Think you may have already had Coronavirus?

[Pea-n-Me]

So we really need to be hoping our immune systems react to covid-19 more like it does to influenza viruses than it does to the other coronaviruses, where the immunity is measures in just a few years....

I think that a lot of people read these things as cut and dry. Two years, that's it. Etc. And it's just not that way, exactly. Everyone is different, and things can vary from person to person, maybe in some cases a lot. As you can see from my post, which was taken from one of the articles, some elderly people showed lifelong immunity to the Spanish Influenza of 1918! So i have the feeling - and this is just me - that we not only will develop immunity to this thong, but that all of the other illnesses and exposures we've ever had will help us fight it off, as well, as will the annual flu shots - not precisely, of course, but on the whole. YMMV

 

[Starwind]

While we have had a couple bad cold-like things since December, the symptoms have been more consistent with "cold" or "other unknown germs" and not with "covid".

And then of course, spring allergy season has started, which makes one question every little cough. But then a flurry of sneezes and watery eyes starts to remind you "allergies" ;-) But allergies are an absolutely unwelcome layer right now, especially when they are difficult to control at the best of times.

SW

 

[snappy]

.

 

[StacyStrong]

Well, I was tested for the flu (with a rapid flu test) super late February. It game back positive, but in the back of my mind, I still kind of wonder if it was a false positive (rapid flu test swabs aren't super reliable) and it was actually COVID. It doesn't really matter because I am fine now aside from some residual coughing (I allegedly had bronchitis 2 weeks before the flu, ha), but it's a thought I've had. I only wonder because I had a fever, coughing, body aches, etc. All of that is standard flu, but my taste buds were REALLY messed up for a week or so following it. Everything tasted weird to me. I honestly complained about it a LOT to people and was googling it often because it was so strange to me.

TLDR, but yes, I had bronchitis and then the flu back to back and honestly it makes me wonder...but logically I know that it's a 99% chance I did NOT have it.

 

[DLgal]

I hadn't heard that an antibody test had been approved for U.S. use yet.

It technically hasn't been, but the FDA is allowing it as long as the doctors put the disclaimer in writing and make it available to patients so they know that the test isn't "FDA approved for the diagnosis of Covid19." They have to indicate that it's an antibody screen, not a test for active virus.

https://abc7news.com/coronavirus-testing-covid19-covid-19/6056079

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If I had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, I would know, because the two members of my family on immunosuppresents would be dead.

 

[Feralpeg]

If I had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, I would know, because the two members of my family on immunosuppresents would be dead.

Not necessarily. There are those on immunosuppresents that have had it and recovered. There are cancer patients on chemo who have survived, yet seemingly healthy individuals have died. We really don't understand this virus.

 

[Searc]

If I had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, I would know, because the two members of my family on immunosuppresents would be dead.

That is definitely worst case scenario, but not an absolute outcome. There are plenty of people who don't pass it on to family members.

 

[Disneypro1]

My mother’s doc is sure she had it in Nov. since over half who get it. Have zero symptoms ever. I’m sure many many of is on here have had it. Or do now. And we don’t even know or knew.

 

[pens4821]

I was reading a couple articles this morning about the virus being around before they first thought. I remember this thread with people saying they thought they may have had it (myself included in mid/late January), and looks like its a possibility. Nevada and Florida feel like it could've been around in December/January or even before. Of course this isn't a for sure (its only two articles) and nobody really knows yet, but thought it was interesting.

Nevada

Florida

 

[ronandannette]

My son (23) had the worst respiratory illness of his life at Christmas. All the symptoms match what we know today about Covid and his recovery was long and slow for someone of his age and general condition. I’d swear it was Covid but there’s no way to connect any dots as to how it might have been contracted. There were absolutely no known cases here prior to March and he did not travel or knowingly contact anyone who did. He was working retail at the time though so anything’s possible.

Interestingly, we had a fairly full house over the holidays including an elderly guest that stayed for several days. Despite prolonged contact in close quarters, no one else got sick.

 

[Nox]

I mentioned on another thread that I think I had it late January. This is in hindsight.

The shortest version of events:
My BIL came home from South Korea mid-January. His daughter/my niece came to visit, and she was sick the whole time. Fever, dry cough, throwing up. Her mom/my sister fell ill shortly after her. They tested negative for flu, but were diagnosed with walking pneumonia.
I was ill January 24-30. I thought it was the flu. Texts between me and my friends, coworkers, and mom indicate that I had respiratory distress (I described it as not being able to catch my breath, my lungs burning as if overexerted after a long run, and "suffocating with my mouth wide open.") I had a high fever and dry cough that couldn't be soothed. Body aches that I compared to "my actual skin hurting" and "like I have bruises all over" Also absolutely zero appetite (I lost 6-7 pounds) and at one point I slept about 27 hours straight. I did not go to the doctor, so I don't know if I also had walking pneumonia.

Another symptom that I haven't seen anyone talk about that I definitely had - loss and distortion of hearing. Actual tones were distorted (I could tell by listening to music I was familiar with, and it all sounded "wrong") and I could hear very little. It lasted at least a month, and I thought that maybe it had been permanently damaged by the fever. (It did eventually return.)

Not sure if anyone saw or mentioned it, but they tested an old negative flu test in France and found that someone had it back in December. I would be curious if they could do that for my sister and niece's flu tests.

 

[tcherjen]

I was wondering too-

I got a severe sore throat at Christmas time. Negative for strep but felt terrible. They gave me a z pac. Youngest had the weirdest cough, but they said it was allergies. ( She’s never had those)
They are doing drive up antibody testing. One of my coworkers had it done and is waiting on the results. I am thinking of doing it too. Just because I wonder.

 

[KellyKane]

I got a severe sore throat at Christmas time. Negative for strep but felt terrible. They gave me a z pac.

Did the Zpac work right away for you? I had the same..terrible sore throat, never more sick in my life..got a Zpac started feeling better almost immediately and didn't have any lingering problems.

 

[tcherjen]

Did the Zpac work right away for you? I had the same..terrible sore throat, never more sick in my life..got a Zpac started feeling better almost immediately and didn't have any lingering problems.

Yes , like on the 2nd day. I seriously could not swallow worst sore throat ever. Was so surprised it wasn’t strep.

 

[skittles67]

We think my brother had it in January. He had aches, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath. Doctor said it wasn't flu, or influenza. He didn't have bronchittis. They said it was an upper respitory infection. He would walk from the living room to the bathroom and not be able to catch his breath. He was exhausted all the time. It took him close to a month to start to feel better. He said it was the worse pain and the sickest he had ever been.

 

[kandb]

I interview Covid patients daily (I work for a county health dept) and very few have vomiting as a symptom, diarrhea is much more common. The number one symptom is fatigue and the other most common symptoms are cough, fever, shortness of breath and loss of taste/smell.

 

[Kp128]

I know right? That’s what’s so confusing. Now I’m thinking of all the people we could have infected unknowingly. Wish this darn thing would end.

I had a positive antibody test. You should be able to get one soon. Just give it some time

 

[jesusfreak75]

A new study is claiming that COVID-19 may have been in the US as early as December.

My wife who works in a family medical clinic had a ton of people in the office with really bad flu like symptoms, who tested negative for the flu, all thru the months of Dec. & Jan. Who knows!!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/evidence-suggests-coronavirus-likely-spreading-154500955.html

 

[MrsInsG]

I'm almost positive myself and two of my daughters had the virus. My middle daughter developed a rash on her arm in late February. At it's worst, it looked like a horrible case of chicken pox and was extremely painful with a cluster of blisters developing on her skin. The ped and the dermatologist both said they had never seen anything like it before and gave her an anti-viral prescription. Shortly thereafter, our older daughter developed a virus with fever, cough, chills, etc., and was sick for about four days of severe symptoms, and a week or so of mild symptoms. I developed the same thing as my older daughter. My husband and youngest daughter never had so much as a cold so far this year.

I didn't think anything of any of this until I read an article by the Cleveland Clinic and another by the American Association of Dermatologists (AAD, I think?) specifically discussing skin manifestations of Covid and their particular prevalence in people with eczema, allergies, and asthma. One of the six photos looked like it could have been a picture of my daughter's arm in February. I had no idea this was even a thing, and apparently, neither did the doctors until fairly recently when they starting seeing the same six skin issues in patients with Covid. Some patients only display skin manifestations of the disease while others have more symptoms. The entire thing was surreal and somewhat scary as I realized just how much is truly unknown at this point.