COVID 4 times

My ENT told me that one negative test doesn’t mean you didn’t have covid. I was so sick that I went to my primary, called in advance and went through side entrance after day hours, I felt so bad and was so symptomatic. Ten days later got post covid syndrome.

I just read an article that I hope to find the link for that says today’s covid may take a while to show positive on test AND that you may need to test 3 times! I’m getting some more tests to keep on hand. My illness after New Year’s was probably covid too. Thatcwould be my second time. A friend got something with same symptoms and tested negative until the third test, which was positive. I only took one test.

@celia16, @robbie6154, and all...I am just testing negative after 17 days of Covid, my 2nd infection since July 2023. Additionally, I was extremely ill in the spring of 2020 with something that was completely different and new to my body. I was bedridden 2X with all the symptoms of Covid, but we didn't have the testing we have now, and I was never officially Covid positive, but I do think I had it at that time. My primary doctor prescribed a Z-pack, steroid, and inhaler. Each lasted about 2 weeks before I began to improve. But that was the regime prescribed at the time for Covid.

I had both Moderna vaccines, with a 3-day reaction to the 2nd shot. I have not, NOT, had any additional boosters as I'm not sure I should with my multiple autoimmune illnesses and the reaction I had to the 2nd one. So, I'll chat with my rheumatologist next week to see if he wants me to have a booster. I'm hesitant.

Following the July infection, I had a bad bout of bronchitis, then I developed PMR and GCA, with all the symptoms of each and extreme pain and debilitation from the PMR especially. I've been on Prednisone since, a new inhaler. Now, after this Covid, I'm newly diagnosed with
microscopic polyanalgesia awaiting the beginning of treatment for that, with kidney and lung, skin and joint involvement. Goody!

I'm 77 years old, have multiple autoimmune diseases and other debilitating illnesses. My life is quite limited, and I go out very little, first of necessity, now by choice as well. I simply prefer to enjoy my home, my plants, my kitty, my birds, nature and my son with contact with a lot of folks via laptop and cell. Most things are delivered, including groceries. I purposely stay away from folks and protect myself as I am so vulnerable. I refuse to over- wear masks and think that much of that stuff was hype and misdirection.

I'm not a member of a herd, doggone it!!!! I have a very good and active brain; my thinking is clear, and I make my own independent decisions. For what's best for me! So, as I live in Florida and we enjoyed this kind of freedom from the beginning of Covid, I'm quite pleased with my life. Yes, I'm isolated. No, not by edict. Yes, by choice and my body dictates it.

I pray I don't get another Covid infection, but if I do, I'll deal with it as I do with each yucky thing that comes my way...with clear thinking, making my own decisions and following my excellent doctors at Mayo. I am indeed blessed.

And I'll survive! With gratitude and grace, God willing.

Blessings to you all on this crazy journey...Elizabeth

Ess77, you really have had an ordeal. I understand your desire to stay inside. I hope you are feeling better soon. Thanks for sharing.

I’m rather confused by the fact that people are not wearing masks…I must have missed the news report declaring covid is not harmful and the pandemic is over. My research said that it’s not over and that thousands have died in recent months..I also don’t think that covid is just another flu, the reports I read about long covid are frightening and I also have this condition from a covid infection in 2022. I can truly understand that we want to get on with our lives and put all the misery caused by covid behind us, however we have to come to the realization that it’s a whole new thing to adjust to, for some people the long covid is a nightmare filled with symptoms totally alien to us and in the meantime we have to find help and that’s also very challenging until they know more about it. All we can do is to talk to people and find out what they are doing and perhaps recommending what has worked for them, I know it’s different for everyone but there are some similar symptoms and that’s a good start.

Hi. I just got over my SIXTH bout of Covid two weeks ago. In 2019 I was diagnosed with my first case of Covid. I had a fever of 105 and was hospitalized for almost two weeks. I was weak, nauseous exhausted, had diarrhea, was short of breath, had high blood pressure ( when mine was always low) with muscle spasms and was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I had all the booster shots (which leaves me with the swollen red Covid arm). I wear a mask, use hand sanitizer and try to avoid sick people if I can. Every time I get Covid is different. Sometimes I have no symptoms while during others I have a sore throat, nauseousness, dizziness, exhaustion and congestion. It has taken me almost five years to get some of my strength back. My blood pressure is just now returning to normal but nowhere as low as it once was . I have lost my sense of smell. I still have the fatigue, shortness of breath and aches and pains. Oxygen tests come back normal. I have to sleep during the day. All I can do is take it slowly. We are COVID survivors. Some of my friends didn't make it. I feel your frustration and pain. All I can say is take it one day at a time and try to keep some hope. They're learning new stuff every day. Some of the new studies show it may remain dormant in people for months or years. All I know is that I have to listen to my body when it tells me to go slow. I doubt I'll ever be my old self again. Wishing you better health. Take care.

You may have missed numerous reports indicating that masking, typically with cloth or paper masks, has not been proven to impact transmission.
There is a case for using well-fitted N95 masks, respirators, etc, however this is also not foolproof and the majority of people do not choose these options.
Masks can also contribute to sinus issues, asthma exacerbation, skin problems, and tend to collect dirt and germs.
The best thing we can do is wash our hands frequently and be careful about the surfaces we are touching. Physical contact with the virus is an extremely common method of infection.
Studies have shown that Covid can live in the digestive system well after current tests show negative, so washing after using the restroom is especially important.

I also do a lot of research and I still see evidence of transmitting virus increases without using a mask…this fact is evident during holidays when people are close to each other without masks and there’s a big surge in infections. When we first started wearing masks over three years ago they were saying that the flu virus hardly made an impact because of masks. I also attribute this to social distancing…I heard more people complain about wearing masks than anything else, I agree that they are a nuisance but I’m more worried about getting covid again, I had it over a year ago and I now have long covid and horrible symptoms that are affecting my heart and lungs as well as other creepy symptoms. I can’t go through another thing like this again and considering how very sketchy their knowledge is about covid makes me even more worried…I go out with my mask and people are looking at me like I’m crazy…how quickly they forget what this monster is capable of doing to us in the long run, look at all the damage it’s done thus far. At the end of the day we should make our own choices about what is best for you and learn to accept what other people want to do, it’s a personal choice to make.

I would also like to add that I got infected when I took off my mask visiting my family, they had already decided that masks were obsolete, the second infection went to my partner last Christmas when we joined the others and removed our masks. I came to the conclusion that we got sick because we made this choice, now we’re back to wearing them again and I hate them just as much as other people do but simply put, I don’t want to catch anything else, besides I also got lung cancer in 2020 and it’s very hard for me to use masks along with COPD, asthma and missing half my lung.. I can really relate but I buy decent protection and pay a little more for it and I change them frequently to avoid germs, it’s all I know about what I can do until they hopefully come up with a better solution for everyone.

I was simply responding to your comment “I’m rather confused by the fact that people are not wearing masks”.

I agree with your statement in this post that we should choose what is best for us and respect others choices as well.

My experience was quite different than yours as I have been working from home since the initial shutdown, was also masking in public initially as it was mandated, and ended up getting Covid a total of 4 times despite vaccination. (Remember they initially told us vaccination would prevent transmission).
My family did not get Covid despite being in close contact with me without masking. My partner who slept in the same bed did not get infected at any point when I did. He did however get infected at a different time.

I respect your choices regarding masking and certainly understand based on your experiences, however I am also not convinced that it really makes much difference in common usage and do not have any expectations that it should be the norm in our society.

Sometimes we get to dodge the bullet 🙁