Is Anyone Suffering 'Long Covid' Symptoms?

[Keith_M]

I haven't actually owned up about this before, but it appears that I had Covid fairly early on last year. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to get a test at the time, so it was never confirmed, but I've been suffering for a number of months from what the doctor said are 99% certain to be the after effects, or Long Covid.

I have to say, though, that my symptoms are not nearly as bad as a lot of other people and restricted to what amounts to a permanent sore throat, with occasional (though mild) pains in my chest, some tiredness and a constant feeling like I've got a cold coming on.


Is anybody else suffering the after effects of Covid and, if so, how are you coping?

[HH81]

I was but I was really ill from covid including been in hospital. On release had pains in chest, tiredness and other issues. One June morning I thought right I need to get going again. Started walking small distances and increased them, then took couch to 5k challenge and now running daily.

I do read a lot of this after effects from covid and I had them all. Looking back I am so glad I made that decision that morning to get going again. I am back at work and have been since end of June.

Got to say though, I remember sitting in my house day after day and ringing the doctors with pain saying I think it is back. Tears in my eyes but glad it all worked out in the end.

Stay strong. It is a shocker of an illness but try and be a bit more active see if the pain eases a little or stops. Mine did.

[Keith_M]

I was but I was really ill from covid including been in hospital. On release had pains in chest, tiredness and other issues. One June morning I thought right I need to get going again. Started walking small distances and increased them, then took couch to 5k challenge and now running daily.

I do read a lot of this after effects from covid and I had them all. Looking back I am so glad I made that decision that morning to get going again. I am back at work and have been since end of June.

Got to say though, I remember sitting in my house day after day and ringing the doctors with pain saying I think it is back. Tears in my eyes but glad it all worked out in the end.

Stay strong. Just giving my thoughts on it.



Thanks for sharing your experience, it's very encouraging.

I'm especially impressed with the running and the 5k challenge

:top marks



I'm trying to get out for a walk every day (running isn't an option). I can now go a reasonable distance.

TBH, as you also mentioned, it more been the psychological effect that bothered me, but getting out and about definitely helps.

[Hibrandenburg]

I haven't actually owned up about this before, but it appears that I had Covid fairly early on last year. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to get a test at the time, so it was never confirmed, but I've been suffering for a number of months from what the doctor said are 99% certain to be the after effects, or Long Covid.

I have to say, though, that my symptoms are not nearly as bad as a lot of other people and restricted to what amounts to a permanent sore throat, with occasional (though mild) pains in my chest, some tiredness and a constant feeling like I've got a cold coming on.


Is anybody else suffering the after effects of Covid and, if so, how are you coping?

Yep, I'm convinced I had it back in January/February before anyone really knew what the symptoms were. I lost my sense of taste and smell with light flu like symptoms, I was breathless after just taking a few steps or stair climbing and missed a few days skiing because of it. I was convinced that I'd developed heart problems because that's what the symptoms were like. I didn't follow it up because it cleared up on its own after about 2 weeks. Now nearly a year later when exercising I sometimes get heart palpitations that knock me for 6 momentarily but even they are now few and far between. Also my kidney bloodwork has been less than optimal recently but maybe that's just because I'm an old ******* that's a bit too fond of his whisky.

[Keith_M]

Yep, I'm convinced I had it back in January/February before anyone really knew what the symptoms were. I lost my sense of taste and smell with light flu like symptoms, I was breathless after just taking a few steps or stair climbing and missed a few days skiing because of it. I was convinced that I'd developed heart problems because that's what the symptoms were like. I didn't follow it up because it cleared up on its own after about 2 weeks. Now nearly a year later when exercising I sometimes get heart palpitations that knock me for 6 momentarily but even they are now few and far between. Also my kidney bloodwork has been less than optimal recently but maybe that's just because I'm an old hastard that's a bit too fond of his whisky.


Nah, I'm rejecting that as an explanation, in case it means I have to give up my occasional tipple.

---

I've actually heard similar stories to yours from people that suspect they had it really early on, when it was just something that people thought was restricted to China or Northern Italy, and it had the doctors stumped as to what was wrong with them

Oh for the benefit of hindsight.

[Chorley Hibee]

Not 'Long Covid' but there have been a few occasions, whilst out exercising, that I've felt unusually short of breath.

Very unlike me.

[greenlex]

Like some convinced I had it late March. Even now getting out of breath and chest pain on the lightest of exertion. I’m fairly fit for an auld guy too.

[weecounty hibby]

My wife has been ill for 9 months now. Doctors know its long covid and are doing all they can which to be honest isn't much as its nothing they have dealt with before. She struggles for breath, resting heart rate around 100, the slightest bit of exercise sees that rise to around 150 and has been as high as 184! Says it feels like her lungs are being crushed all the time and she just feels generally knackered. She is genuinely very worried about her health, so much so that the insurances have been looked out and I have been told where they are. I have private health care through work and she has seen respiratory and cardiac consultants and she does have scarring around her heart that they are putting down to Covid. Anyonw who has it has my sympathy as I've seen her go from someone who would easily walk for miles with the dog to often having to turn back after a few hundred metres now.

[Keith_M]

My wife has been ill for 9 months now. Doctors know its long covid and are doing all they can which to be honest isn't much as its nothing they have dealt with before. She struggles for breath, resting heart rate around 100, the slightest bit of exercise sees that rise to around 150 and has been as high as 184! Says it feels like her lungs are being crushed all the time and she just feels generally knackered. She is genuinely very worried about her health, so much so that the insurances have been looked out and I have been told where they are. I have private health care through work and she has seen respiratory and cardiac consultants and she does have scarring around her heart that they are putting down to Covid. Anyonw who has it has my sympathy as I've seen her go from someone who would easily walk for miles with the dog to often having to turn back after a few hundred metres now.


That must be horrible, sorry to hear that mate.

[HH81]

My wife has been ill for 9 months now. Doctors know its long covid and are doing all they can which to be honest isn't much as its nothing they have dealt with before. She struggles for breath, resting heart rate around 100, the slightest bit of exercise sees that rise to around 150 and has been as high as 184! Says it feels like her lungs are being crushed all the time and she just feels generally knackered. She is genuinely very worried about her health, so much so that the insurances have been looked out and I have been told where they are. I have private health care through work and she has seen respiratory and cardiac consultants and she does have scarring around her heart that they are putting down to Covid. Anyonw who has it has my sympathy as I've seen her go from someone who would easily walk for miles with the dog to often having to turn back after a few hundred metres now.

That sounds a bit like me a few days after I came out of hospital. I walked around the block which was stupid and my heart rate was 157. They took me back into hospital thinking I was having a stroke.

My heart rate used to be just under 100 but with my recent exercise spree I get between 60 and 76 most days.

Sounds awful what she is going through. Hope things improve soon.

[Pedantic_Hibee]

I’m on day 10 and still feel shattered. However, I think a lot of that has been down to not doing anything. Looking forward to a big walk tomorrow finally to see if that blasts the cobwebs away. Taste and smell are still snookered.

[147lothian]

My wife has been ill for 9 months now. Doctors know its long covid and are doing all they can which to be honest isn't much as its nothing they have dealt with before. She struggles for breath, resting heart rate around 100, the slightest bit of exercise sees that rise to around 150 and has been as high as 184! Says it feels like her lungs are being crushed all the time and she just feels generally knackered. She is genuinely very worried about her health, so much so that the insurances have been looked out and I have been told where they are. I have private health care through work and she has seen respiratory and cardiac consultants and she does have scarring around her heart that they are putting down to Covid. Anyonw who has it has my sympathy as I've seen her go from someone who would easily walk for miles with the dog to often having to turn back after a few hundred metres now.

That's a very moving story, sorry to hear that mate, out of interest did you also get covid? The reason that I am asking is I work as a staff nurse, so far I have not had covid and I've had my second vaccine so hopefully even if I do get it now it won't be as serious, but before the vaccine got rolled out some people that I work with did get covid, one person was pretty unwell quite long term with it, however this person's family members never contracted it. Im just hoping that the vaccine is a game changer and more people don't end up with long term covid.

[Hibrandenburg]

That's a very moving story, sorry to hear that mate, out of interest did you also get covid? The reason that I am asking is I work as a staff nurse, so far I have not had covid and I've had my second vaccine so hopefully even if I do get it now it won't be as serious, but before the vaccine got rolled out some people that I work with did get covid, one person was pretty unwell quite long term with it, however this person's family members never contracted it. Im just hoping that the vaccine is a game changer and more people don't end up with long term covid.

A mate of mine just found out his Mrs had Covid back in December, she was tested for it but the results got lost and they have both just had an antibody test done. Hers was positive and his was negative, it's hard to believe that even though she was highly symptomatic and they share house and bed, that he didn't contract the disease.

[weecounty hibby]

That's a very moving story, sorry to hear that mate, out of interest did you also get covid? The reason that I am asking is I work as a staff nurse, so far I have not had covid and I've had my second vaccine so hopefully even if I do get it now it won't be as serious, but before the vaccine got rolled out some people that I work with did get covid, one person was pretty unwell quite long term with it, however this person's family members never contracted it. Im just hoping that the vaccine is a game changer and more people don't end up with long term covid.
Yes, I had it and passed it onto my wife. Thankfully I was ill for probably 3 weeks. And another couple to fully recover thats all. She is now 10 months in and has been told it could be 18 to 24 months but they're just not sure.
I work beside a girl whose family are Icelandic and she was telling me that they tested every citizen and of the positive cases 50% were asymptomatic so in the example you've given they may have had it but just not known about it

[Pretty Boy]

A mate of mine just found out his Mrs had Covid back in December, she was tested for it but the results got lost and they have both just had an antibody test done. Hers was positive and his was negative, it's hard to believe that even though she was highly symptomatic and they share house and bed, that he didn't contract the disease.

We had a visit from the EHO at work last week. We had one previously where they said our covid precautions were good but it was a follow up because we still have a skeleton staff in during the new lockdown.

He had a new calculator/tool thing that calculates the likelihood of covid spreading in different environments. He measured the room, graded the ventilation, asked about masks and so on then put it all into the calculator. It showed that based on our environment (8 hour working day, half hour lunch, masks when not at a desk, only activity when not wearing masks is sitting, talking and breathing, satisfactory ventialtion, max office capacity of 5 and a few other things I can't recall) the chance of catching covid if one of us was infected was 3% based on an hour in said environment rising to just over 16% for the full 8 hours.

I was quite surprised and thought it would have been far, far higher. I also know another husband and wife couple where only one individual was infected despite them sharing a bed, toilet facilities and so on prior to the positive test.

[Haymaker]

My friend who is 37 had Covid earlier this year. She now has to have two inhalers to ease her breathing, never smoked and was fairly healthy/fit.

[147lothian]

Yes, I had it and passed it onto my wife. Thankfully I was ill for probably 3 weeks. And another couple to fully recover thats all. She is now 10 months in and has been told it could be 18 to 24 months but they're just not sure.
I work beside a girl whose family are Icelandic and she was telling me that they tested every citizen and of the positive cases 50% were asymptomatic so in the example you've given they may have had it but just not known about it

There must be lots of young people who got covid back in March and April before testing was widely available, and not as much was known about it, that just don't know that they have had it.

[Hibs Class]

Might be a daft question, but is it possible to experience long COVID symptoms even if you have had COVID without symptoms?

[Keith_M]

Might be a daft question, but is it possible to experience long COVID symptoms even if you have had COVID without symptoms?


I realise it's not exactly what you asked but, my experience has been that the long term symptoms seem to have been worse.

As I mentioned previously, I couldn't get a test when I was unwell last year but I'd say my symptoms were initially akin to a long flu-like illness. What I had subsequently were chest and throat pains plus really bad headaches.

The experience of those was much worse than when I felt unwell last year, so it wouldn't surprise me if somebody had 'long Covid' like symptoms without being aware of having had Covid initially.

[weecounty hibby]

A bit of an update on this. Didn't want to add to the main coronavirus thread as I've stayed out of that.
My wife, after 14 months, isn't any better. She has now had MRI CT etc and has confirmed pericarditis attributed to covid. Worse though is that she has also had a heart attack that they are saying has been caused by a clot making its way to the heart and passing through. All of this attributed to covid. She is on various medications with a view to possible angiography in 6 weeks to see if an operation is required. This has mostly been done privately with some assistance from NHS. We have been lucky that I have private medical cover or we would never have been at this stage. She is completely wiped out and unable to even walk the dog at the moment. All of this has been put down to covid. Total nightmare and doesn't seem to be any end in sight to it after 14 months

[Jones28]

A bit of an update on this. Didn't want to add to the main coronavirus thread as I've stayed out of that.
My wife, after 14 months, isn't any better. She has now had MRI CT etc and has confirmed pericarditis attributed to covid. Worse though is that she has also had a heart attack that they are saying has been caused by a clot making its way to the heart and passing through. All of this attributed to covid. She is on various medications with a view to possible angiography in 6 weeks to see if an operation is required. This has mostly been done privately with some assistance from NHS. We have been lucky that I have private medical cover or we would never have been at this stage. She is completely wiped out and unable to even walk the dog at the moment. All of this has been put down to covid. Total nightmare and doesn't seem to be any end in sight to it after 14 months

Sorry to hear that wch. Poor girl must be wiped.

[Santa Cruz]

A bit of an update on this. Didn't want to add to the main coronavirus thread as I've stayed out of that.
My wife, after 14 months, isn't any better. She has now had MRI CT etc and has confirmed pericarditis attributed to covid. Worse though is that she has also had a heart attack that they are saying has been caused by a clot making its way to the heart and passing through. All of this attributed to covid. She is on various medications with a view to possible angiography in 6 weeks to see if an operation is required. This has mostly been done privately with some assistance from NHS. We have been lucky that I have private medical cover or we would never have been at this stage. She is completely wiped out and unable to even walk the dog at the moment. All of this has been put down to covid. Total nightmare and doesn't seem to be any end in sight to it after 14 months

That's awful for your wife and the worry for you, sorry to hear this.

[WeeRussell]

A bit of an update on this. Didn't want to add to the main coronavirus thread as I've stayed out of that.
My wife, after 14 months, isn't any better. She has now had MRI CT etc and has confirmed pericarditis attributed to covid. Worse though is that she has also had a heart attack that they are saying has been caused by a clot making its way to the heart and passing through. All of this attributed to covid. She is on various medications with a view to possible angiography in 6 weeks to see if an operation is required. This has mostly been done privately with some assistance from NHS. We have been lucky that I have private medical cover or we would never have been at this stage. She is completely wiped out and unable to even walk the dog at the moment. All of this has been put down to covid. Total nightmare and doesn't seem to be any end in sight to it after 14 months

Sorry to read this mate. It’s easy to forget that for many people it’s not about highs of getting their vaccination, and lows of being moved up a tier etc, but some have got covid battles to fight regardless of the pandemic position.

I really hope things start to look up for your missus, and of course yourself who must also be emotionally exhausted.

[JimBHibees]

A bit of an update on this. Didn't want to add to the main coronavirus thread as I've stayed out of that.
My wife, after 14 months, isn't any better. She has now had MRI CT etc and has confirmed pericarditis attributed to covid. Worse though is that she has also had a heart attack that they are saying has been caused by a clot making its way to the heart and passing through. All of this attributed to covid. She is on various medications with a view to possible angiography in 6 weeks to see if an operation is required. This has mostly been done privately with some assistance from NHS. We have been lucky that I have private medical cover or we would never have been at this stage. She is completely wiped out and unable to even walk the dog at the moment. All of this has been put down to covid. Total nightmare and doesn't seem to be any end in sight to it after 14 months

Really sorry to hear that. Must be very worrying for you. Hopefully the docs can sort something out soon.