How sick are people really getting with Covid?

[MothExterminator]

I am not at all trying to be goady here. DC2 has Covid, we are on the last day of isolation.

DH and I, both double jabbed and boosted, negative PCR and no symptoms. DC1 and DC3, negative PCR and no symptoms. DC2 (family’s Covid case) had a cough and a runny nose, no temperature at any point but was Covid positive. Symptoms lasted for 2 days.

So far I have entertained 3 children at home for 9 days (all plans cancelled, replaced by TV and video games), looking at day 10 today and this is lighter than most colds and apparently not very transmissible (DC2 regularly comes to my bed in the night). Or maybe the rest of us has it earlier without symptoms?

What are other people’s experiences?

@Foghead

Lol at “ Those are unscientific views.” The mantra to end discussion.

Dealing with a pandemic doesn’t involve only following one scientific view.
We need to look at what’s best for society from all angles including scientific discussion, economy, education, physical and mental wellbeing, education and our own sense of responsibility.

This is about the illness caused by covid. Dragging everything else in is fine for a discussion about what we should do in response to covid, but completely irrelevant with regards to the illness itself.

I wonder if they still think there’s a link between blood group and severity of symptoms? I remember at one point there was definitely talk of o+ being less affected

I work in a primary school and there has been a huge range of different reactions, from children who were very unwell and have since appeared to have very depressed immune systems generally, ending up off sick on numerous occasions, on antibiotics, losing weight, one even being tested for loss of hearing in one ear. Others who were ill for no more than a day or two. The omicron variant is known to be considerably more transmissible within households, so there will doubtless be far fewer cases of family members escaping infection altogether in future.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

I'm 47, overweight but really fit, have a blood clotting disorder. I've never taken a day off sick in my life. I got it in November and was properly ill for 9 days. Still 'mild' according to the media or MN - I didn't have to call a doctor, I didn't have any breathing problems, I didn't have any issue with blood clots - but I couldn't have gone to work even if I wanted to. It then took me a couple of weeks to get back to feeling normal. My partner had it too, much less fit than me and asthmatic. He was ill for 3 weeks, but again it was 'mild'. My partner teacher had it the week after me, he had a surprise positive from routine LFT and felt fine throughout - worked from home the whole time.

Yes that is mild in my mind.

You felt shit, and I am sorry for that, but no medical intervention. Mild.

For some people, it's really mild, and for others it isn't. But that's always been the case.

If you want anecdata, I know three friends who caught it at the same get together in London recently. One of them said it was exactly like a bad cold. The other one had a horrible headache and fever chills and had to stay in bed for a couple of days but is now fine. I don't know how the other one is, but I'm sure he's grand as think I'd have heard otherwise.

I've been into London and back on a packed train, sat in very busy restaurants and bars and haven't caught it! This was just as it was starting to kick off. So it's possible I've been exposed and not caught it. However the three people i know who all got it were at a gathering of only four! So 3/4 caught it, which makes me think it's v transmissible.

I just find this virus so bizarre. As a mum of three, we have seen our fair share of cold and also the flu (the year we forgot to sing the consent forms for the flu vaccine ). All those times, it ripped through all three DC and many times I felt a bit under the weather as well. I had the flu annually for many years (felt so sick that I could barely move) until I developed an underlying heart condition. Now my GP texts me for a flu jab beginning of every autumn.

But this is just so different and so weird . One person out of five only one to get it and then only mildly .

But of course we are isolating. My mum had chemo so I am very aware of vulnerable people.

All my family and friends have had it so mildly that it would have passed unnoticed in any other year. I work in a hospital and my healthy colleagues have been similarly lightly affected.

Older or overweight colleagues have found it more tiring, and felt more unwell. Some feel they have not recovered (these colleagues would not have felt fully well before the pandemic either).

I don't know any fit and healthy person who has been badly hit, but I have certainly seen many frail patients horribly affected, and that is why we need to control the spread.

We had covid last couple of weeks in our house. I’m pretty sure DC aged 2 picked it up from nursery. She had a week of high temperature and lethargy and blocked nose.

Then I got it, I was really unwell with flu like symptoms and severe headaches and sinus pain and very achy joints. I also lost all taste and smell, still hasn’t returned. My temp went up to 39.1 c and wouldn’t come down with meds.
I also had really bad exhaustion so even tho I’m over it I’m easily tired out.

My DH had it and he also had flu like symptoms and very painful sinuses and headaches, and fever. He was also suffering from fatigue.

Older DC had the same.

I was the only one to have lost my sense of smell and taste.

We’re all double jabbed and were going to get boosters DC2 was going to get her second jab before she got covid.

It’s the unpredictability of how you will react if you get it. You might be fine and have no symptoms, you might be very unwell. You just don’t know.

I keep hearing that they might change the isolation period to 7 days, which would be good. Neil Ferguson seems to say that would be just as effective.

As I said - this thread is going to turn into a covid denying mess of 'we need to end isolation' and 'most cases are mild'.

We’re all fit and healthy and and usually very active none of us are overweight or anything either.

Me and my two DC have recently had it just before I was due my booster. DC1 started with tummy ache so severe she was sent to hospital with suspected appendicitis (temp only shot up the day after which prompted getting a test) DC2 had a severe sore throat which meant they didn’t eat/drink for a couple of day and lost taste and smell. I was sick and had to ring the dr with problems breathing on day 9. Still a few weeks later feel tired and can’t walk for long. Worried about natural immunity now having no effect against omnicron and can’t get booster until new year as have to wait 28 days. I was surprised how ill we all were given all the reports of people saying it was a mild cold like illness - not our experience at all!

Luckily I haven't had it.

My BIL has had it twice, both times very mild (and he's asthmatic) - he passed it onto all the family first time around and they felt like they had a bad case of flu.

My DD has a 20 year old friend who had a temperature of 39.7c yesterday and felt really absolutely dreadful (double jabbed).

I think on a purely anecdotal note it’s very telling that this board isn’t flooded with people posting worried about their loved ones being seriously unwell with it - yes you see the odd post here and there but you’d expect the board to be full of “should I go to A and E” type posts (that we see frequently for other reasons across Mumsnet) if it was as horrible for most as some seem to think.

@rrhuth

As I said - this thread is going to turn into a covid denying mess of 'we need to end isolation' and 'most cases are mild'.

It’s not covid denying to suggest either of these things.

Similar - I had it, felt wiped out for two days and had burning lung feeling but was doing the gardening aside from that. Double jabbed at the time.
Pre-vaccination, DH’s uncle (50s) was put on oxygen.
I know two unvaccinated who currently have it who were in bed and vomiting.
Everyone else I know (jabbed and small kids) had a mild cold.

As others have said, the data shows it is a mild illness for most and most will not require medical treatment.

I'm currently in the part of the UK with the highest rate of Covid infections, I know many who have tested positive (adults and children) and at worst the symptoms have been 'a bit of cold' for a couple of days.

The reason it is right to isolate is because a small percentage (elderly, underlying conditions, unvaccinated etc) of a large number is still a lot of people.
And our NHS does not have the resources or infrastructure to cope with that number.

Would we still be in this position if there has been proper investment in the NHS?

I had it last October and when discharged from hospital it was described as moderate.

I had what I thought was a chest infection, so discomfort when breathing, tight/heavy feeling in chest, etc. I did get a bit of a cough - but it was like the need to clear my throat all the time rather than coughing. I felt very very lethargic and run down, fatigue was overriding issue in many ways. My most serious issue was the increased blood pressure which wouldn't come down for ages, despite medication in hospital. I was in hospital due to the blood pressure and the very real risk of heart attack/stroke. In hospital I didn't need oxygen etc.

I didn't feel as ill as I had when I had pneumonia a few years before, but I didn't feel well either.

I was off work for 7 weeks. Tbh I should really have taken longer off based in how long it took to get back into the swing of things. A year in and I am still classed as having long covid, though much much improved and can go about my daily life pretty much as normal most of the time now. The blood pressure issue will be life long they think, along with having to take two lots of medication to control it daily.

I'm mid-late 40s and classed as CV. I have an inflammatory arthritis and take medication to control it, inc methotrexate.

My Ds, age 9 was pretty unwell for 3/4 days. My teenage daughter, dh and me were very unwell for 4/5 days, its day 21 now and dh still not 100% and Im just turning a corner. My 12 year old was mild apart from sleeping 12/14 hours for a few days.

@rrhuth

As I said - this thread is going to turn into a covid denying mess of 'we need to end isolation' and 'most cases are mild'.

Can you clarify how saying that 'most cases are mild' is an unscientific fact? As stated in your post up thread?

@Bagelsandbrie It is when the more serious impacts are conveniently ignored. Ignoring the serious side of covid is covid denial. Covid denial is very widespread.

The reality has always been that most cases are mild - that is not the issue. The issue is the small percentage who need hospital treatment and the even smaller percentage who will die.

My daughter (9 at the time) had a runny nose for one day, no other symptoms.
I had body aches, my voice went hoarse, felt like I had flu and lost taste & smell. I stupidly decided to do housework one day and went from ok to low oxygen levels and sharp chest pain that made me completely panic and 111 decided I needed hospital treatment. I turned 40 the day before and was very lucky indeed.
My uncle caught it abroad (85) and died.

This thing is completely random and can have nasty turns if you are not careful. Those of us who have had it mildly should count ourselves lucky. The Il Divo singer just died at 53 from it.

I don’t trust covid as far as I could throw it.

I was totally fine with covid, wouldn't have known I had it if not for loss of smell. The second dose of Moderna made me feel rougher than I have for years though. I had that after covid though, so I shan't jump on the 'probably would have been in hospital if I wasn't fully vaccinated' bandwagon. 🙄

People say look at the science. Look at the numbers.

The science and numbers say that only a small percentage of people who get it need hospitalisation and a smaller percentage die due to covid.

Every illness has anecdotal stories from one extreme to the other. I personally know of someone who has died from Chicken pox, while other people send their toddlers to pox parties to catch it.

@loveisagirlnameddaisy
Can you clarify how saying that 'most cases are mild' is an unscientific fact? As stated in your post up thread?

The bit you copied from my post had TWO statements and you have only picked out ONE. Maybe you did not read it properly, or maybe you did this on purpose - I can not tell which.

What I said was this thread is going to turn into a covid denying mess of 'we need to end isolation' and 'most cases are mild' - it is unscientific to say that because most cases are mild, we need to end isolation. EVERYONE knows most cases are mild. They are not the issue. The issue is the samll percentage who are hospitalised and the smaller percentage who die.