First Person Covid-19 stories

[Hawkeye]

I'm going to get tested tomorrow, cannot get in any sooner. Yesterday got a fever that spiked to 103 and Tylenol only brought it down to 102.5. Last night the fever dropped to 101 which feels great compared to 103 The body aches are severe as to be expected with a fever but man the headache that has accompanied this is brutal. So far no breathing related issues!

Strange thing I noticed late last week is that my face felt off, like feeling flush when you have a fever. I didn't have a fever and my BP was normal.

Good luck! Hoping for the best for you.

 

[finnegan]

Called my mother yesterday to let her know I'd be dropping by on Dec 26th to meet her and my father outside for a brief exchange. She just had kidney stones removed and had been running a fever and her O2 sats had been in the high 80s since Friday. My family routinely crosses the line from hardass to dumbass for medical related issues so she was just ignoring it. I told her she really needed to get tested, and she's positive. My father, who just had a lobe from his lung removed two months ago, "doesn't need tested unless symptoms emerge". She begins infusion therapy today and may be admitted. She's done everything right up to this point. Masks, isolation, missing a birth in the family; everything. She trusts the hospital to be a safe place, and here she is.

As someone who works in a hospital, I cannot express how angry and unsurprised I am at this. She tested negative, went into care, and is now positive. Somewhere along the line, whether at registration, in an elevator, or during care, she contracted Covid. While her kidney stone removal may or may not have been necessary, this is one reason elective surgeries were and are paused. Two vulnerable people are now in real danger as well as endangering the staff that will be caring for them. If you don't need to get a procedure done, please wait a couple of months. No matter how careful you may be, you cannot protect yourself from the fatigue, greed, and indifference of some medical staff.

 

[Nazgul]

My son, late 30's, had it. Mild symptoms for 2 weeks. I had a respiratory/lung infection that lasted 6 weeks, tested twice, one quick test other took 3 days. Negative both times.

Last week our our daughter calls and says she is positive. She is home but really sick, she is an RN. So we are in quarantine now.

Don

 

[Rookie]

I've got another week of quarantine due to my work partner testing positive. I still don't understand, "were you within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more?". I never realized viruses use stop watches to infect. 14 minutes? You're fine. 15 minutes and it's quarantine...

 

[KittySlayer]

So low grade fever started Saturday and I am six days in and unable to shake the fever. Generally 99.0 to 100.2 with occasional spikes to 101.0, mostly in the evenings. Took my COVID test Monday afternoon and was negative. No other symptoms other than an occasional cough, nothing regular. Avoiding people and waiting on the fever to go away.

Thoroughly frustrating. Been doing all the recommend crap: masks, sanitizer, social distance. Glad it’s not worse but this sucks.

My brush with COVID:
Day 1 ~ low grade fever.
Day 3 ~ fast test: results were negative for COVID.
Days 3-7 ~ generally low grade fever managed with Tylenol. Would spike above 101 degrees in the evenings sometimes.
Day 7 ~ got an antibiotic and started taking that evening.
Day 7 ~ took the slow test(*): results were negative for COVID
Day 8 ~ fever was gone next day once the antibiotics kicked in and no other symptoms.

(*) Day 17 ~ finally got my negative test result from the lab eight (8) days after being tested. How useless, hope I don't have to pay to much for what turned out to be a useless test since the reporting was so slow.

Other than a fever I really had no other symptoms. No fatigue or loss of smell/taste. Did have a little bit of a cough, but assumed allergies from working outside raking leaves. An armchair diagnosis from someone via text was a mild case of bacterial pneumonia.


COVID Free for 272 days and counting.

EDIT: while sharing my personal experience I realized it may have came off a bit uncaring. My sympathies are with those and their families suffering severe consequences of COVID, wishing you all the best.

 

[HoughMade]

I've got another week of quarantine due to my work partner testing positive. I still don't understand, "were you within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more?". I never realized viruses use stop watches to infect. 14 minutes? You're fine. 15 minutes and it's quarantine...

The more time of exposure the greater chance of a higher viral load. They have to draw a line somewhere.

 

[johntheplinker]

MRI and some other tests tomorrow. Depending on results it will determine what happens next.

 

[Ballstater98]

Update on FIL

In the last 24 hours we have been riding quite a wave of issues and emotions. I was asked to get the will and last wishes out of the safe for my wife.

2 nights ago, he took several steps backwards. Heart rate increased, blood pressure was low and breathing very rapid. He was needing 100% oxygen support on the bi-pap as well. But, he’s a cat with 9 lives and pushed through.

That morning they attempted a cardio version for his A Fib; however they were unsuccessful in getting him back in rhythm. They will continue to use medicine to control it as much as they can.

The next morning a BIL & SIL were allowed to visit. Another BIL got his visit in a little ahead. And my wife was FaceTimed in to talk to her dad. We were able to meet with the nurse, NP, and palliative care to discuss continuing his care and the options that lie ahead. The FIL was able to confirm his wishes and health goals with a sound mind and our support.

If all stayed static and he chose to move forward, he will have the PEG tube inserted to his stomach the following day. We had reviewed the benefits and risks of moving forward as well and what happens if he doesn’t. Right now due to the issues with swallowing he would be facing continued aspiration which would continue to cause chaos for his lungs.

I know I’ve said it before - this will be a long road and the decision to choose the PEG would require a huge shift for his lifestyle. We were looking at many months to rebuild his strength and get him to a point where he could care for himself.

For those who have inquired - he did receive convalescent plasma in the first 5 days he was admitted along with remdesivir. The Covid is treated and he no longer has the virus. He is dealing more with the result of 8 days on a ventilator and over a month now of inactivity.

Within minutes of everyone leaving, he paged the nurses and told them he would be going into hospice and signed a DNR. Truthfully, this shocked no one as this is how he lived his life. He did things on his terms and didn't want to be possibly stuck with a port all his life confined to a nursing home. This decision seemed to set well with my wife. She left this morning for Iowa and has been by his side since arriving.

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers as he now transitions into the next phase of care. At least he got to decide his path on his own terms.

 

[VERT]

I don’t know what to say other then I will be thinking of your family. It is always tough to lose a loved one.

 

[churchmouse]

B-98 our thoughts and prayers are outbound to you and yours.

 

[Hawkeye]

Update: I tested on Monday because my wife had received a positive test result last Saturday from her test the previous Wednesday. Neither of us haqve presented ANY symptoms and she had no clear exposure. My test result came in yesterday morning. NEGATIVE. We don't close-dance but we do share a large bathroom and sleep in the same K-size bed. So there you have it. Her positive test result was due to end Friday per the IDOH, and maybe yesterday per one CDC guideline.

I really have no idea how to react to the IDOH recommendation that I quarantine until 1/2 based on her presumed last day of contagiousness. Except that it seems crazy under the circumstances.

Now, I don't plan to do anything crazy, but will probably continue to live my life of splendid isolation like I have for the last 9 months.

 

[dusty88]

MRI and some other tests tomorrow. Depending on results it will determine what happens next.

best wishes to you, and thanks for the update

These long-term Covid effects suck

 

[dusty88]

B-98 I'm so sorry for what your family is going through. If a turnaround isn't possible, then I hope for comfort.

 

[johntheplinker]

Good vibes your way B98.

 

[johntheplinker]

best wishes to you, and thanks for the update

These long-term Covid effects suck

Thanks. Hopefully all just something that will resolve with time.

 

[ws6guy]

I had my test done on Tuesday but no results yet. However my wife and kids all have a fever. Wife got tested last night at a different location and got positive result today. So it would appear that I picked it up somewhere and then gave it to the whole family in a matter of days.

Good news for me is that I only had a fever for a few days and seem to be back to normal now. Bad news is that this is my wifes 1st full day with symptoms and she's already developed a nasty cough. The kids are young and are doing great so far.

 

[Bigtanker]

Started feeling crappy last night. Slight cough and body ache. Woke up today with the same plus a headache. Temp is up only 1°. No where to get tested so we wait until Monday. The mother-in-law is over for a few days so I'm in the bedroom with Prime and Netflix.

Oh yeah. My vacation started today too.

 

[tmschuller]

Dodged the bullet until yesterday... work in a assisted living community and they sent me packing for 2 weeks.. wife tested positive today too. We feel awful headache from hell and muscle aches. Was being treated for a sinus infection no wonder it wasn’t getting better. Merry Christmas... wife’s devastated about no grandkids being around for 10 days.

 

[lovemywoods]

Started feeling crappy last night. Slight cough and body ache. Woke up today with the same plus a headache. Temp is up only 1°. No where to get tested so we wait until Monday. The mother-in-law is over for a few days so I'm in the bedroom with Prime and Netflix.

Oh yeah. My vacation started today too.

That was very thoughtful of you getting sick on your own time!

 

[Bigtanker]

That was very thoughtful of you getting sick on your own time!

Yep. Wasted a week of vacation.