For all of those people out there who are denying that Covid-19 is even real and is some kind of conspiracy theory: take a look at these testimonials from people who have had to deal with it in one way or another.
It’s here, it’s bad, and it’s killing people all over the world.
And it’s something that all of us need to take very seriously.
Here are some stories from AskReddit users who’ve been personally affected by Covid-19.
1. Breathing issues.
“I know a person in their 50s who had it. Sore throat, difficulty breathing/tightness in the chest, and fever up to 102.5 F.
It can seem pretty mild and then go downhill fast because of the breathing problems.”
2. It’s been rough…
“Dad got infected after going in and out of the hospital for his 4th brain surgery because the doctors keep messing up. After testing positive, the hospital sent him home so he infected mom also. After passing, for some reason, they sent his body home.
But nobody can touch it because of the possibility of getting infected. After dad’s passing, mom went to the hospital to get tested (she already knew, she just wanted treatment) but was sent home.
She collapsed while walking to her car, they admitted her but only gave her IV, told her she was positive, then sent her home again. Its been rough.”
3. Wasn’t taken seriously at first.
“My sister was an extremely healthy non-smoker who works at a prominent hospital. She was exposed to one of the hospitals first corona patients weeks and weeks ago when naivety was very much a thing and precaution wasn’t taken very seriously.
The patient tested negative but then positive after her exposure. She didn’t take the same precautions because he tested negative when he was in fact positive.
She certainly contracted the virus despite testing negative twice. She was ungodly sick and even weeks and weeks later she’s still using an inhaler and has a lasting cough and perhaps lung inflammation and damage. She’s 31.”
4. From a doctor.
“I’m a MD in NYC at a designated COVID19 center.
15% of pregnant patients here have COVID19. Of those positive patients, 87% are completely asymptomatic. We just admitted another one half an hour ago. She looks fine. It’s good that so many don’t get real sick but it’s scary because they are likely walking around spreading it.
My best friend had it and was non stop coughing with fevers to 103.6 and every flu like symptom you could imagine for about 3 weeks with a slow slow recovery. Said it was horrible. Terrible cough when I was FaceTiming him.
One of my co residents had it and felt like hell for about 2 weeks. Cough, fever, body aches.
Two family friends in their 60s has it and were layed out at home for about 1.5 weeks. One was kinda stuck in bed and the other weakly supported the two until they improved on their own.
The common thing I hear is that it’s like a horrible fever that just stays and stays and stays. You keep thinking you turned the curve, but the next day you’re still sick until it runs its course.
The really sick patients in the hospital just, it was really horrible for a long time. Things have slowed down thanks to social distancing and all the precautionary measures, im worried about going backwards though because the people in my area are walking around without masks or their nose out.
Everybody has a “reason” for going out or not wearing a mask. The virus does not care what your reason is. It does not care.”
5. Has it right now.
“I have it right now.
Symptoms started on Sunday last week. That morning I thought I had allergies – I basically had the sniffles with a bit of a sore throat, maybe a cough here and there. That evening I had a headache and the chills, but no fever, and some muscle soreness. Monday I called out of work, symptoms were more of same.
My PCP denied a test but my essential job demanded I get tested, and I couldn’t get an appointment until Tuesday morning. Monday I couldn’t sit at my desk to work from home because my legs hurt so bad. Sitting, standing, pacing, laying down, nothing wans comfortable. Still no fever, the highest my temp got was 99.6. Tuesday I got a rapid test at an urgent care facility, and within 2.5 hours it came back positive.
Tuesday night my sense of smell was on the way out, by Wednesday it was fully gone, and along with it, my sense of taste. Wednesday I ended up in the ER because the leg pain was so bad. They took blood for some tests, nothing hit, so I was given a shot of morphine and sent on my way. I’m on day 8 now, finally getting some energy back and minimal pain.
I still can’t taste anything (bread tastes like a flavorless sponge). Aside from a stray cough on Sunday or Monday of last week which were more from a throat tickle, I didn’t have the major symptoms. Never went above that 99.6, so I technically never had a fever, no cough all week, and no shortness of breath. But I still have a stuffy nose and sore throat. I’m over being sick.”
6. “Sickest I’ve ever been.”
“I’m 32 and it was the sickest I have ever been.
Two weeks of fever over 101, bad cough that lasted almost a month, shortness of breath where if I walked more than a few steps I would end up doubled over gasping for air.
It was pretty bad but at least I’m all better now.”
7. Horrible.
“I tested positive today for Covid.
I’m a 23 (f) in good health and It’s been horrible for me. Cough, chest pains to to point that simply breathing is almost unbearable, fever, chills , I could go on. Not to mention the swab itself is a nasty test.
Goes up your nose and down the sinus cavity where they rub the swab up and down for 10 seconds.
I now know why this kills people.”
8. It was scary.
“A friend had it, he’s okay now but it was scary for bit.
He said it was pretty much like a bad case of the flu until one night he spiked a high fever and started having problems breathing. It was like one hour he was fine and the next he had to be hospitalized. He ended up on a ventilator for almost a week.
Thankfully he’s doing okay now and he’s recovering at home. His family also ended up sick but they didn’t need to be hospitalized.
This virus is hitting everyone differently. For some it’s like an average bout of the flu, some people have severe symptoms while others have minor (and varying) symptoms. Some people are asymptomatic. Some people need to be put on ventilators, and unfortunately we’re losing a lot of people as well.
I wouldn’t wish this uncertainty on anyone. One minute your loved one is fine, just feeling a little under the weather. The next minute they might need to be hospitalized. You never know if they’re going to bounce back or not. The virus doesn’t care how old or how generally healthy you are, it will kick your butt if it wants to.”
9. Asymptomatic.
“I had it.
29 years old. Fever, chills, and body aches for 3 days. Used Tylenol and fluids. Fiancée tested positive as well. Completely asymptomatic.
I do have family friends who weren’t so fortunate though, and required time in the hospital.”
10. A rough road.
“My mother in law got in March.
She was hospitalized for two weeks. No one could visit her and she couldn’t even talk on the phone due to her shortness of breath. She’s not very skilled at texting either so we could only get occasional updates from the nurse.
Two months later and she’s still on oxygen at home and just this week was discharged from home nursing and home PT. It’s possible she will be on oxygen for some time to come as her lungs are so damaged.”
11. In his 60s.
“I know someone who died, he was in his 60s and caught it very bad.
He was on a ventilator and in an induced coma. They honestly thought he was improving but one night his condition worsened dramatically and he died the next morning.
He was sick for about a month.”
12. Thankful it wasn’t worse.
“My girlfriend and I both had it.
We live in Brooklyn, and I Airbnb (well, used to) a guest room in the lower level of my apartment. Very lovely couple from the UK came to stay in early March just as things were getting pretty wild. The last morning of their stay, he woke up with a fever and cough.
24 hours later, I was clearly sick, coughing, flu, shortness of breath, fever of 101. It was really bad that night, and then the symptoms kinda chilled out but persisted with the cough, mild fever and general aches for about another two weeks. (72 hours after initial symptoms I tested positive.)
Girlfriend was sick in a totally different way; she had weird headaches for nearly two weeks straight but almost nothing else other than mild cough.
Weirdest part was that both of us almost completely lost sense of smell + taste. I ate half a raw onion to confirm it. Was as tangy as an apple.
Taste/smell only fully returned after about six weeks.
Thankful that it wasn’t worse.”
13. No one is invincible.
“Friend of mine (23) had it and passed it to his roommate (also 23) and the roommate ended up dying from it.
This thing isn’t a joke, no matter what age you are, you aren’t invincible.
Please be considerate to others.”
14. Fit people get it, too.
“My trainer at the gym had it. She is an ordinarily healthy woman in her 40s and very fit.
She had high fever, it was hard to breathe, exhaustion & brutal muscle aches. She found it hard to walk across her bedroom. She lost her sense of smell also. Suspected neurological symptoms too – memory problems and trouble finding words.
Three weeks after her quarantine ended, she still feels like sh*t — she is out of breath very easily (I saw her loading groceries into her car and it was hard for her…) She is still having memory problems. She recovered at home; no hospital.”
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that a vaccine for this scourge is developed sooner than later.
Have you had any personal experience with Covid-19?
If so, please share your story with us in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.
