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Can’t help wondering how many people had COVID before it was a major Thung

(45 Posts)
Witzend Sun 03-Jan-21 09:38:22

Two I know of - a dd who went with partner to S Africa early last year, mostly for the cricket (he’s one of the Barmy Army) but dd caught something on the plane from a passenger endlessly coughing and spent the vast majority of the holiday in bed, feeling really rough. Continued to feel rough and very tired for a long time.

Two, a BiL, not in the best of health anyway, was ill in the immediate aftermath of a knee op early last year - was kept in hospital much longer than usual and took a long time to feel anything like normal again.
At a recent appt. his consultant said that in hindsight, he’d almost certainly had COVID.

Witzend Sun 03-Jan-21 09:38:39

Major Thing!

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 09:49:47

Yes, there was a bug that went around my school in Switzerland very early in January. About 1/2 of the staff had it. Even the super fit were badly hit. One girl, a mountain runner, was out of action for almost 3 weeks. No one ever suggested at the time it was the virus being reported in the news from China. But certainly, none of the staff that had the bug in January went on later to get covid. I avoided everyone in school, as much as I could, at the time, because I didn't want to be too ill to go home over half term therefore didn't catch it.

Antigen tests were available there in May. I had one and surprise, I had no antigens. I think the others who had been ill should have have the antigen test to see.

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 09:52:47

Too many commas! Apologies.

petra Sun 03-Jan-21 10:01:01

I hope this links. It refers to the world military games held in Wuhan 2019.

www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19

ExD Sun 03-Jan-21 10:03:53

I saw that Petra and it made me think ........

petra Sun 03-Jan-21 10:07:03

I'm convinced as I can be that I had the virus in Nov/ Dec 2019. I'm also convinced of who I caught it from.
I lost my taste and smell then and they haven't returned ?

Sarahmob Sun 03-Jan-21 10:08:16

Just tried that link Petra it’s giving article not found ... wonder if it’s been removed to stop this train of thought.

Chewbacca Sun 03-Jan-21 10:15:21

Another here who's absolutely certain that I had it last January/February. All the symptoms now recognised as COVID and it took me 6 weeks to just be able to walk a short distance without needing to sit and rest from the coughing. I've had flu before, but nothing ever like that.

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 10:17:53

There were a few posters on here, distressed at not being able to get over what they had initially thought was the flu.

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 10:18:41

petra

I hope this links. It refers to the world military games held in Wuhan 2019.

www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19

What was the gist of the article Petra? It has been removed from the site.

OceanMama Sun 03-Jan-21 10:18:41

I think I might have had it in January. I think I'll never know for sure though.

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 10:19:30

A pity antigen tests aren't available.

gardenermum Sun 03-Jan-21 10:19:57

Try this link instead: www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19

Genty Sun 03-Jan-21 10:21:19

Its made me think wether the following respiratory illneses have mutated into Covid

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and spread to more than 25 other countries. MERS originated in camels and emerged to infect people. Symptoms usually include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and often progress to pneumonia. About 3 or 4 out of every 10 patients reported with MERS have died. MERS cases continue to occur, primarily in the Arabian Peninsula; however, as of 2019, there have been only two confirmed cases of MERS in the US, both in 2014.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) originated in small mammal and emerged to infect people. SARS was first reported in Southern China in 2002 and the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Symptoms include fever, chills, and body aches, and may progress to pneumonia. Infection with the SARS virus causes acute respiratory distress (severe breathing difficulty), with a mortality rate of about 10 percent. No human cases of SARS have been reported anywhere in the world since 2004.

OceanMama Sun 03-Jan-21 10:24:44

In 2012 I had something wicked. I was so scared about breathing I was on the cusp of calling an ambulance. I had a terrible fever, palpitations and it was so hard to breathe at times. I just didn't get out of bed at all. Lucky my children brought me water and whatever I needed. Obviously I got over it but it was scary. I wish I had gone for help now because then I'd know what it was.

Witzend Sun 03-Jan-21 10:31:36

@Gagajo, as you say, being super fit is no guarantee of protection, or mildness if you do get it.,

The whole family of friends of a dd tested positive, children asymptomatic, mother quite ill, but the dad was bad enough to need hospital for a few days. And he was the super fit one - swimming 1k every day, among other things - and is back to his 1k daily swim even though saying he’s not yet back to normal.

I’m convinced that there’s a genetic factor involved.

MamaCaz Sun 03-Jan-21 10:32:45

This is what I posted on a thread in December 2019:

"In our case, other symptoms included it starting like a cold, thinking we were improving after a couple of days, then really taking a down-turn."
"Loss of appetite and dulled taste-buds lasted ages. Fatigue, weakness, and several other things!"

What I didn't know at the time was that I would go on to have repeated bouts of respiratory illness over the next two or three months.

Was it Covid? I often wonder, but will never know.

downtoearth Sun 03-Jan-21 10:34:10

My Ex partner in late january,had chest pains,taken to hospital,released again had been unwell for few days dry cough for a week or so,diagnosed with pnemonia,he slept solidly for a week ,then weeks of tiredness and fatigue.

GagaJo Sun 03-Jan-21 10:37:13

That link worked gardenermum, thank you. I have a vague memory of that at the time but obviously, no one thought anything of it then.

Yes, Witzen, actually, all the people I know who have had it have been under 40 (other than my brother) and young and fit. One, a 35 year old father, with another baby on the way, died in May from it. 2 teacher friends, both young and fit, were wiped out by it for weeks. My brother is older, 50s, but was also seriously knocked back by it.

The only person I know who seems to have had it mildly, IF she did actually have it (no tests available), was my daughter.

FarNorth Sun 03-Jan-21 10:42:27

It hasn't been removed.
The link address is accidentally given twice, in Petra's post.

www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094347/world-military-games-illness-covid-19

Callistemon Sun 03-Jan-21 10:44:06

I've posted before about this but yes, I was ill last Christmas and, never having been prone to chest coughs, I can still hear a squeak in my URT when all is quiet and my joints are still achey. I can smell things again now. When I looked for an antigen test, the only ones were private, expensive and the waiting list was very long.
It just started with a very sore throat, headache, shivers but developed into the worst cough I've ever had.

We were in Hong Kong, just for a short while, when the SARS virus was around but didn't get ill.

Callistemon Sun 03-Jan-21 10:47:19

From that article:

However, Swedish pentathlete Melina Westerberg said that many of her compatriots were sick at the Games, but none tested positive for the virus claiming: "It was just a coincidence, we all felt safe."

That is a stupid statement - of course no-one tested positive for Covid as it had not been identified in October 2019. Or, if it had, no-one had publicised that.

petra Sun 03-Jan-21 10:48:33

Thank you Gardenermum That was the article.

Callistemon Sun 03-Jan-21 10:51:40

I doubt that we will ever know and I am assuming nothing.

When offered the vaccine I will have it.