# How The Virus Stole Xmas **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Created:** [December 25, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150 "2024-12-25T16:25:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/1 "2024-12-25T16:25:47Z")
Is this the “guess the virus” thread? If I list symptoms and time frames, is there a chance someone can spot what it is? Last Sunday, my eldest and his GF went to a Hallmark-Con. ( Yeah, it’s getting pretty gross already, huh?) My wife then took them and my other child to her friend’s house to bake cookies. ( Hey, I warned you.) On the drive back, son needed to throw up… and as soon as he got the door open, he violently projectile vomited out the door and onto the road. She got him home and he was weak as a kitten and had the runs. He slept for almost two straight days. Today he still hasn’t gotten up. Last night, my wife and I got sick: Some fever and flushing around the face at first, vomiting, runs every 15 min, general weakness in the limbs and some shaking. I don’t think it’s COVID, but all our tests are out of date. My sister thinks it’s Norovirus as that’s all over NYC and the boroughs now. So, let the guessing begin? “It’s those Hallmark movies, I tells ya…!” ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/2 "2024-12-25T16:28:52Z")
Any temperature? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/3 "2024-12-25T16:31:19Z")
The “flush” is gone, so no. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/4 "2024-12-25T16:36:39Z")
COVID is pretty much purely respiratory. Norovirus is mostly GI. If those are the only two choices, there’s no reason to call Dr. House. Even non-medical me can handle that differential diagnosis. Hallmark-con? Really? _Really?!_ I’d have been retching from the git-go. But not due to GI distress. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/5 "2024-12-25T16:52:17Z")
Everyone’s sick! Husband and I are fighting off the remnants of the respiratory thing, stepdaughter’s family just caught it, son’s family has the puking shits. I guess we’re going to have a lot of leftover food. Honorable mention: stepson has a broken finger. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/6 "2024-12-25T17:02:24Z")
Well that’s a chaotic way to spend the holidays but it should hopefully pass son. I detest the noroviruses and their associated purging symptoms. I would rather poop out a corrugated ski pole on the courthouse steps with everyone watching. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/7 "2024-12-25T17:02:43Z")
Please feel better…! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Hallmark-con? Really? _Really?!_ I’d have been retching from the git-go. But not due to GI distress. He went to make his GF happy. He was pretty out of it when he got back, but I asked him the quintessential question: “Did you see Lacey Chabert?” “I think I did.” “What do you mean? You did or you didn’t.” “Well, she was surrounded by a lot of people, so I stood on a chair. I think I saw the top of her head. She’s pretty short.” My son is 6’3". ( Remember that teacher in HS that you told that you’d never use Geometry again? I think she’s laughing right about now ) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/8 "2024-12-25T17:05:58Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > He went to make his GF happy. Sigh. The things we do for love. ❤ Tell Sonny it doesn’t get better with age. 66yo me just spent Fri-Tue babysitting GF with an infected tooth and no dentists available until late on Mon. At least no barfing was involved. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/9 "2024-12-25T17:12:24Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > I don’t think it’s COVID, but all our tests are out of date. Take the test anyhow as they’ve modified the advice regarding the expiration dates. Or if you can drag yourself to an urgent care clinic, ask them to test for that and perhaps the flu, strep and norovirus (no idea if there’s a test for that). Googling, apparently a stool sample is needed to diagnose norovirus, though they can probably conclude that’s what it is based on the symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/10 "2024-12-25T22:01:39Z")
Three family members have COVID, so we’re delaying Christmas by a few days. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/11 "2024-12-25T22:48:52Z")
When my mother had COVID, her symptoms were primarily GI, so go figure (or maybe she had a GI virus at the same time, IDK). If you have COVID tests, take them. If they’ve been properly stored, the accuracy probably isn’t an issue. It’s not like you’re swallowing them. As for norovirus needing a, ahem, sample to diagnose, chances are the person will have recovered by the time the results are in. There are multiple kinds of Crud going around in my area, including a pertussis outbreak at a school, so I stayed home today, much to my mother’s annoyance. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/12 "2024-12-25T23:04:20Z")
It’s been 24 hours and I still have no desire for food. [American Werewolf In London] “Still not hungry…” [/American Werewolf In London] ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/13 "2024-12-25T23:53:20Z")
Feel better soon. We are thankfully healthy this Christmas. It’s not usual at all. (“Something is missing this year” “No one is puking”) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2024, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/14 "2024-12-26T00:02:34Z")
Same. I want to eat but my stomach feels full as if I ate it may come up. Just jello for me. Dry cough, fatigue, gunky. May go to dr. Tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2024, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/15 "2024-12-26T13:09:33Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Feel better soon. Thank you! > [@Bullitt](#): > > Any temperature? Ok, here’s the wild part. My wife put her hand on my head and said I didn’t feel hot. I didn’t feel warm either. She said I felt cold. I know that’s not good. > [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Same. I want to eat but my stomach feels full as if I ate it may come up. Seriously. I haven’t had the dry heaves that bad since the day after election day. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/16 "2024-12-26T13:31:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > COVID is pretty much purely respiratory. Naw, covid can infect lots of cells, and intestinal issues are common with modern strains of covid. But it’s more commonly diarrhea than vomiting. And it usually gets to the respiratory tract. That being said, the symptoms sound like norovirus to me. Norovirus is nasty, but “self limiting”, which means almost no one needs treatment beyond fluids and rest. And it’s extremely contagious, and you want to be near a toilet, so i wouldn’t go to a clinic for diagnosis unless the symptoms persist for more than a couple of days. Drinking Gatorade, Pedialyte, or just water mixed with a little sugar and salt (I’m sure Google has recipes) might be helpful to maintain fluids and electrolytes. If you have old covid tests around, no harm in using them. If you get a nice clear control line, the test is probably okay. Old tests rarely can give a false positives in the form of a very pale test line. If you get that, it’s probably worth buying a new test and retesting. But you are getting towards the end of the treatment window and if you are sick, you don’t want to be infecting friends and family, no matter what the disease is. So there’s not much to be gained from testing at this point, either, unless additional family members are just now succumbing. (Covid treatment is best done early. Or if a person is so sick they need to be hospitalized, of course. But it doesn’t sound like that’s an issue.) ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/17 "2024-12-28T02:26:33Z")
I (seem) to be through the worst of it, though I’m probably still contagious as hell. Toast / bread in small amounts seems ok… and I seem to be tolerating cheese. Meat is still a worry though… and about 2 bites is a meal. Hopefully I’ll be rid of this by Monday? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/18 "2025-01-02T16:32:47Z")
There’s a nasty bug going around my family. All the adults got hit big time except **MrsFtG** who is the only one who got the RSV vaccine. That might be a clue. I’ve been down a week with it and it’s still pretty bad. I thought it finally broke the night before last when my temp returned to normal. But then it spiked yesterday afternoon and I started getting a worse cough. Down again this morning but still clearly not over it. Lots of stuff delayed. (Took a COVID test. Negative.) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/19 "2025-01-24T15:55:03Z")
Update on this weird and nasty bug. **Mrs. FtG** did come down with it. So the RSV hypothesis goes out the window. I was full on sick for 3 weeks. Frequent zigzagging between feeling I was almost over it and then down again. Never ran a serious temp for very long. Lots of coughing in the later part but also feeling really dragged out. What kind of bug was this??? ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150/20 "2025-01-24T15:56:38Z")
I had it too, starting before Christmas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-virus-stole-xmas/1012150.md?page=2)