So as the title says, I was recently diagnosed with Covid. Having mostly recovered since then, and now feeling more fit to return to writing (which I promised myself I would do daily for a month, but had to give a break due to not feeling very well for the past week), I thought I would share what the past week has been like.
After all, with Covid still affecting most people and businesses worldwide either through direct health-implications or resulting regulations, I assume most would be curious about how I’ve felt the past week, if it’s been harsh, and what other implications it has had.
How sick have I been?
Headache
I experienced the first symptoms last Saturday (8 prior to writing this article and feeling mostly recovered). That day, I woke up feeling an unusual headache that seemed to have come out of nowhere. A kind of headache that was not really like anything else I had experienced earlier. At first, I was convinced that it was a result of the heavy workout I had done the day before, where I had performed three sets of 20 explosive 100 kg barbell shrugs. As I hadn’t performed these in a while, I knew it could cause a decent amount of soreness in the upper traps or some strain in the neck, both of which can cause headaches and/or dizziness for a while.
Fever
It was only on Sunday one week ago when I also felt a fairly strong fever that I understood I was actually sick, having woken up 4-5 times during the night feeling cold in some places of the body and warm in others, while also sweating a bit. Although feverish, I was still more than able to do most things, and felt more like watching some esports and being in the living room than lying in bed.
Monday and Tuesday I also tried to work a little bit, if only because I'm stubborn and wanted to be part of the meetings that were taking place. But the fever, headache and tiredness meant I got barely anything out of it, and was better off just relaxing. Having had a fever for 3 days and felt my pulse beating in my head at times, I knew I would have to take a Covid-test to be on the safe side. I suppose the worst part of this whole experience was the peaks of the fever, and reliably waking up 4-5 times per night needing to change sleeping positions due to the sheets, and pillow being too sweaty and wet where I had been laying.
Breathing
Additionally, I also started to feel increasingly irritated in my throat and also saw breathing become somewhat uncomfortable (not difficult). It was as if the air felt thicker, dryer, and somewhat "hairy". Having never had any real allergies, I can only assume that's close to what it's like having it during peak pollen seasons.
And while this wasn't too much of a pain in and of itself, it made me increasingly confident that I must have caught covid.
Getting the diagnosis
So on Wednesday, I took the test at a private drop-in clinique in town. I don't know how available tests are wherever you people are at, but it was nice to be able to come within an hour and get the whole thing done in 10 minutes.
Friday morning I woke up to an SMS message saying that I had an unread message from the public health organization here in Norway. Needless to say, I knew it was the results of the test. So I logged on, and got the "bad news".
In a sense, testing positive was a bit of a relief. I’ve always hated whenever you feel that something is wrong, and experience illness that doesn’t feel right, only to be told that “everything looks fine”. I would rather receive bad news in the form of a diagnosis than be left wondering what’s wrong.
Isolation
So needless to say, I was then obliged to stay at home. A few hours after receiving the test, I was called up by the local public "trancing" units, responsible for mapping when and where I likely caught the virus, who I would have been close to while contagious if any and to give instructions on what to do next.
So since I had already been mostly in isolation the past few weeks anyway, there wasn't really that much to say. I guess the only lesson for me is that it's possible to be contagious and not know it for a few days. Both because it takes a while for even the first symptoms to arrive, as well as because the first signs may be rather weak and thus not make you think that you could have Covid. This is just even more so a reason to be cautious, wear a mask, and avoid exposing people to risk you may not know that you're exposing people too before it is too late.
But at the end of the day, I'm just happy and relieved to be feeling better. Not that I ever feared that someone in my age and health condition would have much to be afraid of, but there's still always a bit of concern that one could be unlucky.
So while I'm still pretty fatigued and tired, and very bored, I hope next week can be more or less back to normal.
Hope you're all doing better than me :)
Fredrik
Glad you're feeling better Fredrik! It's a nasty illness, and I very much relate to the feeling of "not like anything I've experienced before."
I'm older than you (60) and had it back in late September. Pretty much the same sequence, but a little more... first the *"strange" headache, then waking up for a couple of days with fever and also feeling like I had been beaten up by a group of angry barbarians while I slept, or like I ran back-to-back marathons. Pretty much zero appetite for 3-4 days... after that, just a lingering feeling of "not being 100%" for two weeks.
It was a bit of a mystery for me, and at the time I thought it was a combination of a cold and food poisoning because it had been ten days since I could reasonably have been infected. It was not until six weeks after the fact that my doctor insisted it was Covid, even though it was too late for an effective test.
I'd recommend going light on the working out, when you resume... this thing does something to our bodies, even healthy bodies.
To a speedy recovery!
Now you have natural immunity, congratulations! Sounds like it was nothing to worry about.
"In a sense, testing positive was a bit of a relief. I’ve always hated whenever you feel that something is wrong, and experience illness that doesn’t feel right, only to be told that “everything looks fine”. I would rather receive bad news in the form of a diagnosis than be left wondering what’s wrong."
I know how you feel! I have had all those symptoms (and many more) for 5 years now, after 40 years of great health. I still have no idea what's wrong, and there is almost no health care available here in Canada (unless you can afford to buy it privately). I've hoped for a diagnosis for years. When I told my doctor at one point that I was wishing for a diagnosis, she diagnosed me with hypochondriasis (in other words, that my problems are made up in my own head). The pain, muscle twitching, insomnia, strange sensations, blurred visions, fatigue, and many other symptoms have been brutal for 5 years. I haven't even seen a doctor in 1.5 years because they never do anything for me. There are millions of people like me, I've discovered, given fake diagnoses and no care or treatment.
Thanks for your report and it's great to know the virus is indeed nothing at all to worry about, and easily defeated by the human immune system, like almost every other infectious illness.
Damn man, sorry to hear that you have had covid this past week. Sounds like your general fitness has lessened the symptoms somewhat and given you strength to fight it off quicker.
A couple of my family members have had it and they were bed ridden for 3 weeks (similar age to me, relatively healthy and walked/cycled a lot) - think it really depends on the strain you get, how good your immune response is and probably a few other factors. They are fine now thankfully although there's a new strain in their neighbourhood which is giving us a bit of concern.
Glad you're coming out the other side 💪
Thanks for the good wishes!:)
Hope you and those close to you get well through it all as well! 3 weeks sounds like a lot😱, I'm devastated not to be able to work out for more than a week already😅
Thanks man, thankfully it was last year and they made it through. My best friend's mum was on the edge a couple of weeks ago though and it was tough - she's out of hospital now though and getting better by the day. It is a dangerous virus.
Jesus Fredrik!!! This is not good but at least you're not feeling so bad. Get well soon! Sending you some positive energy :)
Thanks a lot! :) I am mostly fine, and should be pretty much back to normal next week ;).
Time to get to 60 before TBC is launched
Hahaha, don't have time for that in a bull market!
Great to get a first hand balanced and non-hysterical description.
Thank you! Yeah, both the news and public debate seems to mostly present views that are on one of the two extreme ends...
I hope you didn't transmit it to anybody else because 1 to 3% happen to die. But anyway good to know that you recovered and feel good now.
Yeah, the scary part is not being able to know... It's all a big numbers game and one can always be unlucky. Although I think I've done my best to lower the odds of anyone else getting it, as I've hardly been close to anyone else for weeks.
And thanks :)
I think HIV is even higher. Same with EBV, a virus that 95% of humans are infected with, but nobody cares about that because the TV doesn't tell them to ;)
Glad to hear you're on the mend! Refuah Shlema as we say here in Israel to wish people better.
Thanks :) Hope you're doing well too.
Good to know what to look out for so thanks for the post, iv not heard first hand from anyone who has had it yet. Sounds shit, wish you a speedy recovery.
First of all it's been boring as hell😅. But seems to be much like other flus with an added headache, more annoying to breathe, and somewhat affected taste/smell.
But being in isolation for a while probably affects me more.
Any ideas how/where you got it from?
I hope that it is fully recovered. Blessings
Thank you :)
Get well soon.
Reader beware. Post my contain traces of Covid
Hairy air. I prefer mine waxed - but I don't kink shame.
Glad you are feeling better.
Oh mate! That’s heavy. Symptoms sound super rough.
Did you see it coming or expect to get it? Or more exactly, can you identify who/where it came from?
Hope your recovery from here on is fast and you can get back on your feet and boredom free!
Take care of yourself man.
I hope everything is getting back to normal for you soon. You will do it.
sorry to hear that, I had it for a while and hope you have a speedy recovery! love and prayers from brighton uk
Uh, I hope you survive this as much as okay. The stories of some of my friends who have survived this are not the most encouraging. Especially in the second and third week. 💪
And people thought I was a moron for wearing a mask while curating content. It's everywhere...
That explainw why we didn't hear from you for a while.
Get well fast!
Get well soon Fred!
Wishing you a speedy recovery
Damn. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Great to see that you're out on the other side of it. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Glad to hear you are feeling better. My whole family had it back in November and it wasn't fun at all. I can relate with most of what you experienced, but each of us had slightly different symptoms and with different intensities