Have we had Covid 19?

[BronteM]

Did we have COVID 19?

As a family we think we may have had Covid-19. I know the timeline is much earlier than the medical people are working on, but there seem to be an increasing number of reports of early cases from different parts of Europe. My daughter has a good friend who is working in a COVID Ward in London; she and my daughter have been through our timeline and symptoms and think it’s very likely. So, here it is, as short as I could make it.

Christmas 2019 in Dublin

December 27, we had a crowded difficult journey home via Birmingham

December 27, daughter's family had a difficult journey to Southampton. James vomiting, Emilia starting temperature

Family in Dublin also ill, children have high temperature and cough for about 24 hours, adults feel much much worse and for longer

December 29, friends over for tea, tiresome dry cough

December 31, early bed.......very very tired. Can’t sleep for cough, trying to breath

January 2nd, rest of family go to the theatre. I’m in bed

January 4th, try having a bath but am so tired I go back to bed

January 8th, exhausted, can’t sleep, coughing etc. See doctor. A week of antibiotics

January 11th. Can’t breath...ring 111. They send ambulance and paramedics. They check me thoroughly and decide against hospital as I’m better off not picking up any more bugs. Antibiotic probably not working but give it another couple of days. Fall over several times between bed and bathroom

January 15. Very bad night, see doctor again. He researches back over antibiotics and prescribes an old fashioned one. Very strong, so spend the next few days between bed and loo. Have lost 7 lbs.

Gradually improve, helped by lots of inhaling and honey and lemon. By the end of the month I’m still v tired, but the cough has gone.

But......my eyes are sore and pink and my usual eye drops are doing nothing.

And..... missed 4 weeks of tociluzimab

Steroids went up to 15 mg

[PMRpro]

You will be able to get antibody tests eventually - and I think there will be some very interesting findings.

My nurse daughter is pretty sure she had it in February but they wouldn't consider CV - it was a bug that raced around her endoscopy department, starting with an Italian who had been home for xmas and brought something back with her. It wasn't officially here either - but they are confident the first case in northern Italy was early December. They think at least 25% and probably more like 40% have no symptoms - so it spread without any signs. The other one plus husband think they had it after flying back from Innsbruck at the beginning of March - just as it surfaced in Ischgl. If she has a positive test it must have been - she's been shielding!!!!

Someone on our forum from the USA gave a similar story: a CV-type bug went through the family in January. And now it has been traced back to a nephew who caught it while having a meal with a Chinese man in November. Long before even Wuhan were aware there was a strange pneumonia.

Hope you are improving xxx

[BronteM in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, thank you. But it took a lot out of me. A friend of my brother's thinks he had it at about the same time. He had dinner with a colleague before Christmas....the colleague was just back from a conference in China, and they both fell ill two weeks later. You’re right, reliable antibody tests are going to be very interesting.

[PMRpro in reply to BronteM]

There is talk here that everyone will be tested at some point. Don't see the UK ever achieving that!!!

You're in Lincolnshire aren't you? Have there been many cases there?

[BronteM in reply to PMRpro]

According to the C-19 app, there are about 2680 in our area, which is a rate of about 0.3%. Daily briefing says that those who are shielded have got to stay in......very frustrating. We are lucky to live in a quiet village, and I am going for walks on isolated tracks, but do need to see family and have some good face-to-face gossips!

[PMRpro in reply to BronteM]

Neither are options for us anyway - we live in Italy and the family in the north of England and Scotland. You do get used to using digital options! We were also not allowed more than 2-400m from the house door for a while!!!