Covid looky-likey virus?

[ablutiions]

Not sure where to post this, so putting here for traffic.

I've been ill with a virus for 2 months. Started off like covid and ended up in a&e with low oxygen, high pulse and, breathless , horrible cough. Clear X-ray and negative covid tests so sent home to ride it out.

Roll on 7 weeks and I'm still poorly. Weak, tired, coughing, sore throat and chest, dizzy/feeling spacey, croaky voice, no energy. Get out of breath easily when doing light exercise like going up stairs. I'm usually fit with resting pulse low 60s, it's now 70s-80s most of the time, and pounds in my chest.

GP has done full bloods ( I was ill enough for a face to face appointment and to have bloods done, despite the shortage of blood test vials) and all are fine. I don't have covid antibodies so v unlikely to be long covid. She thinks likely just a nasty virus and I have a crackly chest but no evidence of bacterial infection, but every day I wake up feeling pretty much the same, no improvement.

Anyone else hearing of a nasty long-running bug doing the rounds?

It's really starting to get me down and I'm still not well enough to work.

I'm not sure why I'm posting, other than to vent a bit and to see if anyone else is in the same boat.

I was like this when I had proper flu. Took 6 weeks before I felt vaguely normal, knocked me doe six.

I recently had a virus that lasted 7 weeks. I don't thinknit was flu as I've had flu and pneumonia and this felt very different. Started as a really heavy cold that had me in bed for a few days but lasted about a month. It was the cough that was most concerning as it just wasn't going and I was too breathless to do my usual exercise. Eventually got a short course of steroids which finally cleared it. I'm not convinced it wasn't covid, false negatives are pretty common.

Honestly? It very much sounds like Long Covid to me. Many many people who have had Covid have tested negative for antibodies so I wouldn't automatically assume you haven't had it.

Try and rest as much as possible, eat well and take a vit C and D supplement. I hope you feel better soon. 💐

false negatives are pretty common

By LFT yes but not for PCR.

Many many people who have had Covid have tested negative for antibodies so I wouldn't automatically assume you haven't had it.

Over 90% of the adult population have antibodies, either through infection or vaccination. OP, have you been vaccinated?

@JaninaDuszejko

false negatives are pretty common

By LFT yes but not for PCR.

30% of PCR negatives are false.

That seemed a bit high - looking it up I found a paper that commented

"Data from earlier in the pandemic reported FNRs (false negative rates) of up to 30% [6] with a systematic review on the topic reporting ranges from 2 to 29% [2]. A large study from New York evaluating the clinical performance of SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing found that on average up to 17% of positives were missed by the first test [22], while another American study reported a FNR of 3.5% in patients with discordant swab results within a 7-day period [1]."

So 30% is perhaps a bit high.

Hello all,

Yes double jabbed. Have had 3x PCR tests and multiple LFT all negative. 'Proper ' antibody test from drawn blood is negative.

I was proper poorly back in 2020 in feb-may with what might have been covid, but this time no temp, no loss of smell.

It ticks all the long covid boxes, and may be another post viral thing. I'm so worn out with it all. I'm being rather a wimp today and feeling a bit teary. I'm usually so fit and do yoga every day, lots of walking etc. I'm just feeling like I'm a seized up old person, way before my time.

I've just slapped myself for being overly dramatic and self indulgent I'm not good at being ill.

Thankyou to everyone for replying.

DH had something similar to COVID Nov/Dec 2019 he was ill for about 4 months.

Also a friends Dad was in intensive care unable to breathe properly, his scans showed something virtually identical to COVID but he had 10 negative PCR tests during his stay. He very nearly died. The Hospital were baffled that it wasn't COVID and that he survived. It got so serious they called my friend in to say goodbye.

There are still other nasty viruses out there.

When I had flu years ago I was pretty crook for about 12 weeks and not really fully recovered for a year.

I had a nasty fluey type thing in December 2019 so pricked up my ears when I heard a doctor on Radio 4 saying there were a lot of OC43 infections about. OC43 is another coronavirus. I rather hoped I'd had that and had some cross-immunity to Covid. No idea if I did.

Someone I know picked up Lyme disease and put it down to too much wandering in the wild during lockdown.

@twobrews that sounds very scary

@amicissimma I'll look into that. It's so like covid that I'd be surprised if it's not related.

Fecking bugs.

I was ill from Sept 19- Nov 19 with some awful virus. It ended up on my chest. I’d get better then relapse. Doctor gave me an inhaler in the end. Said it wasn’t flu but a virus.

So it’s interesting what you say @amicissimma about another Coronavirus. I’ve just googled and found a study that says exposure to OC43 does help with Covid-19 outcomes and you do get some cross-immunity.

I haven’t actually been that careful with regards to Covid. It’s likely that I was just lucky. But been in situations where collar contacts have become ill and I’ve swerved it. You never know. It’s very interesting.

So there may well be similar viruses circulating now. I do hope you feel better soon OP.

Close contacts

A few years ago DH picked up an awful virus in Botswana.
We were ill for ages.
DH had a cough for so long they sent him for scans on his lungs.
Looking back I think it was a respiratory disease - probs flu - to which we had no immunity.

A few friends and I have been suffering for the last couple of weeks - heavy cold for the first week, totally wiped out. All of us tested negative (PCR) on multiple occasions. Now on week three with a hacking cough that just won't go, very breathless, feels like I've got gunk on the lungs but can't bring anything up. Coughing so hard I nearly wee myself . Not been to the DRs yet but I've decided I'll go if I'm not improved in a week - will take yet another PCR as no doubt they'll want more proof. Though after 4 weeks I doubt it would show as positive anyway.

I have something very similar at the minute. I'm about 5 weeks in.
I had 2 covid tests in the first 2 weeks. They were both negative so I went to my GP. He kept asking 'are you sure its not covid?'. There was nothing bacterial, he tooks bloods and put it down as a virus. Bloods came back fine.

I took two weeks off work and went back this week thinking I was ok. I now realise it was too soon and sore throat and cough are flaring up again. In addition to your symtoms have an on and off fever.

I've been suffering with this since the weekend. My teenage son had it last week.

Heavy head cold, snotty, hacking cough, headache and tired. Its a productive cough and im coughing up green phlegm (sorry). No temperature and smell and taste are fine. Chest is fine (although I was suffering previously with my asthma and finished steroids on Tuesday)

It does feel like a really bad cold

Covid tests negative so far.

Not had a cold like this for over 2 years.

Other viruses are and have always been available!
Why are you all so keen that it’s Covid, is it because it’s then somebody’s “fault”?
Sometimes things just happen.

My DH is currently suffering something just like this. Aching joints, hacking cough, tired, breathless….all lft and yesterdays PCR all negative.

Other viruses are and have always been available!
Why are you all so keen that it’s Covid, is it because it’s then somebody’s “fault”?
Sometimes things just happen.

What an odd way to look at it. No viral infection is anyone's fault . Most respiratory viruses don't involve coughs lasting 7 weeks, not even flu. Maybe that's why OP posted.

Now on week three with a hacking cough that just won't go, very breathless, feels like I've got gunk on the lungs but can't bring anything up. Coughing so hard I nearly wee myself blush.

That's exactly how mine felt. I ended up having to wear sanpro, felt my pelvic floor had just gone after 7 weeks of coughing day and night.

My cousin had similar several.months ago and in fact now has observable lung damage that the doctors are 99% certain was caused by Covid .In fact she is still struggling the long term after effects.

lShe had negative PCR tests throughout the acute phase of her infection and was treated for pneumonia but not thought at the time to be Covid related .

She was told by a consultant she saw that it is not uncommon to have several consistently negative PCR tests in what later becomes clear was almost certainly a Covid infection.

did they never test for flu? sounds like me with a bad flu once, I wasn't fully right for at least 3 months, the worst of it being about 6 weeks

@Coffeeanddarkchoc commiserations. I think it's just so frustrating not having a diagnosis and therefore a little certainty about how long it might go on for. My dr cert runs out next Tuesday and I really don't feel any better than 2 weeks ago, although I am coughing less (unless I speak). Just walked upstairs and my heart is pounding and I'm all dizzy. Pulse 100. Ridiculous. I can relate to the pelvic floor a bit - but mine is so much stronger after 5 years of regular yoga. Do you feel like you are improving at all?

@bumblingbovine49 that sounds dreadful. I know that covid is a (dysfunctional?!) family of viruses so it makes sense that symptoms would be similar. How's your cousin now?

To cap it all just had a row with DH, who in trying to help, started to interrogate me about which 'dodgy' internet sources I'm getting my info from. He hates seeing me floating around, pale as a ghost unable to manage much. It's a strain on us all. I'm normally a bit of a Dynamo in the family so they find it hard to adjust when I'm not at full speed.

I have a chronic illness that I manage to keep at bay (mostly) but I have to say hats off to anyone living with long-term illness - I just don't know how you cope. Serious admiration for you folks.

@Mybalconyiscracking I'm not blaming anyone, nor trying to pin it as covid. I don't really care what it is as long as it buggers off and leaves me alone. As per my original post, I put it on the coronavirus board as my symptoms are very similar and the traffic here is higher so more likely to get helpful input (which I have, Thankyou to all posters who have responded )

So, any suggestions to add to my proactive list to get well?

Rest
Sleep
Vitamin supplements (specific for immune system)
Lots of fruit and veg and protein
Water and tea
Fresh air (sitting by an open door)

Please feel free to add any remedies or things you find help.