I have a friend of a friend who has tested positive. That’s the closest connection that I’m aware of.
Just like many people have said, I had what I thought was a fairly serious cold in late January or early February. Feverish, achy, cough, a nose that alternated between runny and clogged. I always have digestive problems (doesn’t matter what I eat; it’s always runny, and fairly often a photo finish), so I just assumed that was me being normal. I suppose it could have been a mild case before the rest of the area had reported cases (I live in the Louisville, KY area). I have a job where I have to interact with a lot of people, many of them traveling.
I’ve been asymptomatic since then, but I may have danced with it. I doubt it. I’m not in any of the risk groups, and I rarely leave my house except for work.
Friend of my parents had it, and is recovering. Everyone in his household was tested and his 91-year-old mother-in-law also has it. And she doesn’t have a single symptom. Both Washington state.
So +2.
Wife of a contractor died on Sunday (Germany). Co-worker’s former boss died this morning (Italy).
-2.
Another coworker lost his father on Sunday. Heart attack. Normal life, or in this case death, continues.
One of my best friends and on/off boyfriend from 6th grade through high school. He died a week ago. He was 41 years old. Leaving behind a wife and two boys.
He worked in DC, and commuted up and down 95 to Stafford. He had been experiencing significant cold symptoms, but refused to go to the doctor. He was in bed about a week, when his Mom and Wife threatened to call an ambulance. They took him to the ER. He was on a ventilator within 12 hours, and passed 4 days later.
He was relatively healthy, but had struggled with substance abuse since high school. He was also a regular smoker, until he switched to vaping a couple of years ago.
I now know 3 people diagnosed. One died (in the US), the other 2 recovered (here is Switzerland.) Both said it was the most terrible illness they have ever had and were completely miserable for 2 -3 weeks. One never went to hospital, one did, but only needed to stay overnight. She was seriously getting things in order in case she died. She was luckily at home with only one of her teenage daughters who was able to care for her, do the grocery shopping, etc. Her husband and other teenager are in the US; they were visiting and decided it was better to stay there rather than get on a flight back here.
At some point, you may be able to be tested for antibodies against Covid-19 which would indicate whether you were infected and recovered or were asymptomatic.
Covid-19 is NOT a really bad cold. It’s a respiratory viral infection , the predominant symptoms are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath.
While December is unlikely, there is evidence the spread began in early January.
I was severely ill back in mid-January. I had a high fever, severe cough, no appetite, etc… I slept for about 2 days before dragging myself to the emergency. Doctor says “It’s a virus, most likely the flu”, and then sent me home with a corticosteroid inhaler and bronchitis and would just have to suffer through it. I was off work for 2 weeks and it took longer to fully recover. I still haven’t gained the 20 lbs. I lost back again.
My sister (positive Covid-19 test) is out of quarantine, no fever or other symptoms for 14 days. My BIL who was quarantined with her but just got his test back is negative. He almost wishes it was positive, then he’d be probably safe for the future. But they’re both cautiously heading back to work (essential).
Update about this: relatively goodish news. My cousin’s wife is not declining anymore. She is still in the ICU, she is still intubated, but her situation has stabilized. We were expecting her to die at any moment, but it seems that she has rallied a bit.
Essential workers. I myself have been deemed an essential worker. I even have a little note from my employer to present to the police if I ever get stopped and questioned about where I’m going. To my knowledge, that just doesn’t happen, but abundance of caution and all that. Here’s the thing … I work in a warehouse. But we don’t ship food, we ship apparel with individualized logos on them. Like parkas with Channel Six Action Weather on the chest, shit like that. I don’t feel that essential. Further, how essential can I be when my hours have been knocked down to 20 hours a week - if I’m lucky - due to downturn in business?
Anyway … I had been self quarantined for a week due to swollen glands and a difficulty swallowing, but those symptoms have gone and I don’t believe I had any others - fever or chills or crazy body aches - so I feel a little silly having done that in the first place, especially since I had to burn through a good chunk of the pandemic pay we’ve been provided.
That all came off as a little stir-crazy venting, but I’ll own that.
Don’t feel silly about that. Self-quarantining was prudent, not self-indulgent. You didn’t know whether you had it, and if you did you might have been contagious. When life and death is the issue, erring on the side of caution (which is not overreacting!) is the smart and kind thing to do.
Speaking of stir-crazy, I’ve been in the house for one month now, and I feel as if I’ve hit some kind of WALL. (No, not that Wall… :rolleyes: ). Venting under these conditions is highly appropriate and to be expected. Carry on, and take care!
It turns out though I’m not as essential as I thought. I was just informed that I’m going to be out on “extended lack of work” for at least 6 weeks. It’s basically being furloughed, I suppose. Hello unemployment hell.
I probably had it. I was sick from March 22nd to 27th. I spent the 22nd in bed with fevers, chills, intestinal upset, a cough and fatigue. My husband made me go into urgent care the next day to be seen. By then, I didn’t have a fever all the time but I was still bone tired and coughing and I still had stomach problems. I also wasn’t oxygenating well. I wasn’t blue or anything but, sometimes, I’d see stars in my vision. The doctor said I most likely had it but they couldn’t test me. They ordered me to stay home for 14 days and to go to the ER if my breathing got worse. Those were some of the longest days ever.
Well he died. His second test was also negative but his doctor said his chronic illness, amyloidosis, could lead to false negatives. My cousin was ill for a fortnight with what appeared to be Covid19. She had a dry cough, sore throat, fever and lost her sense of smell and taste. She is now recovering.
