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Original poster

Those who refer to Covid as a 'cold' - have you actually had it?

228 replies

UndertheCedartree · 31/12/2021 00:16

This is genuinely not goady. I'm just trying to distract myself (spiking fever with Covid).

There have been a few people in real life who have referred to Covid like this. One was back in Summer 20 and when I told him I'd been hospitalised with I due to breathlessness he suggested I was just having a panic attack!! Everyone who has referred to it as a cold (to me irl) has not actually had it. It seems a lot on here too refering to it as a cold or 'mild' illness have not actually had it. Mild means you don't need to be hospitalised afaik - not actually mild like a cold. They often seem to believe they have had it with no symptoms (maybe that helps them not be anxious about catching it) - not that that stops you catching it again of course!

I have to say it can feel a very lonely place when you see your DC so unwell and you are feeling dreadful yourself and people (who appear to have no experience of actually having the disease) are going on about how mild it is and we put up with colds we should be able to put up with this!

However 'mild' someone might have this I would not wish it on anyone.

OP posts:
EmmaMaya · 31/12/2021 01:35

I agree with you OP and feel so frustrated at this mild cold notion. It impacts everyone so different it just seems like the luck of the draw!

I had covid at the end of summer, although mild I was v breathless, headaches, bad cough and fatigued. I had to go for chest xrays and at one point refered to A&E to check for clots. I had two months off work and now have long covid! I am early 30s and double vacc and this was a mild case!

I hope you recover soon!

purplejungle · 31/12/2021 01:38

Yep this is how delta was for me in October

Bibbidybobbidybooboo · 31/12/2021 01:40

3 out of 5 in my house have had it at different times. 7 yo and 14 yo mildly ill for couple days, without proper taste for a couple more weeks. Me, in 40s, terrible, terrible headaches for about 3 days, slight temperature for a few hours, then a stuffy /runny nose and no taste for a few days, or smell. V tired after and was a hard first week back at work, and I still can't smell after two months, but I have been more ill with bad colds or stomach bugs. The headaches were the worst. But yes, a faiy mild and short illness. If it hadn't have been covid, I reckon I would still have needed about 5 or 6 days off work, but might have managed the tiredness from day 7 if I had really had to work.

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 31/12/2021 01:48

I guess it's like say tonsillitis
I've had colleagues work with tonsillitis and look a bit rough but ok
I get tonsillitis and I'm unable to swallow my own spit, sweating with a temp, can't speak/eat or do anything AngryEnvy

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 31/12/2021 02:32

@foxgoosefinch

Oh and I also had mild nausea and mild gastric symptoms as well.
I have the same. And yes the fatigue is awful. If this was a cold I'd be over the worst of it now.
OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 31/12/2021 02:34

@EmmaMaya

I agree with you OP and feel so frustrated at this mild cold notion. It impacts everyone so different it just seems like the luck of the draw!

I had covid at the end of summer, although mild I was v breathless, headaches, bad cough and fatigued. I had to go for chest xrays and at one point refered to A&E to check for clots. I had two months off work and now have long covid! I am early 30s and double vacc and this was a mild case!

I hope you recover soon!

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I had Long Covid and it did eventually go. I found Vit D helped.
OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 31/12/2021 02:36

@MaybeHeIsMyCat

I guess it's like say tonsillitis I've had colleagues work with tonsillitis and look a bit rough but ok I get tonsillitis and I'm unable to swallow my own spit, sweating with a temp, can't speak/eat or do anything AngryEnvy
Oh, poor you. It does just seem the luck of the draw sometimes.
OP posts:
Lanique · 31/12/2021 02:39

I think I had the delta variant a few months ago. I was practically asymptomatic but I wouldn't describe my mild symptoms as cold-like; I felt v tired and had a headache.

I've had colds, flu, pneumonia, pleurisy, tonsillitis, mumps and various mystery viruses - all were a lot worse than my experience of Covid. I was lucky.

RichTeaRichTea · 31/12/2021 03:38

I’ve never described covid as a cold - but to be fair to others I can only recall them saying “a mild cold for most people “ rather than simply “a cold”. The people I know who have had covid have had a range of levels of illness from no symptoms at all to death. However, my CEV relative has repeatedly been hospitalised in the past for complications of what are mild colds for most people, so my family has never been able to be completely blasé about colds either

CharlotteRose90 · 31/12/2021 04:25

I had it over Christmas and I’ve got rid of it now. For me it was a mild cold and I only felt it properly on 2 days . I’ve still got a little cough and fatigue but considering I’m cev and was terrified to get it if this is what the worst is I don’t know why I was so scared. I’m double jabbed so who knows if that helped but I had blocked/snotty nose, temperature, sneezing, burning chest and throat , cough, aches and loss of smell and appetite. I was even brought the new anti virals to my house but I didn’t need them. I’ve had the flu and pleurisy before and believe me they were a lot worse then this covid.

hesbeen2021 · 31/12/2021 05:01

I had the South African variant in January 2021. I have never felt so unwell in my life but wasn't actually seriously ill, just felt it.
I needed antibiotics for a chest infection which really helped and was able to work again after two weeks ( could hardly walk until about 10 days) My symptoms were odd and frightening and mostly I couldn't feel my legs properly, I coughed terribly, felt dizzy and nauseous all the time and also had some abdominal pain. I never lost of sense of taste or smell but developed that condition where I, even now, smell things that aren't there.
DD and DGS have just had Covid, they coughed for a couple of days, never felt even slightly unwell and throughly enjoyed being at home over Christmas. No temperature, no loss of taste or smell etc
As DGS hasn't been vaccinated it seems to me it's a completely different illness now.

junebirthdaygirl · 31/12/2021 05:09

I had Covid in September. Pains terrible fatigue, blocked sinuses, awful cough and generally felt miserable for about 6 days then turned the corner.
No breathing difficulties. Equal to a really bad flu l had years ago where l literally could not leave the bed for days. The difference is l recovered pretty quickly from the flu but Covid has left me with constant tiredness, very weak legs and overall lack of energy for 3 months.
When l got it a good few others..at least 10 got it too. Only one had my symptoms. Others said it was like a cold and not even a bad one. All double jabbed. I had no underlying illness and was in a good place physically. All of equal age..50 to 60.
It just seems to hit people so differently.

Poppins2016 · 31/12/2021 05:24

I'm as sure as I can be that I had covid back in March 2020 (when testing was unavailable unless you were admitted to hospital).

For me it was like a bad fluey cold with a temperature and a horrible 'breathless' cough that lingered for a long time. I had post viral fatigue afterwards (I suppose you'd call it long covid now, but it wasn't any different to a 'normal' post viral fatigue experience for me - unfortunately I seem to be prone to it), the post viral fatigue eased after a few months.

So in some ways I suppose I would agree with those who feel it can be 'just' like a cold, but I don't think that's everyone's experience and acknowledge that some people's symptoms are far worse.

I suppose it's a bit like any other illness... you can treat norovirus, common colds, flu and pneumonia at home, but some people need admitting to hospital with those illnesses and a proportion of those people will sadly die.

Flambola · 31/12/2021 05:28

I’ve got it now and it feels like a cold, although it’s moving to my chest a bit and I’m using my inhaler more than usual.

I also had it in Nov 20 and felt much worse, but nothing has felt worse for me than the one time I caught flu after I forgot to book my flu jab.

itispersonal · 31/12/2021 05:32

I had it Nov 2020 and had it mild, was just really fatigued and really painful sinuses and heavy legs.

But the longer term effects have been worse, I am regularly wiped wise energy wise, glad I work part time as some days I just need to sleep and can get breathless just going upstairs. This is impacting my life me more than the initial covid did!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/12/2021 05:34

The only symptom my DDs had between them was a headache fir a few hours.

I might have had it a few days before... what I thought was a 2 day migraine (I'm used to them) but I didn't know of the headache symptom... it was school who said my DD needed a test after she complained he head hurt there!

I had flu a few years ago. That was horrible. I lost a few days. All I could do was sleep. I was in my late 20s...

OliveTree75 · 31/12/2021 07:22

I had covid pre vaccine and have had worse colds. The thing is, it is like a cold for lots of people.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/12/2021 07:26

Yes. Had it in August, so did DS. It was a cold for me, barely even that for DS as all he had was a raised temperature for 2 days max. I had a bunged up nose, temperature for a couple of days, bit of a phlegmy cough and lost my smell and taste which was the most annoying bit.

I was able to carry on as normal which is lucky as I'm a single parent. I showered, got dressed, cooked meals, played with DS. Would have gone into work at any other time.

Xmasiscancelledagain · 31/12/2021 07:26

I.know someone who died from chicken pox which is a mild childhood illness.

I know someone who is allergic to sunlight (no his name is not dracula).

It's not rocket science to understand that what is not harmful to the majority of people can be seriously harmful or fatal for a small percentage of people.

Mybalconyiscracking · 31/12/2021 07:28

Moderate to mild cold symptoms here. I guess that we will get to a stage where people who have runny nose, cough etc will have no idea whether it is a cold or a covid virus. For the vast majority of people it really won’t matter.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/12/2021 07:29

Most people I know who have had it said it was cold like too. The people I know who have suffered badly have either had underlying health conditions (not being dismissive but it is what it is - one has Chrons and one is morbidly obese). The 2 people I know who were ill enough to be hospitalized are both unvaccinated.

Just10moreminutesplease · 31/12/2021 07:29

I don’t describe it like that because I know lots of people feel very ill with covid, even if they’re not hospitalised. However I’ve just had it, and for me it was like a very mild cold.

Maybe some of the people saying it’s just a cold have been lucky enough to have v mild symptoms?

OhPeeQueue · 31/12/2021 07:34

Yes I had it last year and it was a heavy cold. It blocked my nose and made my heady fuzzy for a day. I had no cough or fever. I lost my taste though. Got breathless quickly for the next few months.

Everyone who’s had it in my family experienced it as a heavy cold. But I’m not stupid and I know everyone reacts to it differently; my dad died of it, and so did a close friend. An in-law was in hospital for weeks being treated.

Trinacham · 31/12/2021 07:36

I don't refer to it as a cold but it wasn't even like a cold for me when I got Covid in pregnancy. It was more mild. I'd had a cold a month or 2 before Covid and felt a lot worse with the cold. My symptoms of Covid were a runny nose, sneezing and then lost my sense of taste/smell. I was still as active and wanting to do housework. With my common colds I don't want to do anything!

onedayoranother · 31/12/2021 07:37

Three people I know who have it now would describe their own symptoms as 'like a cold', but I've not heard anyone say that as a description in general. Surely everyone acknowledges it can range from symptomless to lethal? You don't get admitted to hospital with a cold unless you have other illnesses and are otherwise compromised.

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