The "Do I have COVID-19?" thread

[Marth]

How many months ago do you think people in the UK may have been infected? Is it just the last month really?

[Figaro]

I guess there are all sorts of mutterings about how it may have been for longer but realistically looking at the rate of rise it seems unlikely it has been here much longer, but I don’t think we can be too sure of that. Maybe there have been a few cases but the teams working in intensive care seem to say this is quite a unique picture they’re seeing and they haven’t really seen it before, so I guess it probably is pretty new?

[Jet]

I thought the first case in both the US and UK were towards the end of January.

[Figaro]

Yep I think the York student and their parent was at the end of January. Some people seem to think it may have been around all winter but I don’t think that’s too likely really, but we will never know for sure.

[Jet]

They summarize each country's stats here including the date of first case (assuming there were not other cases untested earlier than the first positive test)

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases

[maya]

Hi maya, sorry I’ve only just seen this - the advice would still be that you can de-isolate if you need to - the smell/taste thing can come at any point and feeling weak and woolly can last a while unfortunately, as can a cough. You don’t sound like you feel well though so I would probably stay at home if you can!

Thanks a lot for this - my fever came back again yesterday after 3 days without and I’ve felt absolutely awful so I’m definitely staying in isolation for now. This is day 9 - I’m really hoping I turn a corner soon!

[Jet]

Mr J seems to have concluded now that the fever and some other things he had early Feb might have been this (at the time it was right after L and I had flu (Mr J didn't get flu) and right before L had strep and I had tonsilitis (I didn't get strep)). I don't think I'd connected exactly what he was telling me at the time that his work friend was sent home from work (and it was all before we knew as much as we know now) but a said friend ended up is self quarantine (for what we thought was an unrelated cough at the time after being in NY but apparently several of the people on the same trip (that went to a sports game while in NY together) also got sick and had fevers. Everyone is fine now, so I guess we'll never know, but in hindsight it does seem likely.

[Epponnee Rae]

Well if antibody tests ever get validated, approved and rolled out to the general population, you might know then, Jet. But for now, connecting the dots in an inferential way is the best we can all do.

I genuinely wonder if my bro came back from Vietnam with it in early January. He definitely had mild flu like symptoms a few days after getting home and was laid out for about a week then. Yes, it could have been any number of respiratory things caught en route (though I was symptomatically ok). But we were in places with a lot of Chinese tourism at the end of 2019/early 2020 and I fully do not believe the Vietnam and Thailand case numbers, frankly. An Ab rest would be great for things like this.

I think I read earlier that they are now estimating the first related UK deaths were in mid-late Feb, which would least line up with January detection of first/early cases and community transmission.

[purple_dress]

In case this helps anyone, it's been three weeks and I now feel like I'm properly better. Worst days for me were 9 and 10. It was all very up and down but overall I started to gradually improve after that.

[viggy]

I'm on Day 12, and still feel awful in the mornings, and slightly better but still easily exhausted from about 2pm. I'm on the last day of my antibiotics (for potential chest infection) and my second lot of steroids (for my asthma flare up) and I'm absolutely dreading the weekend as I'm expecting the worst of the cough will come back again like it did last weekend when steroids #1 ran out.

I still honestly have no idea if this could be COVID-19 but this is NOT the best time for my asthma to be bothering me.

[purple_dress]

Sorry, viggy. Do the antibiotics seem to have had any effect?

[happyhighlandcoo]

Glad you're feeling better, pd.

Sorry you're still unwell, viggy and worried about the weekend. I really hope you start to feel better over the weekend. Keep resting and drinking plenty of fluids.

[maya]

So sorry, Viggy - sounds like you’ve really been through it. I hope the weekend is better than expected and that you start to improve very soon. And I’m glad to hear you’re better, PD.

I am on day 10. Yesterday evening and this morning I’ve felt the best I have since it started so I’m hoping that means I’m on the mend now. Days 3 & 4, and then 7 & 8 were the worst for me, I definitely had an improvement in the middle and then a big dip afterwards.

It has probably been the most ill I have ever been/felt but haven’t had a cough or breathing issues which I’m very grateful for.

[viggy]

I've just realised I'm not on day 12, I'm on day 16

My lovely bloke is hassling me to get back to the GP today instead of letting things get worse over the weekend, but I'm worried if I go back today they'll just see "breathing is better than it was on Monday" and I'll be wasting everyone's time, especially since I do get a bit better in the afternoons.

[Mountain Goat]

Having a rare good moment ( touch wood) so also checking in to report probable COVID 19. I've had minor symptoms and a couple of days laid out on the sofa over a couple of weeks which I brushed off as hypochondria ( and I may have been right) but this week has been hideous. I don't know if I'm on day 5, day 9 or day 16 so no idea whether I'm nearly done or about to escalate.

I am exhausted. Right now I'm pretty good but the past few days I would need to sleep after everything: brief email, trip to the loo, and I'd work myself up to an episode of Malory Towers. Patches of fever/ high temp ( no thermometer) paired with breathlessness, but mild enough to be able to sleep off. Throat/ cough are mild, but were a bit worse before this week. Sense of taste still present, smell is there but only just. I hope it's day 16 not 5...

[Disco]

Oh Goat, I've been wondering how you are. Sounds horrible but I really hope you're through the worst of it now.

[Mountain Goat]

Thank you, so do I! The fact that I am typing this is definitely good ( though Mr G just came up to tell me about the nurse who got a bit better before dying and to stay in bed). Yesterday was the worst so far, I know everyone has different experiences and none of us know for sure it even is CV but I can't overstate the fatigue. It's crazy. I now live in my bed.

Better things: yesterday I got a parcel of sausage rolls and Scotch eggs, and another parcel of pyjamas and underwear, and my friend put some codeine through the letterbox ( I'm allergic to paracetamol). I was too ill to fully appreciate these gifts at the time but now I feel like I've been visited by the Maji.

[Ella77]

You poor sod. I hope you’re (all) part the worst of it.

[purple_dress]

I'm sorry, Goat. Fingers crossed you keep improving consistently now. It must be so hard without paracetemol.

[Mountain Goat]

Thank you! Glad you're feeling better now PD. I wish I knew what day I was so I had a sense of whether this is the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. The main thing that gives me hope for the former is that if it started two weeks ago, it would make sense in terms of when I could have picked it up. If it's only day 5 that would make less sense, even if I had a full 14 day incubation, because I've barely left the house in that period. But that doesn't make it impossible.