Covid-19 is Quite Unpleasant: A Personal Testimony

My family had a rough Winter after moving to Wisconsin last year; adenovirus, common cold, stomach flu, influenza A & B strains, and now this.

About 7 days ago the entire family came down with flu-like symptoms Mixed with cold symptoms. Very weird illness, didn’t bother going for testing and just isolated. Sporadic spikes of fever, chest tightness, piercing headache, body aches, sinus drainage, dry cough, and sneezing. The kids were the first to recover, followed by me today, and my pregnant wife is starting to feel a little better.

We had been shopping in a town in Wisconsin where people are showing up sick with covid-19. I honestly believe that vastly more people are sick than what is being reported due to a lot of people just staying home like we have. I doubt it will be possible to contain this, and herd immunity will have to come into play if the vaccine they are testing isn’t successful. I pray it is.

What a super unpleasant virus. I’m grateful my broncheactasis and asthma didn’t result in me needing hospitalization. Using my cpap without humidifier really helped dry out my lungs each night.

[Marianna5]

I am glad you are all feeling better! Thank you for posting this.

[Guest1142305]

I was surprised how quickly the virus hit. Faster than any illness I’ve had before. My lungs started to hurt like a pneumonia in less than 2 days.

[StillSearchingRN]

I seriously think I had it (after my mother had it after she likely caught it from a Chinese tourist at work that she came into contact with who was super sick with severe respiratory symptoms at the beginning of January). Worst lower-chest pain/tightness, shortness of breath, constant (and I mean CONSTANT) dry cough, high fevers.

[Marianna5]

I am so glad you guys have recovered! We need to hear it. The fear of unknown is just building up.

I think it is the best for people in healthcare - to get it and get over it. So far the consensus is that there is immunity after the illness.

[Guest1142305]

It’s lingering for my wife, but I keep feeling better today. Up until yesterday I felt very weak.. just like the flu. If we had not had both strains of flu this year I would have thought I had a cold and flu at the same time. 7 days from onset of symptoms to beginning of recovery for me. For reference, we are both 37 so pretty young still.

Edited Mar 17, 2020 by anewmanx

[MunoRN, RN]

Since what you're describing is an upper respiratory tract infection it's unlikely it was Covid, but those URIs can hit people pretty hard and are no fun either.

[Guest1142305]

Quote

Symptoms of COVID-19 are non-specific and the disease presentation can range from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe pneumonia and death. As of 20 February 2020 and
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based on 55924 laboratory confirmed cases, typical signs and symptoms include: fever (87.9%), dry cough (67.7%), fatigue (38.1%), sputum production (33.4%), shortness of breath (18.6%), sore throat (13.9%), headache (13.6%), myalgia or arthralgia (14.8%), chills (11.4%), nausea or vomiting (5.0%), nasal congestion (4.8%), diarrhea (3.7%), and hemoptysis (0.9%), and conjunctival congestion (0.8%)

we had 10 of those symptoms. Better safe than sorry. Self Isolation for us.

Edited Mar 17, 2020 by anewmanx

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN, RN]

Thanks for sharing your story! Please keep us updated as all of you recover.

[Guest1142305]

3 minutes ago, tnbutterfly - Mary said:

Thanks for sharing your story! Please keep us updated as all of you recover.

I figured hearing about recovery might be encouraging to some who are afraid. Especially all of you who are healthcare workers. It sucks, but the vast majority of cases will pass with time. Hope is a powerful thing.

[CeciBean, ASN, RN]

I kind of wonder if that's what I had earlier this year. Symptoms were similar but not as severe. It lasted about a week. It was before this "wave" though.

[MunoRN, RN]

3 hours ago, CeciBean said:

I kind of wonder if that's what I had earlier this year. Symptoms were similar but not as severe. It lasted about a week. It was before this "wave" though.

Mild to moderate cases are certainly similar to the various respiratory viruses that circulate this time every year, one thing that differentiates COVID is the duration of the symptoms, which is typically at least two weeks and up to 8 weeks.