Hi,
I’ve had Covid19 for 4 weeks and if I had the energy I’d be tearing my hair out.
I’ve had 2 sets of prohylactic antibiotics to safeguard against bacterial infections, my temperature has been up and down but never higher than 38 the entire illness.
I’ve had severe neuropathy during the illness and some kind of night seizures accompanying the other more well publicised symptoms that mean my sleep is terrible also.
I went to hospital Day 14 after a week of seriously thinking I’m on death’s door and my blood oxygen was good enough to be sent home for follow up at the Covid Hubs where they basically just take temperature, pulse and oxygen levels.
I was prescribed a 2nd course of antibiotics there as my temperature was still up and they are checking in on me every few days.
Meanwhile I am having one better day, then another terrible day, then a better day then a worse day..But ‘better’ is still bed ridden, just means I can breath well enough and not too dizzy to make myself my own cup of tea, have a shower and engage in some small talk with my family.
Everytime I have a good few hours I think, that must be me getting well now, but no, 4 weeks later and the last 24 hrs my breathlessness has been worse than it was for the previous 5 days..Am about ready to shoot myself.
Is there anyone else that’s experienced being so ill with this virus outside of an ICU setting where it’s carried on this long?
Even ICU patients are recovering in 3-6weeks .
Cannot understand why I’m not getting well yet.
I have no underlying health issues and I’m in my 30s.
I don’t know if I still have Covid or if this is post viral inflammation and fatigue..There is no way of knowing as they are not testing community cases. Every doctor just says it’s definitely Covid but I have no idea if I’ve passed the peak of the illness or if i should still be worried it could get worse.
Just feel it’s going on forever.
Be great to know if there’s any non hospital stories of people being sick, as in still unable to do a thing this length of time.
Thanks!
Hi,
I hope this will help, as I was very interested to hear your case. I started with a fever of 38’C about 3 1/2 weeks ago, with no cough but a horrible headache and aches and pains and severe lethargy. I immediately isolated in the spare room as my son may be at risk. The headache soon went, but the temperature would come and go, and I was still really tired and unable to do much.
After two weeks I spoke to the doctor, who said to stick it out for another week. I then got worse, much more tired and tightness and pain in my chest, but still breathing OK. Temperature was almost constantly at 38. Finally I’ve been prescribed antibiotics, and the temperature is still around but not constant. This time the Dr said that he didn’t think it was Coronavirus as it doesn’t go on this long with a temperature.
I’m usually quite fit and active, not overweight and no underlying health issues. Like you I am tearing my hair out and no idea what is going on, or when I’m going to recover.
Res and Julie, yours are the first first-hand stories I’ve heard, interesting that you have similar descriptions.
I do not have anything specific to add.
But some questions.
First, if you can give some idea of your location?
Second, are there any nutritional questions the doctors ask? What are you eating now? For that matter, what was your diet like before, and were you taking any vitamins and supplements?
Of course zinc has been talked about a lot in regards to the virus.
Thanks, and best wishes for you both - and for all in these times.
Location is South England.
My nutrition was not the best.
I have gastroparesis and bad GERD so diet been up and down all year.
Doctor never asked about nutrition though.
I do take VitC and Zinc though.
That’s interesting.
I hope you get answers soon.
My doctor said I had been ill so long it had to be Covid
.
My temp though has been up and down. Last temp of 38 was 7 days ago though,its now in the mid 37s but all the rest of the symptoms same.
Is very weird.
Hope it ends soon
.
I’m in the East Midlands. Interestingly I also suffer with GERD although not severe. No change to my diet as I am still hungry - it takes a lot to put me off my food. I had a bad case of the flu in December and was still eating like a horse. I would say my diet is quite healthy, lots of soup, avocado, fish, live yoghurt, nut butters etc. I also take vit C and D, turmeric and a probiotic.
I’m not sure how normal our cases are, and I’m also not sure anyone is measuring the non hospital cases. Thanks for replying.
Hi Res
I’m on week two now. I have little to no cough, no raised temperature, just constant breathlessness. I’ve been pretty much bed-bound for these past two weeks. Having said this my condition has been up and down as you describe, I even went back to work for 3 days only for it to hit back yet again. Unlike you though, my sleep has been mostly unaffected, although it is challenging to calm down enough to fall to sleep initially. Saying that, keeping my anxiety levels down while suffering from this breathlessness is a bloody challenge.
Like you, I have no underlying health conditions, however I’m mid-20s and am usually fit and healthy. As a result when I eventually went to hospital I was kept for an hour, had my vitals measured and sent home. I can’t argue with the decision as I could still talk (although it is challenging to do so) and walk myself out - like yourself I’m getting pretty desperate… I do hope I haven’t another two weeks of this!
To clarify, I too feel slightly better every so often, even on my worst days, but it soon becomes a challenge to breathe again. As well as this I seem to improve every few days, enough to feel my breathing almost back to normal, only for it to return with bad as ever.
Hope you get well soon.
hi, I started with mild symptoms 4 weeks ago, mild cough, low grade temp only around 38, breathlessness. my husband had the same, but after 6 days he is back to normal (he us a 47 year old type 1 diabetic), i have no underlying illness but my symptoms keep coming and going. I felt better and thought i had got thru it, but every day changes. my throat is sore, cough still around, and days are different levels of breathlessness. just want to feel better, or just to know its not going to get worse.
I should add - I just spoke with my GP, according to her there is a category of people like us, suffering from breathlessness for an extended period, with or without a cough and/or temperature.
Our prolonged symptom of breathlessness isn’t as uncommon as I first thought.
Yeah, I think if it was just breathlessness I’d be feeling a bit less depressed. It does make you panic but I’ve found stuff like lying on my stomach for ten minutes that helps a bit..But I’ve been literally bed ridden for 4 weeks and the best I get is able to make a cup of tea and have a shower still.
My GP said some people are getting extended inflammation but they have no clear idea of how extended that may be! First they said should resolve in 3 weeks, then they said 4 now they are saying " Hope you get better soon!" Basically they are learning on the job and everyone seems to be different. When it comes to the night seizures they are all just scratching their heads.
I hope you get a lot better, -permanently better really soon!
I did read a medical report which talked about neurological symptoms actually being quite prevalent, but under reported. I think they were talking about 40% plus. Again talked about how much we don’t know.
It really is horrible not knowing what is going on, but hopefully we are all just having a very long winded version of it. Im trying to tell myself not to push it, but its difficult.
You too buddy, all the best.
Did he say (your GP) if they get better with time? Or is it getting worse with time? I’m in week 4 of the same symptoms. Occasional cough and breathlessness.
Julie, sounds like a great diet, you get zinc from nuts, from fish, from meat, and it may increase zinc absorption if you get quercetin from tea, especially green tea that also has egcg, apples, and onions. Or a supplement capsule, LOL.
Also, if I can ask (and of anyone who has the virus), do you take any blood pressure drugs, especially any of the ACE/ARB drugs, the -tans or the -prils?
Hey,
I asked my GP whether I was in the “recovery” stage or not - she seemed to think I was. I was told to take it slowly but try to move around the house a little (if I feel up to it - so don’t exert yourself unnecessarily).
Unless I suddenly develop a temperature and begin coughing up mucus she was under the impression things were looking up - those are the red flags to look for apparently.
I drink loads of green tea and peppermint (although ‘room service’ has decreased the amount I get whilst stuck in the spare room), and no blood pressure meds.
Great to hear that you are recovering. I hope I’ll improve soon. Just worried as it is almost 4 weeks already. I’m finishing my first set of antibiotics this Thursday and so far there is no improvement whatsoever, but it is not worse which I hope is a good thing. 
Good luck and take care.
yeah, I’ve had 2 sets and it’s still no better no worse kind of territory.
It’s kind of unsettling .
hi, sorry to hear you are still unwell . I am on my 4th week with cough and breathlessness, but no temp now.. may I ask why they gave you antibiotics? I spoke to NHS 111 and they have jyst said to persevere? It is pretty depressing as so many people seem to be over it within a week