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OBSOLETE COVID THREAD Forum Members and COVID-19 Illness

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OBSOLETE COVID THREAD
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Has anyone from the Forum become ill from COVID-19? I understand that it may be something folks don't want to disclose or share for personal reasons. I was just concerned about how this disease might be impacting our Forum Family.
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
I was tested yesterday, currently awaiting results but I doubt if I am infected. My dry cough and sore throat are far more likely to be a long term complication from the Legionella that I caught while walking the Frances last year. I decided to get tested to eliminate any possibility that I am infecting anyone else.
 
I was tested yesterday, currently awaiting results but I doubt if I am infected. My dry cough and sore throat are far more likely to be a long term complication from the Legionella that I caught while walking the Frances last year. I decided to get tested to eliminate any possibility that I am infecting anyone else.

You'll be in my prayers, and in our thoughts. :)
 
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I was tested this morning (Pre Op requirements) and should know in the next 24 hours.
I've had a dry cough and heavy chest for a few weeks now, but I suspect it's the high pollen count here in Portland area. That test was NO fun, by the way. I think she was trying to scramble my brain!
 
That test was NO fun, by the way. I think she was trying to scramble my brain!
Those tests are nasty. I had to have one just before Easter as I picked up the most pathetic scratchy throat and a headache. I'm a HCW so I scored a compulsory test and a couple of days working from home until I fully recovered. We have one of the lowest rates of Covid19 in the world so I was very sure it would be negative but given the climate I prefer them to test rather than not test.
 
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I was tested yesterday, currently awaiting results but I doubt if I am infected. My dry cough and sore throat are far more likely to be a long term complication from the Legionella that I caught while walking the Frances last year. I decided to get tested to eliminate any possibility that I am infecting anyone else.
I have just received the results of my test and fortunately my results are negative for Covid 19. Thanks for your thoughts and concern.
 
Not tested here seeing I'm not frontline health care worker but just " behind ". In the beginning of the Covid crisis in this country there were not enough tests.
Later on more tests will be distributed to be used and to get an idea about the antibodies.

It would not surprise me that I had Covid in a mild form, seeing the vulnerable ( older ) population I work with.
Alot of care workers in the residential homes for the elderly tested positive without showing any signs of illness.
 
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Late last month I suddenly lost my sense of taste and smell. Sudden anosmia has been reported in asymptomatic carriers. I had no other symptoms of Covid-19 and was ineligible for a test. I self-quarantined for 2 weeks. Husband showed no symptoms. Likely I caught it while flying March 15-17 or my husband brought it home on March 17. I finally ventured out last Friday to the grocery store wearing a mask and was surprised to find only about 20% of staff and shoppers wearing one.

Smell mostly returned within 2 weeks. Taste has been longer in returning. Both are still “off” and definitely not as sharp as before. I can smell most things, but need to be within a few feet (cooking smells) or inches (everything else). Mostly what I taste is bitter, sweet or salty, not flavors. Food isn't salty enough, and I’ve never been one to add much salt to food. Coffee has little taste (the horror!). Wine is mostly normal, though I don't enjoy it as much. And my beloved Scotch has been put in the back of the cabinet because when I tried it last weekend, it “tasted” awful. I hope that doesn't last!
 
I was sick in mid March for a few days with Coronavirus like symptoms, though nothing severe. I also completely lost my sense of taste and smell for 10 days during those days. I was never tested because this was during the early part of the crisis here in Spain, and only those needing to go to the hospital were tested. Several friends in my social circle subsequently tested positive which leads me to believe that I probably had it. Although I will never no for sure unless I take an antibody test.
 
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In places where there has been testing of the general population (Iceland, US and French aircraft carriers) about half of those testing positive are asymptomatic. Still spreading though - this stuff is insidious.
In Greece on Monday they tested everybody in a refugee camp. Out of 500 people they found 150 asymptomatic cases.
 
We have one of the lowest rates of Covid19 in the world
I am sure every Australian would like to believe that, but it just isn't true. We have done well compared to the worst infected countries, both on the rate of infection in the population, and the mortality rate for those infected. But there are many countries with far lower infection rates, and we are don't have the lowest mortality rate at the moment. I think we are in a good position, but lets not kid ourselves that we are all that much better than other nations of similar size and resources.

Edit: based on the John Hopkins University COVID19 Dashboard, of the 65 countries with more than 2000 reported cases, we are 42 wrt to infection rate, ie there are 22 countries currently reporting lower infection rates.
 
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Tested last week and results were negative. Very lucky because I am a health care working in a jail and I really worry about what would happen if we had an outbreak in our jail system.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I was tested this morning (Pre Op requirements) and should know in the next 24 hours.
I've had a dry cough and heavy chest for a few weeks now, but I suspect it's the high pollen count here in Portland area. That test was NO fun, by the way. I think she was trying to scramble my brain!


I know, awful right? It's like they were trying to swab my brain - truly eye watering.
 
I did no know this thread existed before someone gave me a nudge ;-)
As I guess someone might find it helpful, both to judge his or her own situation but also to feel calmer or not alone. Hence I will outline my story.
To make it brief, after weeks with a whole bucket of symptoms ramping up I was finally diagnosed with Covid-19 a week ago. As I live in the far North or Europe, a region of Sweden the size of North Korea but with a population of a mere 250 000 with only two fully equipped hospitals, no-one is tested who is not working in health care or close to death. Therefore my diagnosis was purely based on my combination of symptoms and their development over time. I was passed through three independent "interviews" with different authorities and each of them came to the same conclusion: "Extremely likely Covid-19".

week 1: I was most likely infected 4 to 5 weeks ago. No symptoms in the first week.
week 2: First symptoms: a hurting stomach and mild diarrhea, feeling weak. Impact on my life was low as it was only bad for a couple of hours now and then. I actually thought I just caught a stomach bug and the symptoms got much better again.
week 3: No more stomach problems or diarrhea, but now came the headaches, sometimes like a really bad migraine, sometimes with a warm forehead. I was still doing sports though on days where I felt OK. Later that week extreme pain in the eye and I felt a bad sinusitis developing. Some sneezing but not too often. I thought I had muscle sore in my breast from training. I stopped all sports and training. End of that week I had a first afternoon with mild fever and sweat, my heartbeat was doing the rollercoaster with the pulse rate going up and down. I felt extremely exhausted The fever and sweating disappeared after 4 hours as suddenly as it came, my tiredness disappeared.
week 4: First day that week the headache was getting much better, the sinusitis almost gone, just a dry cough sometimes and a warm forehead. With sometimes I actually mean rarely, like 2 or 3 times a day just one cough, nothing to be concerned about. I thought whatever that was, maybe a really bad sinusitis, it is almost over now. But then on day two when out with the dogs I realised that our small hill suddenly felt like an expedition at an altitude over 10 000 feet, without proper preparation. I know how low oxygen levels feel in the mountains and this was exactly it – just without any mountains. Although not training for several days my breast muscle pain was not disappearing but developing into a constant pressure giving sometimes rise to slight pain when breathing in. At this point I knew it was not unlikely that I got infected and that all the symptoms potentially were not isolated but connected.
The rest of the week symptoms were coming and going randomly. Moments with light fever or slightly raised temperature, two hours later it was maybe a high heart rate or headache or body pain or just almost no symptoms at all. Totally unpredictable. Only the pressure in my breast was always there but varying in intensity. Every kind of activity led to breathing problems and high-altitude syndrome of varying intensity.
week 5: I got my diagnosis after I finally contacted the health care institution on Monday morning. Symptoms kept coming and going. During this week I developed a dry mouth and a partially numb tongue getting worse from day to day. Also my heartbeat went into rollercoaster mode more often. I woke up at night with extremely high pulse rates which calmed down again after a while. No more fever though.
On Friday I felt like I was getting recovering quickly. All symptoms got less and less and for the first time in weeks I felt relaxed. This extended into Saturday. But then after lunchtime the headaches were back, the pressure on my breast came back and I felt thrown back a week or more. The night I woke up freezing although it was not cold. Today on Sunday most symptoms are better again, but not as good as on Friday.

Summary: It did at no point feel like a flu or a cold. I had only little coughing and never a running nose. I have had my share of virus infections in my life, even the swine flu, but none of them felt as strange. Normally you get something, you get worse until it peaks and then the symptoms get better. But with this it was a nerve-wrecking up and down. Also it seems to take forever, without being so bad that I was confined to the bed longer than maybe 4 hours when the fever was worst.
Given the first symptoms I would not have guessed it would be Covid-19. I was however told that my story was quite typical.

I will see what surprises the coming week will bring. As we live rather isolated we have not to take too many special precautions to avoid spreading the disease.

By now I know several people from my closer regional peer-group who have developed similar combination of symptoms with varying intensity though. Most of them I have not met personally under the last 6 weeks so I have to assume there are many spreaders who remain invisible. My case cannot be traced back. But then again we have had many tourists from the hot spots in China and Italy in the region until march. So it is likely we have a high spread of the virus in our community.
 
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I might have had it in mid March, my partner became unwell at the same time, but we did not have a fever. We went into self isolation for two weeks. I later found out that two places my job took me to had confirmed cases of Cvd19 at the same time. I have not been tested, it would prove little about that previous situation, I am back at work now and know of colleagues and clients around me who have had it recently in the work setting. I can have testing if I request it for me and my partner, but might wait, a client was tested on Friday as I was leaving work, a special unit came in to do it, I might wait to see what the results are from that before I ask my partner what she wants to do, if the test from Friday comes back positive it tells me it might be endemic in my work place.
 
What you need now is the test for antibodies, since it doesn't sound like you have an active infection.
I haven't followed the antibody situation, I just know that the UK has had difficulty finding one which is accurate, but it seems other countries may be closer to rolling out reliable tests.
 
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I haven't followed the antibody situation, I just know that the UK has had difficulty finding one which is accurate, but it seems other countries may be closer to rolling out reliable tests.

There are many quick antibody tests around where the reliability is simply not known yet. There are two problems:

1) Different Corona viruses are so similar, that it is hard for a test to distinguish reliably between them. So it could be that someone is tested positive for antibodies, but those are actually antibodies against the old variant of SARS or MERS or even just against a simple cold.

2) Antibody tests are quite tricky as concentrations of antibodies are very low in absolute numbers. So as of now some experts say that all current antibody tests are just 80% reliable in a sense that they only detect antibodies only in max 80% percent of those people actually having them.

Sweden claims to have a test where problem number 1) is solved or very small. But I doubt this test has been tested thoroughly as this would take much longer to be really sure.

In any case, as we write now, the number of available tests is still tiny.

On the positive side of problem 1) this similarity gives hope that having antibodies against some other similar Coronavirus might help your body against Covid-19. This would be a kind "immunity light". In fact there are first hints that this might be the case as stated by one of Germany's top immunologists yesterday.
This could explain in fact why many people show only mild or no symptoms at all. It might be those who had been in contact with the right type of Corona virus in their past and are hence better prepared. This last statement is, however, just my personal speculation at this point.
 
Thank you @Arctic_Alex for providing a detailed description of your debilitating illness. I hope you will soon recover your health and fitness and will not experience any nasty after-effects. Best wishes to you and your fellow sufferers.
 
I had many of the same symptoms that Artic_Alex reported for several weeks along with a 101F temperature for 2 days. I slept a lot and I decided not to get tested because the test results are painstaking slow in Florida. I have been self-quarantined for over 2 months and figured all they would tell me to do is keep it up. I think a trip to the hospital for a test or emergency care is a death sentence. I got much better over the past weekend and finally spent my first day outside is some brilliant sunlight exercising in the swimming pool.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I had many of the same symptoms that Artic_Alex reported for several weeks along with a 101F temperature for 2 days. I slept a lot and I decided not to get tested because the test results are painstaking slow in Florida. I have been self-quarantined for over 2 months and figured all they would tell me to do is keep it up. I think a trip to the hospital for a test or emergency care is a death sentence. I got much better over the past weekend and finally spent my first day outside is some brilliant sunlight exercising in the swimming pool.

You did exactly what a lot of the medical community advises, in terms of self-care at home unless symptoms create difficulties with breathing, etc.

I am grateful to learn that you are well on the mend, and pray that you quickly regain all of your strength and are back to normal. :)
 
I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.
 
Sara Dhooma of this forum posted on her YouTube community page that she has it (as another thread in the forums discusses). She wrote "However, my CT chest scan was constant with the distinctive pattern of COVID-19 pneumonia." She is currently at home where, it is to be hoped that she recovers soon.
 
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I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.

Oh, Alex, so sorry to hear this! :( Our condolences to your family.
 
Oh, Alex, so sorry to hear this! :( Our condolences to your family.
Thank you so much for your compassion and kindness. This is one more reason to walk another Camino: Contemplations, reflections, sitting down beside the Way and thinking of what was. Tears are a good helper in such circumstances.

I am afraid many will have strong reasons for returning to the Camino when all this is over. And the Camino will again heal many. My hope.
 
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I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.
Alex I am so sorry for you loss, condolences to you and your family.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.
I reacted to your post with ‘Oh so sad for you’ - it must be a shock to your whole family.
My sympathy for your loss Alex. Tears indeed do help.
Hugs from Annie
 
I reacted to your post with ‘Oh so sad for you’ - it must be a shock to your whole family.
My sympathy for your loss Alex. Tears indeed do help.
Hugs from Annie
Thank you so much, Annie. It is a sad situation, yes. Many are suffering. But still I cannot help feeling so bad for the people of Spain & other hard-hit countries that really do not have the economical resources we have in my country. I feel bad and helpless. I just hope my Spanish friends along the Camino and elsewhere can survive this.

 
I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.

I am saddened by your loss, Alex. My condolences.
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.

This is such a tragedy. I am sorry Alex. I hope you find comfort in being part of our little virtual community, I'm sure we all gather around you in our thoughts.
 
I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.

So sorry to hear! Condolences to you and your family.

I lost two close people, a friend and our neighbour, during the the last weeks and had to realise that as due to Covid-19 a lot is on hold, the ceremonies will be delayed and the whole "process of mourning" is disturbed in times of distancing. I hope this does not affect you too much – stay strong!
 
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I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.
I am well; there are very few confirmed cases in Norway (200 dead so far, and decreasing strongly now). But my older brother (79) died last Wednesday in a hospital in England. He had underlying illnesses, and got the virus while in hospital for other reasons.

Alex, now I read your bad news for the first time. In this situation, I never have words, I don't think there are.

I can only say that I am very sincerely sorry.
 
I did no know this thread existed before someone gave me a nudge ;-)
As I guess someone might find it helpful, both to judge his or her own situation but also to feel calmer or not alone. Hence I will outline my story.
To make it brief, after weeks with a whole bucket of symptoms ramping up I was finally diagnosed with Covid-19 a week ago. As I live in the far North or Europe, a region of Sweden the size of North Korea but with a population of a mere 250 000 with only two fully equipped hospitals, no-one is tested who is not working in health care or close to death. Therefore my diagnosis was purely based on my combination of symptoms and their development over time. I was passed through three independent "interviews" with different authorities and each of them came to the same conclusion: "Extremely likely Covid-19".

week 1: I was most likely infected 4 to 5 weeks ago. No symptoms in the first week.
week 2: First symptoms: a hurting stomach and mild diarrhea, feeling weak. Impact on my life was low as it was only bad for a couple of hours now and then. I actually thought I just caught a stomach bug and the symptoms got much better again.
week 3: No more stomach problems or diarrhea, but now came the headaches, sometimes like a really bad migraine, sometimes with a warm forehead. I was still doing sports though on days where I felt OK. Later that week extreme pain in the eye and I felt a bad sinusitis developing. Some sneezing but not too often. I thought I had muscle sore in my breast from training. I stopped all sports and training. End of that week I had a first afternoon with mild fever and sweat, my heartbeat was doing the rollercoaster with the pulse rate going up and down. I felt extremely exhausted The fever and sweating disappeared after 4 hours as suddenly as it came, my tiredness disappeared.
week 4: First day that week the headache was getting much better, the sinusitis almost gone, just a dry cough sometimes and a warm forehead. With sometimes I actually mean rarely, like 2 or 3 times a day just one cough, nothing to be concerned about. I thought whatever that was, maybe a really bad sinusitis, it is almost over now. But then on day two when out with the dogs I realised that our small hill suddenly felt like an expedition at an altitude over 10 000 feet, without proper preparation. I know how low oxygen levels feel in the mountains and this was exactly it – just without any mountains. Although not training for several days my breast muscle pain was not disappearing but developing into a constant pressure giving sometimes rise to slight pain when breathing in. At this point I knew it was not unlikely that I got infected and that all the symptoms potentially were not isolated but connected.
The rest of the week symptoms were coming and going randomly. Moments with light fever or slightly raised temperature, two hours later it was maybe a high heart rate or headache or body pain or just almost no symptoms at all. Totally unpredictable. Only the pressure in my breast was always there but varying in intensity. Every kind of activity led to breathing problems and high-altitude syndrome of varying intensity.
week 5: I got my diagnosis after I finally contacted the health care institution on Monday morning. Symptoms kept coming and going. During this week I developed a dry mouth and a partially numb tongue getting worse from day to day. Also my heartbeat went into rollercoaster mode more often. I woke up at night with extremely high pulse rates which calmed down again after a while. No more fever though.
On Friday I felt like I was getting recovering quickly. All symptoms got less and less and for the first time in weeks I felt relaxed. This extended into Saturday. But then after lunchtime the headaches were back, the pressure on my breast came back and I felt thrown back a week or more. The night I woke up freezing although it was not cold. Today on Sunday most symptoms are better again, but not as good as on Friday.

Summary: It did at no point feel like a flu or a cold. I had only little coughing and never a running nose. I have had my share of virus infections in my life, even the swine flu, but none of them felt as strange. Normally you get something, you get worse until it peaks and then the symptoms get better. But with this it was a nerve-wrecking up and down. Also it seems to take forever, without being so bad that I was confined to the bed longer than maybe 4 hours when the fever was worst.
Given the first symptoms I would not have guessed it would be Covid-19. I was however told that my story was quite typical.

I will see what surprises the coming week will bring. As we live rather isolated we have not to take too many special precautions to avoid spreading the disease.

By now I know several people from my closer regional peer-group who have developed similar combination of symptoms with varying intensity though. Most of them I have not met personally under the last 6 weeks so I have to assume there are many spreaders who remain invisible. My case cannot be traced back. But then again we have had many tourists from the hot spots in China and Italy in the region until march. So it is likely we have a high spread of the virus in our community.
Very interesting and much detailed description of the symptoms! I will traduce it in french for my friends and family!
How are you feeling so far? Wishing you a quick total recovery and all the best for 2021!
 
Very interesting and much detailed description of the symptoms! I will traduce it in french for my friends and family!
How are you feeling so far? Wishing you a quick total recovery and all the best for 2021!
... I have no idea why this reply escaped my attention! But thanks for your wishes!
I feel nearly recovered now after nearly 10 months but it was a really slow walk to that end. I guess that is what they call long-covid. Some symptoms kept/keep reappearing but they get milder and milder and less and less frequent. Parts of my ability to smell are still reduced. It appears all the foul smells in this world are as they used to be but some of the nicer ones i only smell faint and distant. But medical staff said it is a good sign if components are not completely gone as then they might recover even if it is a very slow process.

So, yes, it is much better now and in march I am planning a sled-dog expedition through the mountains – unthinkable half a year ago. :cool:
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
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