Asthma and coronavirus

[Lien-Ju]

Hello there! I was diagnosed with coronavirus on 2 of July (blood test) apparently I had coronavirus back in March/April. I also have asthma but no symptoms since 15 years.

Since Mars 2020 I have some breathing issues, when I exhale I can hear a little wheezing but nothing more. I can breath normally but this wheezing sound is disturbing. I think there is a link with coronavirus, I remember that I wasn't able to smell anything and I was tired, a lot !

Maybe someone share the same symptoms? I didn't have asthma attack since 15 years but I don't like this wheezing sound.

Julien

[twinkly29]

So it sounds like you had coronavirus in March/April and the blood test in July was the antibody test which showed that you'd previously had the virus (rather than them actually diagnosing you with it at the time in July/?

If this is the case then any wheezing you're feeling now could either be post-viral issues (common after nasty viruses in general and can mimic asthma symptoms) or they could be actual asthma symptoms which the virus caused to flare up - again very common in asthmatics even if they were well controlled before.

While it doesn't sound horrendous (i.e. it's not an acute asthma attack and from what you say it doesn't it sound like it's terrible all the time), the fact that it's there and wasn't before probably needs looking at. Have you spoken to a GP or nurse about it? They'll be able to help work out whether it's more likely to be post viral or your asthma and what would be of most help to you.

[Lien-Ju in reply to twinkly29]

Hello Twinkly, I didn't know wheezing were common following a virus infection. I guess it is a good new? Well, the fact is, I tried to speak about it with my pulmonologist but he told me that my exam: x-ray, blood test are good so according to him no need to worry.

But of course I am worried because I didn't have such symptoms before covid.

When I breath through my nose, it is all fine but when I start running or when I inhale/exhale using my mouth I can hear this wheezing sound.

Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate.

[Jazzajon]

You sound just like me. I had mild asthma that was usually associated with hay fever, house dust or cats. If I avoid the triggers I was fine. I had covid back in March and was hospitalised for a short time. Ive recovered now by my breathing took ages to recover. It made my asthma really bad and I was using my inhaler all the time. I'm still not 100%. However I am much better. I think exercise has really helped. Nothing too heavy, just long walks with my dog every day. At first I could only walk half the distance I could previously and could not walk and talk at the same time. However every day my chest is getting better. Thing to remember is covid is not 'flu. Recovery from it takes much longer. My doctor said think of it as recovering from a broken leg rather than the flu.

[Lien-Ju in reply to Jazzajon]

Hello Jazzajon, wow! I hope you are doing okay today, I also use my inhaler everyday since I've had breathing issue. I didn't try to walk daily but maybe I'll give a try it could be better than lift weights. My asthma triggers are mainly rabbit and dust, as you. But nothing the past 15 years. I'll start to wall today and tell you how I feel. Thank you for your feedback.

[ccccc]

Interesting to hear this and the other replies as I think I had Covid in March also and had to take Prednisolone at various doses since as my asthma got worse (I've only just managed to stop it this week.) Still don't feel as well as before March but recovery has been very slow, just glad to be off the Pred as I was getting muscle and joint pain! But very interesting to see other people have had problems since the same time. I paid privately for the Abbott antibody test in July which came back negative but I cannot think of any other reason why my asthma has been so bad since March.

[twinkly29 in reply to ccccc]

Having a negative antibody test doesn't mean you didn't have covid - it could be your body just didn't make antibodies to it or it could be that it was too long since having covid and the antibodies your body did make were no longer active (or whatever they do!)

I've heard of various people who've had negative antibody tests but definitely had covid - a friend of a friend had confirmed covid with 2 positive tests (same episode not separate ones) and had a negative antibody test.

So it still could be the reason your asthma was playing up.

[AirIsUnderrated in reply to ccccc]

I also had Covid symptoms back in March before testing was available. I had a test at 10-ish weeks and it was negative, and antibody test at 12-ish weeks, also negative. But it was on the news only this morning that antibodies seem to fade after 3-4 weeks even in people with positive Covid tests.

I was fine before March. No asthma. Now I’m on steroid & reliever inhalers.

[ccccc in reply to AirIsUnderrated]

I read the same thing. It would've been 4 months since I had Covid so that is maybe why it was negative.