Am I patient zero?!

[VickyC1982]

The more I hear about Coronavirus, the more I’m convinced I had it in December when I was critically ill and admitted to ITU with respiratory distress and respiratory failure. I had lots of thick mucus blocking my airways and my CT scan had multi areas of ‘ground glass appearance’ which looks similar to CTs of patients with COVID-19. The microbiologists knew I had a virus but were unable to identify exactly which one. I feel like I should tell someone?! It’s probably my brain working over time but 🤷🏼‍♀️

(Image is one slice of my CT scan which was horrendous. That white stuff is all the gunk that is stuck. Your lungs should be black mostly as they should be full of air!)

[crashdoll]

It seems improbable given the first UK patient didn’t get diagnosed until the end of January. If you’d had the highly contagious virus, other people who provided such close care to you would have caught it and/or transmitted it. My understand is that ground glass appearance is an umbrella term in that it can mean multiple things including viral and bacterial infection and chronic lung disease. Talk it through with them if you’re worried though, don’t let it play on your mind. x

[VickyC1982 in reply to crashdoll]

Yeah it’s probably something else but I think I’m trying to convince myself I had it on the hope I’ve now got immunity! It’s only been a couple of months since I was ill so I’m terrified of being poorly again xx

[markmason095 in reply to crashdoll]

Doctors i think were not looking for it at the time as little was known about but i bet it's been around before Decemeber but only made it out to the media later.

[Sandyeggo]

I feel I too had it as I coughed consistently from end Nov2019 to mid Feb2020. A short fever during the worst of it. But luckily I was strong enough to get over it. I saw my PCP a few days ago and she agreed as I had gotten a chest X-ray that was less than pretty. I’m also not going to spend precious time worrying about it. Cautious yes, mindful but not paranoid or obsessively thinking about it.

[CharlieMay]

Hi Vicky,

I've also been asked several times if I had COVID-19. I was admitted to hospital on Boxing Day with respiratory problems after a short period of having what I thought was flu - lots of coughing and a very high temperature. I quickly progressed to ICU and was then placed in an induced coma and intubated because my lungs were full of mucus and I couldn't breath. My diagnosis was bilateral pneumonia and sepsis and I nearly died. They tried to culture the virus that caused the pneumonia, but couldn't as I was already being pumped full of antibiotics. Prior to getting ill I was a healthy, active 36 year old woman and I'm recovering well now.

The way I see it, COVID-19 is really worrying for anyone who has had recent respiratory trauma and generally I am avoiding reading about it, so as not to trigger PTSD/anxiety about it all. However, I'd be kind of glad to think what I had was COVID-19, because then hopefully some immunity has developed

Charlie

[VickyC1982 in reply to CharlieMay]

Sounds exactly like my admission and I was a healthy 37 year old woman prior to getting ill. I’m probably trying to convince myself I had it in the vain hope I’ve developed immunity as the thought of being that ill again absolutely terrifies me!! X

[CharlieMay in reply to VickyC1982]

Me too! x

[lowek in reply to CharlieMay]

Hi Charlie, Vicky,

I also think this about my Dad! Although he had PE he also had pneumonia and the shortness of breath came on pretty quickly! I was ill with a chest infection for 7 weeks up until mid December and only after a second round of antibiotics and a steroid inhaler did I feel better and then my dad fell very poorly! Ended up like yourselves in ICU on the 29th December induced into a coma and intubated! After another X Ray the Dr said it was bilateral pneumonia but wished it could have been something different as they just couldn’t work out after over 2 weeks his temperature and oxygen levels was still high etc! They also done a bronchoscopy to collect samples from his lungs but we never received those results! After so much stress Dad is finally on the mend and 3 weeks since he’s been discharged! But I admit COVID-19 has got my anxiety through the roof! X

[markmason095 in reply to lowek]

So please you and your dad made a recovery, sadly my dad didnt make it May i ask did did your dad go straight into ICU and also for how long, plus how old is your Dad?

[markmason095 in reply to lowek]

And did your father get sepsis at all?

[lowek in reply to markmason095]

Oh Mark, I am so sorry to hear about your Dad!❤️ My Dad was seen in Resus, had a CT Scan and was in recovery waiting for a bed in ICU, luckily one became available at our hospital so he was moved later that night. He went in with PE and pneumonia and ended up with bilateral pneumonia whilst intubated. He was intubated for 21 days when finally his temperature and oxygen sats went down for him to have a tracheostomy fitted. He spent at total of 40 Days in ICU until he was moved to a general ward where he spent a further 19 days until he was discharged. I can say ICU was brilliant but mine, my dad and my family’s thoughts on the general ward are no where near as high as of those about ICU.

The only time sepsis was mentioned was when they administered antibiotics on the general ward and when I questioned what for they said Sepsis and I hit the roof! They later told me that it just meant “unknown infection” and then on his discharge letter it said “no infection, temperature peak because of reaction to anaesthetic” (he “had” to have a PEG fitted, I say “had” because he never but was pretty much forced!)

I am so sorry to hear about your Dad and I hope you are doing as well as you can be at this time x

[markmason095 in reply to lowek]

Thank you so much for replying and for your condolences. I'm just taking one day at a time but my god it's hard! I'm so glad your Dad got the right treatment unlike mine who didnt go into ICU until 9 days of being in a normal ward and the hospital waited for him to go into a coma before transfering him there, in other words they left it to late! There is no doubt my Dad had the Coronavirus in december as a lot of us did but of course did know of it at the time also made sense why none of the antibiotics worked on him. Btw my dad was 82 so your dad was a quite a lot younger which helped no doubt in his recovery. I wish you both nothing but good health for a very long time x

[lowek in reply to markmason095]

Sorry, my Dad is 63 x

[markmason095]

Hi Vicky, I really wonder if my dad had it too? he died in December as you know and all the very same symptoms ...

[Rgsable]

Hi Vicky

I am sorry to hear that. My husband has got the same symstoms as you and he was admitted last week in ICU and they have confirmed covid 19 Can you tell me more of the treatments you have had?