[Jerseygirl08]

Did I have Covid-19 in June after being in Europe for 17 days? I think so! Two days before we left London, I started with a very bad sore throat. For the entire 12 hr. flight to San Diego, I was burning up with fever. I NEVER NEVER get a fever when I'm sick. I was in a middle seat, coughing uncontrollably into the armpit of my tall boyfriend. I was freezing cold and shaking like crazy. I felt so sorry for the girl to my left; I kept apologizing but never coughed in her direction. When we got home, I took two Tylenol and went to bed as it was around midnight. The next morning, I woke up and BF took me to Urgent Care. My temp. was 103.4, even with Tylenol. I couldn't breathe. My lungs hurt 10 out of 10 with every breath. I had the worst headache ever. Long story made short, I was out of work for a month, had to be seen by my GP three times, two different changes for antibiotics (xray showed double pneumonia). Needed two kinds of inhalors. I finally got in to see a pulmonologist end of June. She put me on Prednisone 40 mg. X 7 days which really was the game changer. Now I can't say for sure, but I am 100% convinced I had Covid-19. I would love to be tested for antibodies. Does anybody know of any similar stories of people being sick (like this) prior to November, 2019? Please don't beat me up with disclaimers, I just feel so strongly that I had every symptom folks in the hospital are having now.

[manaboutown]

A 70 year old friend of mine who lives on Coronado Island was up visiting her grandchildren on Bainbridge Island in late November of 2019 when she became very, very sick, the worst 'flu' of her life she thought. Her symptoms and length of illness parallel what you describe. She also lost her sense of taste and smell. Most of the family were very ill. Two of the children suffered pneumonia.

A lot of Chinese nationals reside in that area and are visited by relatives living in China. So looking back, my friend believes that she likely contracted COVID-19. She has not been tested but will probably get tested when tests become readily available.

I hope you are back to normal!

[Jerseygirl08]

I am feeling much better now, thanks. One thing I do remember about being in London, there were many many tourists. Many Chinese, many from other nationalities too. We did the hop on/hop off bus so we were exposed to thousands of people. Pollen was also falling from the trees like snow. I remember sneezing constantly those 4 days in London, Unlucky me!

Well, actually, LUCKY ME. I survived.

[DianeM]

I was sick in February for three weeks. Mid grade temperature, horrible horrible cough so strong I thought I cracked a rib. My lungs hurt when I lay down at night to try to sleep. All I wanted to do was sleep. I will be looking to take the antibodies test as well.

[Marathon Man]

Two posts. And in both you mention getting tested. Why not do it? Why not at least contact someone involved in fighting this thing and tell your story? You may be able to make an important contribution.

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

Two posts. And in both you mention getting tested. Why not do it? Why not at least contact someone involved in fighting this thing and tell your story? You may be able to make an important contribution.

I have not heard that the antibody test is available yet. Did I miss that news?

[Jerseygirl08]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

Two posts. And in both you mention getting tested. Why not do it? Why not at least contact someone involved in fighting this thing and tell your story? You may be able to make an important contribution.

I did post twice, thought the first one didn't post …… my mistake.

Good point MM. Who could I contact? CDC, local health department? I'm going to see my doctor in two weeks and will ask for the testing. Thanks for the good advice.

[GoodLife]

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl08

Did I have Covid-19 in June after being in Europe for 17 days? I think so! Two days before we left London, I started with a very bad sore throat. For the entire 12 hr. flight to San Diego, I was burning up with fever. I NEVER NEVER get a fever when I'm sick. I was in a middle seat, coughing uncontrollably into the armpit of my tall boyfriend. I was freezing cold and shaking like crazy. I felt so sorry for the girl to my left; I kept apologizing but never coughed in her direction. When we got home, I took two Tylenol and went to bed as it was around midnight. The next morning, I woke up and BF took me to Urgent Care. My temp. was 103.4, even with Tylenol. I couldn't breathe. My lungs hurt 10 out of 10 with every breath. I had the worst headache ever. Long story made short, I was out of work for a month, had to be seen by my GP three times, two different changes for antibiotics (xray showed double pneumonia). Needed two kinds of inhalors. I finally got in to see a pulmonologist end of June. She put me on Prednisone 40 mg. X 7 days which really was the game changer. Now I can't say for sure, but I am 100% convinced I had Covid-19. I would love to be tested for antibodies. Does anybody know of any similar stories of people being sick (like this) prior to November, 2019? Please don't beat me up with disclaimers, I just feel so strongly that I had every symptom folks in the hospital are having now.

"There Is zero probability [SARS-CoV-2] was circulating in fall 2019,” tweeted Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who has been tracking SARS-CoV-2’s genetic code as it has spread. Allison Black, a genomic epidemiologist working in Bedford’s lab, says this is apparent from researchers’ data. As the virus spreads, it also mutates, much like the way words change in a game of Telephone. By sequencing the virus’s genome from different individual samples, researchers can track strains of the coronavirus back to its origins.


Richard Neher, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, told the Scientist that Nextstrain researchers’ work has tracked the virus back to a single source “somewhere between mid-November and early December,” which then spread in China. The earliest cases in the U.S. appeared in January 2020, according to Nextstrain’s sequencing work.

You did not get COVID-19 in the fall of 2019.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl08

I traveled to Europe mid May, 2019, on a 17 day whirlwind vacay. ...Any thoughts?

You didn't have COVID-19. You might have had the flu, or food poisoning combined with a cold, or a pneumonia, one of the other coronavirii, or any of a myriad of illnesses that eventually resolved.

COVID-19 is known as a "novel" coronavirus because it is new. That's what "novel" means, in medical terms. It didn't exist before November/December 2019, so it is impossible for you to have gotten it in June 2019.

[GoodLife]

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl08

I traveled to Europe mid May, 2019, on a 17 day whirlwind vacay. Last two days before flying home were spent in London and that's when I got a really bad sore throat. While boarding the plane, I realized by lungs hurt every time I took a breath. Coughing, shaking uncontrollably and burning up with fever, the flight was unbearable. I spent the whole 12 hrs. coughing into my tall boyfriends armpit. Got home at midnight, took two Tylenol and went to bed. Next morning went to Urgent Care. Had temp of 103.4 and was Diagnosed with double pneumonia. I NEVER NEVER get fevers when I'm sick. Antibiotics had to be changed twice, and after 3 GP appts, I thought I was getting better. After two weeks I went back to work. That only lasted a day. I was out of work for another two weeks. Extremely tired, bad headaches, short of breath, pain with every breath. I finally saw a pulmonologist after a month out of work. She put me on Prednisone 40 mg. X 7 days which really changed the course of the illness for me. I have never been so sick. I am convinced now that what I suffered from then was Covid-19. Please don't blast me with disclaimers as I am only sharing my feelings, my opinion about my illness in June. I'm not sure, and will only probably know for sure if I were to get tested for antibodies. Any thoughts?

"There Is zero probability [SARS-CoV-2] was circulating in fall 2019,” tweeted Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who has been tracking SARS-CoV-2’s genetic code as it has spread. Allison Black, a genomic epidemiologist working in Bedford’s lab, says this is apparent from researchers’ data. As the virus spreads, it also mutates, much like the way words change in a game of Telephone. By sequencing the virus’s genome from different individual samples, researchers can track strains of the coronavirus back to its origins.


Richard Neher, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, told the Scientist that Nextstrain researchers’ work has tracked the virus back to a single source “somewhere between mid-November and early December,” which then spread in China. The earliest cases in the U.S. appeared in January 2020, according to Nextstrain’s sequencing work.

You did not get COVID-19 in the fall of 2019.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl08

I traveled to Europe mid May, 2019, on a 17 day whirlwind vacay. Last two days before flying home were spent in London and that's when I got a really bad sore throat. While boarding the plane, I realized by lungs hurt every time I took a breath. Coughing, shaking uncontrollably and burning up with fever, the flight was unbearable. I spent the whole 12 hrs. coughing into my tall boyfriends armpit. Got home at midnight, took two Tylenol and went to bed. Next morning went to Urgent Care. Had temp of 103.4 and was Diagnosed with double pneumonia. I NEVER NEVER get fevers when I'm sick. Antibiotics had to be changed twice, and after 3 GP appts, I thought I was getting better. After two weeks I went back to work. That only lasted a day. I was out of work for another two weeks. Extremely tired, bad headaches, short of breath, pain with every breath. I finally saw a pulmonologist after a month out of work. She put me on Prednisone 40 mg. X 7 days which really changed the course of the illness for me. I have never been so sick. I am convinced now that what I suffered from then was Covid-19. Please don't blast me with disclaimers as I am only sharing my feelings, my opinion about my illness in June. I'm not sure, and will only probably know for sure if I were to get tested for antibodies. Any thoughts?

Sure sounds like it. I think our granddaughter who lives in Manhattan had it in January. She had gone to visit her mother in London over Christmas. I hope you are both now immune.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Sure sounds like it. I think our granddaughter who lives in Manhattan had it in January. She had gone to visit her mother in London over Christmas. I hope you are both now immune.

She didn't have COVID-19 in May of last year. It didn't exist in May of last year. Or June, July, August, September, or October. It didn't even exist in the USA until late December/early January, and was exclusive to a whole ocean away for the month-1/2 leading up to that.

[John_W]

I would say you have pneumonia. I got it in the spring of 2016 and it came and went twice in a two month period. Other than all the things you described, and I had it even worse, when it was over I had my entire life changed. I had to give up softball, my lung capacity had gone down to 59% and I no longer could run. Before that, I played 5 years, 15 seasons and maybe missed 4 games. After the pneumonia, just running out to shortstop to play my position I would get winded, much less playing. I also had to stop taking some classes at MVP because I couldn't catch my breath. I was sent to a pulmonary doctor and I was diagnosed with Emphysema and now I have 3 inhalers I use everyday. Consider yourself lucky you didn't have the lasting effects that I did.

[jet10s]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

Two posts. And in both you mention getting tested. Why not do it? Why not at least contact someone involved in fighting this thing and tell your story? You may be able to make an important contribution.

you do not understand -- the antibodies test -- ELISA TEST -- is not officially available yet -- only a test for antibodies -- not a current infection -- will tell if you have had the corona virus -- it is coming on the horizon -- not readily available yet

[Two Bills]

If any of these instances of sickness were COVID-19. surely a whole lot more people would have been infected around them?
JMO.