again including loss of smell and taste (was fine in the middle so not long Covid).

Likewise, my dh almost certainly had Covid back in March (no tests available then) and has had long Covid symptoms since eg shortness of breath and chest pain. Ten days ago he went down with what looks like Covid again, in that he's got the daily temperatures rising towards evening (not had this symptom for many months), cough, shortness of breath. Though his test came back negative, they're not 100% reliable.

So that's 2 examples I know personally who seem to have had it twice. On the positive front, I'd say my dh has had it a bit more mildly this time round, so hopefully the immunity from last time is helping a bit.

Your husband hasn't had it twice though, because first time he wasn't tested and second time it has come back negative

I would have bet money i had covid in march, i was poorly for a couple days and had the most annoying cough.

Tested antibody negative in begining of december. Got covid on 17th December and have never felt so shit in my life, cough was minimal though. Tested positive.

So either i didnt in fact have covid in march or i didnt build up enough immunity.

Yes of course you could have it again Lots if people get it twice.

i honestly didn’t know you could get it twice. i’ve heard anecdotally of people having it twice (or assuming they had) but according to google it’s quite rare? i definitely had it in october. the positive test came back on my birthday, and my boyfriend and eldest son also tested positive. i haven’t been anywhere this week anyway except our back field to walk the dog so no one i could have passed it to (except my youngest kids) and i’ve booked a test for tomorrow.

@WhydoesItAlwaysRainMe

That's why I said it was possible, not that he'd definitely had it both times.

But it's a bit stupid to say he didn't have it the first time at the point when it was impossible to get tests. By that measure, hardly anyone had it in March, when we all know lots did. He had absolutely classic Covid symptoms and I lost my sense of smell and taste too back in March; he's then had long Covid since.

The chances he didn't have Covid the first time (we live in a very high risk area and had known contact with cases) is about zilch.

The second time there is a small possibility it could not be Covid, but the symptoms are exactly like the first time he had it (though a little milder) and quite specific to Covid, so I'd be pretty surprised if it wasn't. I don't know any other illnesses that have these symptoms.

i’ve heard anecdotally of people having it twice (or assuming they had) but according to google it’s quite rare?

It is quite rare. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen at all, though! In fact, it means it does happen, sometimes. If you look at it as a percentage, death from Covid is statistically “quite rare” with an IFR somewhere around 1 in 200, yet nearly 100,000 people have died of it so far.

So, it can happen, it could have happened to you. Get a test (if it’s more than 90 days since your first positive test).

Happy belated birthday, btw - I also received a positive Covid test result on my birthday :-)

You might have long Covid op but you just had a period where you didn't feel as crap.

When you have long covid, do you test positive for the whole time? I know someone who says they've had long covid since March (but didn't get tested back then) they had a negative test in October, but has tested positive recently 🤷🏼‍♀️

@yearinyearout

When you have long covid, do you test positive for the whole time? I know someone who says they've had long covid since March (but didn't get tested back then) they had a negative test in October, but has tested positive recently 🤷🏼‍♀️

Not to my knowledge. Many colleagues have long covid still and are testing negative.

@sunshineandshowers21

i honestly didn’t know you could get it twice. i’ve heard anecdotally of people having it twice (or assuming they had) but according to google it’s quite rare? i definitely had it in october. the positive test came back on my birthday, and my boyfriend and eldest son also tested positive. i haven’t been anywhere this week anyway except our back field to walk the dog so no one i could have passed it to (except my youngest kids) and i’ve booked a test for tomorrow.

I don’t think it is that rare but what I think is much more common is people having a virus early last year, not being tested but assuming it was covid, and then getting covid later in the year/early this year.

Increasingly colleagues who were tested in late March/April as being positive are getting positive tests again. They have been negative for months in between with some showing positive and others showing as negative for antibodies in the meantime.

I had classic symptoms in March, as did dh. Couldn't confirm with a test back then though. Positive antibody test in Oct, dh Couldn't do antibody test as on blood thinners. But I think its reasonable to assume we had the same thing. We both have weekly asymptomatic tests through work. His just came back Positive and I'm just waiting for mine. Both feeling "grotty" today and I've got a tickely cough, but nothing like last time.

Reinfections are far more common than people realise, given my anecdotal experience anyway. Young teen relative had twice loss of smell both times only symptom. Friend in high contact job had twice, then infected family twice. Symptoms slightly milder second time.

Think it’s going to be v common.

To date, second infections are probably quite rare because of the immunity one infection gives for a time. Nobody knows how long that time is. However, I'd just point out that the symptoms of flu are actually exactly the same as Covid - including, for some, "long Covid" (post viral syndrome). So "having the symptoms" of Covid is meaningless. Don't make assumptions, one way or another.

Just had my results to say negative! I'm really surprised and delighted to be so!! Still feeling grotty but without the undercurrent of anxiety that its covid it will be a walk in the park.

Very strange though that he's positive. Without that previous positive covid test or antibody test we'll never know if this is his second time. I suppose the more time passes, the more we'll know.

my covid test has come back today negative so i don’t have covid again. i think my next step is to call the doctors and try and get an appointment for some blood tests. i have a history of low vitamin and iron levels so there’s a possibility my symptoms could have something to do with that.