people who have covid & really don't know it.....

[PetuniaClark]

All the people I know who have had covid knew they had it because they had symptoms &/or felt unwell either mildly or severely.

But I don't know anyone who has been positive & had absolutely no idea. So Im wondering if it is as common as the adverts would have us believe?
Apologies if this question has already been answered somewhere!

An elderly relative who went into hospital because of a fall - no symptoms.

Colleague with slight loss of taste and smell - thought she was being over cautious getting a test, was shocked it was positive.

I wonder about the family members of people who tested positive last year but had no symptoms. Maybe they just managed to avoid it while living with and caring for someone with Covid.

We get tested at work, and it’s probably double figures the number of staff who’ve tested positive, but not gone on to develop symptoms. I also know a family where 3 out of 4 of them tested positive for antibodies. With the exception of the 8 year old sleeping 14 hours one night (which they’d put down to tiredness following a day playing in the sun) they could think of no time they’d felt even mildly unwell.

I have antibodies and haven’t had any symptoms at all or a vaccine.

But isn’t that kind of the point .. that you wouldn’t know?

For pretty much all of lockdown 1 you couldn’t get a test for love nor money even if you had symptoms unless you were a key worker.

Then in the autumn it was everyone but only if you had symptoms.

It’s only fairly recently that everyone have been encouraged to test so frequently. Even then, what percentage of people probably do that? Maybe 10%?

I was a contact tracer. Its more common than you think.

We had antibody tests at work and quite a few of my colleagues had had the virus without knowing. I had covid in September and only lost my sense of smell. It was that that made me go for the test as I work with vulnerable people

Thanks all of you for replying. I have found it really interesting reading all your different experiences.

I know 2 paramedics who tested positive and had no symptoms at all.

I had the worlds worst headache that wouldn’t shift and felt a tiny bit breathless for a few days
Other than that I felt just fine

Friends family - over Christmas. Her mum died (65), she (43) in hospital for 3 weeks, husband and teenage kids all positive but no symptoms at all.
Friend and mum no underlying health conditions but both mixed race.

My almost end of life dear dad with dementia and other issues tested positive and had no symptoms whatsoever

We test lots of healthy people at work who are in hospital for an unrelated to COVID reason and most of our positive patients are completely well and oblivious.

My DM had an antibody test back in November which was positive - she did not have any symptoms at all.

One of my kids school bubble shut because half a class tested positive on lateral flows (later confirmed by pcr) with no signs or very mild signs of tummy ache, mild sore throat for 1 or 2 days... That's how it spread as it wasn't classic signs that you look for

I think pre symptomatic spread can happen and spreading without symptoms might happen more now people are vaccinated

But otherwise I do find the idea of widespread completely asymptomatically spread for a disease that is supposedly sooooo dangerous a bit unlikely.

Friend of my mum went into hospital for end of life care (he had cancer). Picked up Covid there but had no symptoms. Died, and became a Covid figure anyway.

Her neighbours also had Covid. The wife was very unwell... very nearly ended up on a ventilator. Her husband also tested positive, but had no symptoms whatsoever.

They did research through a university and approx 30 to 40% had no symptoms .

But also not everyone who has had it get antibodies either .

I had it 11 months ago - no symptoms at all. DP had it very mildly at the time, I thought I just didn't catch it. Months later we did antibody tests and I had more than he did! I still have antibodies now.

[Sing] If you may have Covid and you don't know it but if you really want to show it, if you really want to show it take a high cycle PCR test.............

I suspect most people are not completely asymptomatic but as humans, we are very used to not feeling 100% all the time. Today for good example, I’m feeling really tired, scratchy throat & mild headache. It’s a combination of heyfever & young kids. But I wouldn’t say I was ill or even under the weather. Just not 100%. In theory, it could be covid I suppose but I’d never think anything of it.

I had covid last year, I’ve had worse colds & I’d have happily been in work and carrying on as normal if we were in non pandemic times. I just felt knackered, had a minor cough, sore chest, headachy.

I had a sore tongue and got tested as read it was a possible symptom, and it came back positive, I was so surprised

Ds2 aged 13 has had it twice, end of November and week before last. Only tested because we had it in November and he had a very slight barely noticeable cough. I do wonder if those who have very mild symptoms if at all are more prone to catching it again like him.

I think the point might be less if you can have it without symptoms but if you can spread it with no symptoms.

An old friend of ours gets tested regularly at work and only knew he had it because of that. He had no symptoms at all.

By contrast, DH's cousin (no connection, they don't even know each other) was very ill with it.