I have COVID and need help. I am in panic mode

[Teacher Terry]

Everybody’s experience will be different. I had a very mild case of Covid and was completely well in a week and never was very sick despite being 68 with 2 chronic conditions. I have been much sicker when I had the flu.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I had 5 COVID vaccines, all Pfizer and caught COVID in London last June. I had a fever for about 3 days and felt like flu. I was tested positive for COVID at a testing clinic in London. I felt much better after about a week but had a bad chronic cough that lasted for about 8 months. I was given all sorts of medications for my cough, something that relaxed my lungs and for the throat to be less sensitive.

My PCP insisted that I took Paxlovid but getting it was difficult in London and you are supposed to take it within the first 5 days for it to help prevent complications. I had to be quarantined for 5 days before cutting short my trip and flew home.

My cough is finally gone.

You should see your PCP because you should not feel bad for so long.

 

[JackJester]

Suck it up and see your PCP if it has been more than a week or 2 with no improvement. COVID is part of life now. I've had 2 vac shots plus 2 boosters and still got it. 4 day mild cold was all for me. Everyone responds differently. Don't screw around if it lingers. Long COVID is no joke. Remember ... good health > $, just like time > $. Oh., and Cancer SUCKS! put things in perspective.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I only have the original two part Pfizer shots and the booster after that. On or about the fourth day is when I phase out of the sickest stuff. Cough, aches and fever etc. then I just feel “sick” but it’s so much better than the previous days. Probably a good 10 days till I’m back to 100%.

10 days is good fast recovery.

Everybody’s experience will be different. I had a very mild case of Covid and was completely well in a week and never was very sick despite being 68 with 2 chronic conditions. I have been much sicker when I had the flu.

How many days to feel normal?

I had 5 COVID vaccines, all Pfizer and caught COVID in London last June. I had a fever for about 3 days and felt like flu. I was tested positive for COVID at a testing clinic in London. I felt much better after about a week but had a bad chronic cough that lasted for about 8 months. I was given all sorts of medications for my cough, something that relaxed my lungs and for the throat to be less sensitive.

My PCP insisted that I took Paxlovid but getting it was difficult in London and you are supposed to take it within the first 5 days for it to help prevent complications. I had to be quarantined for 5 days before cutting short my trip and flew home.

My cough is finally gone.

You should see your PCP because you should not feel bad for so long.

Are you saying 2 weeks is too long?

Suck it up and see your PCP if it has been more than a week or 2 with no improvement. COVID is part of life now. I've had 2 vac shots plus 2 boosters and still got it. 4 day mild cold was all for me. Everyone responds differently. Don't screw around if it lingers. Long COVID is no joke. Remember ... good health > $, just like time > $. Oh., and Cancer SUCKS! put things in perspective.

2 weeks is too long?

 

[tmm99]

I personally don't think 2 weeks is too long. Some of my colds/flu took longer than that to get over. It took me 3.5 weeks to finally get over my COVID completely and I took all the vaccines available including the one last November (just 4 months before I got sick with COVID.) It's still a good idea to see a doc IMO, so they can check you out (which would make me feel better just knowing I've been looked at). They can also run some tests/give you prescription drugs if they think it will help.

 

[RetiredHappy]

2 weeks is too long to feel badly. I don't want to scare you, but someone whom I know died at home from COVID because he thought he would recover without needing to see a doctor or go to the hospital. A friend went to check on him and found him on the floor unresponsive.

2 weeks is fine if you are feeling much better and have some residual symptoms.

 

[JBTX]

I had fever and chills for a day. I didn’t know I had Covid to 3 days later when I took my son in for similar symptoms.

Whenever I have a heavy sinus type illness, I take 12 hour Sudafed in the AM, the kind you get behind the counter at the pharmacy, and also mucinex DM. Ibuprohen and/or Tylenol if necessary. Afrin nose spray at night for a few nights if the congestion is bad enough. With these I can usually power through it.

There was some initial evidence that Benadryl help some people with extended Covid symptoms.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I personally don't think 2 weeks is too long. Some of my colds/flu took longer than that to get over. It took me 3.5 weeks to finally get over my COVID completely and I took all the vaccines available including the one last November (just 4 months before I got sick with COVID.) It's still a good idea to see a doc IMO, so they can check you out (which would make me feel better just knowing I've been looked at). They can also run some tests/give you prescription drugs if they think it will help.

Many do take longer to fully recover.
4/11/24 appointment. Think it’s too far out?

 

[SecondAttempt]

Did you get all your shots plus the boosters? When will that switch turn for me? Is it like instant? I thought it was a slow process?

After how many days do you feel more normal?
I am 46, fit, 19% body fat, normal BP. Everything else normal.

I am not a physician so I will not give you any medical advice except to say it sounds like you have an upcoming appointment with your PCP and should listen to her/him.

In had covid once (May 2022) and my partner had it twice (May 2022 and May 2023). We both kept up with vaccines until late 2022 but I recently had another booster. I felt pretty awful for a couple of days when I had it but quickly recovered. She only felt a little bad the first time and had no symptoms the second time. She only knew she had it because she was a teacher and had a known exposure so had to test. She does have lingering smell/taste issues. I'm not sure what to make of that because even she admits it could be psychosomatic.

When she had it the second time we made no lifestyle changes or separations at all to isolate me. I had been through several vaccines/boosters and had had covid so I had no concerns. I tested a few times but was always negative. I had to stay home from w*rk so I was almost constantly exposed to her.

We are just two anecdotes but it sounds like your case is more severe than most. I wish you the best. Neither of us are in as good shape as you but I'm not sure how much that matters with covid.

 

[Jerry1]

Are you trying to tell me is that they will let me go because of COVID?

I'm not saying that at all. I'm pointing out that companies let people go all the time and they do just fine - so don't feel like you're so indispensable that you can't take a few days off to get better.

 

[easysurfer]

Speaking from my own experience as I know each covid situation is unique to the individual. When I had covid (first and only time that I know of), first symptom was feeling fatigued. Then soon had other symptoms when the light turned on and I said "I'm feeling like the way I did after I got that first Covid booster shot." So I self-tested at home and result was definitely positive.

Had a lingering mild fever about 99-100 degrees and could feel the congestion in my lungs. Starting taking Paxlovid and starting feeling a lot better in about 36 hours (fever gone, congestion cleared up, energy back). That's the good. The bad is had the Paxlovid mouth with the horrible after taste which is something hard to describe unless you experience. If I get covid again, don't know if I'd take Paxlovid again or not.

 

[FindingForward]

i took paxlovid, but got that darn rebound effect they mention. Felt better for a few days, then BAM - another round of feeling sick. Not saying the paxlovid didn't help prevent more serious effects, but not sure I'd take it again, just because getting better, then suddenly feeling the symptoms all over again was so aggravating.

 

[LateToFIRE]

Tricky thing with COVID is that the symptoms and recovery vary greatly from one person to the next. So, much as we can all tell you what our experiences have been, doesn't really equate to what you might experience.

 

[harllee]

Have you tested your oxygen level? You might want to get a oximeter and test it at home (you can get at most any pharmacy). If your oxygen level is low (90 or less) you should seek immediate medical attention. If your oxygen level is OK then I would not worry too much, it is just taking you a while to recover.

 

[pacergal]

I am sorry you are feeling unwell.
Contact your PCP, ask about paxlovid, and new studies are out about antihistamines that may reduce symptoms and risk of long covid.
Best care for any type of illness is rest, fluids and allow your body to heal itself.
You can take OTC meds for symptoms that show up, but the best care is rest, especially if you are fatigued.

 

[EastWest Gal]

See your PCP and apply for FMLA and take and absence from work in order to rest. You will need your PCP to complete the form.

Feeling tired after two weeks, fortunately, is not long Covid at this point. It is not unusual to feel unwell at times for up to three weeks after a respiratory viral illness. Also, rebound occurs equally frequently with or without Paxlovid and a second course will not likely help.

 

[engineernerd]

FWIW, there's just no point in obsessing about when you "should" start feeling better. There's no rhyme or reason about who gets what kind of case of COVID-19.

I’m sure it’s frustrating to watch your hard-earned physical conditioning go out the window. But one of the consistent lessons learned by long-COVID doctors is that pushing patients to do more than they can really handle actually sets people back. (PLEASE NOTE: I'm not saying you have long COVID, read the next paragraph to understand what I'm getting at!)

Something interesting I came across: researchers out of South Africa and the UK discovered that people with acute COVID cases as well as people with long COVID had a lot of tiny blood clots in their blood. Tiny, but big enough to block capillaries. Until those clots are gone those people need to avoid placing too much demand on their circulatory systems.

Stress is itself bad for your health, so try to remember the serenity prayer. You will have time to restore your conditioning later, now your job is to avoid making your future worse by being impatient.

It probably wouldn't hurt to take vitamin and/or mineral supplements, especially Vitamin D if you're not getting outside much. Just reasonable doses, IMHO, not megadoses.

 

[badatmath]

As respectfully as possible, it sounds like the stress of the virus is activating your anxiety making things 10 times worse. Try to rest and relax as much as you are able.

 

[iloveyoga]

Everybody’s experience will be different. I had a very mild case of Covid and was completely well in a week and never was very sick despite being 68 with 2 chronic conditions. I have been much sicker when I had the flu.

I had Covid at Christmas time and then I had pink eye and a viral infection at the first of March. I felt much worse with the pink eye and virus than I did with Covid. I did get Paxlovid right away with Covid. For the pink eye/virus they could only give me eye drops.

OP, I sure hope you feel better soon, it is no fun to feel unwell.

 

[Car-Guy]

I am ~90 days post Covid and still have some fatigue and some imbalance. Slowly getting better. I was ~80% better after a few weeks but that last 20% seems to be taking forever.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Update: It took me about 3.5 weeks to fully recover. At least, I think I am recovered. I do have allergies/sinus but nothing that would be a big concern. PCP said I am a very low risk patient and there is no need for any medications.

My OCD/Anxiety got a lot worse Covid and after. My psychiatrist got my dosage up to 50mg from 37.5mg on Paroxetine. It still is bad but slowly getting better.

Anyone on SSRI’s?

 

[Teacher Terry]

It once took me a month to get over a bad case of the flu. Glad you’re feeling well.

 

[aja8888]

Update: It took me about 3.5 weeks to fully recover. At least, I think I am recovered. I do have allergies/sinus but nothing that would be a big concern. PCP said I am a very low risk patient and there is no need for any medications.

My OCD/Anxiety got a lot worse Covid and after. My psychiatrist got my dosage up to 50mg from 37.5mg on Paroxetine. It still is bad but slowly getting better.

Anyone on SSRI’s?

what are SSRI's?

 

[Teacher Terry]

what are SSRI's?

Medication for depression and other mental health disorders.

 

[W2R]

Glad you are feeling better. I only had Covid once, back in 2021, but in my case it was severe and awful. I was in the ICU in the hospital for about three weeks, and still felt awful when they released me but I wanted to go home SO badly and they really needed the bed for even sicker Covid patients at the hospital (so I did go home as soon as they'd let me).

I still have some minor Covid symptoms (little bit of brain fog, coughing up gobs of mucus most days, zero energy, sleeping and napping a lot) so I guess that possibly I have an extremely mild version of long Covid. But this is a "walk in the park" compared with full fledged Covid IMO.

I never took SSRI's so I can't help you there. I am fortunate enough to be probably the happiest 75-year-old who ever lived. Anyway, my advice is to keep resting, eating nutritious foods, and taking very good care of yourself until you are sure that you are completely over it.