If your teenager has had Covid - can you tell me what it was like?

[RaspberryRipplesofLard]

My ds (16yr) currently has Covid. Started with a really bad headache. He now has a nasty cough and is really tired. He also tells me that he is getting out of breath walking upstairs to the bathroom. He's only been poorly for four days. Does this sound about standard?

I know it's obviously going to be different from person to person but naively I thought he'd just feel grotty for a couple of days and then be back to normal (which is what happened to his friend when she had it) he's fit and healthy usually, no underlying health conditions.

Hi there, my two have had it in the last couple of weeks.
DD17 (had it for her 17th birthday) started with a headache and tired. Next day she had a temp, just for 1 day. Then started a slight cough, sore throat and very snotty. Had no appetite at all for about 4 days and lost her sense of smell and taste. Also had lots of aches and pains and just no energy. After a week the only issue was lack of smell which still continues two weeks on.

DS15 also started with headache and tired and then the next day fever but on day 5 he still had the fever though not quite as high. He has a blocked nose and much more of a cough with little energy. His appetite has decreased a bit but not as much as his sister.

Neither had breathlessness but pretty much most other symptoms and it hasn’t been an easy ride for them as I’m hearing it is for many other youngsters.

Ds brought it home from his school trip to Italy at the beginning of the pandemic, he started with a headache & temperature then the cough which frankly sounded like whooping cough, the aches & pains were awful, he couldn't get comfortable, he had sore eyes, no taste or smell, even his fingers hurt, I managed to get hold of some night time Benylin which he took during the day as well as the night & he took Co-codamol & Ibuprofen for the pains, the only relief he got was to sleep & regular steam inhaling helped his breathing. It took him from the beginning of March to the first day of lockdown to start feeling anything like normal.

Thanks for the replies. Sorry to hear other teens have been feeling so rough too I won’t tell him how long the loss of taste might last, he really hates it! Luckily (sort of) he’s lost his appetite a bit so that makes it easier. He didn’t have a temperature so sounds like he’s got off lightly on that front. It’s the cough and breathlessness that concern me but I’ll keep an eye on it and by the sounds of it, it’s way too early to be worried about it. It’s tough having to keep him as isolated from us as possible, really want to be looking after him more than just dropping meals in and sticking my head in and asking how he is on and off all day!

@RaspberryRipplesofLard do you have a little gadget for the finger to test the O2 levels? I bought one at the start of the pandemic could be useful if you can get one to keep an eye on his sats. Especially with the heat it’s useful because if you were worried you can say to 111 his sats are 85% or whatever.
Just might ease your worries with the breathing bit.

Actually I do! I hadn’t used it at all until ds was poorly. His sats were 99% 109 on Sat and 98% 108 yesterday so that is reassuring I think. I read on the NHS that if the oxygen falls below 92% to seek some advice. I think his heart rate is a bit high but I presume that is a reaction to the illness.

DS1 (16) had it back in Feb. His main symptoms were lack of smell/taste and an overwhelming exhaustion. He had no temperature and no cough.

Notmy own teens butfrom speaking to other people they have had the same range of seriousness as every one except that I don't know of any that have had to go to hospital

Expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised by anything better than that

My 19 year old has just got over it

Started with a cracking headache and total knackered-ness the Saturday before last. Same again on Sunday. Woke up Monday morning with cold like symptoms and a mild cough, head ache had gone.

Cold symptoms and general knackered-ness continued and cough got worse over the next few days. She said she felt a little breathless on the Thursday.

Feels absolutely fine now.

Her friend started with the horrendous headache and then on the Monday lost his sense of taste and smell. Didn’t get any other symptoms and his taste and smell started coming back yesterday.

My dd19 had it , awful headache , hurt to lift her head off the pillow , it hit her really quick she was n bed for about 5 days but then after a week she was up and about . Said her chest felt really tight , she had diarrhoea too

First symptom for dd17 was diarrea (sp!) - food would literally go straight through her. She also had lack of appetite (still does tbh, 2 weeks later), bad nausea, light sensitivity - wore sun glasses for a day! Pain behind her eyes, loss of taste and smell (both back now). High pulse. Tiredness ++

So lots of different symptoms that didn't all happen at once, more like one after the other.

No cough/sore throat/fever. More gastric related I guess

My nephew tested positive 2 weeks ago. He also started out with a headache he couldn’t shift.
He had sickness and was exhausted for about 4 days.
He lost his sense of taste/smell on day 4. This only lasted 48 hours.
He is doing good now.

19 year old DS is double vaccinated and has it. Heavy cold symptoms, sore throat, moving to lethargic and headache. Now no taste or smell, but still eating and in reasonable spirits.

My 19 year old DD had it at while at uni in October. Started like a cold then totally lost her voice for about 3 days. She didn't feel too unwell thankfully.