Did having Covid change it for you?

[CamomileTeabag]

Having almost lost someone close early in the pandemic, I've been very careful for the last two years, always wearing masks indoors, social distancing, socialising outside and in small groups etc. I've hardly been to pubs or restaurants (or at least not without worrying).

But now, the inevitable has happened and I have Covid! I'm doing ok and I will be free to go on Sunday at the latest.

I'm interested to see how I'll feel when I get back outside again. Will I feel more relaxed, knowing that I have Omicron antibodies? If you were someone previously very careful about covid precautions, did having Covid make you feel more relaxed in the outside world again?

(Yes, I know it's possible to catch it twice but for a couple of months it's not that likely. And even if I do, I have lost much of the fear of getting it)

I've had it twice in November 2021 and January this year. I'm not worried about it any more.

I wasn't going to have my booster, then my DD caught covid and was really ill with it at one point we thought she'd have to go to hospital.

So I changed my mind and have booked my booster. I then caught covid and was worried I was going to be taken away from DD when she still was ill with it thankfully I was ok, but it reconfirmed I need booster.

So yes it's changed things for me in that sense.

I was absolutely terrified of covid at the start of the pandemic, and didn't leave the house. DP is a keyworker so sadly brought it home with him anyway. He'd already lost a friend to it, who was his age and previously fit and healthy, so we were both really nervous about it. Bear in mind it was right at the start so no vaccines.

DP was worse than me, but even he didn't have to stay in bed or anything. My symptoms were so mild I wouldn't have known I had it if DP hadn't had it and prompted me to test.

Immediately I was more laid back about it. I understood the necessity to protect the vulnerable, but at the same time it gave me a huge amount of perspective. So from then on I just took sensible precautions, stuck to the rules, and stopped worrying about it.

I have never been anxious about getting it personally, it's the passing it on to others that I was wary of. I had it in November, pre-omicron, and was utterly wiped out for two full weeks. I got better quite quickly but I'm in no rush to repeat it.

We’re on day 4 currently with what I assume is Omicron (given our symptoms and how dominant the variant is). We had a day of feeling a bit shivery and feverish but then it’s literally been a very slight sniffle and slightly sore throat so far.

I was initially really anxious at the beginning of the pandemic but have gradually got my head around it since then. I’m cautious and sensible but not “living in fear” which I know some quarters love to accuse people of doing. Even though our experience of Covid so far has been extremely mild, it hasn’t changed my opinion on things like mask wearing, isolating, mixing in large indoor crowds etc. I’ll continue to be cautious and sensible whilst infection rates are high and be grateful that we have vaccinations that allow us to live a largely normal life until infections reduce. It may have been mild for me but the person I think we caught it from was (and still is) really unwell, despite being much fitter and healthier than I am. Anyone I pass it to could easily suffer badly so I am still keenly aware of the need to reduce transmission.

I also want to reduce my risk of catching a nastier variant as much as possible.

I feel better in that I'm not constantly worried I'm going to get it. I did feel like it was closing in on me and sure enough I had it over New Year. It quickly whipped through the household, nobody was very ill and now I feel much happier now it's not the scary unknown.

@Ladywoodster

I have if at the moment and like OP I am feeling excited to have a brief window of being confident to do things and go places that I've been nervous about for so long.

I have just had it too and this is exactly how I feel my DM has got it at the moment and I am genuinely feeling like I might go and give her some enormous hugs when I next see her as although it's not impossible I am now not scared of infecting her with it for a little while . It has definitely reduced its scariness though I still wish it would go away and appreciate some people are still really unwell and people are still dying

wander if hang counts as long covid

No, loss of smell/taste alone does not count as long covid. With it without your 'confused' face.

Long covid is similar to other post viral complications with a range of ongoing issues. It's being named as distinct from other ones at the moment so that it can be monitored and tracked, as so much remains unknown. Which can only be a good thing long term - far better than pretending it doesn't exist and discovering long term problems further down the line.

Yes I’ve had worse hangovers than the covid I had. Honestly I don’t care about it anymore. I look at the people staying apart/not going out/wearing masks in the shops and think they are bonkers.

I say that as a triple vaxxed person though. I would always have any boosters offered and I appreciate that it can be a terrible illness for the vulnerable.

We all had covid in December and thought ideal, we should be okay for a little while then Dd caught it again a month later.. she had it twice in a month. Everyone else escaped second fine though.

But I'm definitely less anxious about the illness. I spent nearly 2 years convincing myself I'd be seriously ill with covid. Our symptoms were relatively mild so I'm not so scared about getting ill but do get anxious still about isolation, loss of earnings etc.

First time made me terrified of it. It was the sickest I've ever been and that's up against some nasty stuff.

Second time was milder so was very reassuring.
Third times a doddle.

But seriously, I'd never skip a vaccine. It can be brutal.