Experiences of Teh Plague

[Basil]

Mrs B and chum went to Spain for a week recently.  Chum is a beautician and massage therapist in the village, and so, as she works up close and personal with her clients, she tested before reopening her shop on their return.
Bang. Positive.
So, of course, Mrs B tested several times over the next few days, and so did I as I'd driven them back from Cardiff Airport.
Nothing.
Chum is very ill indeed.  Much worse than you'd expect from these new variants.

Very odd that we didn't get it.
I'm guessing that it is because we had it at the end of April and we're still antibodied up.

[Lightning Phil]

There are ongoing studies looking into couples where one had Covid-19 and the other didn’t, not even detectable levels of the virus in their system, despite spending long periods together and sharing a bed.  There are those, who despite not previously catching Covid-19, appear to be immune, can clear the virus faster than it can replicate. The examples the studies are looking at stretch back to pre vaccines.

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught it’s that the immune response to the virus various widely.

[Lightning Phil]

Spent the afternoon asleep, cut up some chicken and salad for my wife and I then collapsed again. 
I have written off this summers long distance cycling.

Health comes first.

[Sergeant Pluck]

There are ongoing studies looking into couples where one had Covid-19 and the other didn’t

My partner had COVID (quite badly) in the early stage of the pandemic, pre-vaccines of course. I didn’t get it then. I got it a few weeks ago - she didn’t get it.

 

I realise that is not really pertinent to your post about wide variation in ability to deal with the virus. But it’s surprising how transmission sometimes doesn’t occur when you would think it is bound to.

[Lightning Phil]

I realise that is not really pertinent to your post about wide variation in ability to deal with the virus. But it’s surprising how transmission sometimes doesn’t occur when you would think it is bound to.

I don’t think you can say that transmission didn’t happen between two individuals.  Particularly if one is showing symptoms and they are in close proximity for extended periods.   It’s more the question of why the virus wasn’t able to get a foothold , which it needs to do through replication, in sufficient numbers, for Covid-19 to be detected.  What is it about the persons genetics and immune system that prevents that?

There’s the virus, and there’s Covid 19, the latter only happens if you have sufficient numbers of the former, that it gets ahead of the immune system.

This is the question they are trying to answer, what is it about these individuals genetics / immune system that stops the virus getting anywhere?

[ian]

These things are true for any infection –  my wife recently had a non-covid cold and despite several nights snuffling next to me, nothing. It's common. Some people simply don't get infected, viruses have to get to their favourite cell, and get inside, which is a complex series of events, and there's genetic variability in receptors etc. Even if a virus finds its way into the cell, it then has to replicate at high levels, which means it needs to hijack the cell. Cells don't just hand over their keys willingly. And then finally, the results might simply be asymptomatic (much of the symptomatology of any viral infection is your immune system) a virus may simply do its thing without you noticing (the vast majority of viruses do just this, you don't know you have them).

[Kim]

That, and some people are much better at spewing virus once infected than others.

[Cudzoziemiec]

My experience of the plague today was shopping in the Co-op – getting supplies for a friend who's got it. He seems to have almost no symptoms despite a positive test. Dumped the shopping at his door and talked from the end of the garden path!

[nicknack]

Having tested positive this morning I can now contribute.

First symptoms (probably) were Monday lunchtime. A fairly rapid onset splitting headache. The rest of the body decided to join in a few hours later. A little bit of mild coughing.
Virtually no sleep Monday night. Headache too bad despite ibuprofen.
Tuesday much the same but headache reduced gradually throughout day. Cough stayed mild but mucus production increased. First noticed a bit of irritation at back of throat. Little sleep Tuesday night due to having to change sleeping position every minute or so due to random bits of body hurting.
Headache largely gone by Wednesday morning. General fatigue probably at its worst though. Cough still mild but more gunge being produced. Sore throat getting worse. Body ache diminishes gradually. Wednesday night sleep better but disrupted by sore throat and snot.
Thursday, almost human. Throat still horrible but other aches have pretty much gone. Don't feel anywhere near as knackered. Sense of smell seems a bit diminished. It'd be nice to sleep through tonight. We shall see.

Don't know where I got it. Favourite is probably a wedding I played at on Saturday night, except it was outdoors and I didn't mingle. Sunday's band rehearsal seems too close to onset of symptoms. Apart from that it can only have been Tesco last Tuesday. I did have some strange hearing issues around the end of last week but I'd guess they're not related.

This is from a 69 year old triple vaccinated bloke. I'm glad I didn't get it before vaccination.

[nicknack]

Day 5 and you can add diarrhoea to the mix, IYSWIM.

[Wowbagger]

Another morning oversleeping. In bed around 11pm yesterday, feeling exceptionally knackered, final wake-up this morning 9.30am. I did have a hour or two awake between 5am an 7am or so.

I intended to wear my fitbit in bed but forgot.

[hellymedic]

My sister has Teh Plague for the nth time.
I just hope she hasn't passed it on to Aged Parents, whom she and I visited on Wednesday.
My brother has Teh Plague for the first time.
I'm hoping to escape reinfection but...

[hellymedic]

My sister has Teh Plague for the nth time.
I just hope she hasn't passed it on to Aged Parents, whom she and I visited on Wednesday.
My brother has Teh Plague for the first time.
I'm hoping to escape reinfection but...

Mum (86, robust) is positive now.
She's moved into spare bedroom in hope of sparing Dad (91, extremely frail).
Oh dear!

[rogerzilla]

There are ongoing studies looking into couples where one had Covid-19 and the other didn’t, not even detectable levels of the virus in their system, despite spending long periods together and sharing a bed.  There are those, who despite not previously catching Covid-19, appear to be immune, can clear the virus faster than it can replicate. The examples the studies are looking at stretch back to pre vaccines.

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught it’s that the immune response to the virus various widely.

We seem to be like that.  One theory is that the "immune" partner has had other coronaviruses previously - the ones that cause nasty colds.

[Jaded]

My sister has Teh Plague for the nth time.
I just hope she hasn't passed it on to Aged Parents, whom she and I visited on Wednesday.
My brother has Teh Plague for the first time.
I'm hoping to escape reinfection but...

Mum (86, robust) is positive now.
She's moved into spare bedroom in hope of sparing Dad (91, extremely frail).
Oh dear!

Fingers crossed for mildness.

[Lightning Phil]

My wife had flu, that put her in bed in March 2020. But not even a sniffle out of me.  Yes I saw the theory about one partner being immune due to being exposed to other corona viruses 🦠 before.

[rafletcher]

There are ongoing studies looking into couples where one had Covid-19 and the other didn’t, not even detectable levels of the virus in their system, despite spending long periods together and sharing a bed.  There are those, who despite not previously catching Covid-19, appear to be immune, can clear the virus faster than it can replicate. The examples the studies are looking at stretch back to pre vaccines.

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught it’s that the immune response to the virus various widely.

We seem to be like that.  One theory is that the "immune" partner has had other coronaviruses previously - the ones that cause nasty colds.

Us too, I had it, wife nary a sniffle.  And on Saturday we sat next to her brother & sister-in-law at a wedding, said goodbye to them Sunday after breakfast, and by the afternoon the brother ohoned to say his wife was positive.  We'll wait and see (both negative yesterday).

[barakta]

Sorry to hear about your mum Helly, hoping your Dad escapes it and your mum's case is very mild so she recovers soon. Very scary for you all.

[andrewc]

Best wishes to your parents Helly.  Hope it's a mild case & clears up quickly.

[Wowbagger]

Indeed. Fingers crossed in Prittlewell, Helly.

[hellymedic]

Thanks all!
I did a lateral flow overnight, which was negative.
Await events...

[phantasmagoriana]

Partner has just tested negative, having had fatigue and cold-like symptoms for a couple of days.

It's probably too late for me to try to keep away now, so I'm assuming it's only a matter of time...

[John Stonebridge]

Day 10 from first symptoms.  Main observations

- Noticeable that recovery isn't a straight line, seems that alternate days are good / bad

- Throat is still very dry and sore though coughing and mucus much less after day 5 or so.
 
- Significant loss of appetite and corresponding weight loss (down by 5kg from 88kg to 83kg at the last count).

- Very profuse sweating (5kg is a lot of perspiration I suppose!)

- Definite loss of taste.  A normal (Tetley) tea tastes weird almost metallic.

- Spots on my face for the first time in over 30 years

- Diarrhoea

 

 

[ian]

Spent last week hanging out with the confirmed covidious. Be interesting to see if I get another bout. I had some symptoms a few weeks back that with hindsight might have been Covid (persistent headache for a couple of days) so I might have got an immune boost. Not that I’m going to bother testing at this point so what comes will come.

[pineapple bod]

Friday evening: "uh oh".  Tested negative
Saturday morning: Fever, chills & sweats; whole body aches. Temp=37.5 (very high for me).  Tested negative
Sunday: FCS & aches continue. Had roast beef dinner - could taste nothing but the horseradish. Strangely smell seemed unaffected.
Monday:  Tested positive with thick black line in 10 seconds.  Fever gone, replaced by Sore Throat From Hell.  Headache. Temperature & taste back to normal.
Tuesday/Wednesday: STFH continues.  Moderate cough & sneezing. Add earache to headache.
Thursday: STFH continues; tested positive with thick black line in 30 seconds.
Today: Sore throat almost gone. Persistent cough. Tried 3 mile bike ride - fatigued, and struggling with balance/concentration. 

(60yo fully vaxxed, no previous COVID afaik)