If you have it, have had it, are pretty sure you have it, tell us about it?

[Miss-Shelf]

Although this group is for long covid there is support for people who are going through the initial infection. I found it /find it useful when I was experiencing scary symptoms. It helped to know that others got through and also how they got through symptoms.
Members located worldwide so always someone around for those 3am worries

https://m.facebook.com/groups/longcovid/

 

[Edie]

So sorry Epona praying he is okay x

 

[Callie]

When you was I'll back in march and m w where my mum and nan are unwell with covid I have not really found any good clear resources on how best to support yourself when I'll.

Obviously fluids
Try to have some form of sustainance
Pain killers - alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen
Try not to lie on your back as this can make breathing more difficult

Anything else?

How do you know when you are ill enough to call an ambulance? I've just advised my mum to call 111 if she is at all concerned and discuss with them. Surprisingly my 96 yr old Nan seems to be coping much better.

 

[Callie]

Hope it eases soon Edie and fingers crossed for N Epona , you take care too.

 

[zora]

Hope it eases soon Edie and fingers crossed for N Epona , you take care too.

And all the best for Mum and Nan Callie, too. What a worry.

One of my flatmates who went to her country of origin in the middle of December to care for her mum who has dementia now has it. Just spoke to her on the phone, she sounded miserable but overall okayish. It's just so grim that noone can even come and mop your brow and tuck you in, and that's just the best case scenario

Best wishes again to all here and their loved ones currently suffering with the wretched illness!

Good resources, Miss-Shelf and Callie, and good call with the oxiometer. I would want one of those if I come down with it.

 

[sojourner]

Bloody hell Edie , glad you got some reassurance but christ, how scary?! Obv you're gonna keep checking oxygen levels, but will echo others - ring for help again if you need it. Mate of mine ended up in hossy 3 times all in. If you need extra help, you need it, no messing about now. Love to you mate xxxx

 

[ash]

Hugs and good thoughts to Edie and Epona and anyone else suffering with that bastard virus.

 

[Epona]

OH is back home, doesn't seem to be any indication of Covid thank fuck (his temp was normal once at the hospital) - he improved after a couple of nebulisers and they sent him home with steroids.

 

[frogwoman]

Might be something to be aware of

 

[zahir]

Nasal congestion was my most consistent symptom so I'm not sure this is anything new.

 

[Thora]

Yes that was my daughter's first symptom in September too - at the time with schools going back there was lots of stuff in the media about how snotty noses meant it was a cold, not covid, and you shouldn't get a test if you had "cold symptoms".

 

[muscovyduck]

This snotty thing is what I've got, I got a negative test but the test site I went to was a fucking shambles to put it mildly so I'm hiding away from everyone anyway. I've got the change in taste thing, cough and breathlessness. I feel like absolute fucking shit.
ETA and that thing where you're physically cold all the time

 

[Thora]

This snotty thing is what I've got, I got a negative test but the test site I went to was a fucking shambles to put it mildly so I'm hiding away from everyone anyway. I've got the change in taste thing, cough and breathlessness. I feel like absolute fucking shit.
ETA and that thing where you're physically cold all the time

I'd think about getting a second test.

 

[frogwoman]

This snotty thing is what I've got, I got a negative test but the test site I went to was a fucking shambles to put it mildly so I'm hiding away from everyone anyway. I've got the change in taste thing, cough and breathlessness. I feel like absolute fucking shit.
ETA and that thing where you're physically cold all the time

That's what I had back in march

 

[Miss-Shelf]

This snotty thing is what I've got, I got a negative test but the test site I went to was a fucking shambles to put it mildly so I'm hiding away from everyone anyway. I've got the change in taste thing, cough and breathlessness. I feel like absolute fucking shit.
ETA and that thing where you're physically cold all the time

oh muscovyduck that sounds rotten

 

[muscovyduck]

This is the fifth or sixth time I've been ill during lockdown, they all looked like coronavirus, they can't have all been corona but you have to be careful anyway. Anyone know what the false negative rate is for the tests?

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Government messaging around covid has been very slow to change

lots of people test positive and are symptomatic without
high temperate, continuous cough or loss of smell

Zoe covid app study found that headache and fatigue were the most common first symptoms and they ask people to look much more widely at symptoms beyond the three promoted in UK communications

There’s more to COVID-19 than the three ‘classic’ symptoms. Here’s what else to look out for

Our data shows that focusing on three ‘classic’ COVID-19 symptoms - cough, fever and loss of smell - means we’re missing out on a lot of cases

covid.joinzoe.com

 

[Epona]

This is the fifth or sixth time I've been ill during lockdown, they all looked like coronavirus, they can't have all been corona but you have to be careful anyway. Anyone know what the false negative rate is for the tests?

Aye, we've both had a couple of things that we just assumed were colds - I did do an antibody test for a research study not long after one of them though and it was negative. Of course had hayfever all spring and summer too but that would seem to be fairly easily distinguishable from other things if you are used to getting it certain times each year. Had a bit of a cold again since then but haven't really felt unwell with anything. Bit worrying that a) despite being really really careful with masks and handwashing that I still seem to be able to pick up cold viruses, and b) the symptoms of Covid seem to be so fucking varied or even non-existent that it is really difficult to tell what's what.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

OH is back home, doesn't seem to be any indication of Covid thank fuck (his temp was normal once at the hospital) - he improved after a couple of nebulisers and they sent him home with steroids.

good news

 

[zahir]

Anyone know what the false negative rate is for the tests?

I was just reading a twitter thread from a doctor in the US that suggested a false negative rate of about 20%. I couldn't say whether that's an accurate figure.

ETA This is the thread - he does qualify the figure further down:

 

[8ball]

This is the fifth or sixth time I've been ill during lockdown, they all looked like coronavirus, they can't have all been corona but you have to be careful anyway. Anyone know what the false negative rate is for the tests?

Varies a lot depending on stage of infection. Had an antibody test, or all PCR?

 

[8ball]

I was just reading a twitter thread from a doctor in the US that suggested a false negative rate of about 20%. I couldn't say whether that's an accurate figure.

With false positive being a lot lower (lab quality permitting).

 

[muscovyduck]

Varies a lot depending on stage of infection. Had an antibody test, or all PCR?

It's all been the gov swabs, not had an antibody test. I could afford one but I'm not sure there's much of a reason to get one?

 

[8ball]

It's all been the gov swabs, not had an antibody test. I could afford one but I'm not sure there's much of a reason to get one?

Well, it would tell you whether you've had it (not sure about the time strictures), but with the vaccine on the way I think I wouldn't bother at this point either.
I had a bug that they thought worth testing for and the lab lost the result.

 

[muscovyduck]

Well, it would tell you whether you've had it (not sure about the time strictures), but with the vaccine on the way I think I wouldn't bother at this point either.
I had a bug that they thought worth testing for and the lab lost the result.

It does seem very unlikely that I haven't had it considering I've managed to catch so many other things. I couldn't get a test every time I got ill because at some points they weren't available. My apathy with the antibody test is probably influenced by knowing someone who managed to catch covid twice.
Fuckers

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I wouldn't pay for an antibody test as they don't always pick up antibodies[even in people who were positive on infection ] so are not a reliable way to determine if you've had covid

 

[8ball]

I wouldn't pay for an antibody test as they don't always pick up antibodies[even in people who were positive on infection ] so are not a reliable way to determine if you've had covid

Indeed, very dependent on how much time has passed too.

 

[Poot]

Edie I wonder how you are this morning? Is there any change? x

 

[zora]

Might be something to be aware of

This is exactly what my (absent) flatmate sounded like when we spoke yesterday on the phone. That classic snotty and bunged up sound that makes you say to some "oh you poor thing, you have got a cold".

The lateral flow tests can very easily show false negatives, and the PCR is very reliable, but also depending on timing and quality of sample. The fact that most people have been doing their own swabs here rather than having them taken by health care professionals, might play a part.

 

[Edie]

Edie I wonder how you are this morning? Is there any change? x

Thanks darling. Alive Had this weird thing where I woke up crying at 4am convinced I was soaking wet through, and something about a stadium and a big insect, so stripped off but wasn’t wet so either hallucinated it or had dried off with fever.

Chest so tight I’m having to do lots of little shallow breaths and breathless still. Really light headed if I try to stand. No fever but the Fever-of-Fear begins after lunch and peaks at early evening. The day that goes I start to recover xx