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?

I had it after being double jabbed. I was quite ill for about 5 days, chills, headache, sneezing, runny nose, loss of smell but could still taste slightly. Felt worse than I have with a respiratory illness. I was put in the CEV list in Feb, nobody seemed to know why, although I suspected it was due to having a BMI over 40 at the time. By the time I had it I had lowered this to below 40. My kids had it, DD was fatigued and generally unwell, had loss of smell and still can't smell some things (we had it in August) DS was his usual bouncy self. DH didn't get it at all. I wouldn't want it again that's for sure.

Triple jabbed, usually healthy. It was like a severe flu for two days followed by 5 days of nothing smelling and everything tasting disgusting.

Myself, husband, toddler and baby all had it in august. It started with the scariest 48 hrs of my existence as a parent. Baby floppy and unresponsive had to go to a&m, toddler super high fever, lost the ability to speak and couldn’t stand up or walk. My husband and I both feverish, mentally not there and in pain all over plus the sore throats etc. It really is random and you don’t know who it’s going to hit hard.

I'm on day 8 of isolation, am 48 and was boosted on the day I think I got it. Very mild and prob wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't lost my sense of smell. Also, am isolating from the rest of the houses since I got a positive (ds x 2 and dp) but was not when I would have been contagious. None of them are positive.
But I guess that's not the point as it's so random it might have been different for me, and is for others...

I had it back in March/early April 2020, right at the start, and I was very ill with it. I had to go to hospital in the end as I was so short of breath. I was 39, fairly fit, slim and with no obvious risk factors at all. In retrospect, I am sure both children had it (aged 7 and 5), but it wasn't obvious at all at the time when the guidance was very different. They had the mildest of colds and the younger had a large and atypical eczema flare a bit later they said young children often had skin symptoms but we didn't know that then. I wasn't diagnosed until I was taken to hospital by ambulance, and even then I was diagnosed by an X-ray at my bed in A&E, not a test (I think they were very short of tests and were trying to save them). DH must surely have been exposed but if he caught it it was totally asymptomatic. It took me about a month to mainly recover, and another couple of months before I stopped noticing some shortness of breath, but I didn't have any real post-viral syndrome thankfully. For me the main symptom by far from very early on was a strange tight chest / shortness of breath which seemed to ease slightly after nearly a week and then abruptly got worse a day or so later so absolutely classic in terms of how it was described last year. Typical symptoms do seem to have changed quite a bit since the first wave now and I suppose many people catching it now have in fact have had some prior exposure whether or not they were aware of it.

We're all on day 8 of isolating.

DH has got AF, on blood thinners, and has 2 jabs. He's been poorly, with a few days of fever/shivering, has lost taste and smell, but managed to get up and dressed and work from home. He was on the vulnerable list each time due to his heart issues.

I had my booster and flu jab 3 days before coming down with Covid, and felt dreadfully poorly for the 1st 5 days but think my immune system was completely overwhelmed. Again lost taste/smell, shivering, mild fever and horrid night sweats... but again got up every day, showered, dressed and managed to work. I'm overweight, medicated diabetic, and was on the vulnerable list the 1st time round.

DD2 was fine...... literally a few days of aching/headache/sniffles, but generally fine overall and working from home throughout. She's had 2 vaccines but has no underlying health conditions.

DD3 is unvaccinated, has a mitral valve prolapse so was on the 1st vulnerable list, and was quite poorly for the 1st 3/4 days. Had a headache, fever, aching and that then just went into a heavy cold. She's back at work tomorrow and will be able to do so.

No hospitalisations, no contact with any medical professionals. All very fortunate, and frankly glad to have got it over and done with.

@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'.

We do need to end isolation. And most cases are mild. Those at most risk need to take steps to protect themselves. The rest need to get back to normality.

While there have been some younger people very ill with it , it is not completely random all statistics show that the older you are and the more clinical vulnerable you are the worse covid can be
however just a a fit healthy person can become quie ill with it so it is true that a 95 year old can have mild or non existent symptoms too
but statistically the initial fatality rate and hospitilisation rates have dropped dramatically since vaccination, and are not rising very much, we would expect a rise in death rates from now to March as that happens every single winter that death rates are higher in winter than summer
The average age of someone dying from covid is 82 this is very close to average age of death from all causes which is around 79-80
anecdotes are not data
very early data shows omicorn maybe milder but it is too soon to be sure; is it actually milder itself or is it milder because people are vaccinated or have had covid before? not so easy to tell
just like other viruses some people don't catch it despite living with people that have it, some get it mildly others really badly and a few end yup in hospital and some die, back before covid average winter deaths from flu were over a 100 per day much much less in summer

A week of feeling like death, but I was at home so in stats mild case. Took me six weeks to recover.

@TeacupDrama you have left out that when people have died, the average years lost is 10 years for each death.
My dad is 87, but has underlying health problems developed during the pandemic. He has been told people with his condition from diagnosis live on average another ten years. But if he died today of covid, so many people would just think, oh well he was already ill and would probably have died soon, when that was not the case.

I know around 60 persons who have had Covid. Mostly friends of my DD (13-15), unvaccinated at the time, mild (e.g. common cold like) to no symptoms.

However, also have a friend, late 40s male, diabetic, overweight, pre-vaccine, who was on a ventilator and we all were scared he would die. He survived but with some consequences. He says he will always make sure he is up to date on all recommended Covid vaccines and he has made sure not to regain the weight he lost due to Covid.

I also have 2 unvaccinated family members who caught it, one was severely ill in hospital but avoided ventilation. Again, male, similar profile to friend above. His mum, also very overweight but not diabetic, early 70s was ill at home for 1 week and a bit of oxygen, but OK overall.

Many of my DD’s friends, teens, have had it now with hardly any effects and their parents, all vaccinated were fine, at worst, a few days in bed.

I had Covid in 2020 and whilst the initial disease was tiring, it wasn’t that bad but I got long Covid and lots of fatigue and racing heart etc. I get strong side effects every time I have a vaccine but continue to have all recommended vaccines. My 2 boys also had Covid in 2020 and had some consequences (up to 3 months) but have been around a lot of Covid in late 2020 again and all through 2021 and haven’t caught it again. I have another friend who had proper long Covid in 2020 and can still not work properly, needs daily naps. If he goes out with friends in the evening, he is wiped out for days. He is mid 40s.
My DH and DDs seem to be immune to the virus, multiple contacts, never caught it. DH of course is fully vaccinated and boosted.

Vaccination is absolutely key. Nobody knows how badly they will get the virus and the variants can vary quite substantially. I agree with the concept that those up to date with vaccines should not need to isolate. The big question mark is now around those who may be getting it eg a second time and only a PCR is picking it up, with barely any symptoms. How strong is their viral load really? Some of my doctor friends are in this category due to asymptomatic PCR testing.

I think this is exactly the thing, it's so variable. Dh and I both fully vaccinated. He just had it, it was like a bad flu. At no point did he consider going to hospital, but he was in bed a good chunk of every 24 hours, not able to go outside in the cold at all, pretty miserable. I fortunately didn't get it, despite being in close regular contact. If both of us had been that ill, I don't know how we would have managed with two young children and a dog. Dd had it, it was like a normal viral infection/chesty cough thing that she gets every year (she's 8). My friend has a very close friend, healthy, our age (40s), who is currently in ICU on a ventilator.

The first time I caught covid was in March 2020. I had pneumonia, liver damage, a pneumothorax, and long covid for over a year afterwards.
The second time I caught covid was three weeks ago. I spent four days in bed with a fever and a hacking cough, then I just felt sick and fluey for a week afterwards. I still feel wiped out.
My vaccinated neighbour died
She had an autoimmune condition but it didn’t affect her day to day life.

Brother had it, poorly for 3 weeks. Although he's in the age and weight range to be badly effected.

2 employees had it young fit (weights and running), one's a trainee pro rugby league player.
Over it in a day.

Another mate his wife over it in a couple of days, him, a week he's ex military and close protection.

DD (1yo) was incredibly unwell, in hospital for a couple of days. I was nursing her so had no jabs as per guidance at the time.

I was so so unwell, I also ended up in hospital for a bit. I was unwell for about a month, returned to work on part time initially. Most of my hair fell out 3 months post infection, ongoing heart issues and ongoing other issues.

DD (10) and DS (8), DH (Single jab) all had a slight temp/headache for a day or 2.

My DH tested positive last week and was very unwell with 3 nights in hospital - he is immunocompromised though.

I have tested positive and feel rough, but still doing the basic stuff that needs doing.

We are both triple jabbed.

One DS has now tested positive but just has a cough.

I think what we can take away from this is that we are all different.

@AngryWithH
vitamin d deficiency

Of course everyone taking decent Vitamin D supplements won’t magic the pandemic away in a couple of weeks, but I can’t for the life of me understand why Vitamin D hasn’t been heavily, heavily promoted by authorities in tackling this pandemic. The evidence in favour is very, very strong in terms of the impact of Vitamin D deficiency in those who get Covid, particularly on this over 60 (the mean + median age of death is 80+ in most countries). Huge numbers of people across Europe, particularly in the UK and Ireland are very deficient in Vitamin D. And it has zero side effects and is extremely cheap. I really don’t get it.

I had it pre vaccines (almost 50, overweight)... was mild illness... nobody else in the household caught it from me... my Mum (almost 70, various minor health conditions, overweight) just had it post vaccines and booster and was barely I'll at all, Dad didn't catch it...

Aliceca - i'm sorry you lost your Dad but saying people on average live 10 years with his condition does not mean he should have lived 10 years. It means the average person, who is much younger than 87, can live 10 years. It doesn't mean an 87 year old should live to 97. Unfortunately his age was already working against him for all diseases.

I just tested positive this morning. I've had 3 vaccines (the last was only Saturday!) I knew something was wrong yesterday. It feels like a hideous cold with a snotty nose, sneezing and coughing but also a pretty upset stomach.

I'm devastated, xmas at home alone with just me and the cat then. Also... have you tried getting a last minute grocery slot? I think I'm going to starve!! Didn't do a grocery shop this week as I'm supposed to be heading to my parents tomorrow night

@snowco I have not lost my dad. He is alive and well. I said if he did die of covid that is what people would say. He is 77 and should easily live another 10 years. He is very strong.

From Eric Feigi-Ding on twitter "New hospitalization record for kids age 0-5 for #COVID19–now up Upwards arrow 39% in England Flag of England in children 0-5 years old in just one week. This is consistent with #Omicron being 20% more severe in children, along with high infections in younger people."

Figure by @Antonio_Caramia

For the vast vast majority of people if you’re under 60 and have no serious underlying conditions then it is no more serious than a bout of flu. The fact that the mean and media age of death is 80 years+ in many countries makes that clear enough. The widespread havoc it’s caused on the national/global scale is nearly all down to the inability of our healthcare systems to cope with an extra burden, be it 1% or 30%, particularly during the winter months.

As this report suggest, it’s not that the Nightingale facilities weren’t needed, but rather they were inadequate - in terms of their equipment and the inadequate numbers of skilled NHS staff available for employment in them.
www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2021/04/nhs-nightingale-hospitals-worth-money

@ThatsNiiice poor you. Have you got local friends who can leave some emergency groceries on your doorstep?

@ThatsNiiice

I just tested positive this morning. I've had 3 vaccines (the last was only Saturday!) I knew something was wrong yesterday. It feels like a hideous cold with a snotty nose, sneezing and coughing but also a pretty upset stomach.

I'm devastated, xmas at home alone with just me and the cat then. Also... have you tried getting a last minute grocery slot? I think I'm going to starve!! Didn't do a grocery shop this week as I'm supposed to be heading to my parents tomorrow night

Have you got Amazon prime and a Morrisons nearby? If so maybe see if you can get a same day shop delivered through Amazon prime, that's what I've had to do. Just type Morrisons in Amazon and it comes up with Morrisons food you can get delivered.