I need a hand hold... in shock after positive Covid test

[EdinaMonsoon]

I'm 5 days away from getting the vaccine. I have stayed home an entire year except for walking my dog in the most remote spots I could find & medical appointments. Youngest DS picked it up at school (Y12). I'm terrified. Became symptomatic yesterday. Positive result today. I'm aching and coughing with a bit of a headache. I'm terrified. Please tell me your positive outcome Covid stories or just take my mind off this shit show.

That's bad luck for you, OP.

Are you going to take part in the PRINCIPLE trial for at home treatments for people with symptoms?

www.principletrial.org/news/principle-covid-19-treatments-trial-widens-to-under-50s-adds-colchicine

@donewithitalltodayandxmas Thank you. It's nice to have a sense of solidarity. Everyone is being so kind on this thread.

@SarahGoode That's very reassuring, thank you. It's exactly what I need to hear. I feel rough but not super ill. The psychological impact is greatest right now but all these positive stories are really helping me to try & relax.

@Spartak I will be thrilled if I'm feeling better by the weekend! Think I may even be tempted to crack open a bottle of something special (bought for my 50th back in January but didn't feel much like celebrating then). I rang 119 to rearrange my vaccine as soon as I got my test result this evening. Unfortunately I have to try again in a week's time because they are only booking 5-7 days ahead at present. Apparently I have to wait until 28 days after the first symptom so earliest I will have it is 20 April.

@lydia7986 Thanks for your reply. I think DH & eldest DS may do a lateral flow test tomorrow morning (we have some left over from the set sent home with youngest DS from school). Neither of them have symptoms so as I understand it the lateral flow would be a good choice for them right now. I would much prefer to be able to at least be in the same room as DH, even if we socially distance. I think it would help relax me and stop me from overthinking. But I also don't want to put him at risk if he's negative. Beginning to suspect eldest DS has some kind of COVID immunity super power. He's shared a house at uni with two others who tested positive and yet he remained negative. Now he's living his best life today having the run of the house, with nary in a symptom in sight, with total control of the remote & the xbox without me or youngest DS interfering!

@Sweettea1That's a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing. It's honestly lifted my spirits.

@Mulhollandmagoo Thank you. Booked a delivery slot this afternoon to stock up on cleaning stuff & paracetamol/ibuprofen. Then decided to sling in a load of biscuits, bubble bath, a posh candle & chocolate! I've watched so much tv in the last year that I've resorted to rewatching my favourites now. I think I might download the Audible app though because I can't focus enough to read but I do love a good book.

Going to be cruel to be kind, but STOP. Just stop. You will more than likely be absolutely fine, and there is little you can do other than ride it out, so whipping yourself up over it won’t help one bit. I got a positive result on New Years Eve, but here I am, feisty as ever 🙂

@dottiedaisee Thank you. My feeling is that as we have all been together since DS's last negative LF test last Wednesday there doesn't seem a great deal of point to being in total isolation. Will discuss it with DH properly in the morning.

@RoseRedRoseBlue Thank you It is appreciated & it's what I wanted to hear, together with all these good outcomes that other posters have shared. All these replies are really helping me feel more positive (bad phrase in the circumstances but I'm too knackered to think of alternatives). And I actually feel like I could get a little sleep now.

@EdinaMonsoon we were all together prior to the positive result for DD and I so it seemed pointless trying to distance, plus I'm a single mum so I couldn't just shirk my responsibilities. I had some left over joint pain for a couple of weeks but honestly try not to stress. As gutted as I was that we'd picked it up, there was a sense of a weight being lifted that we all got it and we were all fine. Youngest barely even had symptoms, DD10 just a sore throat and a mild cold. The older ones had coughs but otherwise no other symptoms. It put the whole pandemic into perspective.

It sucks as you've been so careful.
It is a case of when you get it at this stage.
I've been careful too with schools back I'm wondering what was the point avoiding it for a year.
How is your DS is he positive too.
Try to rest even if you want to potter about reserve your energy.

@Emeraldshamrock DS got a positive too. He's doing okay. Seems very relaxed about it all. He's got a cough and cold & thankfully no temp or muscle/headache.

@EmbarrassingAdmissions Will take a look at that link now. Is it an NHS trial?

@EdinaMonsoon sleep well, you will kick this virus right out of the door sooner than you think!

Best of luck.

All your family have to isolate even if your husband and other son have a negative test result.
And if they start to have symptoms and have a positive result, there 10 days of isolation starts again as of that day

I have bad asthma and chronic bronchitis and I survived it. I was pretty sick for about 10 weeks from early Dec to mid Feb. I had pneumonia, but my pulmonologist got me through it. I monitored my oxygen and was on a variety of medications, including antibiotics, steroids, and specialized lung medications via nebulizer.

My husband and I did not socially isolate from each other because he needed to take care of me, but we isolated from everyone else. He did grocery pickup for us and other than trips to the dr or hosp we stayed home.

He never showed any symptoms, but he's always had an amazing immune system, whereas I have genetically crap lungs, so I'm not surprised covid hit me so hard. That being said, covid is not the worst illness I've been through.

My pulmonologist told me to take each day--10000 IU of D3 as an immune booster , 50 mg zinc for at least 90 days after end of symptoms as an antiviral and an 81 mg aspirin as a blood thinner.

I'm fully recovered and have had my first jab.

Will stories actually help, as you seem quite anxious (disproportionately so for the situation), so will they actually change your underlying mindset?

But if so, I have had pneumonia four times from colds in the past, and I had coronavirus last month but did not get pneumonia from that (though I haven't yet fully recovered my sense of smell).

My dad is 79, type 1 diabetic, Crohn's Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart issues (has a pacemaker). He was hospitalised with it for a few days last year, but wasn't badly ill and recovered fine.

Even most 80+ year olds will be fine.

A handhold? Oh come on @EdinaMonsoon get a grip

@EdinaMonsoon Sorry to hear this!

Covid has been drummed into us for the past year so it's bound to feel scary! I practically turned into a hermit from November as I was due in January and was so scared of getting Covid and the possibility of my DH not being allowed at the birth.

When our baby arrived, I was still petrified and only a handful of very close family members have seen her and held her. I've started to make the effort to go out more but I'm so anxious my baby will get it. I'm obsessed with hand washing and hand gel when I'm out so hopefully, we'll be okay.

I just wanted to reassure you that it is normal to worry and I hope that you and your family are okay

@EdinaMonsoon I had it last April, I was very unwell but managed to stay at home. I have asthma so my breathing was awful. I'm not saying this to worry you, but to say that I'm ok now.
If you have breathing issues, sitting upright eases it. I also did the lung exercises and laid prone. A sats monitor can be reassuring, you can get on Amazon.
Drink plenty of water. I had no appetite but after two days not eating would force down one small meal a day.
I know it's scary, but you will get through this. Post on here whenever you're word. That's what I did and everyone was so helpful, which is what you need when you get stuck in your thoughts. Take care

At the very least you don't need to isolate from your DS who has also tested positive. You can take over the sitting room and be infectious watching Netflix together .

My dad caught it in when he was in hospital he's 82 very very frail (given 12months to live last year).
5 rough days and the occasional whiff of oxygen pulled through ok

I am 54 and had in in January. Honestly, the stress and fear of waiting to be struck down with illness was 10000 times worse than the infection.

Slight cough, no sense of taste or smell which has only returned 60%.

As soon as I got past 7 days and still felt fine then I relaxed a little.

I felt scared when I had it too but me and my whole family of 15+ people got it at Xmas and were all fine. From newborns to 60/70 year olds, it was just like a bad cold for all of us and the only long lasting thing was the loss of taste and smell which did eventually come back. As the days pass you will start to feel better physically and also mentally as you realise you will be fine. Hang in there

Honestly I think you’ve done your mental health more harm by locking yourself away for a year!

Are you fat? Out of the younger people I know who had it the only ones it was rough for were the people who could benefit from losing a couple of stone. Otherwise it’s been like a 3-7 day rough cold.

My mum had it twice, last year. She's 75 and has heart problems. First time she was in hospital, second time she stayed at home and she felt rough on both occasions, but she's fine now. My dad didn't even get so much as a sore throat, despite being in the house with her all the time. You'll be ok, just rest as much as you can.

It is very scary. I felt like the day I tested positive was the worst day of my life (swiftly followed by the day DC tested positive).
My advice would be lots of paracetamol and ibuprofen, rest as much as you can, if you’ve a garden try to go out for some fresh air. We were moderately poorly for 5 weeks - like a rolling flu id day, it came in waves but we just tried to stay calm and we are fine now.

@willitgetworse

My father is almost 60 and has been a heavy smoker all his life, he did the best out of all of us with covid. Painkillers, fluid and rest. You're going to be fine

Isn’t smoking protective? It’s just one of those weird things